Cappuccino Oatmeal with blueberries and cinnamon

Cappuccino Oatmeal is not only heart healthy but my concoction actually tastes good.  For me, oatmeal was a little blah but after my heart surgeries was  told that I needed to start eating healthy and oatmeal was a good option for a heart patient.  So, since I like to experiment, this recipe is what I have so far, but like everything else in my life, is subject to change, which in my case means, adding more ingredients.  While I have amounts, I typically just use the palm of my hand and eyeball.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Old Fashion Oatmeal

½ cup mixture Grape Nuts and All Bran

1 tablespoon of Flaxseed ground – re-sealable pouch

1 tablespoon of Wheat Germ – re-sealable pour or glass container

Plastic bowl 6” round at top & depth of 3-4”

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

½ cup fresh blueberries

2-3 tablespoons of Fat Free/Sugar Free Cappuccino dry mixture

¼ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup raisins

1 cup or more of filtered water or bottled water

1 container of apple juice

Preparation:

Some of these ingredients need to be prepared ahead of time, like the Grape Nuts and All Bran mixture; so what I do is visit my local grocery store (in my case it is a Walmart Super Center) where I locate the cereal aisle and select a generic brand of Grape Nuts and All Bran.  Using an average size, plastic storage container, I pour in the bulky All Bran first, so that it covers about ¾ of the container.  I then pour in the Grape Nuts granules until the container is just about full.  That way I have left enough space in the container to shake once the container is attached.

 My step-by-step process:

1.    Pour oatmeal into a 2/3 cup container but if you don’t have one use the 1 cup just do not fill it completely full and pour into plastic bowl

2.    Using ½ cup, I scoop out the mixture and do not worry about making sure it is leveled off at the top and pour into plastic bowl

3.    Open Flaxseed pouch and sprinkle contents over mixture in bowl until lightly to completely covered or use 1 tablespoon

4.    Open Wheat Germ container and follow Flaxseed procedure

5.    Open Cinnamon container and follow either Wheat Germ or Flaxseed procedure

6.    Measure out 2-3 tablespoons of Cappuccino mix (more or less depending upon your tastes) and pour into plastic bowl

7.   Carefully shake up contents of plastic bowl

8.   Measure out ½ cup of fresh blueberries (or large handful) and pour into plastic bowl

9.   Measure out ¼ cup of sliced almonds and pour into plastic bowl

10.  Measure out ¼ cup of raisins (or large handful) and pour into plastic bowl

11.  Carefully shake up contents of plastic bowl again

12.  Pour filtered water into bowl – enough so that water is ½-¾ inch above mixture

13.  Place plastic bowl (and its contents) into microwave oven and cook for 31/2 minutes on high

14.  Once mixture is cooked remove plastic bowl from microwave with hot pad and sit on counter to cool (or trivit)

15.  Add enough apple juice (or water or coffee) to thin mixture to your liking and enjoy

Notes:

a.        You can substitute other fruits such as dates, apples, figs, prunes

b.        There should be enough water in the bowl to keep contents of plastic bowl from bowling over when cooking

c.        Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day