Grandma's Hot Cereal

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 1-2

My mother-in-law has made hot cereal this way for many, many years.  It reminds me of rice pudding because it is so rich and creamy.  She made oatmeal like this when we went to Puerto Rico to visit.  When she came to visit us a month ago, the kids requested it, so she showed Jonathon how to make it using cornmeal and they wrote down the recipe.

1 cup milk (or 1 cup water plus 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp dry milk)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cornmeal or 1/3 cup cream of wheat or 1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine milk, water, butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  While stirring constantly, slowly sprinkle in cereal.  Continue stirring constantly until mixture starts to get thick and bubbly.  Lower heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired doneness.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

I love cornmeal made this way.

Notes:
I tried it without butter and I didn't like it as well.

10/5/2011 - For my family, I quadrupled the recipe and next time will try to speed up the recipe and cut the cholesterol by adding more cornmeal and less butter (one to two servings are in parentheses):
8 c water (2 c)
2/3 c dry milk (2 Tbsp + 2 tsp)
2 Tbsp butter (1/2 Tbsp)
1/4 c sugar (1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp salt (1/8 tsp)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (1/8 tsp)
2 c cornmeal (1/2 c)
2 tsp vanilla (1/2 tsp)