Thursday, June 7, 2012
During our road trip, I was telling Mom and Colleen how I had taken the plunge this morning and had "regular" oatmeal but "thank God for the blueberries". I like that I feel full for longer. That, and a banana. So, we drove all the way to Vineland to buy some groceries! Then stopped at old faithful Bertuzzi's on the way back for flowers. Fun.
OATMEAL & THE MUSH FACTOR
Addressed to those with an aversion to "mush," e.g., cooked oatmeal.
Okay, to tell it like it is -- the majority of we siblings are gooey-phobic. I find it even distasteful to type the word m_y__n__s_. So I know well the horror of mush and creamy things (except for sweet creaming things, of course). Thus I hope my own, relatively new experience with oatmeal, not the cookie or granola kind, might let you know it's "safe." I avoided warm oatmeal until my 64th year. When I saw 25 women at AA weekend retreats eating bowls of oatmeal for breakfast, I felt a wave of repulsion coupled with sympathy for their having to knuckle under and "do the right thing" nutrition-wise. I was having no part of it.
And then, I saw a slight uptick in my cholesterol numbers. That NEVER had happened before and it got my attention. But only my attention. I wasn't about to start eating oatmeal. That fall, Colleen and I started reading about a plant-based diet. Oatmeal seemed to be a star. So I bought a box at Trader Joes -- letting myself get the instant, maple-sweetened kind to start out with. I think I had the box for a month before I opened it. It stared at me from the shelf -- until one day I just took it down and followed the directions for microwaving a single packet.
About using "instant" oatmeal, in addition to the mush factor, there was no way I was going to have to wait for slow-cooked oatmeal and then have to wash the pan. (Research informed me that instant is no less beneficial than slow-cooked. Thank god or this story would have been a non-starter.)
So I ate oatmeal for the first time in my life. It wasn't bad -- at all. I finished the maple-sugar box and then moved cold turkey onto Quaker Oats Original Instant Oatmeal. No sugar. Mom had told me about adding cinnamon for both taste and as a healthy spice. I also made sure to have blueberries on hand.
It wasn't bad -- at all. And now, some 6 to 8 months later, I actually LIKE it.I have non-sweetened oatmeal with cinnamon and berries every other morning like clockwork. The Quaker Oats packets, for me, are a great portion control plus.
Here's a tip for getting the texture to your liking: The directions say to add 1/2 cup water to the oatmeal packet. I add just slightly under 1/2 cup water to adjust for mushiness.
So fear not.
PS: Only microwave using glass -- never plastic.
PSS: Cream of Wheat? Never, and I mean never!
Addressed to those with an aversion to "mush," e.g., cooked oatmeal.
Okay, to tell it like it is -- the majority of we siblings are gooey-phobic. I find it even distasteful to type the word m_y__n__s_. So I know well the horror of mush and creamy things (except for sweet creaming things, of course). Thus I hope my own, relatively new experience with oatmeal, not the cookie or granola kind, might let you know it's "safe." I avoided warm oatmeal until my 64th year. When I saw 25 women at AA weekend retreats eating bowls of oatmeal for breakfast, I felt a wave of repulsion coupled with sympathy for their having to knuckle under and "do the right thing" nutrition-wise. I was having no part of it.
And then, I saw a slight uptick in my cholesterol numbers. That NEVER had happened before and it got my attention. But only my attention. I wasn't about to start eating oatmeal. That fall, Colleen and I started reading about a plant-based diet. Oatmeal seemed to be a star. So I bought a box at Trader Joes -- letting myself get the instant, maple-sweetened kind to start out with. I think I had the box for a month before I opened it. It stared at me from the shelf -- until one day I just took it down and followed the directions for microwaving a single packet.
About using "instant" oatmeal, in addition to the mush factor, there was no way I was going to have to wait for slow-cooked oatmeal and then have to wash the pan. (Research informed me that instant is no less beneficial than slow-cooked. Thank god or this story would have been a non-starter.)
So I ate oatmeal for the first time in my life. It wasn't bad -- at all. I finished the maple-sugar box and then moved cold turkey onto Quaker Oats Original Instant Oatmeal. No sugar. Mom had told me about adding cinnamon for both taste and as a healthy spice. I also made sure to have blueberries on hand.
It wasn't bad -- at all. And now, some 6 to 8 months later, I actually LIKE it.I have non-sweetened oatmeal with cinnamon and berries every other morning like clockwork. The Quaker Oats packets, for me, are a great portion control plus.
Here's a tip for getting the texture to your liking: The directions say to add 1/2 cup water to the oatmeal packet. I add just slightly under 1/2 cup water to adjust for mushiness.
So fear not.
PS: Only microwave using glass -- never plastic.
PSS: Cream of Wheat? Never, and I mean never!
fishing
Hi so I'm off on a fishing trip. I have my vacation plans nailed down. Soooo looking forward to being in mountains for a couple days at the end of it all. I drank my 8 oz of water this am. This is the hardest and this I need to create a check list for 4 sure. My exercise is lacking. We'll see. I could be walking instead of fishing but I am bringing a cook from work. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Have a great day. PS I feel lighter but thats my whole denial problem.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
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