instant oatmeal

[torakris]

I bought one of those big variety boxes of instant oatmeal, you know the kind you just add hot water to and mix, and my kids ate everything but the plain ones. Most recipes that call for oatmeal often specify in parantheses 'not instant', is there anything I can do with this?

[Suzanne F]

Spackling

[chezcherie]

if they ate the others, how about augmenting the plain with the flavors they liked--maple syrup, brown sugar, dehydrated apple specks? would they go for that?

[torakris]

if they ate the others, how about augmenting the plain with the flavors they liked--maple syrup, brown sugar, dehydrated apple specks? would they go for that?

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I tried it and they still didn't want it....

In the beginning I also tried mixing a little bit of the plain in with the flavored ones but they caught me doing that....

[Murrmaid]

Put some in cheese cloth or a tea bag and put it your bath. Softens and soothes the skin! Also makes a nice face mask when mixed with plain yogurt. Seriously, don't EAT it. Blech!

[claire797]

A few years ago, I had a surplus of the stuff in my pantry so I came up with a cookie recipe. It sounds a little trashy, but these cookies are actually very good. You can pick whatever flavor you want to make based on whatever flavor you have. I had the best luck with the honey & nut flavor, but the maple flavored ones were good too.

I realize this won't help you much since you're stuck with the plain flavored. However, you could try my recipe and just throw in some extra sugar.

Oatmeal Packet Cookies

1/2 cup margarine or butter (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (or up it to at least 2/3 if using plain oatmeal)

1 egg

6 packets honey & nut or other flavor instant oatmeal (or other sweet flavored)

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Beat together margarine, brown sugar and egg.

3. In a separate bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

4. Stir oat mixture into margarine mixture and mix until well combined.

5. Stir in yogurt to make a thick batter.

6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are golden around edges

[FistFullaRoux]

Try it as a binder for ground beef in meatloaf or something similar.

Or mix it with water and a little concrete for an effective driveway patching compound....

[EdS]

I bought one of those big variety boxes of instant oatmeal, you know the kind you just add hot water to and mix, and my kids ate everything but the plain ones. Most recipes that call for oatmeal often specify in parantheses 'not instant', is there anything I can do with this?

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I have a heaping bowl of oatmeal in front of me as I type this.

Since I'm eating this out of a Japanese noodle bowl, let me first crank out a few disturbing thoughts...

Have you tried adding corn? How about Kewpie?

I can't say that I've had instant oatmeal but I probably did growing up. Apparently, it's just very finely-cut oatmeal. How about stirring it in with the other oatmeal that the kids like? I know you're fighting psychology. If my mom had bought some bulk cornflakes and tried adding sugar to it, there's no way I would have accepted it. Where's Tony the tiger?

I think if I were to buy some instant oatmeal and didn't like it, I'd add it to my next smoothie.

Edited January 7, 2005 by esvoboda (log)

[FistFullaRoux]

I bought one of those big variety boxes of instant oatmeal, you know the kind you just add hot water to and mix, and my kids ate everything but the plain ones. Most recipes that call for oatmeal often specify in parantheses 'not instant', is there anything I can do with this?

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Apparently, it's just very finely-cut oatmeal.

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Actually, if I understood Alton Brown correctly, it's partially cooked by steaming, then pressed flat, and then cut. But they also add flavorings/sugar even to the plain flavor.

[Carolyn Tillie]

HAGGIS!

[slkinsey]

I bought one of those big variety boxes of instant oatmeal, you know the kind you just add hot water to and mix, and my kids ate everything but the plain ones. Most recipes that call for oatmeal often specify in parantheses 'not instant', is there anything I can do with this?

Apparently, it's just very finely-cut oatmeal.

Actually, if I understood Alton Brown correctly, it's partially cooked by steaming, then pressed flat, and then cut. But they also add flavorings/sugar even to the plain flavor.

Steel Cut Oats are whole oat grains (minus the outer hull) that are cut into 2-3 pieces. This is, IMO, the best tasting kind of oatmeal. Takes around 30 minutes to cook.

Rolled Oats are oat grains that are heated and passed through a roller to flatten them out. The thinner the oats are rolled, the more pre-cooked they are. This makes them cook faster, among other things. There are three major types of rolled oats:

Old-Rashioned Rolled Oats where the whole grain is rolled. These are the thickest and the least-precooked. Takes around 8-10 minutes to cook.

Quick Oats where the grains are sliced before rolling. These are thinner and more thoroughly pre-cooked. Takes around 3-5 minutes to cook.

Instant Otmeal where the grains are grains are sliced, entirely pre-cooked, then rolled very thin. Cooks instantly with the addition of boiling water.

[EdS]

I bought one of those big variety boxes of instant oatmeal, you know the kind you just add hot water to and mix, and my kids ate everything but the plain ones. Most recipes that call for oatmeal often specify in parantheses 'not instant', is there anything I can do with this?

←

Apparently, it's just very finely-cut oatmeal.

←

Actually, if I understood Alton Brown correctly, it's partially cooked by steaming, then pressed flat, and then cut. But they also add flavorings/sugar even to the plain flavor.

←

That's what I get for searching Google and running across a recipe for homemade instant oatmeal ground in a blender!

[torakris]

Thanks!

I might try those cookies adding a little bit of brown sugar for flavor and then throw the rest into my bath water.....

[Mabelline]

Stick with the bath water or yoghurt facial solutions, Kris. I can't even use it for my critters. Too fine, and too processed.

[Richard Kilgore]

Steel Cut Oats are whole oat grains (minus the outer hull) that are cut into 2-3 pieces.  This is, IMO, the best tasting kind of oatmeal.  Takes around 30 minutes to cook.

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Steel Cut Oats are great. You can shorten the time you spend by letting them sit overnight after bringing the oats and water to a boil and turning the heat off. The next morning cook them for only about 8 - 9 minutes.

[helenjp]

Torakris, I'm curious...did your flavored instant oatmeal taste funny? A kind of harsh smell, as if it had been sitting next to the bath salts in the warehouse?? Or is that just the way that stuff tastes???

Luckily my kids are a bit older, so that they voluntarily mixed the plain packets into the flavored packets.

Unforunately, they are also old enough to prefer steel-cut oats, so they only eat the instant if they can't drag me out of bed on Saturday morning!

What about adding grated apple or raisins to the plain items?

And what about oatmeal hotcakes or scones?

[alacarte]

Mixed with a bit of butter and sugar, oatmeal makes a nice topping for an apple cobbler or other fruit crumble. You'll need to keep an eye on the oven to make sure it doesn't burn, though.

[torakris]

Torakris, I'm curious...did your flavored instant oatmeal taste funny? A kind of harsh smell, as if it had been sitting next to the bath salts in the warehouse?? Or is that just the way that stuff tastes???

Luckily my kids are a bit older, so that they voluntarily mixed the plain packets into the flavored packets.

Unforunately, they are also old enough to prefer steel-cut oats, so they only eat the instant if they can't drag me out of bed on Saturday morning!

What about adding grated apple or raisins to the plain items?

And what about oatmeal hotcakes or scones?

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I didn't actually eat it myself...

Only myself and my oldest daughter will eat "real" oatmeal, I like McCann's Irish oatmeal that is eay to find here, but since the other kids won't touch it I rarely make it any more.

The instant stuff is a time saver for me, but they will only eat it once a week and my 4 year old only eats the brown sugar ones because he thinks it is chocolate flavoured.