Oatmeal - Because I am Bert of Bert and Ernie

Ahh! Oatmeal, after yesterday's sugar rush I felt more than ready to get back to basics. I resorted to my old standby: quick cooking rolled oats. Two minutes in the microwave, add some almond milk and brown sugar and Voila-- the breakfast of champions (or of an overly tired mom whose kid doesn't like cold cereal very much).

Truly, with the exception of toast and cold cereal, there is no easier breakfast item to veganize.
As much as I like the convenience of quick cooking rolled oats, I even like them cold, but my family thinks that is just wrong, about five years ago I fell in love with steel cut or Irish oatmeal. In the wintertime it is hearty and filling and has a nutty flavor rolled oats just can not compete with. However the little suckers take around thirty to forty minutes to cook. I simply do not have that kind of time in the mornings unless I get up super early. Crock-pot oatmeal to the rescue! This is brilliant, I say brilliant! Put the desired amount of oats in a crock-pot, add enough non-dairy milk or water to cover, set the crock-pot on low overnight and wake up in the morning to the comforting smell of cooked oatmeal perfection. One word of advice: Do not put raisins, or dried cranberries, or any other dried fruit in until the next morning. The liquid re-hydrates them so they like little alien egg pods, and nobody wants to eat alien egg pods!

Kim

P.S. Next week will be vegan lunches -- which was the hardest category for me.
P.P.S. Last night I started on Nana's scarf 162 chains! Whew! And for those of you who are wondering: No, I have not finished the stress sock. Arrgh!