On rainy or cold or drizzly or (insert an uncomfortable weather adjective here) mornings, I often take comfort in a bowl of oatmeal. Rachael Ray's "Everyday" magazine -- in the February issue -- analyzes a variety of different brands to make recommendations and suggestions on tastes, flavors, and brands you may prefer.

Because of all the obvious nutrient goodness of oatmeal, I tried with both Rocco and ChiChi when they were both at a very young age to enjoy it. In so doing, I made sure of a few considerations:

• Make sure the oatmeal in the bowl that they're about to dive into is at lukewarm temperature; too steamy and they're turned off because it (understandably) hurts their sensitive mouths.
• Come up with batches of mix-ins (suggested below) that the young'uns will love, and, once they're old enough, they can mix them in on their own.
• Let them come up with their own "mix-in" ideas; they may surprise you!
• If they don't take to the oatmeal immediately, don't give up on offering it. It may take a few "exposures" before they've decided they're willing to give it a try.

On the mix-in front, here are several ideas that have worked with kids. Granted, some are on the sweeter side, so we use those sparingly or for special weekend mornings. But, besides the standards of butter, milk and sugar, here are many worth trying:

Peanut Butter
Chopped Nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans)
Maple Syrup
Raisins
Coconut
Dried Cranberries
Brown Sugar (light or dark)
Preserves (blueberry, cherry, peach, guava)
Dulce de Leche Topping
Whipped Cream
Fruits of All Kinds (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bananas)
Cinnamon Chips
Peanut Butter Chips
Milk Chocolate Chips

If you're just starting to expose your kids to oatmeal, I wouldn't use chocolate chips as your first mix-in... or else that's all your kids will ever want in it! Try one of the healthier ones first, and then use the sweeter fare as a "special treat."

...That, don't forget, you can enjoy too!