Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Our new favorite breakfast is pumpkin pie oatmeal.  The boys and I were hanging out with my parents a couple Saturdays ago and looking in their pantry I saw a dozen cans of pureed pumpkin, so I had to ask what they were for.  They had started adding a can of pumpkin to their morning oatmeal to add some more vegetables to their diet.  I thought that was a great idea to get some more in my boys since they already eat oatmeal and pumpkin is not an overwhelming flavor.

The Big Man was even enthusiastic about it and when we tried the oatmeal that "was like Pumpkin Pie" he was a little disappointed that it did not have whipped cream on top.  However, he and The Bear both gobbled it down and now ask for this type of oatmeal when it is an oatmeal morning.

I did not just add pumpkin though, I always put cinnamon in our oatmeal and left that.  Then I tried a little nutmeg, cloves and some vanilla to make it taste like pumpkin pie.  I supposed you could just use the pumpkin pie spice, but we prefer the taste of freshly grated nutmeg and do not have the spice mix.

So, for a warm breakfast pick me up that tastes like dessert I would recommend this, and you can feel good about it yourself, or for your kids.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

4 cups water
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 can pureed pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch cloves
1 tsp vanilla

Put everything except the nutmeg in a saucepan and bring to a boil.   Cook until the oatmeal is creamy while stirring, so it does not stick to the pan.  After it reaches your desired consistency take it off the heat and stir in the nutmeg.  We found the nutmeg got a little burned flavor if you added it with everything else.

Pour into bowls and serve.  We like to top ours with a little milk, drizzle of honey, raisins and maybe some granola for crunch.

This amount will make breakfast for myself, The Big Man and The Bear for two mornings.  Enjoy!