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Decadent Oatmeal

It seems like a contradiction in terms, but it is possible to make a decadent oatmeal that is pretty healthy too. As an oatmeal aficionado, let me share my recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 minute oatmeal
  • Don’t use steel cut, old fashioned, or instant oats.
  • I prefer Quick 1-Minute Quaker Oats.
• Skim milk
• A banana, or half an apple
• 100% real maple syrup
  • Don’t use pancake syrup with 2-3% syrup. 
  • Get the 100% real thing. It’s a little more money, but it’s worth it. 
  • If you want to save money, Costco sells bulk maple syrup in half gallon plastic jugs under its Kirkland brand.
• Natural applesauce (no sugar added)

1. Put 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the 1-minute oatmeal into the deepest, single-serve, microwave-safe cereal bowl that you’ve got. The deeper it is, the less likely the oatmeal will overflow when cooking.
2. Slowly pour the skim milk into the bowl. Allow time for the oatmeal to absorb the milk. Fill it to just over the top (about a 1/4 inch) of the oatmeal.
3. Choose whether you want banana or apple in your oatmeal.
   • Banana: Peel and slice up a whole banana into the bowl 
   • Apple: Core the apple, and slice up half of it into the bowl. There is no need to peel the apple (unless you prefer otherwise).
4. Lightly stir up the mixture.
5. Put the bowl on a microwave-safe saucer. This will catch any oatmeal overflow and make it easier to handle the bowl when it gets hot.
6. Microwave on high.
   • 2 minutes 30 seconds 
   • 2 minutes if you didn’t add the fruit
7. Stir again. If it’s too thick, stir in some milk.
8. Top with some real maple syrup, which will melt into the oatmeal.
9. If it contains apples, top it with natural apple sauce as well.
10. Serve. Beware! It may be hot.