Everyday Oatmeal

The weather has started to turn here – it’s starting to feel distinctly like fall. The days are shorter, the weather cooler, and we’re starting to have more rainy, cloudy days as we head toward the winter months. But we are still enjoying the last of the summer produce. As the seasons shift, I like to incorporate warmer breakfasts into my routine, rather than the usual smoothies or fruit. Oatmeal is one of my favorites.

I’m a bit horrified to realize how long it has been since my last blog post. Since Charlotte died, the other chickens – George and Jane – have been really subdued. I think they were attached to Charlotte and her absence from the flock is definitely noticeable. This summer has proven to be enormously busy with projects and work of my own creation. I’m in the midst of applying for jobs, prepping for the two classes I’m teaching at UW this fall, working on writing projects, travelling for conferences and some new research, and – excitingly – working on a book from my dissertation on the lives of cows in the dairy industry (stay tuned for more details on that in the coming months). At the same time, I’ve been extremely unmotivated in the cooking department and even more unmotivated in the recipe creation department. All this to say that these conditions have not been so great for consistency in posting on the old blog.

Oatmeal, of course, is ridiculously easy to make, so this is not really a recipe. Just follow the cooking instructions on whatever kind of oats you buy. I’ve been enjoying steel cut oats lately, which take a bit longer to cook, but have a chewier, nuttier texture that I like.

Preparation

Cook oatmeal according to package instructions

While cooking, I like to add a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of cinnamon (you could also add more spices to make it more fall flavored – like ground ginger, clove, nutmeg, etc. if you like)

I like to top it with nuts, fruit, seeds, etc.

Here, I’ve done a combination of the last of the summer nectarines, raw walnuts and unsweetened coconut flakes. Perfection!

If you like a sweeter breakfast, you can had some brown sugar, molasses, or maple syrup to sweeten it up.

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I hope you all are doing well out there in your various corners of the world!

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