My family enjoys home cooked oatmeal but I find just adding sugar or a little cinnamon boring so I began trying out different things for flavors.

My flavor ingredients list:

• cinnamon and brown sugar
• apple slices, cinnamon and brown sugar
• applesauce, cinnamon and brown sugar
• banana and brown sugar
• banana and cream
• strawberry slices
• strawberries and cream
• blackberries
• blueberries
• blueberries and cream
• peaches
• peaches and cream
• peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon
• maple syrup

Today's experiment was a delicious success! I made chocolate and cream oatmeal.

I am always searching for something new to add in and try

I never could eat oatmeal when I was young, but took to it a few years ago after I was diagnosed with diabetes.  It took a little getting used to it, but I love it now.

Sometimes, I eat it with just a little artificial sweetener; sometimes with an apple.  We get sugar-free caramel sauce in a jar and I'll put some of that in the oatmeal or on the apple, but not all the time.  My mom will eat some peeled apple if she has the caramel on it. :)  She like some raisins in her oatmeal, or dried prunes or apricots.

I think pecans and caramel in the oatmeal would be good too, but haven't yet tried it.  Bagged pecan halves are on sale this week at Krogers (12oz. for $3.99), so I'll get some & try it. YUM!

Thanks for the great ideas, Brandy! It is starting to be oatmeal season at our home and we will need to think of some tasty ideas as winter wears on. I could eat oatmeal every day with cream and brown sugar but DH needs more variety, LOL. My boys like oatmeal as long as it is sweet but it could be even more heathful if I could get them to add chopped fruit.

A few other ideas: honey as a sweetner and adding a splash of vanilla is also tasty. Chopped up dates/prunes can also add extra fiber. DH and I also like raisins, vanilla and brown sugar (with cream, of course, LOL).

Thanks Linda!

I have added these to my list of things to try:

• caramel
• caramel and apples
• apricots

mamasjob:

adding a splash of vanilla

I wondered if that would taste good. I'll try that as well.

Raisins didn't go over well for us. Maybe if they were mixed with some other things for a different overall flavor.

 Brandy, all of those sound so good.  I love oatmeal (except instant packets, which never tasted good IMO). Unfortunately, with my diabetes I can only eat grains or grain products on a rare, small amount basis, and only a little fruit, due to blood sugar spikes. I've switched to recipes that use flax meal, or a combination of flax and almond meal, which makes for some very hardy pancakes, muffins and other baked goods. It is very filling, and good for regularity too.  Edey

Edey:

I love oatmeal (except instant packets, which never tasted good IMO

I am the opposite. I grew up eating instant and prefer it to the homemade kind I make. My husband grew up eating cooked oatmeal and prefers it. The kids prefer cooked as well.

I do really enjoy the peaches and cream, banana and cream and today's chocolate and cream oatmeal. The other flavorings have made homecooked oatmeal passable to me.

Have you every tried putting some of the apple pie turnover yogurt in your oatmeal?

When I make oatmeal, I put a packet of Spenda in it, some cinnamon, some raisins or craisins, and a few almonds, walnuts and pecans (all unsalted baking nuts). It's pretty tasty to me.

Jill

I make Oatmeal  every day for DH he love it ..  

I make up " instant " oats for the kids .