This is by no means a complicated breakfast, and that is the beauty of it. If you want to have a warm, relaxing breakfast on your own or if you have several picky eaters to feed, this is a great way to start the day. A couple months ago, I went to a retreat on Denman Island and we had this every day at 7:30 am. Normally I am not a morning person. Not at all. I never liked eating breakfast, especially so early, but by the third day I started to wake up excited for my daily oatmeal creation. The retreat was a silent one, and that included meal times, so we became very aware of what we were eating. I first realized how quickly and messily I ate, it’s hard to hide bad habits like that at a long table full of people in utter silence. Then, I slowed down, became less self-conscious and really focused on what I was eating. The warm oatmeal with the sweet fruit and crunchy nuts became better and better. I think that is the secret of true nourishment- appreciating the beauty of the food before us and taking the time to enjoy it.
For the ingredients, you can use anything you want and it is a good way to finish off bits of items you have lying around. I have some suggestions below, then one of my favorite combinations. It tastes best when you eat it from a big cappuccino mug. You can put all of the ingredients out on the counter like a buffet or spread them around the table family style. I prepared this as an alternative to packaged cereal for my family up in Whistler recently and it kept us going strong through a hike, then they even requested it again the next morning. It enticed them to eat more fruit and nuts than they would normally have, so they got some extra nutrients and energy in.
- ⅓-1/2 dry oatmeal per person (this is a standard serving but you can always have more)
- Sweeteners:
- dates chopped
- raw honey
- maple syrup
- fresh, frozen or dried fruit
- Flavor enhancers:
- cold-pressed coconut oil
- nut butter
- vanilla extract
- carob powder
- raw cacao powder
- spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg
- Crunches:
- chopped nuts or seeds
- granola
- puffed cereals
- buckwheat grouts
- cacao nibs
- Put your oats in a large pot with twice as much water as oats and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and stir around until it reaches your desired consistency. If you are using hardier oats like steel cut, then you will need to cover the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes or so, kind of like cooking rice, but the packaging should have customized directions. Spoon into mugs and decorate with all the toppings you want. I recommend first stirring in the flavor enhancers so they mix in well, then sprinkle everything else on top.
- ¾ cup cooked oatmeal
- 2 dates finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 teaspoon raw cacao
- 1 teaspoon cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1 banana, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cocoa nibs
- 1 teaspoon buckwheat grouts.
- This is one of my current favorite oatmeal versions. Start with a base of the oatmeal mixed with the almond butter, cacao, coconut oil and dates. Top with the banana, cocoa nibs and buckwheat grouts.
