Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal

Mmmm Breakfast. So essential to your day, your diet and your energy levels. Starting off your day with a filling, healthy and nutritionally diverse breakfast can be an important step in your fitness goal success. 

As the seasons change, we start to crave different things though. Smoothies and shakes are awesome in the spring and summer, but autumn can bring about the desire for different flavors. Cinnamon, ginger and of course, pumpkin. (Obviously a favorite around here at Norton)

A hot breakfast can be a daunting task though. Who has time to make breakfast during the week? Especially when sleeping in sounds so much better. (Those 10 extra sleep minutes could be beneficial to your health!) Or maybe you need a quick bite because you just got back from an early workout and need to get out the door.  Whatever your situation, this recipe is perfect for people short on time...and who like waking up to a delicious smelling house. Gather the ingredients, put them in a bowl, stir, place in a crock-pot, add a little water around the bowl, and then turn on LOW before bed. You'll awake to a perfect autumn breakfast, that will keep you full well past lunch.

Gather:

1. 1 cup  steel cut oats (Not instant!)
2. 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
3. 3 cups water
4. 2 tsp. vanilla extract
5. 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
6. 2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
7. 1 tsp stevia (to taste), optional
8. 1/3 cup chia seeds
9. 1 pinch salt

Method:

1. In a bowl that will fit in your crockpot, add all of your ingredients and stir. Place the bowl in the crockpot and than fill the crockpot with water until the water comes up at least half way of that inner bowl. Set the your crockpot on low for 8 hours.
2. After the 8 hours, spoon into your bowl and top with your choice honey, maple syrup, coconut butter or oil, cranberries, dried cherries, pumpkin seeds, or nuts.

Note: It is important to place a bowl into the crockpot, and cook the oatmeal in that bowl instead of just the crockpot. This prevents the oatmeal from overcooking/overheating and sticking to the sides of the pot. Keeping it within the inner bowl seems to help lock in moisture also. 

Enjoy eating that pumpkin for breakfast!