DIY Oatmeal Packets

So I'm getting really tired of having to find my favorite recipes and tricks over and over and over again.  A blog I was looking at this weekend had "a master list of all my favorite recipes" in the tagline, and I knew I needed to have one too!  So starting today, I will be posting recipes and links to recipes that my family loves.  Old favorites, new favorites, and even mixes and tricks I use to make our money go farther and work harder.  

That's where we begin today.  My kiddos love instant oatmeal packets, but a box of ten packets is only one breakfast around here!  I needed something more frugal, and love that I get to avoid a lot of the chemical preservatives when I make my own, so we taste tested several different DIY oatmeal packets and came up with this favorite version.  It's not the same proportions I found anywhere else, as we like ours pretty sweet, and we only ever eat the one flavor.  

DIY Oatmeal Packets
1/2 c. instant oats-you can zip rolled oats in the blender a little if you want to use them instead
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp nonfat powdered milk powder
pinch of salt-boosts the flavor but doesn't take much
snack size ziploc bag

Combine all ingredients in a bag.  To prepare, add contents of bag to bowl-big enough for it to bubble up some-with 1 cup water.  Microwave for about 2 minutes, watching for boil over.  (Cooking time will vary depending our your microwave.)  

I make these up by the dozens.  We keep and reuse the baggies.  Occasionally, I will add a few drops of maple extract too, or some diced apples.  YUMMY!