Oatmeal Power Breakfast

What are your favorite weekday breakfasts? On food blogs, it seems that breakfast items featured are often great for a special breakfast or weekend. But what about those 5 other days of the week? When I was young, I was a skip-breakfast and go kind of girl. But of course, now all you hear is that talk about how breakfast is THE most important meal of the day. So even though I usually don't get hungry in the morning until after 9 or 10, I try to have some breakfast foods around that will power me up and get the job done.

The bowl of delicious-ness pictured above is hands down my favorite way to start the day. As usual, I like it because it is a super healthy dish that tricks you into liking it because it tastes so good. When you think of oatmeal you might think of a watery bowl of gruel-like substance. But really, oatmeal has the potential to be so much more. It's all in the toppings.

Ingredients:
Oats of your choice: I use Quaker Oats (from the giant red container shown above)
Fruit of your choice: My favorites are banana slices or blackberries
Nuts of your choice: I like pecans or walnuts
Sweetner of your choice: I use real maple syrup or agave
Other toppings of choice: Coconut flakes, raisins, etc. are all great, but all you really need is the fruit-nut-sweetner combo. 

Directions:
1. The night before, mix 1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup milk in a bowl. Cover and put in the fridge overnight. If you aren't the type to plan ahead, just cook the oats according to package directions. It will taste just as good.
2. In the morning, add a splash more milk to your bowl (If you let the oats sit overnight) and heat oatmeal in the microwave.
3. Add your toppings and enjoy. I promise, this power breakfast means you won't be hungry again until lunchtime!