"Used whole grain Irish oatmeal, & modified the recipe for fear the grains wouldn't cook enough if I added the pumpkin at the beginning. So I cooked the oatmeal up as the package suggests only, just to al dente. Then I added the pumpkin & other ingredients. My oatmeal was a bit runny before adding the pumpkin; it just wouldn't thicken up after cooking for 10 more minutes so I added a couple of eggs (whisking them in quickly off the burner one at a time, then stirring with a whisk while simmering for 2 min.) This is a trick I learned from a porridge recipe I love; it adds more protein and staying power to the oatmeal. Also I used the pumpkin pie spice but still needed more cinnamon, & added butter extract & almond extract for more flavor plus used splenda brown to sweeten it. Skipped raisins & pepitas, but used toasted walnuts. Yum!"