Because my original title for this was "Not Feelin' My Oats." Because it's a post about oatmeal and how I don't so much dig it. GEDDIT?
I KNOW. It's like the worst title ever. Which is why I didn't use it. And yet still felt compelled to confess that such a lame play on words ever crossed my mind.
The subject might be lame, too, but nonetheless, I feel the need to speak today of oatmeal. Because I made some for breakfast this morning, now that it is no longer 90 degrees in our house at six in the morning. Yay! But I was reminded that I, um, don't actually like oatmeal all that much.
Which begs the question, why did I make it, then? Well, because A. likes it. And I sometimes get tired of eggs and can't think of anything else I feel like eating.
Growing up, the only kind of oatmeal we ever had was Quaker Instant. Brown sugar and maple flavor. I liked that. I mean, of COURSE I did. How could I not, seeing as how it's pretty much a way to mainline sugar first thing in the morning. Then A. introduced me to real oatmeal, the old fashioned rolled oats kind that takes a whole TEN MINUTES to prepare.
Really makes you reflect on the impatience of the American public if ten minutes has become so unacceptable for breakfast preparation that a processed instant version of a pretty quick food has become the norm.
ANYWAY.
So we make the oatmeal plain and then flavor it as we like in our own bowls. Personalized oatmeal! How fun! A. and the MiL will eat it with nothing more than milk. I find that unappealing in the extreme. But I found that the amount of brown sugar and maple syrup necessary to make it taste anything like the Quaker kind is pretty shocking. NO ONE should eat that much sugar first thing in the morning. So I never add enough to make it something I really want to eat. I usually get about halfway through a bowl before I get Oatmeal Fatigue and don't want to eat anymore.
I've tried steel cut oats, adding honey and peanut butter, maple syrup and cream, brown sugar and milk, raisins, blueberries, nuts . . . eh. Some versions are better than others (maple syrup and cream will make anything tasty, really), but I guess what it comes down to for me is that I don't like oatmeal enough to make it a whole meal. It's like a dessert--tasty, but nothing that's going to sustain me. I'm invariably hungry an hour after eating it.
But maybe I'm just missing something. So tell me, duckies: Are you an oatmeal lover? And if so, how do you make your oatmeal so you love it, and so I might possibly love it too? Because I really WANT to like it. Help me out here.
I add half a tsp of butter, a shake or two of cinnamon, raisins if we have them, some maple syrup and milk or cream. Yum! You can also add dried apple or other dried fruit.
ReplyDeleteI do find that cooking it long and slow brings out the flavor and makes oatmeal better. Although I am an oatmeal eater, I do NOT like oatmeal that's just barely cooked. And hey, it's not a moral issue. Potatoes for breakfast work, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat doesn't work: instant oatmeal or even quick-cooking. Nasty stuff. Steel cut is best, but time-consuming. One can also turn one's oats into granola--very sustaining!
I'm a fan of the 'quick cooking' steel cut oats that take 5-7 minutes to cook. I hate runny oatmeal and like mine so thick that it sticks to your spoon. I'll always mix into the pot a pinch of salt, brown sugar, a pat of butter, golden raisins, dried cherries, and sometimes dried blueberries. When it is this thick I can only handle about 1 cup of the cooked final product before getting full, but it does seem to last through the morning.
ReplyDeleteI've discovered crockpot steel cut oats. YUM! (And convenient!) I put about 4 cups oats and 8 cups water in my 4 quart crock the night before. The next morning it is all ready to eat.
ReplyDeleteAdd whatever you want at that point, but I make a fruit smoothie every morning and some of it gets poured over my oatmeal. Double yum!
It makes LOTS, so I just spoon it out in 1/2 C lots, into those little ziplock round tubs and stack them in the fridge. In the morning you nuke it, add your smoothie and eat. I stay full until my next meal. (I eat a small amount every 3 hours...)
I like to put oatmeal, a bit of salt, half water, half milk, and sliced banana all in a pot. Oh, and a little cinnamon. Cook it all up (stir a lot; helps the texture), and when it comes to a boil, turn it down and stir in a little vanilla. Cook to desired consistency. I like to top mine with a little peanut butter. And sometimes a little granola. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI love, love the crockpot idea!!
ReplyDeleteIt also occurs to me that oatmeal should always be eaten with fresh cream, the way it would have been on the farm. My grandfather layered oatmeal, honey, wheaties, and banana, and topped it all off with Guernsey cream/ top milk.
You know, I just bought some Oatmeal (Maple and Brown Sugar! And Quakers!) because we don't eat it ever and I've kinda been craving it. I need something to wake my butt up in the morning so I can start the long day of studying!
ReplyDeleteNever thought about making it the long way...I'll have to try it!
Granola, crock pot, fruit, syrup...all sound like it would make it yummy. I do eat my cream of wheat with real maple syrup though.
ReplyDeleteI layer enough sugar over the top of my oatmeal to make a crust .... I am sure I have overcome any healthy aspect of it. And potatoes.....well , heck yow. Beth
word verification 'innons'
the sprout that comes out of an old onion when it is trying to make a new one , because you have had it so long
I love oatmeal. I use steel cut oats, always cook with milk instead of water, and I mix in cinnamon and allspice and salt, then I top it with maple syrup. Sometimes when apples are in season I add grated apple. Some people I know mix in a mashed banana, but that seems gross to me, but you might try it.
ReplyDeleteI also someone who makes "tropical" oatmeal with dried fruit and coconut and such. He might cook it in coconut water or something; I'll have to check.
But not liking oatmeal is not a crime. My mother absolutely hates oatmeal, although I think this is because she grew up with mushy oatmeal that tasted like paste. Once when I fed her the steel cut, she declared it ok but not great.
But potatoes, biscuits, even grits or polenta, omelettes, waffles, etc. are all good breakfast options too.
Wow, I write long comments.
I love oatmeal in the morning. I use the old-fashioned kind, but cook it in the microwave (5 minutes @50% power) - not because I am in a hurry, but because I can cook it in the bowl I am going to eat it from and I have saved myself a pot to clean up. Lazy, yes :-)
ReplyDeleteThis morning I added some peaches, blueberries and a dash of cinnamon. Have also added bananas, some walnut pieces and a dash of vanilla. Or dried cranberries, blueberries and some almond slices. Or ... :-)
Also
Another random thought, because of course I didn't already share enough of them.......I've heard about recipes for baked oatmeal, that makes it end up sort of as a corss between oatmeal, cake, and pudding. I think it was a recipe in Gourmet Magazine a couple years ago. I'm sure you could find a recipe and try that if it sounds good to you.
ReplyDeletesometimes oatmeal is just icky. I always add a little milk, raisins, and brown sugar or honey - what about tryin' grits and cheese? I love that for a good comfort breakfast and it's quick.
ReplyDeleteI like mine with fresh fruit (try peaches) and a little cinnamon. Have you made it overnight in a crockpot? Steel cut oats overnight are delicious: a little nuttier than standard oatmeal.
ReplyDeleteIf you still don't like it, you could always make cookies. :)
I make mine this way
ReplyDeleteBring water to boil, add salt, handful rasins, some nuts then the oats. Turn the heat way down and let simmer till all water is absorbed. Don't stir! Makes it pasty, Yuck! Oatmeal needs texture. The add some butter and maybe some brown sugar or not. I think that some of use like it ans some don't. Not right or wrong
Nope; don't care for oatmeal very much.
ReplyDeleteBuckwheat groats!!! Cooked. Now *there's* a wonderful tasting breakfast, in my opinion. Really interesting, nutty flavor. Yum!!
I was going to suggest the baked oatmeal (someone beat me to it). I make the old-fashioned kind in the mw, with milk, honey, craisins and pecans. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteHot sticky disgusting baaaaaaaaaaaaarf. That pretty much sums it up on my end.
ReplyDeleteI love oatmeal, but only on very cold days. I only like the steel cut that takes about 30 minutes to cook. My favorite flavoring is cranberries (or dried craisens) and orange marmalade.
ReplyDeleteBut any fruit w/honey is a good combo. Blueberry. Banana. Caramelized apples.
I agree with you though that oatmeal is not as filling as a protein breakfast of eggs and bacon. But the fiber is a good thing for my digestive system.... things just work better when I'm consistent with the oatmeal. ('nuff said)
I didn't discover "real" oatmeal until I met my husband, either. It's taken some experimenting, but I've finally figured out how I really love it. When it's done cooking, I add a pat of butter, some chopped walnuts, a handful of berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, whatever) and a couple of heaping tablespoons of sucanat. I can honestly say that after finally figuring that all out, I can eat oatmeal happily three mornings a week.
ReplyDeleteWhen you really get to eating "real food", it's funny how even the old-fashioned oatmeal actually starts seeming like a convenience food!
I love oatmeal, so I could eat it without adding anything else. But I do like to add real butter and maple sugar to mine and occasionally some ground flax seed for added fiber. The cinnamon sounds good too. I'll have to try adding that in more often.
ReplyDeleteWell, I eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast. I put frozen blueberries in the bottom of the bowl, pour in the cooked oatmeal (stovetop, but I confess I do use the 1-minute kind) and stir it up so the blueberries thaw and cool down the oatmeal enough to eat, and then pour about 1/3 cup milk in the bowl and stir that up and eat it. Yum. But maybe you just have to like oatmeal.
ReplyDeleteAdd a glob of whatever jam/jelly is open in the fridge... like mulberry.
ReplyDeletei'm an oatmeal lover. easy peasy - old fashioned oats in a bowl just barely covered with half water, half milk (raw from the goats), microwaved for 1:30mins. stir in applesauce + cinnamon, microwave for 1 more minute, stir in brown sugar.. whats not to love!?
ReplyDelete