Seasonal Breakfast Treat

I confess that oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I've eaten it almost every morning for over a year since I discovered all the possibilities that oatmeal provides; it's essentially a blank canvass for any combination of flavors, both sweet and savory. The best part is, it sticks to your bones and keeps you feel for hours so you don't have to worry about fighting mid-morning hunger until your lunch break!
With the change of the seasons I start looking at what is most readily available and in season to incorporate into my meals, and that most certainly includes breakfast. So I turned to my favorite fall flavors - pumpkin and cinnamon - to create the perfect fall breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry rolled oats (bought in bulk at Whole Foods, $.89 for one pound, $.11 used here)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Trader Joe's or Ralph's - $1.99 for a box, ~$.50 used here)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh (Ralph's - Libby's, $2.95 for a 15oz can, $.42 used here)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, small sprinkle of ground nutmeg
1 tsp sweetner of your choice, I prefer honey, agave nectar, or brown sugar

Directions:

• Bring almond milk to a boil over a medium high heat in a medium saucepan.
• Add oats and reduce heat to medium low - low and keep at a simmer. Cook through until most of the almond milk has been absorbed but the oatmeal is still slightly runny.
• Remove from heat and move to a bowl. Stir in pumpkin, sweetner, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Total Cost:  $1 per serving
Nutrition Facts: 233 calories, 5.7g fat (.6g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg cholesterol, 153mg sodium, 41g carbohydrates, 7.3g fiber, 10g sugar, 6.7g protein, [Vit A 200%, Vit C 3%, Calcium 35%, Iron 19%]

If you would like, add some chopped pecans or crumbled graham cracker/vanilla wafers to add more festive flavor [*will change calorie content]. Until next time, may your stomachs be full and your grocery bill be small!