Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Bestest Breakfasts

While the image to the left may not be that appealing to you, I swear, it's heaven to me. My old regret is that I did not photograph Thursday's breakfast.

This, dear friends, is "Oatmeal a'la Perry". He makes it two ways, on the stove top or in the crock pot. He uses Quaker Steel-Cut. Then, depending upon whim, he will add dried fruit, nuts, almond milk, brown sugar or molasses. Cinnamon and nutmeg permeated the house on Thursday morning. What a warm and inviting smell to awaken to. And, knowing it was oatmeal made it even better. I actually didn't stop for lunch until about 1:30 p.m. on the way to Connecticut. Plus, this nourishing oatmeal, served up Tuesday morning, sustained me through the break down of the car. I had Altoids in my car and a little something from David and beer, but oatmeal kept me going.

Steel-cut oats are different from the stuff you buy with the Quaker name slapped on them.
In North America, oatmeal can be sold as steel-cut, Scottish, Irish, rolled oats, old-fashioned oatmeal and even oatmeal flour. Steel-cut oats are just that, the whole oat minced by steel knives. Steel-cut is also referred to as "Irish oatmeal". What we know as rolled oats is the grain steamed and then flattened by rollers. In some cases, this flattened piece is then cut. This is the more common oatmeal variant that people think of when they think "oatmeal". (source article here)

I prefer Scottish oats. I have mentioned before that I buy my oatmeal from Bob's Red Mill which is sold at Whole Foods. It produces a creamier texture because the oats are ground coarse rather than cut.

Any way you serve it, oatmeal is an exceptionally good way to start a day. I don't find those "add water" packages to be as rib-sticking. Plus, I think there's too much that's not good for you in those packages. I don't eat oatmeal during the week as the way I make it doesn't lend itself to quick breakfasts when you get out of bed late. It's still Cheerios. But, as winter approaches, you cannot beat oatmeal on a frosty weekend morning.

Thanks, Perry, for comfort and deliciousness.

Beverage: Water

Deb

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