Winter Fruit and Nut Oatmeal

I don't know about where you are right now, but it's definitely oatmeal whether in my neck of the woods - cold and stormy, with seemingly no end in sight. And while the rain pours down and the wind whips through the trees, all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a hot cup of tea, and watch movies all day. Of course, my almost-four-month-old has other ideas. No leisurely watching movies and lounging around for this tired mommy. But I am still in need of a little cozy, so that's where the oatmeal fits in.

I've always been a huge fan of oatmeal, especially during the cold winter months, and there are so many things you can do with it. I love to add fruit like apples, bananas, and berries; different kinds of nuts; and sometimes I'll toss in flax or chia seeds. It always makes me feel really healthy and fueled for the day. I call this particular concoction my "forage porridge" because it stemmed from literally throwing into the pot what I could find left over in the fruit drawer. I had never put pears in oatmeal before, but it was so good, and now I don't like to make it without them. Depending on how long you cook it, the pear kind of becomes one with the oatmeal and adds a great consistency, along with adding a lot of volume to really fill you up.

Figgy Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Oatmeal has been a breakfast staple in my house as far back as I can remember. My mom used to make it for my sister and me before bundling us up and sending us out to wait for the school bus on cold winter mornings. When I didn't want to go to school, it often worked to my advantage; I would feign fever, knowing that the hot oatmeal I had just consumed would skew the thermometer reading in my favor…I thought it was genius, but it didn’t take my mom long to figure that one out!

Back then I liked my oatmeal with butter, mainly because I liked to watch it melt into all the nooks and crannies, and lots of sugar. Today I opt for healthier additions such as fresh and dried fruit, chopped nuts, a drizzle of honey or tsp of brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. Recently I bought a package of dried figs for some muffins I attempted to make (I don’t want to talk about it), so I decided to use some of the leftovers. It turned out sweet, chewy, and really yummy!