Banana Nut Oatmeal

Oh what a wonderful 2011 we had.  After three weeks of Christmas Break for my daughter and three weeks of leave for my husband we managed to do just about everything I wanted to do.  We made it to Tokyo for the first time and saw Tokyo Tower, The Imperial Palace, Ropppongi, we went to Kawasaki and hit the biggest mall I've ever seen and Peyton got to ice skate for her first time ever, we went to new parks, aquariums, zoos and oh my did we go out to eat one too many times.  We had an amazing Christmas.  I've never seen my kids so happy.  I bought my husband a new grill for Christmas and he was just like a little kid too.  He started rummaging through the house looking for anything and everything he could to grill just to try out his new grill.  None of that has anything to do with the recipe either.  I just felt like sharing.  Granted we had a 7.0 earthquake here in Japan today that scared my kids terribly and left me a bit freaked out.  I hope 2012 is just as amazing of a year for us as 2011 was.  So, here is one of my favorite breakfasts.  I love oatmeal and there is just so much you can do with it and it is so darn good for you!

View from Tokyo Tower.

Banana Nut Oatmeal

1/2 c. old fashioned Rolled Oats
1 c. Almond Milk (vanilla or unsweetened)
1 large banana
1 tbsp. slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or almond extract)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Pure Maple Syrup 

Bring the almond milk to a boil and add in your oats.  Cook according to the package instructions, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn on low and add in your cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir.  Then add an entire banana.  I usually just break it up into a few pieces.  Then I use a potato masher and mash the banana into the oatmeal.  The riper the banana the better as you won't need any extra sweetener if your banana is at its ripest.  Then top with a few slices of banana if you want and some slivered almonds.  Add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup on the top for extra sweetness if needed.