Cambium's baked apples recipe got me to thinking about something else we used to have as a main part of our diet when we were growing up; specifically oatmeal and porridge. Now I have never been particularly fond of either given that the only thing we could add was milk (Avalon milk of course) and brown sugar ( not too great for the teeth). I learned that if I ate it slow enough, I could stretch it to the time when I had to leave for school then run out the door. The downside being that sometimes it was there waiting for me when I came home and had to be finished.

Somehow despite my dislike for oatmeal it was able to make it's way into my top ten foods for backpacking primarily due to convenience when using the Quaker instant flavoured variety. I generally liked to eat light in the morning before starting off as apposed to loading up and trying to digest everything on the trail. I was able to improve on the quality by rehydrating some dried apples and pears and adding it to mixture in order to make it more palatable.

Circa 2011 and the quality just doesn't get any better and to make matters worse it has been assertively encouraged into my daily diet sans sucre, transfats, or anything else dangerously good to eat. It was either plain oatmeal or a continuation of cholesterol busting statins and Metformin; both of which really aren't that great for the body.

So after many trials of what is good for you but still tastes reasonable I happened to stumble upon this combination which oddly enough is very tasty.

Paul's palatable gruel for two

combine 1 generous cup of rolled oats (not quick oats) with two cups of water, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup of mixed raisins & dried cranberries and cook over medium heat untill cooked.

Combine two tbsp of roasted ground sesame seed, 1/4 cup of ground hemp hearts (Costco), and 1/2 cup of finely chopped parsley and mix well. Spoon over top of each serving and blend into the oatmeal. The chopped parsley was an accident when I was making Tabouli and breakfast at the same time one morning. As it turned out the taste and texture of the added parsley was pleasant and rather refreshing.

So there you go. enjoy or not and add your favourite version of this simple breakfast staple.

I've given up trying to make it palatable. I used to be good at eating oatmeal, with chopped nuts, hemp hearts, dried fruit. My last trip I grimaced at each necessary bite.

But I will watch this thread and see if anything new and exciting catches my eye...except maybe parsley

Wow!

Porridge is a major staple in my daily routine; a day is never complete and does not start right without oatmeal.

Breakfast at home; I add raisins, cranberries, and salt with the oatmeal and cook together. And then add frozen blueberries and yogurt with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

Sometimes take a small container of leftover, would be good and easy to eat on the trail as a snack or for lunch. Good Stuff !

K

I just do steel cut oats with cut up fresh apples, maple syrup and cinnamon.

Well , not quite the same , but we also have some home-made Shredded Apple Muffins with oatmeal & and dates , cinnamon nutmeg & ground cloves[ Apple-Date Muffins ].

I love my apples .

I forgot to mention.... for variety, will slice up apples and bannanas and add as a bottom layer before adding cooking hot oatmeal.

K

You've entered the muesli/granola universe of foods:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granola

[^] The best way to serve up Oatmeal.[^] I wonder if there is a reasonable way to preserve that just out of the oven toasted-taste of home-made granola on the trail...

Never instant oatmeal as it has the texture of sawdust and those flavoured ones just taste gross.

On the trail I use quick oats (not "instant") and I find that you don't really have to cook them. Just pour boiling water over them, cover and let sit, and they cook themselves. To make it palatable I add powdered milk, brown sugar, salt, and whatever dried fruit I have on hand. Freeze-dried blueberries and strawberries are nice (available at Trader Joes). It still tastes only okay, so perhaps I will try that roasted sesame and parsley idea. Maple syrup sounds good too.

Mix with lots of water, then drink it fast. It still tastes like fermented mountain goat dung, but it goes down faster.

1. Nutella + dried cherries.
2. I've done a miso/apple/cinnamon oatmeal which was surprisingly good.
3. Trader Joe's has some good instant oatmeal packets which I like to take camping.

My trick is to add whole rolled oats to rapidly boiling water, which instantly cooks the surface starch and prevents the final product from being gummy.

Anything that tastes like goat dung is best consumed via a drip.

A supply of toasted shelled Pumpkin Seeds is always a good thing to munch on and add to granola or muffins.

I haven't had it this way since I was ten, but I used to put cocoa, a few drops vanilla, and brown sugar until it was a chocolatey mess. If you're not worried about nutrition, it might make it tastier.

I find that a little fat, in the form of margarine (or a few drops of olive oil) really makes it taste better.

Peanut butter is good because it adds fat plus protein - but, that turns the whole thing into a sticky mess too.

I do not cook my oatmeal. I use the mentally challenged oats ( slow ) not the quickie.
I add milk chocolate chips, raisons, candied ginger particles,walnut crumbs, and mix in orange juice. Let sit till orange juice is absorbed a bit and eat. Amazing how oatmeal helps you through the day.