Hi Oat Lovin' in Omaha,

Yay, glad you love the growing oatmeal! For those of you who don't know, growing oatmeal is an HG oatmeal recipe that's made with twice the ordinary amount of liquid and cooks for twice as long as average oatmeal made with old-fashioned oats -- the result is a HUGE bowl of oatmeal. And since I love your idea of a multi-serving recipe so much, I'm debuting one right here and now!

HG's Big Batch of Growing Oatmeal

1/4th of recipe (about 1 2/3 cups): 204 calories, 6g total fat (0.5g sat fat), 252mg sodium, 31.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 1g sugars, 6.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*



SmartPoints® value 5*



Ingredients:

4 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze

2 cups old-fashioned oats

8 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia), or HG Alternative

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt



Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large nonstick pot. Add 4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.



Stirring often, cook until thick and creamy, about 25 minutes.



If you like, serve yourself a portion, and let slightly cool and thicken. Otherwise, transfer to a large container. Stirring occasionally, let cool completely, about 2 1/2 hours.



Cover and refrigerate. To serve, stir oatmeal and reheat. Enjoy!



MAKES 4 SERVINGS

HG Alternative: Use 1/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated) in place of the packets. Or use 1/3 cup sugar, and each serving will have 259 calories, 46g carbs, 17.5g sugars, and a PointsPlus® value of 7* (SmartPoints® value 9*).

That recipe is for our classic creamy vanilla oatmeal base. Wanna zazzle it up? Add fresh fruit like blueberries, chopped apples, mashed banana, or sliced strawberries. Stir in some sugar-free pancake syrup or low-sugar fruit preserves. You can add more decadent stuff too -- mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, shredded sweetened coconut, even reduced-fat peanut butter -- but watch those portions! The recipe makes four servings, so keep that in mind when adding extras. Want some more oatmeal inspiration? There's an entire "Growing Oatmeal Bowls" chapter in HUNGRY GIRL TO THE MAX! Enjoy...