January Is National Oatmeal Month

I was surprised to learn there is such a thing as National Oatmeal Month. But then, with eaters like my husband and children, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.

My husband is a huge fan of hot cereal in the morning. He makes it from scratch—none of that instant stuff for him unless he is in a hurry, though he will use the one-minute varieties without complaint.

We keep several varieties of oatmeal on hand (Quaker One-Minute, Quaker Old Fashioned, Bob’s Red Mill Scottish, and Irish Oatmeal), as well as several varieties of grits (Bob’s Red Mill, and polenta). Our pantry also contains Malt-O-Meal (regular and chocolate), Cream of Wheat, and Cream of Rice.

When our kids were growing up, they usually had cold cereal for breakfast. It was faster, and I was all about efficiency in those days. But on weekend mornings, and on some weekday mornings when their father got up early, they had oatmeal or another hot cereal. My husband cooked it—that was his contribution to our culinary offerings.

I don’t like hot cereal for breakfast. It’s too heavy for me to eat first thing in the morning. But every so often in my retirement years, I’ve eaten oatmeal for lunch. I like the sweetened instant Quaker Oats, preferably cinnamon and spice, though blueberry or apple will do. Instant oatmeal takes 90 seconds in the microwave, and then mixed with Greek yogurt (preferably cherry or blueberry), it’s as good as a yogurt parfait.

What my instant oatmeal mixed with yogurt and fruit looks like

Our whole family puts dried fruit and nuts in our oatmeal, or fresh fruit if we have it. But my husband runs more to bananas and dates, while I prefer blueberries and almonds.

What’s your philosophy on oatmeal?

Posted in Family, Philosophy, Recipes and tagged , , , .

6 Comments

  1. Oatmeal is delicate. If you cook it too long it becomes a gummy mess, but if it’s cooked just right it has a nutty texture. Add dried and fresh fruit and more nuts and you have a fabulous breakfast!
    Thanks for the memories ….

  2. I love oatmeal in the morning. I used to eat the instant kind, but found I prefer regular oatmeal cooked on the stove. I add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and raisins or fresh fruit. It really only takes a few minutes–about the time it takes for me to empty the dishwasher.

  3. Often during winter, I’ll have oats for dinner. I like stone-cut with brown sugar and dried cranberries.

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