breakfast = oatmeal

i know you guys are gonna laugh when you see this but i'm posting about breakfast, and therefore i am posting about: OATMEAL! surprise! I love it (everyone knows that). But anyways I wanted to post a list of oatmeal options that i love because it is such a great breakfast thing but it usually needs a little kick to be truly delicious and if you eat it everyday like me, you need options. So i wanted to put together a little list of oatmeal mix-ins for everyone in case you want some ideas for how to make your oatmeal truly delicious. And they are all still really fast and easy. It's also for me because sometimes i forgot the yummy ones.

First of all: i just buy the generic brand "quick cooking" plain oats in the cylinder from the store. I usually make about 1/3 c in a bowl then just cover it with water. (of course you can do more, but this was the amount they told me to make when i was on my diet after having Caitlin and it's a good amount for me). Then i stick it in the microwave for 1:45. That's y tried and true time. Then i add my mix ins and enjoy. You can also add milk to it but i stopped adding milk also when i was on my diet, because they told me to. At first it will seem kind of dry but now im totally used to it and i dont mind it.

So here is a list of all my favorite mix-ins that are fast and easy:
-chocolate chips! Melissa actually just told me the other day that she was watching a morning show and they said one of the best breakfasts you can have is oatmeal with DARK chocolate! I knew i had the right idea. They said on the show that people who were having chocolate in their oatmeal lost up to 40 lbs. more than people who weren't. I've just been putting in regular milk chocolate chips but now im on the lookout for dark chocolate so i can feel completely justified!
-butterscotch chips
-fresh fruit (strawberries and bananas are my favorite)
-baked apples (cut up an apple into bitesize pieces then stick them in the microwave for about 25 minutes to get soft)
-cinnamon (yummy with just about anything and good for weight loss)
-peanut butter, nutella-- these are pretty good but they kind of give the oatmeal a weird texture
-brown sugar (i usually don't do this one but it is yummy)
-frozen berries (i get the 3 berry mix from costco and it's my favorite. Just scoop them in and by the time you mix it all around they are thawed enough)
-apple cider mix (like the packet.. use about half and you can get the non sugar kind t make it more healthy)
-Greek yogurt & honey (This is my newest one: I'm super into greek yogurt right now. It's really god for you. Just mix in a spoonful then add some honey to sweeten it up. The texture might look a little scary but it's actually really creamy and delicious.)

Good combo ideas from the above:
-chocolate chips + fresh fruit OR frozen berries
-baked apples + apple cider mix + cinnamon
-bananas + butterscotch chips OR peanut butter

K so there is all you've ever wanted to know about my oatmeal breakfast habits! Hopefully it gave you guys some ideas for if you want to try having oatmeal more often. Let me know if you guys have any other combos that you like!