Breakfast,  Cooking,  Vegetarian

Oatmeal + the perfect mornings

IMG_7960The perfect mornings for me all seem to start out the same. First, there is no alarm, I awake because my body is fully rested. They usually occur on the weekends, where I feel no shame if the clock ticks past 10. I am slow to rise, usually checking my mom’s inspiration posts she has begun posting to Facebook.

I make my way to the kitchen where I pour myself a glass of lemon water and get a small piece of butter melting into my special oatmeal-dedicated stainless-steel pan (thanks to Manga for the birthday Target gift card last year!)

While the butter melts I pour in the oats, and slowly the kitchen is filled with a deep toasted nutty fragrance that I worry might wake Ryan up and ruin my lazy morning alone time.

I pour in the milk+ water, set the timer, and walk away.

Now I have 7 minutes to do whatever, this time usually involves setting up Pandora to Jack Johnson/Bahamas, and pulling the blinds to reveal the sun beams streaming into the kitchen.

Everything looks nice in those hours. I feel my best in the late mornings, there is a special quality to this time of day where I seem to get the most of my creative ideas.

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Later, when the sun is overhead, and we are settling into the bulk of the day those ideas usually seem a little less coherent, as I read over the fast notes I took while cutting up the Berries to top the porridge.

Still, there is something perfect about the morning, and the light.

 

IMG_7959Strawberries and Cream Toasted Oatmeal

What makes this recipe, lightly adapted from Megan Gordon’s book; Whole Grain Mornings, is that the oats are toasted and then steamed which makes for a whole new kind of oatmeal. Quite honestly, the only kind I will ever make. The oats become fragrant and nutty, and they stay in form when steamed instead of turning into a pile of mush. I buy a small carton of strawberries weekly, based entirely on the fact that I know I will have this breakfast several times. You must make this recipe, once and it will become a family classic. Trust me.

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk

Toppings:
1/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Warm the butter in a medium saucepan with a lid, and when the butter begins to melt and turn light brown add the oats. Toast the oats in the butter for 3-4 minutes, while you get your liquid ingredients ready.

add the milk and water, and quickly place the lid on the pot. Turn to low heat, and set a timer for 7 minutes. Walk away. Get the berries and cream ready, or any other topping.

When the timer rings, scoop out your oatmeal and enjoy the best breakfast ever.

Full disclosure: My mom is still not convinced that she likes oatmeal at all, even after this recipe. But she is the only known person afflicted with this seriously crazy condition.

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