Oatmeal

I've never been fond of oatmeal.  I don't appreciate it's mucilaginous texture and general goopiness.  Plus it has no flavor.  My mother used to send me off to elementary school with a bowl of artificial-tasting instant awfulness in my tummy, and although I hated it, it was better than the sawdust flavor of Instant Cream of Wheat (and I *love* regular CoW, the lumpier the better).

I did like muesli, however, and Dad would buy a box of Familia as an occasional treat.  Eating cold oats - which did get slimy in milk - studded with dried fruits and nuts, was far tastier to me than the hot stuff.

This morning I skipped work because of a killer sinus headache, plus I didn't want to get caught in the deluge of Biblical proportions that was coming down at 6am.  I didn't feel like eating crunchy cereal that early in the morning, nor was I in a yogurt mood, so I fixed a bowl of muesli.  About a third cup of dry oatmeal, a couple glugs of 1% milk to cover, and a smattering of walnuts, pistachios, dried cherries and cranberries, seasoned with cinnamon, vanilla, and a bit of sugar.  The thought hit me to pop it in the microwave to see if the milk would be absorbed faster, so I cooked it for one minute.  That didn't do anything, so I put it in for two more and pulled out a bowl of...oatmeal.  And...it was good!  The oats absorbed the milk, but were still chewy and hadn't yet reached the goop stage.  Topped with a little more cold milk, it made for a tasty breakfast.

Whoda thunk it?