Steamy and Savory

I know it’s kind of old news at this point but… OH. My. Gosh. It’s cold.

Super cold.

So cold that just today the schools around us had their first full day since before Christmas.

So cold that two nights ago Adam’s truck read -5. Like actual -5 degrees. NOT -5 degrees with windchill.

So cold that my car sounds like it’s a pissed off teenager and just wants to go back to bed every time I turn it on.

Poor Marley.

… That’s the car’s name. It’s a Highlander. Get it?

Like Bob…?

Anywhoo… I feel Marley’s pain.

Getting my toes out from under the covers the very few mornings of 2015 has been challenging. All I want to do it stay cuddled up in bed where it’s warm. I don’t want to have to face the elements. I don’t even want to face my tiled bathroom floor with bare feet.

And, while smoothies and green drinks are so very “in” for breakfast this time of year, I am just not feeling it. I know I should, but the thought of ingesting something frozen while the temperature with windchill flirts with -20? Sorry. Nope. Not happening.

So while the Green Smoothie Goddess on one shoulder get’s shushed, the “let’s make Belgium Waffles with hot maple syrup” Devil on the other chimes in.

And, so does reality.

No, my mind doesn’t go to how many calories would be packed into those waffles (not first at least), but rather to the fact that I have no time for that with a iced over car to warm up!

Note: When you garden and have chickens you acquire a lot of accessories… and, inevitably, you and your spouse lose your places in the two car garage.

But the other morning I discovered something in my pantry, just past the maple syrup, that I had totally forgotten about: Oatmeal.

Oatmeal reminds me of cold mornings in high school. My dad was and still is an early riser claiming he works best in the morning. More power to him. So if it was really chilly he would have oatmeal going on the stove and would top a cup of it with brown sugar as I ran out the door to catch my ride.

A lot of people have poor memories of oatmeal calling it things like “mush” but this was pure goodness that warmed me on the coldest mornings from the inside out.

Perfect for these cold Midwest mornings… except, I am kind of trying to limit sugar. Nothing crazy, but I didn’t really want to add it to anything so I decided to go with a more savory option adding chopped fresh rosemary and a drizzle of healthy fat packed olive oil.

Herbs like thyme would also work great and the grow very well on a windowsill that gets a lot of sun this time of year. For an extra burst of brightness a little lemon juice is delicious.

I get it. This sounds a little weird. But, oatmeal is a grain and we flavor grains like breads, rice and pasta with these ingredients all the time. On oatmeal, with a pinch of salt and pepper, it all works together and is incredibly vibrant and refreshing.

Exactly what I need to wake me up on a cold morning.

Depending on your preference you can use steel cut oats, rolled oats or even instant with this recipe. I use rolled oats because they are basically identical to steel cut oats in terms of nutrition and take a quarter of the time to cook.

Oatmeal with Herbs and Olive Oil

2015-01-15 10:47:02

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Ingredients

1. 1 cup of cooked oatmeal
2. 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
3. 1/2 tablespoon chopped herbs (Rosemary, thyme, etc)
4. Pinch of salt and pepper
5. Spritz of fresh juice from a quartered lemon

Instructions

1. Top cooked oatmeal with all ingredients, stir to combine.
2. Eat right away.

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