Dinah's Healthy Oatmeal

This recipe is from my friend Dinah.  We knew her and her family when they were in Baltimore for med school at Johns Hopkins the same time we were in law school.  Thanks Dinah for the recipe!

(Dinah's words):  "We love this oatmeal recipe. It has been a staple in our house since 2005. We eat it at least two times a week year round, but it's especially cozy on a cold morning. I love that it includes flaxseed which gives it a more nutty flavor not to mention the health benefits.
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1 1/2 oatmeal
1/3 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thickened and oatmeal is cooked, about 5 minutes.
Serve with milk. Add nuts, raisins, craisins, chopped dates, mini chocolate chips, or brown sugar. My favorite combo is nuts, raisins and a few mini chocolate chips. Another variation is to add 1 1/2 cups finely chopped apples to the saucepan with the other ingredients and follow the same directions.
FYI: The original recipe calls for 3 cups of milk and no water, but we were going through too much milk for our budget, so we water it down and I can't tell the difference. Also, its better to use regular oats, but we use quick oats because that's all we can buy in bulk at Sam's Club. If you are using quick oats be careful not to over cook it or else the oatmeal will get pasty. For our family I have to double the recipe, but my girls eat a ton of it.
So good and so good for you!"


P.S. I think it's really good if you add a splash of milk to it at the end, or better yet, half-n-half or heavy cream. Yummy!