Not Your Average Oatmeal

The hubster and I eat steel cut oats regularly. Five mornings a week, as a matter of fact. On workdays, we happen to enjoy hot cereal. There’s something satisfying about it. Plus, it reminds me of my elementary school days when my siblings and I ate oatmeal or “cornmeal mush,” and got to decorate our cereal with raisins and chocolate chips. Although nary a chocolate chip touches my oats these days, I still appreciate having a hot breakfast – especially on the busiest of workdays!

Steel cut oats have a bit of a reputation for taking a long time to prepare. And if I actually stood over the stove for several minutes every morning to cook them, I’d have to agree. But a few years ago, the hubster suggested that we make a week’s worth of steel cut oats all at once to see how it tasted. We did. It tasted great, and now cooking steel cut oats is a once-a-week adventure that makes us smile all week long. I’ve had a few people in my life rib us for making a week’s worth of hot cereal all at once, but it’s what works for our household’s version of organizational bliss and ensures that we can have a satisfying breakfast as part of our marvelous morning routine.

In books, the media, and individuals’ lives, hot meals are often associated with a sense of home, comfort, and warmth. I’ve found that preparing meals in advance helps me to establish a sense of order in our household. That way, no matter how full the workday is or no matter what volunteer activities are pressing for attention, there’s still that natural balance of being able to sit down to a hot home-cooked meal with the hubster. That’s just what works for me. I have other friends who prefer to purchase prepared foods or take-out, and other friends who like to skip breakfast entirely. Each one of us has our own version of organizational bliss and is encouraged to live accordingly.

If you’d like to try your hand at making a week’s worth of steel cut oats Logistically Leah-style, try the following:

STEEL CUT OATS (10 servings – for 2 people over 5 days)

• 2-and-one-half cups of steel cut oats
• 10 cups of water
• toppings

1. Bring water and oats to a boil
2. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes while constantly stirring
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes
4. Continue cooking for another 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes
5. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick you’d like your cereal and the type of pot you use
6. Once it’s cooled, dish oats into single-serving food storage containers
7. When you’re ready to serve your oats, microwave for 1-2 minutes, and top with whatever you’d like! I recommend adding a spoonful of non-fat yogurt mixed throughout and topping the cereal with cinnamon, nutmeg, banana slices, and/or berries. You may wish to alternate your toppings to sometimes include dried fruit or nuts instead.

Enjoy!

* Photo by Laurel Kate Sittig