DIY Strawberries & Cream Instant Oatmeal

I've recently learned that I am pretty alone in my dislike of eggs.  I use them for baking but never, and I mean NEVER, eat them for breakfast.  I literally don't know how to make scrambled eggs or an omelet or dippy eggs or any other kind...because I never have.  Also, I don't like them.  My sister with a bunch of a kids said they will go through 6 dozen eggs in two weeks, eating most of those for breakfasts.  Even with all my extra Christmas and Thanksgiving baking I'll go through about 3 dozen in two months. 

Matt likes scrambled eggs...but we never have them at home.  I honestly couldn't tell you if Luke does because I've never seen him express any kind of opinion.  We are very strongly cereal people here, with the special occasion (i.e. lake trips, holidays) cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, donuts, etc.  We either eat cereal or sugary baked goods.  Those are our breakfasts.

But sometimes it's nice to have something warm in the winter and since eggs aren't going to happen and most days aren't "special" enough for cinnamon rolls, we eat oatmeal.  I still like the overnight oats I posted years ago but I don't always remember to get those around the night before.  So having something on hand that we can easily mix up in the morning in super handy.

I've long been fond of the instant oatmeal fruit & cream packets you can buy at the grocery store.  When I was suffering through my worst days of HFM with sores all over my mouth and tongue, they were one of the few things I could eat without pain.  But they aren't the healthiest and I knew we could make something a little cheaper, a little less sugar.  So we did.  Now we have a hot, easy breakfast option.

  
DIY Strawberries & Cream Instant Oatmeal
yield: at least a dozen servings.  It makes a lot.
Ingredients 
-7½ cups quick cooking oats, divided
-1½ cup powdered coffee creamer
-1 cup sugar
-.6 ounces dried strawberries (I have found these at both Aldi and Target)

Directions
1) Put 1½ cup of oats into your blender or food processor and turn into a powder.  Really a powder.  Do not skip this, it will help thicken up your oatmeal.

2) Chop the dried strawberries into smaller pieces.

3) Stir all ingredients together - oats, oat powder, coffee creamer, sugar, and strawberries.  Store in a sealed container.

To make a bowl of oatmeal I heat up ~½ cup of water in the microwave.  Pour about ½ cup of mix into a bowl.  Add the hot water until you reach your desired consistency. 

 

Source: modified from The Creative Princess and Treats with a Twist