Dried Cherry & Pecan Oatmeal

3 C Water
3 C Fat Free Milk
2 C Whole Oats
½ C Dried Cherries, chopped
5 T Brown Sugar
1 T Butter
¼ t Cinnamon
¼ t Vanilla
2 T Toasted Pecans

Bring water, milk, oats, cherries & 1 T brown sugar to boil; reduce heat & simmer, stirring occasionally 20 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in 4 T brown sugar & next 3 ingredients.
Spoon 1 C oatmeal into 6 bowls. Sprinkle with toasted pecans & additional brown sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.

This yummy recipe is from my mom. You should double it if you're feeding a crowd or really hungry kids, or if you want to have leftovers. If you have some real maple syrup just sitting around from recent trip to Vermont, you can add a dash of it to your bowl. There's nothing like it!