Pumpkin (or Sweet Potato) Oatmeal

My friend, Danila, let me borrow her cookbook called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, it's Jerry Seinfeld's wife) all about hiding vegetable purees in your foods for nutrition. I LOVE this book so far, plan to make many of the recipes in it, and I even am bidding on the book on ebay for myself. :-) I made this oatmeal the other day, and I don't normally like sweet oatmeal (I eat it more like grits with salt and butter), but I really liked this. Her picture is much prettier than mine, not only because it's a professional pictures, but she added dried fruit and nuts on top. It comes out pretty thick, so you can always add some milk to it to make it a little thinner if you want, and I didn't have the old fashioned oats on hand, so I used the quick kind.

Ingredients
-1 cup nonfat milk (use soy milk or water for dairy free)
-1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-1/4 cup canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree
-1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, I did use this)
-1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
-1 cup old-fashioned oats (I used the quick kind b/c I had it on hand)
-2 tsp natural peanut butter (optional, I didn't use this)
-dried fruit and nuts (optional)
-pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)DirectionsIn a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, if using, and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes (less for the quick kind), until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter, if using. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like, and serve warm with maple syrup.
You can also combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2 minutes if you prefer.
Also try Pumpkin (or Sweet Potato) Pancakes, a new favorite around here!