Cold Days ~ Warm Tummies

The winter weather is the perfect time to sit around with a cup of coffee, hugging it close to my body soaking up the warmth. I generally sit down right after the kids get off to school and savor at least one cup of coffee. But sometimes, there just isn't a lot of time to relish in the warmth so an alternative is to warm one's self from the inside out and that is best achieved by hot cereal. I am not a cold cereal fan and could go the rest of my life without eating a bowl of cold cereal. I would not miss it a bit.

However, I love hot cereal.

Sweet or savory, the warmth of hot cereal can encompass you for hours and makes going out into the winter cold a lot less bitter.

I am not one to stick with oatmeal and with such a wonderful variety why would one want to? I love the more substantial feel of eating the heavier steel cut oats, or changing up the white grits to yellow grits or even mix the types of grains. The neat thing is that a little goes a long way and you can top them with just about anything from fruit and nuts to cheese and bacon.

The neat thing about the heavier cereals is that you can put them in a crock-pot and have them hot and ready for you in the morning when you wake up.

It can be simple with just a bit of honey......or add a bit of spice and toasted nuts! You are getting a healthy and filling breakfast with just a little effort. Another neat thing is by making a little extra, you can set it aside for later and make a hearty bread that tastes great and is full of whole grains, nuts, and maybe even that fruit you may have added (cranberries are perfect for this).

All you need to do is add the leftover hot cereal to your basic bread recipe but don't forget to reduce your water a bit to allow for the moisture that is already in the hot cereal.

Have a warm winter day from the inside out!