Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Toddlers get bored with foods so easily.  Bailey loves yogurt one day, but refuses to eat it the next.  Sometimes I put a plate of green beans in front of her and she scarfs them down as fast as she can, other days she throws them on the floor.

I try to keep variety in our menu.  I don't schedule the same meal twice in a month, but when it comes to breakfast and lunch I'm not so good with the variety.  I do feed her a lot of yogurt.  I switch up the flavors every day, but it's still yogurt.  She likes to have Cheerios in her yogurt so I alternate multi-grain Cheerios, plain Cheerios, honey nut Cheerios, and apple cinnamon Cheerios.  She loves fruits of all kinds so we buy a variety of fruits so she doesn't get burned out on one fruit.  Right now I have 2 quarts of strawberries, 1 pint of blueberries, 3 apples, 4 peaches, and about 4 pounds of grapes in the fridge.

When I have extra time in the morning I try to cook breakfast.  I always cook breakfast on the weekends.  I make biscuits and gravy or eggs and bacon.  Lately we've been eating lots of doughnuts and apple fritters.  During the week I don't have as much time.  Bailey likes to snuggle when we first wake up so it's much easier just to grab the yogurt out of the fridge and sit down in the chair together while she eats it.  I love to have scrambled eggs for breakfast (though I like them overcooked according to most peoples' standards) and I pair it with fried ham and toast.  Bailey can eat 2 whole scrambled eggs by herself.  I also like to make oatmeal, and oatmeal is another food that needs variety.

Some days I make it the way Dad used to make it.  I add raisins and brown sugar.  Other days I like it with Nutella and sliced strawberries.  If you haven't tried Nutella in oatmeal you are really missing out.  I like it simple with just a drizzle of maple syrup and a little butter too.

Today I had an extra apple I needed to use so I decided to go with apple cinnamon oatmeal.  This oatmeal is slightly sweetened by the cinnamon and apple so there's not much need for extra added sugar which is nice.  If you drop in some raisins with the apples it's even sweeter.  It's perfect for a cold morning.  Soft, sweet apples mixed with rich cinnamon oatmeal and brown sugar are just an ideal breakfast.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Yield 2 servings

1 medium size apple (I used a gala but you could use any firm apple such as a granny smith or honey crisp)

1 3/4 cups water

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 Tbsp butter

1-2 Tbsp brown sugar

Peel, core, and chop the apple.  You will want a rugged chop, fairly large pieces instead of tiny dices.  In a small or medium saucepan bring the water to a boil.  Add the apples, salt, cinnamon, and oats.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and brown sugar.  Stir to combine.

Serve hot.