Creamy Spiced Oatmeal

I would imagine that, for most, the idea of oatmeal doesn't exactly make someone say, "Oooo, yeah, THAT'S what I want for breakfast." The fact that it's super healthy for you was what pushed me to try it more than twice but what I was trying at the time was very basic and boring. I would equate it to a bowl of warm gruel with 12 heaping spoonfuls of sugar. I tried the Quaker pre-packaged-just-add-hot-water packets which tasted exactly like a processed bowl of something grainy. After that I had crossed it off my mental list of edible options. That was until I had a bowl of homemade oatmeal at a New England bed-and-breakfast years ago. I was there with my mother and she and I agreed that it was THE best we ever had - it was made with steel cut oats, spices, maple syrup and served up with fresh blueberries. That gave me the motivation to try and make it myself based on different recipes - eventually I grew to love the stuff.

It took me a while but I finally came up with a go-to recipe based on a couple of different sources but the one that I follow most closely comes from MAD HUNGRY: Feeding Men & Boys that I mentioned in an earlier "On the Books" post. Below is Ms. Quinn's recipe straight out of her book and my variations are below that:

1 cup milk (soy, almond or rice milk can be substituted)
1/2 cup water
1 whole cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
4 allspice berries (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 cup rolled oats, preferably organic
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
2 ripe bananas (optional)
1/2 cup toasted almonds (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and water with the spices and bay leaf over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and steep for 2 minutes. Add the oats and cook, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender, between 5 and 15 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and cover for a minute. Discard the bay leaf and whole spices. Portion into bowls and drizzle with maple syrup, then top with the bananas and almonds, if desired. Serve immediately.

My variations (more often they depend on how long it's been since I've made a trip to the supermarket):

• Prep: If I don't have enough milk in the house, I substitute water and mix in a few tablespoons right before serving. Once I add the oats I bring it to a boil then turn off the heat, put a cover on the pot and let it sit on the stove for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

• Flavor: I always have a supply of dried cranberries oddly enough so if I'm looking for a version that's got some tartness to balance out the sweet, add about a 1/2 cup or more of the cranberries to the water along with the spices. The flavor infuses the oats very nicely and I don't seem to use as much added sweetener as a result. I also like to throw in some fresh nutmeg with the rest of the spices.

• Alternate Toppings: Fresh blueberries, sliced strawberries or granny smith apples.

• Personal Note: When it comes to buying oats in the supermarket, I like Old-Fashioned versus Quick Oats. For me, the texture is less gruel-like. I like the Steel Cut oats also but they're not always available in the mass quantities that I normally purchase.