overnight oats with fresh cherries

A bracing, cold, cold day here, 3 degrees but feels much colder because of the wind. I was going to make my usual pot of oatmeal this morning, but got distracted reading the front of the Quaker Oats box, where there was a little banner saying Try Overnight Oats! Even though many of my food blogger friends have made oats this way, I have not.  But when that beloved Quaker gentleman on the package suggests them, I thought, I really should try them. A very dim memory of seeing the oatmeal box on the kitchen counter when I was little popped up.  I double checked with my brother, and sure enough - he said we had it often through our childhood on the Cape.  So my memory of seeing the box from a child's height on the kitchen counter was right, after all.  And I, of course, bought it for my children's breakfasts, continuing the tradition.

So I did make the overnight oats, but made it in the morning with fresh cherries, so that I could have it in the afternoon.  Very different from cooked oatmeal, but good  - and it'll be fun to come up with more combinations of fruits and spices.  It also fits into my exercise and diet plans, so I encourage you to give it a try .


Overnight oats with fresh cherries

This makes one serving.

Take a clean mason jar or Weck jar that will hold 1 and a half cups.
Add:

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup milk (you can also use almond or coconut milk)
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
a shake of cinnamon
Stir briefly , then add:

1/2 cup or more fresh pitted cherries (or bananas, or strawberries)
a drizzle of honey
Cover and set in fridge for several hours or overnight.

Off to make some more - it was delicious!