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Breakfast is Beautiful
(Picture courtesy of photophnatic at flickr.com.)
The topic of oatmeal on a Sunday morning may receive quite good treatment in about a kazillion twitter feeds that assume you are fascinated by what your fellow human being are having for breakfast. Okay, yes, I did have oatmeal for breakfast.
If that’s as far as you read, oh, well, hope your morning is interesting too.
The unfortunate aspect of oatmeal for breakfast is that it is admittedly ugly, and somewhat bland. Now for the good side, and you’re lucky if you’ve gotten through to some form of adult life that admits good things don’t have to kick you in the fact to be worth having.
It’s good for you. Also, I make it interesting, and nutritious beyond its basic properties, by usually making it with lowfat milk and fruit. The fruit doesn’t have to be fresh, there are lots of dried fruits like a tropical blend of papayas and mangoes, or the basic raisins, and they’re a wonderful way of avoiding sugar.
Full disclosure; when my sister stayed with me overnight a few years back I came to the realization that my household contained not a speck of refined sugar. She was somewhat okay with the brown variety. Next visit, she probably will bring her own.
Oats are a source of lots of things that make your body happy, and at risk of watching eyes glaze over out there, that includes fiber and protein with a whole string of The Elements, like selenium and zinc. It has a lot of amazing qualities you need.
1. With the exception of certain flavored varieties, the oats found in your grocery store are 100% natural. If you look at the ingredients on a canister of rolled oats, you will usually see only one ingredient… rolled oats.
2. According to recent studies, a diet that includes oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure. The reduction is linked to the increase in soluble fiber provided by oatmeal. Oats contain more soluble fiber than whole wheat, rice or corn.
3. Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidantsand is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.
4. The fiber and other nutrients found in oatmeal may actually reduce the risk for certain cancers.
If you haven’t rushed to the kitchen to grab a bowl by now, I just don’t know if you can be saved.
If you have some, you might even throw in a good pinch of ginger, too. It’s got so many good medicinal qualities, this might make you so healthy your family will be frightened by the glow.
They’ll get used to it. And you’ll feel great – just don’t go bore your friends on twitter by telling them what you had for breakfast.
30 Comments
My dad told me when I was a kid that they used to feed the horses extra oats if they were being worked hard. Did the same myself. It’s like the basics are the best, but creativity ever beckons. Bon appetit and with it bon jour.
Thanks, you’re right, and more oats to you, too.
Good morning to everyone,
Just connected here after my oats with blueberries. A tiny bit of butter and a tablespoon of honey were in the mix.
Yes to the butter, I should have mentioned I do one small pad. But my cherries made it sweet enough.
Oatmeal + sugar, wheat bread with strawberry jam, glass of milk, coffee every morning. I’m that easy.
You’re that smart.
But oatmeal is slimy and I’m really burgery about slimy food. Post recommended though! :)
I make have oatmeal a couple times a week for breakfast. I make it from steel cut oats and add some toasted dulse seaweed and some toasted pecans.
I ate enough oatmeal in my backpacking days to last a lifetime. Can’t look at the stuff anymore.
However Southern Dragon put me onto some 8 grain variety of cooked cereal that is more interesting, so I sometimes fix that for brunch.
I also have fruit in my freezer that I should use up, so thanks for the reminder to add it to cooked cereal.
Yeah, my mom pushed oatmeal wallpaper paste for years.
Then magically I discovered steel cut oat meal and have been a convert ever since (Coaches Oats at Costco-where else).
1/3 cup steel oats and 1 1/4 cups of water and microwaved for 2 1/2 minutes (cook to taste).
Now I enjoy crunchy, interesting oat meal-I add a bit of salt and evaporated milk.
Even my 88 year old mom switched to steel cut after 87 years of rolled oats.
Give it a shot. You have only your mortal soul to lose. :>)))
Steel cut is the only way to go!!!
However, I might just have to pass on seameal!
Something about cloven hoofs and scales or some such bovine excreta. :>)))
Our local greengrocer (a take-off on the word, and referring to a food store with mostly green offerings) has steel cut oats, and I use that sometimes too, but for the savings, think the regular works really well. I think the last generation had a tendency to cook everything to death. Growing up, I didn’t like many vegetables, but when I started keeping house and cooking, I quickly discovered that most things have taste, but it cooks away if you overdo it.
Not sure about my mortal soul, it’s my understanding we lose that in the end, no matter what. And if my immortal soul goes poof! for steel cut oats, I’m not going to worry about it anyway.
It’ll be less slimy if you cook it in a double boiler, margaret – at least I think so. But my alternative for Sundays is french toast with apple slices – cook the apples first in olive oil with a smatter of butter, then add a thick slice of homemade bread that has been soaked in one beaten egg(you can remove the apples or squish them around the edges of the pan); sear, turn and spoon on honey.
Yes, honey’s outa sight financially speaking, but if you follow this recipe you will be fortifying yourself against springtime allergies – trust me it works!
Put the lid on the pan and cook a bit more so the honey carmelizes with the olive oil/butter mixture. Now that’s Sunday, and I am peeling the apples (store bought, used up my own a while back :( ) as we speak…
Happy Sunday!
My remarks were only meant to act as guidelines and not established case law.
Regarding, “And if my immortal soul goes poof…”
Thanks for the heads up for the sound an immortal soul makes when it goes South.
I’ll keep my ears peeled for poofs!
Unfair, that sounds like a real work of art. Maybe I need to raise the rate on that immortal soul we putting the pricetag on upthread.
I am assuming flames of some sort. If you’re in a vacuum, that won’t work.
Oatmeal is great for breakfast but my favorite time to have it is on cold, rainy winter nights with lots of raisins. Yum.
Since a lot of folks online have been going iceskating, that strikes me as a perfect way to end a skating trip.
I passed on steel cut oats when the box said they took a long time to cook. I wouldn’t have the patience. I use quick oats (NOT the flavored kind in little packets, but out of the Quaker box) and do a serving in a big mug in the microwave for about a minute. I sweeten with an artificial sweetener (Costco’s generic Splenda) and use 1% milk. Yes the sweetener isn’t good for you, but my preferred brown sugar adds more calories than I want.
I will have to get some steel cut oats next time I run out.
No raisins. I think I liked them as a child, but I picked up a box at a stop along the highway when I was traveling, and discovered I don’t like them any more.
I eat a muesli cereal called Alpen that I discovered in England (stayed in bed and breakfast places and the breakfasts all had Alpen and Weetabix (which I don’t care for). Alpen does have raisins and lots of other goodies and there’s a “no sugar added” variety. Healthful and lots of fiber.
Immortal inflation? You mean to say there are bankster Republicans in heaven gaming the system there too?
If they buy up all the tax exempt property do they get an option on the souls, too? I hate to think it.
My local Kroger has some things in bulk, and one is the steel cut oats. You can also request that they get it in bulk if they don’t yet. I think you’ll like it.
You could have gotten a box that had been around too long, but I do like golden raisins and dates better than the standard ones.
Oatmeal messes with my blood sugar big time. Even if I load it up with protein in the form of eggs and almonds.
I have mine with dry cranberries and walnuts. Cinnamon gives it a nice scent and fools the brain that it’s sweeter than it really is. I’ve eaten more since my anatomy instructor mentioned polyps in the large intestine. Ewwwww, gimme more porridge pleeez
Oh my sister loves some restaurants sweet baked oatmeal, so if you think it’s slimy, could try crisping it up in the oven.
Oatmeal, water, fruits dried or fresh, honey.
End of story, it’s a non story.
Eat it, it’s good for ya.
Geez . . . is EVERYTHING an issue these days?
*shakeshishead*
What next, bacon and preservatives are bad for ya?
SO WHAT!
Live life large, die when yer turn is up . . . geez.
Thanks, sounds lovely, glad you dropped by. Not too many bad reports, were there? I could have brought up cream of wheat, I’ve already heard that that’s revolting to some folks here, but I love it.