No Meat Meal: Pumpkin Oatmeal

I'm not actually a big oatmeal fan, but I do get excited about this kind of oatmeal. Steel cut oats are kind of a pain to make since they take longer, but they are so much more satisfying than rolled oats, in my opinion.

4 c. water
1 c. uncooked steel cut oats
milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp ground allspice or cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg)
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1 c. fresh or canned pumpkin
toppings (dried fruit, nuts, etc.)

Bring the 4 c of water to boil over highish heat. Stir in the oats and keep boiling on high until the water starts to get a little murky and it looks like the oats are starting to soften. Then turn the heat down low, and simmer for about half an hour, or until the consistency is right and the oats are soft. Stir in milk to add extra liquid as needed. Once the oats are getting pretty near to done, add the vanilla, spices, and pumpkin, and stir in. That's it! I like to top mine with dried cranberries and walnut pieces.

You can also make this recipe in the slow cooker if you want. It's a little easier in that you don't have to keep stirring it. A few stirs is fine. But it does take hours, and I don't typically think ahead that far!

-Kristin