Chilly Morning, Hot Cereal

It was 27 degrees this morning when I took the dog for a walk.  For some of you, you'll scoff at my calling that cold, but here in the south that is cold.  It was wonderful to come home to some hot cereal that my husband put on to cook last night.  This is super easy if you have all the right ingredients and a small crockpot.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Quinoa
• 2 Tablespoons Bulgar Wheat
• Take a 1 cup measure, put in 4 Tablespoons 10 grain hot cereal mix, fill the rest of the cup with Quaker Oats (not the quick cooking variety)
• 2 1/4 cups water

Optional toppings to accompany -

• Assorted dried fruit or nuts
• Brown sugar or another sweetener
• Milk
• Dash ground cinnamon or allspice

Preparation

Mix all grains and water together in a small crockpot (one that has a 4" or 5" diameter).  Cook for ~3 hours. You'll have to play with the timing to determine how your particular crockpot heats. Some may cook the cereal faster than others. You can also put in different grains such as triticale, red quinoa, barley, etc. If you want to make it the night before, put the crockpot on an electrical timer (like the one you use to turn your lights on/off while on vacation) that will come on about 3 hours before you want to eat it.

Toss whatever dried fruit and/or nuts on top and add sugar to taste. If you like, add milk and/or sprinkle ground cinnamon or allspice over the top before serving.

To clean your crockpot, soak it in cold water until the stuck-on cereal lifts right off.  Then clean with warm soapy water.