Oatmeal—kicked up

In Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, a young Oliver said "Please sir, I want some more." I bet Oliver's gruel was a sad, watered down oatmeal, and you can bet that it wasn't sweetened either. I love Irish oatmeal in the winter, and I kick it up with extra fiber and omega rich ingredients like ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, or any combo of them, then I sweeten it slightly with brown sugar, honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup. I always mix it up! Steel cut oatmeal takes 20-30 minutes to cook, and since I don't have time for that on rushed weekday mornings, I cook up a batch of it on the weekends and put it into individual containers that only need a minute or so in the microwave. For some texture and a blast of protein, I also add a few walnuts,  apple slices, and sometimes a maple chicken sausage (Alfresco brand, have you had these?...They're Delish!). It's a nice on-the-go breakfast.