The best oatmeal for you is also a great source of whole grains, protein and fiber - organic rolled oats. Not the kind that comes in a little flavor packet with lots of sugar added, but the kind that under ingredients reads only ”organic whole grain oats.”

We like Bob’s Red Mill organic quick cooking rolled oats. MessyMom can make them at home nice and slow, or in the microwave at work when time is tight.

To add a punch of flavor and energy try this recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic quick oats

1 cup water plus TB cold water, separated

1/3 chopped apple

2 shakes of cinnamon

12-20 raisins

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup that is at least twice the size as the mixed ingredients - they will expand. (We use a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.)

2. Microwave for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from microwave.

4. Immediately add 2 TB cold water.

5. Stir briskly. Serve and enjoy!

Makes enough for 2 toasty breakfasts or eat what you want and place the rest in a covered container in the fridge for tomorrow. Add another 2 TB water before reheating for 2 minutes.

Did you know?

Cinnamon gives you a natural energy boost and is an herbal remedy as well. Cinnamon is said to help improve circulation and relieve stomach cramps. In Chinese medicine, cinnamon is thought to move qi (pronounced “chee”), or vital energy. When energy is “stuck” in the abdomen and creates pains or cramps, cinnamon circulates the energy to the rest of the body and is thought to have a warming, soothing effect.

MessyMom loves these Spinach Pancakes from Kraft Foods. Only - don’t think of them as pancakes. They’re eggy, not doughy. She makes them plain, WITHOUT the feta and sour cream - for any meal of the day. Quick, light and easy!

We love gingerbread - the yummy mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg - and don’t want to think of the December holiday season as the only time to eat it. Any morning that you have a little extra time is a yummy morning for gingerbread pancakes!

Ingredients

· 1 cup skim milk mixed with 1 TB lemon juice (or 1 c buttermilk)

· 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour

· 1½ teaspoons ground ginger

· 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

· 3 shakes of nutmeg

· 1 teaspoon baking powder

· ½ teaspoon baking soda

· 1 large egg

· ¼ c raw turbinado sugar

· 1 tsp vanilla

· 1 ½ tsp unsweetened applesauce

Instructions

1. Mix milk and lemon juice and set aside to sit (to create a buttermilk of sorts)

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda.

3. Whisk remaining ingredients in a smaller bowl.

4. Grease and heat skillet to medium heat. (We add a pat of unsalted butter here.) My great-grandma always says that of the most important parts of making pancakes, blintzes or crepes is having a very HOT griddle or pan. Start heating it now so it is hot by the time you pour your batter on it.

5. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add wet ingredients and mix together until just combined. (Don’t forget your buttermilk…)

6. Spoon about ¼ cup batter for each pancake onto the prepared pan and cook until bottoms are golden and small bubbles start to form on top, 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Flip and cook until the other side is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly oil/butter pan between batches if needed. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning – we had to turn the heat down after the first 2 rounds of pancakes were made. Serve hot.

8. MessyChef tops these with pure maple syrup. MessyBaker and MessyMom like them plain.

NOTE: Once, they looked runny so I left out the applesauce, and then they were stretchy and shiny instead of fluffy. So even though you might want to play around with no baking powder, no baking soda or no maple syrup - don’t leave out the applesauce!

Banana alternative: Once I split the batter and made half with the spices and ½ the amount of applesauce - and the other half of the batter with no spices, no applesauce - but one mashed overripe banana. That was yummy!

And one time, we used canned pumpkin instead of applesauce, but the batter was too thick, so we thinned it out with a TB veg oil and an extra TB milk.