Pumpkin Oatmeal

I usually can't wait for fall to start. Not so much because of the cooler temperatures, but because that means it's pumpkin season! I love just about anything pumpkin. Nothing is better on a cool morning than a bowl of this hearty pumpkin oatmeal.

Ingredients:
3 cups Oats (I prefer Old Fashioned, steel cut would be fine. NOT quick oats)
5 1/2 cups Water
1 to 2 tsp Vanilla
1 15oz can of pumpkin puree OR 15oz of homemade pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie spice (buy it pre-mixed or make your own)
Brown sugar to taste


Steps:
1. Cook oatmeal according to stove top directions on the package. If it says to add salt, then add it. Stir well.
2. Once the oatmeal thickens and becomes almost the consistency you expect, add the pumpkin puree.
3. Lower the heat on the stove just a bit. Stir until the pumpkin is incorporated well with the oatmeal.
4. Add the vanilla and pumpkin pie spices and mix well.
5. Just before removing from the stove, add brown sugar to taste. You can skip this step if you prefer a healthier oatmeal. I usually add about a 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar. Taste your oatmeal. If it's good, it's done!

I usually portion out the oatmeal into containers. You can toss it in the freezer or just keep it in the fridge. Two minutes in the microwave reheats the oatmeal perfectly. You'll notice that once the oatmeal is cold, the pumpkin has a tendency to make it kind of gelatinous. That's perfectly normal, so don't let it turn you off.