Cooking with Kelly: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I've been craving for pumpkin lately, but pumpkin pie is out of the question, mostly because it's not the season and it's not great for the diet. Also, if I'm going to have pie, it's going to be something way more decadent than pumpkin. French silk? Peanut butter turtle? Yes, please.

But I digress. I made this pumpkin pie oatmeal one morning and I had lots of leftovers, mostly because my husband wouldn't eat it. Maybe I should stop prefacing meals with "I don't know if you're going to like this." Also, maybe I should find a way for this to not look like baby food. Hmm ....

Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 cup instant oats

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon Splenda

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Raisins (optional, but super delicious)

Splash of soy milk/nonfat milk

Mix all the ingredients together, adding enough soy milk or nonfat milk to get the consistency you prefer. I like my oatmeal hot and nuke it for a minute, but some people like to eat it cold like cereal. This recipe is packed with fiber, which will keep you full. I like the texture of instant oats and old fashioned oats mixed together, but you can substitute whichever you prefer. If you like Irish oats (also called steel cut), you may wish to mix this up the night before and let it sit in the fridge so that the oats can soften up.

And, if you have any ideas on how to make this not look like my niece's food, I'm all ears.