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A few weeks ago, I wrote about oatmeal for my column on the Yale Sustainable Food Project's student blog. I talked about my obsession with the food, and how often I find myself thinking about eating it. I even wrote one of my final semester papers on it.

What I didn't stress then is that oatmeal is a kitchen chameleon. It can be anything you want it to be. You can start with a can of whole rolled oats and end up with plain oatmeal. You could be in a chocolate frenzy and end up with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. You could have a craving for crunchy, buttery, honeyed granola. You could swap oatmeal for rice and eat it with your stir-fry. You might start out with cinnamon and sugar and realize that what you actually want is maple oatmeal with bacon mixed into it.

For those of you who, like me, are in a "festive fall" mood, your taste buds might crave apples and cinnamon; or, tired of the traditional flavor, you might decide to branch out just a little and make this pumpkin-spice oatmeal. While one of the most pleasing aspects of this oatmeal comes from its sheer aesthetic beauty, the best part of this recipe is that it tastes just like pumpkin pie. And you'll still fit into your jeans after you eat it.

Pumpkin-Spice Oatmeal

Serves 4 to 6

    • 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin, mashed or pureed (one can of pumpkin would work here too)
    • 2 cups rolled oats
    • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
    • 3 cups of water
    • 1 cup of plain soy milk
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp nutmeg
    • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    • Toasted walnuts and raisins (optional)

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add oats and milk and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once mixture has come to a boil, add pumpkin and spices. Lower heat to medium and let the oatmeal cook until your desired consistency.

Add toasted walnuts and raisins, if you like.

To learn more about oatmeal, click here for Ari Weinzweig's profile of Macroom's Irish oatmeal.