Thursday, April 20, 2017

My New Favorite Breakfast...

     When I was about 14 years old, my grandmother gave me a copy of An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott.  I loved the story and it had a profound affect on my life.  In the book, the main character, "Polly", preferred to eat oatmeal for breakfast.  To this day (54 years later) oatmeal is still my favorite breakfast.  I have cooked and served it in many different ways through the years, but always enjoy oats for breakfast.

     I had some leftover fruit salad that I had made and decided to experiment.  When I put together a fruit salad, I just use what I have on hand.  This time, it included banana, apple, orange, mango, raisins, strawberries, grapes, blackberries and a few walnuts.  I usually cut up the oranges first, as the juice from them will prevent the other fruits from oxidizing and turning brown.  The banana, papaya and apple were fresh. The strawberries, grapes and blackberries I had saved in the freezer.

     So, here is how I made my oatmeal this morning.  In a microwave-safe bowl (large enough not to let it spill over as it cooks!) I combined 1/3 cup quick oats, a very small pinch of salt and 2/3 cup water.  This I cooked on "high" in the microwave oven for about 1.5 minutes.  In the meantime, I cracked an egg into a small bowl and whisked it thoroughly with a fork.  As soon as the oats were done, I quickly stirred in the whisked egg.  Next, I measured out 1/2 cup fruit salad and mixed that in.  Oh.. my... this is so delicious!


By the way, that bowl is from my first mother's dishes, so it is probably about 70 years old.  It says "Bavaria" on the bottom.  That makes my oatmeal even more special to me.  

This post is linked to "The Chicken Chicks Blog Hop."  http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2017/04/brinsea-ecoglow-chick-brooder-giveaway.html

7 comments:

  1. I nearly bought "An Old Fashioned Girl" when I was 12. I bought 'Eight Cousins' (also by Louisa May Alcott) instead, I had saved up out of my allowance and couldn't afford both books. Eight Cousins became my favourite of her novels. I seem to remember that there was a discussion on the merits of oatmeal/porridge in that novel as well.

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  2. I'll have to admit you lost me at the stirring the raw egg in portion. Did it cook? We eat oatmeal a lot along with a cracked wheat cereal too. I, though my husband is the breakfast cooker, make a multiple serving batch at one time and then who ever wants just dishes out til gone. I don't like milk on my oatmeal, though I will add plain yogurt. He usually stirs the fruit in while cooking though, like mashed ripe banana or applesauce, or like last week, a half pint of our frozen raspberries. He likes to mix up the seasonings too...vanilla or almond extract, grated orange zest, cinnamon, maple syrup etc. It's always a surprise. But oatmeal is only a cold/cool weather food. We switch to granola when it gets warm. He makes the granola also. :)

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    1. Yes, if you stir it in right away, the egg will cook. How absolutely wonderful that your husband cooks and is so creative! Sometimes, I make a nice meal, put it on a plate and take it to my husband and I remark, "It must be so nice to have a wife." ;)

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    2. Yes, my husband or the children pretty much handle the daily breakfast, unless it is something I have done the night before, like and egg bake or a coffeecake. I need to be to work by 7:30 and he opens his shop at 8:00 so he has a little more time. Also I get slower every year what with the arthritis slowing my up. He also likes to cook out on the grill or in the fire pit, year round, so that's a good thing also.

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    3. What a nice family you must have, Athanasia!

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