Give Your Oatmeal Jazz Hands!

Hopefully you're not one of those people that still skips breakfast! Growing up with my Nana (my grandma), she would always wake up so hungry in the morning, saying, "Nichole, it's time to break our fast" (the fast from when you were sleeping!) She almost never skipped breakfast and she would for sure be proud of me posting something about the importance of breakfast.

Oatmeal is a perfect option for a Cheap and Simple breakfast. Come on people, Mr. Breakfast explains that eating oatmeal lowers cholesterol, may lower blood pressure, provides soluble fiber (I heart fiber), and has tons of healthy mineral and vitamins. BUT, oatmeal can be pretty boring, right? If you purchase the pre-flavored instant oatmeal, you might have something tasty but you really don't need all those added sugars/flavors. And honestly, the box of all the individual packets can get a little pricey.

To keep costs down and create my own tasty oatmeal, this summer I decided to forgo my instant oatmeal packets and I started buying the big ol' cardboard container of oatmeal. I'd try something new each morning; maybe stirring in some brown sugar and cinnamon, blueberries, or maple syrup. I was always slightly disappointed because without putting my entire days' worth of sugar into the oatmeal, there really wasn't too much to my oatmeal, despite my efforts.

Meanwhile, I became slightly obsessed with Creme Brulee coffee creamer, which is weird because I really don't drink coffee, and when I do, I drink instant Decaf (don't judge me). One morning, I overcooked my plain oatmeal, and instead of adding a bit more milk, I decided to stir in a tablespoon of my favorite coffee creamer. It was delicious and I rarely make it any other way! The Creme Brulee creamer adds just enough sweetness and flavor without being overbearing, and it only adds 35 calories, which is better than all the sugar I was dousing in my oatmeal each morning to give it some jazz.

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup of plain oats
1/2-3/4 cup of milk (or water)
1 Tbls. of your favorite lactose free coffee creamer (not the powder)
A few shakes of cinnamon or nutmeg (Optional)

Mix oats and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat 1 1/2 minutes. Mix well and heat for 20 second increments until desired consistenly (I like my oatmeal pretty loose). Carefully remove from microwave and stir in creamer. Enjoy your jazzy oatmeal!

You Could Also Try...

• Use whatever creamer flavor you like, but make sure you're not cheating and adding more than 1 tablespoon. The point is to keep it healthy- not to add in a ton of fat!