Our Favorite Autumn Breakfast

There is something truly wonderful about the smell of cinnamon and apples simmering on a crisp fall morning! One of my favorite signs that autumn has arrived is my children's request for their favorite fall breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. I love the smell warming up the house. And my kids love the taste! This dish is fabulously healthy too, so I thought I would share the recipe with you.

It is a "soaked" grain recipe. For those of you who are new readers, here is a quote from Sally Fallon to explain the soaking process.

Scientists have learned that the proteins in grains, especially gluten, are very difficult to digest. A diet high in unfermented whole gains, particularly high-gluten grains like wheat, puts an enormous strain on the whole digestive mechanism.... During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult to digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.

This meal is quite easy to make... it seems much simpler to me than eggs and toast, for sure. But, it does start the night before. I shared last week that as I clean up the kitchen from supper, I think ahead to the meals for the next day. At that time, I set out the oatmeal to soak, if that is what I am going to serve for breakfast.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
(This recipe has served me and my four children for the past year or two, but I discovered this morning that I will have to increase it by 50% in order to accommodate Rainbow and Spiderman's growing appetites.)

• 1 1/2 cups of warm water
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 3 Tbsp. plain yogurt or kefir
• 1 1/2 cups of whole, rolled oats
• another 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1/3 cup of diced dried apples
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. Sucanat, Rapadura, Maple Syrup or Raw Honey
• 1 Tbsp. freshly ground flax seed, optional
• Milk, Cream or Butter, optional

The night before, measure out 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a glass bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.

Then, add 1 1/2 cups of whole, rolled oats and stir to thoroughly mix. Cover it, but not completely airtight. You can see from this photo that I just place a bowl over my pyrex mixing cup. A little air still gets through the spout opening.

The next morning, bring and additional 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked oats plus 1/3 cup of diced dried apples and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Let this simmer for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the oatmeal is cooked stir in 3 or more tablespoons of Sucanat (or Rapadura or Raw Honey or Maple Syrup). You can add more or less sweetener, depending on how sweet your children prefer their oatmeal. But I do suggest slowly weaning them off highly sweetened breakfast foods, if they have grown accustomed to them.

Stir it completely and serve it up!

Note: In the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon recommends adding a tablespoon of freshly ground flax seed and butter or coconut oil to increase the nutritional content of her regular soaked oatmeal. The flax seed adds fiber and important fatty acids while the fat from the butter or coconut oil enables the body to more readily absorb the nutrients from the oats. You might want to try her recommendation for my Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal recipe too.

Enjoy your autumn!