I have high cholesterol and want to start eating oatmeal daily, but the instant is not effective in lowering it. Has anyone tried making oatmeal in a large batch and then freezing it in single serving sizes to reheat in the morning?
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Use milk instead of water before freezing. Add some Equal or Splenda, sugar substitute. When defrosting in microwave, add a pinch of water. When done you may add cut bananas or raisins, or both.
OR BOTH.
My mother loves oatmeal, so she started making oatmeal muffins. I believe the recipe came from Jane Brody's cookbook. She's used to be the food editor (and probably still is) for the New York Times. My mother typically doubles the recipe and makes about four dozen muffins which she freezes. She takes whatever she wants out of the freezer and heats it up in the oven. I use regular oatmeal and simply cook it in the microwave. It takes 3 minutes to prepare, and tastes just like the stuff that is prepared on the stove.
Will the quick oats help you? If so, I eat the quick oats daily and find that just adding boiling water to the oatmeal cooks them enough for me.
Christy
I would think that microwaving frozen oatmeal would take longer than cooking the quick oats each day in the microwave...to 1/2 c quick oats, add 1 c water and zap at full power for 90 seconds. I use one shake of salt too. Then sweeten with a teaspoon of fructose (fruit sugar) and cinnamon and add milk. REALLY good!!!
I use the Old-fashioned oatmeal, as I don't like the instant. I cook in the microwave each morning. one cup water, 1/2 cup oats, dash of salt. Cook 4 minutes and then I add milk and sliced banana, no sugar.
You can make your own instant oatmeal by doubling or quadruplelling the recipe. Place half of it in the blender and grind it till quite fine.
A lady I work with mixes regular oatmeal (not instant) with milk and refrigerates it over night. (without cooking it!)
In the morning she microwaves it just to heat it up, adds sugar, a bit more milk if needed and enjoys! This way you're getting the benefits of non-instant oatmeal with some time saved.
I use to cook my Oatmeal on top of the stove and eat it with milk and sugar. But, I stopped doing that and all I do is put about 3 tsp. in a coffee cup and put a lil water to cover the oatmeal.
I have been steaming organic oat groats, purchased from a natural foods store, in my Cuisinart steamer for the past couple years. I generally freeze the oats in 1/2 or 1c portions. After defrosting, I add a tablespoon of ground flax, soy milk, berries, etc. which ensures a delicious, healthy, low cost meal. See Diana Mirkins 'How to cook whole grains' via www.drmirkin.com/
We use the oat groats too! My kids wouldn't eat oatmeal when it was mushy instant, but they LOVE this! I just cook 3 days worth and it keeps fine in the frig in a tight sealed container for three days.
All very good ideas already, so I would say, if you are still interested in freezing it, try a serving, and see how it turns out, then you will know if you like it and is convenient for you. A friend of mine just makes a big batch and keeps in the fridge.
#1, if you use quick oats, all you have to do is bring the water to a boil and stir in the oats and let it stand for a minute. Freezing it would mean thawing it, and then you have to heat it up anyway. We put in flax seeds, walnuts, raisins, grated apples, or whatever we have on hand. It's like dessert!
When I saw my doctor about high cholestral. He told me about microwaving oatmeal and he said it is good for you. The recipe is 2/3 cup water, 1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal and microwave for 3 minutes.
Trader Joe's stores sell frozen single servings of steel cut oats, but they're pretty expensive. I think you can freeze the ones you make, though. You can soak oat groats like people have said, which makes them really really good for you, since it preserves the enzymes that help you digest the food.
After you cook the oatmeal, put individual servings in zip lock bags then freeze. Take em out in the morning and throw one in a boiling pot of water.
Editor's Note: I wouldn't recommend putting plastic bags into a boiling pot of water, unless the bags are made for boiling. Freezing the portions is a good idea but it might be better to put it into a bowl and microwave it to heat it up.
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