Instant, Quick, Old Fashioned or Steel Cut, What's Your Pleasure??

I personally have never cared much for Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets. They taste like flavored wallpaper paste to me. Every baking recipe always calls for "quick" oats. I replaced all "quick oats" with "old fashioned"oats....noticing a better texture to cookies, bars, muffins with "old fashioned".....kind of a chewier texture w/some substance. I will never go back to using quick oats. Old fashioned are much better for you also. Now comes the "steel cut" oats or also called "irish oatmeal". These don't even look like the oats we are normally used to. They look like little pellets in the container and you could not use these to bake with. I have heard so much about them lately and what great health benefits they have that I decided to try them this morning. It did take a full 30 minutes to make. It was quite yummy. It consisted of 4 cups of water to a rolling boil, add 1 cup of steel cut oats and once mixture starts to thicken slightly you lower temp to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. I topped it off with 100% maple syrup that I had infused with cinnamon sticks and 1/2 tsp of vietnamese cinnamon. They have a chewy texture. I was pleasantly surprised. I have found a recipe on http://www.recipezaar.com/ for crock pot steel cut oats.......sounds like something I am going to try. http://www.recipezaar.com/101101 It would be great to do this the night before and have it waiting when you wake up. Fresh Market carries container of these wonderful dried chewy apple slices and I think these cut up and put into the crockpot along with the oats would be a great addition. I have also heard replacing some of the water with a 100% apple juice while cooking will give it some needed sweetness. I think topping the appley steel cut oats off with some toasted walnuts and a little maple syrup and cinnamon will be just the trick. Cinnamon has so many powerful health benefits......lowering blood pressure and also helping control Type II diabetes. I try and eat some cinnamon everyday. What a great healthy gift to give your body every morning. I always hate eating breakfast, I am never hungry in the morning but I have literally forced myself for years to eat breakfast, usually a cold bran cereal or granola of some sort. I am glad I finally took the time to try these oats. They are definately going to become a regular in my diet (diet in as what I consume on a daily basis.......not diet as in I am going to cut calories to lose weight).