[BigGahoona]

OK I haven't made this but I'm gonna tonight. I'll post tomorrow whether it was good or not.<br><br>
The night before you wish to eat your oatmeal, drag out your crockpot. Turn crockpot to low, and add:<br>
4 cups water<br>
2 cups milk<br>
1 tsp salt<br>
1 Tbsp cinnamon<br>
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg<br>
1/2 tsp ground cloves<br>
1 tsp vanilla<br>
1/4- 1/2 cup dried cherries<br>
Get a frying pan and lightly toast two cups of oat groats (also known as Scottish or steel-cut oats, available from Bob's Red Mill or any good food coop). You'll probably need to toast one cup at a time. Stop toasting when the oats smell nutty; the point is to add some bonus flavor, not actually cook the oats. Add the hot oats to the crockpot. Cover and go to bed. In the morning, eat.<br>
You can add honey or sugar, or if you're dieting, this is one application in which Stevia does not taste like ass.<br>
There will be tons of leftovers. Cover the crockpot and put it in the fridge. Each day, take a heaping spoonful off the rubbery, gelatinous block of oatmeal and add some milk or yogurt. If you want it hot, microwave it. If you like it cold, just kinda stir it until it stops being a solid.<br>
Best. Oatmeal. Ever.

 

[Buxtehude]

The toasting and the cherries look amazing.

 

[Complete Pete]

I'm making this tonight, too. It sounds flippin awesome.<br><br>
I take it you put the cherries in the crockpot as opposed to adding them last minute?

 

[BigGahoona]

Yep, I added the cherries in the crock pot. It was gooooood, but a little too cinnamon-ey for my taste. I'll <span style="text-decoration:underline;">definitely</span> make this again, just less cinnamon. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[lkschiller]

How many hours did you end up cooking this for when you say "overnight"? Did it end up being pretty solid (all the fluid absorbed) or still a little liquid-y?<br><br>
I ask because I have to use a timer on my crock pot for steel cut oats but I think it is probably because the serving is smaller, like 1/3 cup instead of 2 cups. It has cooked on accident overnight before and it was overdone and inedible. But then I'll get it ready for the next day at about 6pm, so "overnight" is pretty long, about 12 hours. 2.5 hours, with 3:1 water to oats ratio makes it perfect, but if I make a larger batch (1 cup oats) I do have to increase the time, by 30 minutes to an hour. This recipe has the same ratio of fluid to oats, so that's what got me wondering about what the actual cook time ended up being.

 

[Complete Pete]

Did it two nights ago and the liquid was totally gone, burnt and inedible. Tried again last night with the pot on "low" and it was really good. Most of the liquid was absorbed, but nothing was overcooked. Wish I had a timer on mine, I'm thinking about 4.5 hours would have been perfect instead of the 6 it cooked.

 

[lkschiller]

I just use an appliance timer--about $5 or so I think at Walmart or any hardware store.

 

[phillytom]

I love homemade oatmeal. We do ours a little differently.<br><br>
We've mixed and matched all sorts of stuff into it (bananas, choc chips, etc), but this was the original recipe. I love it.<br><br>
Overnight Apple Oatmeal<br><br>
2 cups skim milk or 2% milk<br>
2 Tbsp. Honey or 1/4 cup brown sugar<br>
1 Tbsp. margarine<br>
1/4 tsp salt<br>
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br>
1 cup dry rolled oats<br>
1 cup apples chopped<br>
1/2 raisins<br>
1/4 cup chopped walnuts<br>
1/2 cup half and half<br><br>
Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray<br><br>
In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT half and half. Pour<br>
into slow cooker.<br><br>
Cover and cook on low overnight ideally 6-8 hours.<br>
Stir in half and half before serving<br><br>
If you are re-doing for leftovers a little milk or half and half does the trick.

 

[sdp]

<b>PTom</b> Call me clueless - that would be 1/4 tbsp brown sugar if you don't want to use the honey?

 

[phillytom]

Sorry! 1/4 cup. I also fixed it inline.

 

[sdp]

Thank you!

 

[Brandy]

I tried this on Sunday night. Luckily DH was up late and I asked him to check the liquid before he went to bed and shut it off if it was really low or gone. He did, he did. Only was about 3.5 hours and it still burned a little.<br><br>
I subbed raisins for the cherries and tossed in some chopped walnuts. Very good every with it being a little crusty on the sides. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">