I finally found a GF instant oatmeal mix (local brand... sorry).  It's super yummy, but kind of pricey.  This weekend I was suddenly inspired to figure out how I could make my own homemade mix!  Here's what I came up with by cobbling together a few ideas from various websites:

- 8 c. quick/instant oatmeal (rolled, not steel cut)
- 2 c. diced dried fruit (first batch: apricots and coconut)
- 2 c. chopped nuts (first batch: almonds and walnuts... I toasted them, but I'm going to skip that next time)
- 0.5 c. sucanat, turbinado, or brown sugar (if you use less fruit, you might want to add more sugar)
- 1.5 c. nonfat milk powder (optional)
- 0.33 c. flax meal (I ground it from seeds)
- 2 Tb. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. salt

With the ingredients I used in my first batch, this came out to about 530 calories per cup, which I stored in ziplocs bags so I can easily take them to work.  I just tried the first one... yum!!  It's amazingly similar to the store-bought version.  All you have to do is add hot water and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

The real beauty here is that you can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and/or triggers.  I used GF oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill) and organic, preservative-free dried fruit.  Thankfully I'm not allergic to nuts, but I won't be adding any banana chips.  I'm looking forward to exploring different options!  Blueberries... dates... apples with extra cinnamon.  One of the store bought containers had goji berries and cacao nibs.  

This will be so awesome for travelling

Incidentally... the cheapest way I've found to buy gluten-free oatmeal is through Amazon's "subscribe and save" system.  Everything else I bought at the local coop.

Heather