Pumpkin In My Oatmeal?!

"The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!" -Marvin Phillips

Alright, on to Try It Tuesday! So I've been experimenting the last couple of months with sneaking veggies into my breakfast bowl with some canned pumpkin. Who would have thought?! I saw this pumpkin idea in a few different sources so I figured it couldn't be too crazy. Here's a few of them so you don't think I've lost my mind: Clean Eating Magazine, the Hungry Girl cookbook and Oxygen magazine.

This is my own version that tastes the best to me (and is pretty easy to make when I'm all bleary eyed in the morning):

• Cook a 1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal (or whatever oatmeal you prefer) stove top or in the microwave with 1 cup of water. When the water is just about all soaked up, add in 3 tablespoons of plain ol' canned pumpkin. Stir the pumpkin in and finish cooking the oatmeal.
• Turn off the heat if you are using the stove. Liberally sprinkle ground cinnamon and stir. I'm serious when I say liberally - if you don't get enough cinnamon, then the oatmeal will taste a bit squashy (believe me, I've eaten that spoonful).
• Ta da! That was easy, wasn't it? I also like to add in a 1/2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed and a 1/2 Tbsp of wheat germ to add a nutty flavor.
• Some other ideas to add in: 1/8 to 1/4 cup of nonfat or soy milk, or stevia powder (or the more commercial version Truvia) if you like a bit more sweetness with your pumpkin. The Hungry Girl cookbook also added in nutmeg, but I wasn't a huge fan of that one. Get creative - healthfully of course!

Now I'm not going to tell you that this tastes like pumpkin pie, but it does add some excitement (and veggies) to your oatmeal. It also gives me quite a bit more pep than plain oatmeal. Add in the natural appetite suppressant of cinnamon, and I am set for the morning. I dare you to give this pumpkin oatmeal a taste.

Have a great Tuesday!

Court

P.S. I'm trying something new with theme days. Yesterday we had Motivation Monday as everyone can use a little kick in the pants on Mondays, and now we have Try It Tuesday with a new recipe. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this little idea. Send me an e-mail or leave a comment!