It’s been so cold. Like, highs in the low 50’s and rainy. But not soothing, open the windows and curl up with a book rain. Nope. Cold, spitting mist. I cannot believe it’s almost May. When this first started, I assumed we would be back to work by mid-May, and now who knows. At least I can work from home, and I’m taking full advantage of not having a commute. I’ve been trying to get in some workouts. I’ve been playing A LOT of God of War and reading more. I hope that any of the positive habits I’ve instilled follow me past the isolation.

Since it’s been so cold and moral has been kind of low, this weekend I decided to make caramel apple oatmeal. It was warm and sweet and spicy like good apple pie. I made the caramel from scratch, but if you are intimidated or have a jar of caramel topping in your fridge use that instead!

Ingredients for Oatmeal

  1. Two TBSP of salted butter
  2. Two medium apples, any kind, skin on or off, diced
  3. Three TSP King Arthur yuletide cheer spice (this may be a seasonal offering from them; I can’t find it on their website currently). You can also use:
    1. 1/2 TSP of ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and ground allspice
    2. 1/4 TSP of nutmeg and ground coriander
  4. 1/2 a lemon worth of juice
  5. Two cups of milk (I used dairy, but you can use any kind)
  6. Two cups of old fashioned rolled oats
  7. Kosher or pink salt
  8. One TSP vanilla extract
  9. Two TSP white sugar
  10. Brown Sugar to Taste
  11. Crushed Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, until it starts to turn brown and smell nutty.
  2. Add half the apple and all the spices, cooking until the apple starts to soften.
  3. Add the rest of the apple and cook until the first half is very soft and the second half are beginning to soften.
  4. Finish with lemon juice
  5. In a saucepan, bring milk to a gentle boil.
  6. Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
  7. Stir in oats and reduce heat to a bare simmer, cooking until oats are creamy.
  8. Add brown sugar, then taste for sugar and salt, adjusting both to taste. Add more milk if the oats seem too stiff.
  9. Transfer oats to a bowl, topping with apples, crushed walnuts or pecans, and caramel sauce.