Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Several years back, I discovered the only way to make oatmeal. If you already have your own favorite method, feel free to stick to your guns, but if you’re open to trying out something new, well, this just might change your life. At the least the oatmeal sector of it.

I have two primary go-to ways of flavoring our oatmeal on a regular basis, but when the calendar said September and the weather turned a bit cooler, it was time to mix things up a bit. Please let your fears be allayed—I’m not the person who frantically runs to the grocery store or (ahem) certain chain beverage establishments for everything pumpkin spice. Let’s be honest; most of those things are far more about spices and sugar than they actually are about the pumpkin.

But this delightful breakfast bowl . . . oh, it embraces the pumpkin.

Rounded out with a panoply of warm spices, lightly laced with maple syrup and nutty ghee, then topped with fragrant pecans, this oatmeal is an autumn treat.

Please give this a try, and enjoy. May it delight you as much as it does me.

Recipe

Serves two

The Only Way to Prepare Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

1 scant cup oats

1 scant cup water for soaking

1 tsp. sourdough starter (or apple cider vinegar, *optional)

1 scant cup water (or choice of milk) for cooking

½ tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. The night before, mix together the scant cups of oats and water (and optional starter) to soak. Cover and let sit overnight. (Use a glass, ceramic, or stoneware bowl for this; avoid plastic.)
2. In the morning, add 1 cup water (or milk), the bowl of soaked oats (don’t drain), and salt to a small pot. Heat up to a boil, reduce to simmer. Total cook time should be about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching. Adjust cook time to your preferred thickness.
3. (Flavor as desired.)

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

(oatmeal recipe) +

½ cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)

cinnamon (several hearty shakes)

ground ginger (several hearty shakes)

freshly grated nutmeg (large pinch)

cloves (a pinch)

*optional: pinches of cardamom and white pepper

1 – 2 T. ghee (or your choice of oil)

1 T. of flax meal, chia seeds, or psyllium husks

1 T. maple syrup

walnuts and pecans, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add pumpkin and spices to the oat mixture when first starting to cook in the pot.
2. Once cooked, turn off the heat; add oil, seeds, and syrup. Stir.
3. Serve into warmed bowls, and top with nuts.