Homemade Oatmeal Snowman Gifts

Have I mentioned how much I dislike the cold? Probably once or twice… Apparently one of the strang(er) things I do is drink hot water. I don’t like the taste of coffee, and tea, while an acceptable option, simply takes more time. (I may need to reemphasize I’m all about simple!) I guess I’m just oblivious to several things – including the bizarreness of my own actions. To me, it’s just logical. I’m cold. I drink hot water = I’m at least a little warmer.

In addition to just drinking hot water, I used to live off of instant oatmeal packets in the winter. But after reading all of the unnecessary, added ingredients in them (and realizing how much CHEAPER it is), I typically make my own.

There’s nothing really scientific about my strategy – and I rarely make them exactly the same way. But it usually goes something like this:

1/2 c old-fashioned oatmeal

1 T flaxseed

1 t cinnamon

1 T walnuts

There’s EASY and then there’s EASIER. I know it’s only four ingredients, but saving those few steps every morning keeps me from taking the easier route of highly-processed cold cereal.

Simply mix 1 cup of water with the bagged oatmeal, microwave for 2 minutes, then add your choice of dried or frozen fruit, banana chunks, peanut butter, maple syrup, etc. etc. The options are nearly limitless…

Side Note: I know using so many plastic bags is obviously not very eco-friendly, but I do reuse them several times throughout the winter.

Now, here comes the fun part! (May I preface this by stating clearly — I am NOT oblivious to this — I am not crafty! Many, many people can make this much cuter, but you can at least get the gist of it here… ) Thank you to Family Fun magazine for the clever idea!

Homemade oatmeal bags delivered in a snowman canister as cute little Christmas gifts. You’ve already used up the oatmeal, might as well reuse the container! (See, now I’m getting back into the eco-friendly mindset!)

Cover canister with white paper. Foam shape eyes and nose; marker mouth. Hat and scarf are whatever sort of reusable material I can find. Add a little holly berry and call it Christmas! (You may notice, compared to the Family Fun version, I forgot to save room for buttons below the scarf…. I think you can still tell he’s a snowman, though!)

Either way – the important part is that inside this lovely canister creation, you find clean, healthy, ready-to-go oatmeal packs for those COLD, winter days! Have fun making these homemade oatmeal snowman gifts and spreading a little holiday warmth this Christmas season.