Feeling like something hearty and southern for breakfast....what to do?

Ok, this morning I woke up and wanted something a little different.  I eat oatmeal for breakfast a LOT, and for good reason.  It's a complex carb, which means it keeps you fuller for longer and it takes longer for your body to process.  I have seen a lot of people eat oatmeal, and it looks like soup.  If I wanted something soupy and mushy, I'd eat cereal that's been sitting in milk too long- no, thanks! I'm not an 80-year old woman, so I like my food to have texture, but hey if that's what you like- more power to ya! 

I make my oatmeal from whole rolled oats (NOT the instant kind).  Oatmeal is cheap and it seems to last forever, so make the $2.00 investment and get a canister!  Like I said, I eat oatmeal quite often since it seems to be one of the only breakfast foods that doesn't make me want to devour a cake 30 minutes after eating it.   What I like to do is mix in other ingredients to change it up a bit.  In my opinion, the best thing to mix in is fruit!  The great thing about fruit is that it's sweet and easy to come by.  It's a great replacement for sugar or artificial sweetener.  Natural sugar is always better---I mean, come on, it's straight from nature! 

So, here is my oatmeal rendition from this morning.  I tried it with blueberries, but you can use any type of berries like blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries.  I use blueberries a lot since my parents just recently went blueberry-picking, so I've got a couple of bags in the freezer....plus, I love them! This dish reminded me of blueberry cobbler, but without the guilt!

Blueberry Breakfast Oatmeal (approx. 117 calories):

1/4 cup rolled oats, dry
Water

1/4 cup blueberries (or whatever berry you like)

A few sliced almonds (I used three chopped raw almonds)

A dash of cinnamon or apple pie spice (optional)

In a microwave safe bowl, pour in the oats.  Just barely cover the oats with water (unless you want it soupy, then add more water).  Microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds.  (If you don't want to use a microwave, you can cook it on the stove instead.)  Add in the blueberries, and let sit for just enough time for the blueberries to warm.  Then mix it all together and mash the blueberries in.  Then, top with almonds if you want, and maybe a couple more blueberries.  If you like cinnamon or apple pie spice, mix it in, and enjoy!