I grew up on Dinosaur Eggs, simply put, a kid oriented oatmeal package that had “eggs” that would crack once hot water was poured on them. These eggs were an oval made of hardened sugar which coated a sugar dinosaur the size of a pinky nail. As a child,  I would subject those dinosaurs to mass extinction and eat them, subsequently leaving the majority of the oatmeal untouched. Since then, I have come to appreciate the much neglected oatmeal because of it’s relatively low price, versatility and accesibility. I’ve decided to take the remnants of my fridge (leftovers from when I went groccery shopping 8 days ago) and see how many different types of oatmeal I can prepare.

The guts of my fridge:

1 overripe avocado
1/3 cup of buttermilk
4 eggs
baking essentials
two slices of bacon from domestic Sunday brunch
spices galore
half full bottle of syrup
¼ cup of blueberries
leftover cheddar cheese
neglected bunch of browning bananas
¼ cup of chopped scallions
2 vanilla Chobani yogurts
blueberry jam
½ gallon of skim select milk
cooking Supplies
3 splashes of almond milk

Let the magic begin…

1.Oatmeal with Fried Eggs and Avocado

Fry a couple of eggs and place sliced avocado on top. For even more flavor, add some paprika.

Photo courtesy of www.eatyourbooks.com

 

2. Oatmeal with Bacon and Syrup

Top oatmeal with syrup and bacon. For those more daring, add some week old buttermilk and baking soda to make oatmeal pancakes.

3. Oatmeal with Cheese and Scallions

Taco Tuesday was great but all that remains now is a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and some scallions. Add both to your oatmeal for a more savory feel. Again, this one would go great with some paprika.

4. Overnight Oatmeal

Don’t think you’ll make it to Starbucks in time for tomorrow’s breakfast? No worries, time for overnight oatmeal. Add milk, yogurt, oatmeal, apple, and cinnamon to a mason jar or a sealable container and place in the refrigerator overnight for the next morning.

5. Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie (lactose intolerant friendly!)

Ingredients:
2 cups of water
a splash of almond milk
blueberries
½ cup of oatmeal
½ a banana

Directions:
1. Combine and blend

6. Oatmeal Fried Bananas

Get the recipe here!

Photo courtesy of www.norecipes.com

7. Oatmeal with Yogurt and Marmalade

Add creaminess and fruity flavor to oatmeal with vanilla greek yogurt and any marmalade (I recommned blueberry!).

Take home message: anything is possible with a half empty fridge as long as you have oatmeal.