This is what we are dealing with, folks.

Driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and even some roads are still caked with ice from Saturday’s weather.

And we are expecting five to seven more inches of snow over the next 24 hours. Needless to say, schools around the area are cancelled. I love snow days, do you? I think I love snow days even more as an adult (working in a school) than I did as a kid. 🙂 Because … think of the endless possibilities! I can catch up on my Etsy orders. I can catch up on laundry and cleaning. I can simmer a pot of soup all day on the stove. I may even treat myself to watching a movie — the WHOLE movie. And, I can put together a healthy breakfast option for the week. Which is what I started with today.

My girls and I love oatmeal. My little guy — not so much. His go-to breakfast is a bagel with cream cheese. But for the oatmeal-lovers in the house, I made a batch of homemade “instant” oatmeal for those busy school days when we are trying to get our of the house. in one piece. on time. and maybe even fed.

I followed the homemade Instant Oatmeal recipe by Inquiring Chef, but I cut it in half. I supposed five cups of oatmeal was enough to last us for a while. And, this recipe is very easy to whip up, so I can always quickly make another batch when we are ready. I had all the ingredients on hand — including chia seeds and flax seeds, if you can believe that. My Lauren is a very health-conscious eater, so I raided her stash for these ingredients. Plus I was figuring it’s a bonus to add a boost of “health” to already healthy oatmeal!

First, you pulse your oats in a food processor. But not too much. You still want some whole pieces, not a powder.

Then add the rest of your base ingredients and mix by hand (or with a large spoon). I added brown sugar, chia seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

I filled four jelly jars with a heaping half cup of my instant oatmeal, then added walnuts and dried mixed berries as add-ins. This would be a portable breakfast for me to take to work if, by chance, I didn’t get to eat at home. Plus, they just look so pretty, don’t they? I portioned out the remaining oatmeal by heaping half cups into sandwich-sized Ziploc bags for more compact storage.

Finally, I had to do a taste test. Yes, I did. Jess’ recipe states to add one half cup of very hot water or milk to the heaping half cup of oatmeal. I ended up adding close to a full cup of hot water, I think. It just seemed too thick.

And, lastly, I really like milk in my oatmeal, so I added that, too.

If you’re expecting a taste similar to the instant oatmeal packets you’ll buy at the store, you’ll be surprised. Those packets are loaded with LOTS of sugar, among other probably not-so-healthy things. Honestly, my taste buds need to adjust to “healthy”. This oatmeal tastes like OATMEAL, with a crunch from the chia seeds and walnuts, and sparks of flavor from the cinnamon and fruit. It’s really good. And it’s good for you! I certainly can eat this for my breakfast all week, and I’m glad (and proud of myself) that I have something “instant” to grab even as I am running like a crazy lady out the door.

Check out the Inquiring Chef’s recipe here. Jess takes beautiful photos, and her recipe is super easy to follow.

Well, so far I accomplished one productive task on this snow day! How do you spend your snow days (or an unexpected day off)? <3