Apple pie oatmeal, and Oatmeal Wars

We have Oatmeal Wars in our family.

My husband eats a lot of oatmeal. He likes rolled Irish oats and cooks them with lots of water so the finished product is decidedly soupy. He eats it cold, often at midnight, with jam stirred in.

I eat oatmeal occasionally. I am not picky about my oats - generic brands are fine - and I like my oatmeal thick, closer to solid than liquid. I always add a pinch of salt and a slosh of pure maple syrup.

Emery, my older son, will not touch oatmeal of any consistency. He has never liked spoon foods. He eschewed all baby food and was happily eating steak when he was seven months old and had only one tooth.

Weston, my younger son, will only eat the oatmeal my mother-in-law brings with her when she and my father-in-law visit. I believe that consists of steel-cut oats with flax seed added in. She adds milk, raisins and brown sugar. I have tried to make my mother-in-law's oatmeal and thus far have not gotten close enough that Weston has been willing to eat it.

And my mother likes oatmeal but only with salt and pepper. She eats all her hot cereal that way. No one else seems to have inherited that preference.

In an attempt to convince myself to eat more oatmeal, and to kick off my October Unprocessed pledge, I made a big pot of oatmeal with grated apples and cinnamon. I liked it. My husband ate it but went back to his oatmeal soup. Emery wouldn't touch it. Weston tried one bite and declared it not as good as Grandma Vera's. The Oatmeal Wars rage on.

You'll like this oatmeal, though. I added some maple syrup before serving and thought it tasted just like apple pie. I soak the oats overnight to make the final product a little creamier and cut down on morning cooking time.

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Apple pie oatmeal

by Erika Kerekes October-13-2012

This dressed-up oatmeal tastes just like apple pie. Serve with a sprinkle of brown sugar or pure maple syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups water
• 2 large apples (any variety), peeled, seeded and grated
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine the oats, water, apples, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan. Let soak at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (I mix this up before bedtime and let it soak while I sleep to cut down on cooking time in the morning.)Bring to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with brown sugar or pure maple syrup, and sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon if you like.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 1 hour 25 mins Yield: 4-6 servings