Pumpkin Oatmeal

My last semester of college I lived off of oatmeal and hospital cafeteria food. I didn't have time for much else, nor did I want to put in much more effort than that diet required. Little did I know though, how boring my oatmeal was in those days. Oatmeal is better than simply mixing in peanut butter after being heated up. I wasn't doing it it's full justice. Fear not though, my error has been corrected. 

I have made this multiple times and I eat the whole of it almost every time. It is yummy fresh and reheats nicely for days. It is also very filling and makes the morning at work pass by hunger free. 

Recipe:

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients: 

2 cups steel cut oats (also known as Irish Oatmeal) 

2 cups water

2 cups milk

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp molasses

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/3 cup maple syrup

Pecans (optional)

Mix everything except the maple syrup and pecans in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, making sure to stir almost constantly so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes - again stirring almost constantly - until an oatmeal like consistency is reached. Remove from the heat, stir in the maple syrup, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Top with pecans and enjoy!

Source: adapted from Serving Up the Skinny