pumpkin cranberry oatmeal

It's Thanksgiving week! 

Which means I have random seasonal stuff in the kitchen like pumpkin and cranberries. It's also getting colder out, which means I'm back on an oatmeal kick for breakfast. I love adding lots of spice and mix-ins to my oats to make them extra delicious!

This oatmeal combination has been my go-to recently. It's festive but also extremely healthy with fiber, vitamins, and protein, and does a pretty good job of keeping me full for the morning--an impossible feat since I need to eat like every 3 hours no matter how big my breakfast is. Oatmeal tends to have this boring and yucky stereotype that will be smashed to bits with this jam-packed bowl! Did I mention it's also a great way to sneak veggies (pumpkin) into a sweet breakfast? 

*if you have leftover fresh cranberries try making sparkly cranberry muffins!

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients

-1/2 cup dry old fashioned oats (not quick-cook)

-cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (or pumpkin pie spice)

-1/4 cup fresh or dried cranberries

-1/4 cup canned pumpkin

-walnuts

-maple syrup and milk to top

Bring 1 cup of water and the cranberries to boil on the stove. I used fresh cranberries here but dried (Craisins) would be good too, and not as tart. Add the oats and a generous amount of spices (they will get absorbed by the oats and pumpkin, so don't be afraid of going overboard), turn the heat down to low, and stir. Let the oats cook about 4 minutes, or until almost all the water is absorbed. Add the pumpkin, stir until the oats are done and all liquid is absorbed. Spoon into a bowl, top with crushed walnuts, maple syrup, and milk, and try to finish it all on your own!