My Oatmeal Story for Cereal Day

Today is a celebration of cereals which is the most frequently consumed breakfast in the U.S.A.

Worst Breakfast and Best Breakfast Ever

When I was a little girl, my family went to visit one of my uncles. For breakfast the next morning, my Aunt cooked oatmeal. When our mom fixed oatmeal, she always added raisins, brown sugar, and milk. 

Aunt "Name Withheld" made a big pot of oatmeal. She set a bowl in front of each kid and served a giant spoonful of this gray gelationous goop into each bowl. No milk. No sugar. No fruit.

I looked at it, looked at my brothers who were staring at it, looked at my cousins who were frowning but slowly eating it, and I asked, "Do you have any milk or sugar?"

My mother marched me away from the breakfast table and gave me a lecture about never asking for something that wasn't placed on the table. Furthermore, I was to go eat the gray goop, thank my aunt for making it, and tell her it was good.

I did as instructed. 

I never ate oatmeal again until I was an adult. 

That's when I discovered if you added fruit, nuts, and milk to the gray goop, it transformed it into a delicious breakfast.

Ready to Eat Cereal Vs. Cooked Cereal

Most people think of cereal as an "open the box, pour in the bowl" meal, but cereals like oatmeal are cooked. 

Cooked organic cereals are better for you nutritionally than the dried cereal most often chosen. Lack of time and convenience are often cited as the reason not to cook oatmeal.

In truth, it takes only 5 minutes to cook oatmeal. When topped with chopped apple, pecans, raisins, and a tiny dab of butter and a little milk, it's a breakfast that's delicious and will hold you until lunch.

Oatmeal was once a staple breakfast food. Try it in its original form, not the instant flavored kind, but real oats.

It's good for your body. I order Quaker Organic Oats from Amazon. They're non-GMO in case that's important to you.

Takeaway Truth

 Add whatever you fancy—fruit, nuts, a milk choice, and butter if it's not contraindicated. Bet you find it's a delicious breakfast in a bowl.