A Little Morning Vegetable

My oatmeal obsession is fairly recent; only in the last two years have I truly appreciated its deliciousness and ability to keep me full all morning. In grade school we had oatmeal on cold mornings; Mom made it plain and we were allowed a teaspoon of colored sugar sprinkles on top. The appeal then was the sprinkles, not the oats.

This pumpkin oatmeal is my favorite thing these days and I'd like to share it with you.

My method works great for busy weekday mornings. I have a small pot that is perfect for two portions (1 cup oats); I make it on a morning when I have more time, and save the second portion to reheat when I'm busy.
A spoonula works best for stirring, especially when it's your favorite color. :-)

It's easy to forget you're getting a vegetable when you put pumpkin in sweet oatmeal.
Did you know pumpkin is 90% water?

A few more stats in 1 cup:

Calories: 80

Carbohydrates: 19 gram

Cholesterol: 0

Fat: less than 1 gram

Potassium: 588 milligrams

Protein: 2.4 grams

Vitamin A: 310% of RDA

• Vitamin C: 20% of RDA

I don't measure pumpkin when I add it to the pot. For two portions I add two heaping tablespoons (1/8 cup?). Add it to your taste.
Sweetened with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, and a little Suite Apple Granola,

(yikes! I'm almost out!),

and it's like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal for Two

1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups water
2 pinches of salt
sweetener of your choice (I use Splenda)
5 shakes of cinnamon
2 shakes of pumpkin pie spice
splashes of light vanilla soy milk

Put the oats and water in a pot. Cover, and turn the heat on to medium-low. After about five minutes the mixture should start to bubble lightly. Remove the lid and stir. Add the salt and pumpkin and stir thoroughly.

Turn the heat down to low and allow to cook for a minute. Add the spices and Splenda/sugar; if the mixture is looking dry add a splash of soy milk. Cook until thickened and the oats are soft, adding more soy milk if desired.
Portion into two bowls and serve. For a 'pumpkin pie crust' sensation, serve with some crunchy granola on the side.

~:~