National Oatmeal Month

Oatmeal cookies, instant oatmeal, oat grain breads, just to name a few. Oats play a big part of the world’s diet. It’s been used for everything from deserts to grain for animals, and is still one of the most popular breakfast menu items in the world.

National Oatmeal Month is your opportunity to reacquaint yourself with this phenomenal grain, and learn to truly love this staple of delicious cooking.

How to Celebrate National Oatmeal Month

Enjoy Eating Oatmeal

Whip up a batch of oatmeal on the stove, in the microwave or even with instant oats using just a boiling tea kettle. It’s a quick and easy breakfast or snack that is also super healthy for the body.

Those who have a love of chewy, nutty oats should give steel-cut oats a try, they’re chopped into tinier pieces to aid in the absorption of water. Unlike most oats, these are cooked for nearly 30 minutes to create a rich and thick porridge.who

Get Creative with Oatmeal

A bowl of oatmeal might seem boring, but it can be anything but! Oats can act as a palette for a wide range of different flavors and tastes. Try toppings such as brown sugar and cinnamon, nuts, dried fruits, seeds and so much more.

Bake with Oatmeal

National Oatmeal Month can be celebrated by trying out a huge variety of new recipes that include this incredibly versatile and tasty treat. From cookies to bars, from muffins to pancakes, the options are almost endless when it comes to using oatmeal in different baking recipes.

History of National Oatmeal Month

Every month the Whole Grains Council celebrates another staple of the worlds grain supply, and January was selected as National Oatmeal Month. We buy more oats in January than at any other time of year, and they stand unique as having never had their bran and germ separated during the process.

This is why oats are so amazing for you, you’re getting the whole grain every time you open a package.

There are a variety of ways of producing oats, but the most standard and traditional method is steaming them and rolling them out between steel rollers so that they’re completely flat. How flat they’re pressed changes how quickly they cook.

Bonus: Soft Chewy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

For those who may not have their own favorite recipes, we’re going to share one of our favorites today, the delicious and magnificent treat known as:

• 1 1/4 c softened butter
• 3/4 c packed sugar (brown)
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 t Baking Soda
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 3 c Oats uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare a large bowl by beating margarine and sugars in it until it’s thoroughly creamed.
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla, and beat the mixture well.
4. Add flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; mix well.
5. Add in the oats and mix it up.
6. Once it’s thoroughly mixed take round tablespoons of dough and drop them onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake them for 8 to 9 minutes, and allow to cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Be sure to stow them covered!