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Oooh, it is getting cold.  The heater is turning on earlier and earlier each morning.  Aside from the thought of slipping my feet into warm fuzzy slippers and sipping a hot cup of coffee, nothing can get me out of bed like a steaming bowl of steel cut oatmeal.

Wait a second.  Where is the appeal of hot steel cut oatmeal when it takes nearly an hour to cook?  Aaah, but I recently learned about a short cut that will have your steel cut oats ready in less than 5 minutes after you stagger from your warm bed.

My friend, Beth Sheresh, has a new book out.  Picture Yourself Cooking With Your Kids is filled with delicious recipes and lots of photographs to help you along the way.  I was thrilled when Beth and her publisher asked me to be the technical editor for this book.  I was able to share my experience cooking with children and offer a few helpful comments every now and again.  But the biggest bonus of the job was that I got a sneak peek at all of the recipes.  I made this recipe the very same night that I read through it for the first time.  It was a huge hit with my family and I am sure that it will be in yours, as well.  After all, who can beat a hot nutritious breakfast that can be purchased for pennies in the bulk bin of your natural foods store?

Sleepover Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In the evening, bring water to a boil in a saucepan.  Stir in oats, cinnamon and salt.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, cover, and leave on the back of stove until morning.
4. In the morning, heat the oats in the pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are hot.
5. Alternatively, you can heat a bowl of oats in the microwave on high for 1-3 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Tips:

• These oats will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days, so you can make up a big batch on Sunday night and heat just enough for breakfast each morning.
• Let your kids choose different fresh or dried fruit and other toppings to add to the oatmeal to keep it interesting.
• Grate an apple into the oats in the morning before heating it.
• Cut up a few dried apricots with scissors, add some chopped almonds and drizzle in some maple syrup.
• Slice a fresh banana into the oats, add some raisins, and sweeten with a little honey.