Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal Mix

A couple months ago I was given a package of "gourmet" cinnamon raisin instant oatmeal mix. It sent me on a bit of an "oatmeal kick" and also sent me looking online for recipes to make my own instant oatmeal mix. I combined and modified a few of the recipes I found, and here's what I came up with. It's a cinch to mix up a batch, very economical, and open to endless variations.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Mix

Ingredients:
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Store in an airtight container.

To prepare one serving of oatmeal:
In a microwave safe bowl, mix 1/2 cup oatmeal mix with 2/3 cup water. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Stir, then let stand for about 1 minute before serving.

Variations:

Just before adding water and cooking, stir in one or more of the following:

• raisins
• dried cranberries
• any other dried fruit
• chopped dates
• diced apple
• chopped pecans or walnuts
• slivered almonds
• wheat germ

After cooking, you can also try stirring in or topping your oatmeal with one of these:

• maple (or any flavor) syrup
• fruit jam
• fresh fruit
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract