Spray inside of a small slow cooker (crock-pot) with non-stick cooking spray (such as PAM).
Pour water, milk, and orange juice concentrate in slow cooker.
Coarsely chop cranberries. (A nut chopper works well for this.)
Gently stir cranberries, oats, and salt into milk and water.
Cook on low for 6 to 10 hours.
When cereal is done, stir in vanilla. Stir cereal well to thicken. Serve hot topped with chopped nuts and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Notes
Cranberry Orange Oatmeal is great served with fresh oranges segments and toast.1.This recipe is for a small (1 1/2- to 2-quart) crock pot. Recipe may be adjusted for different size slow cookers.2. All slow cookers cook differently. If your hot cereal turns out too thin or too thick, adjust liquid amount accordingly the next time you prepare overnight hot cereal.3. If you would like your slow cooker to turn on and off automatically, you can plug it into an appliance timer.Yield: 3 1/2 cups