Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

Cinnamon raisin oatmeal is reminiscent of rushed school mornings and rainy days when there was nothing to eat in the house. It reminds me of an old cereal cabinet we used to keep next to the dining table. It was really an old half-island but instead it was used to house various and many boxes of cereal and dried pre-packaged oatmeals. On top was always a bowl of really old potpourri or figurines. Pressing the cabinet door to release the magnetic lock is something I will never forget, nor will I forget the boxes of expired oatmeal we threw away when we finally cleaned it out and got rid of it. Always the variety pack and always missing just the good flavors. In case you were wondering, cinnamon raisin was never the good flavor at my house. Oh, childhood memories...

Trust me when I tell you that this oatmeal recipe is 300 times better than that pre-packaged individual serving size stuff. It has 500 times more flavor and it is 100% as easy to throw together in a hurry. Why I never knew about real oatmeal as a child is something I will never know. This is one of those recipes that when I first saw I thought "why didn't I think of that, duh!?" and then continued make in whatever flavor combination I could think of. Throw a little milk, water, sugar, spices, and oats in a pan and five minutes later you've got fresh hot homemade oatmeal. I'll never buy the instant stuff again. As you can see from the pictures above, it is totally kid approved. :)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 tbl brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbl raisins

1 cup old-fashioned oats (not the quick-cooking kind)

Stir everything together in a pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!