Banana Bread Oatmeal

Merry Christmas. Whenever you happen to be reading this, I hope your belly is warm, and your heart is full. Christmas dinner with my small but fantastic family has caused my belly and heart to be full to bursting, and I want to pass on the joy.

The smell of this oatmeal will make you crawl out of even the coziest winter bed, and is well worth the 15 minutes it takes to cook. Flax, walnuts, and chia seeds provide a delicious source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and the protein and complex carbohydrates in rolled oats will keep you full for hours.

Try it out one morning, and you won't miss plain oatmeal one bit.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

Servings: 1
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Total start-to-finish Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 apple, cored and chopped roughly
• 1/8 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon or more to taste
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups water
• Chia Seeds, additional walnuts, and maple syrup for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel banana and place in the bottom of a medium sauce pan. With a fork or spatula, mash the banana to coat the bottom of the pan. Place over medium, or medium-low heat and cook until the banana has released some of its moisture, is bubbling, and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. This makes the oatmeal taste like banana bread and it's the best part. 
2. Add in all ingredients besides toppings, and stir. Continue to cook on medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until oats are cooked, adding more water for a more porridge-like consistency. Or less for a more chewy, intact texture. 
3. Scoop or pour into a bowl to serve, and top with additional nuts, fruit, seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup for best results. 

Note: If you're in a rush, you can just mash the banana, then add all the ingredients in immediately, then cook normally or microwave in a large microwave-save and BPA-free bowl. But the cooked banana adds a lot of flavor and is worth the wait.