The mornings are getting pretty nippy – and I’m doing my best to stay warm inside – deep down inside –starting my day with hot cereal.  We all know the benefits (physically and soulfully) of beginning the day with a steaming bowl of hot oatmeal, but who wants to face the nasty mess only oatmeal can leave behind?  I tried the “easy” way of pouring packets into a bowl with hot water and found the results too close to wallpaper paste to want to repeat.  What I’ve learned to do instead is make my own Instant Oatmeal.  I pull out my biggest pot, make up four or five times the typical recipe (I like to use steel cut oats for extra crunch), cook it up, then when it’s cooled- fill up baggies with single portions.  I toss those baggies into the freezer, pull them out and pop them into the microwave in the morning – and voila! Hot Oatmeal like grandma used to make with only a bowl to clean.  Makes the morning “rush” hour healthier and easier.