What Do You Put In Your Oatmeal?

Ok, this is probably a weird thing to blog about. But our family loves oatmeal. I recently got a little experimental with it and discovered some new twists for an old breakfast favorite.

First of all, we used to buy those instant flavored oatmeal packets that you add hot water to, stir and eat. We thought they were pretty good. As you know from a couple posts ago, we made some changes around here, and are weeding out the extra processed food products which are usually loaded with sugar and missing the nutrients that were there before the processing. But that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice flavored oatmeal! Oh, no! Check out our favorite variations.

Our Basic Oatmeal recipe:

(1 serving)

1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk

Pour all ingredients into your cereal bowl, throw into microwave, set it for 2 minutes, take it out and add your toppings.

Variations:

Apple Cinnamon
~Several spoonfuls from a Mott's Healthy Harvest (no added sugar) Granny Smith applesauce cup
~Swirl in several spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Make sure it has the healthful bacteria, "live and active cultures." Here in Croatia, it is labeled "ProBiotik."
~A tiny bit of brown sugar (We like to use the unrefined, natural brown sugar that is available here, Billington's brand)
~A tablespoon of flaxseed meal
~A sprinkling of cinnamon (Did you know about the health benefits of cinnamon? See * below!)
~milk, for consistency you like

Blueberry
~Keep a bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer so you can add them to your breakfast cereal or your oatmeal. Toss in as many as you like to your already cooked oatmeal. Kids love the half frozen state of the blueberries as they slowly thaw out in the oatmeal.
~Swirl in several spoonfuls of plain yogurt
~A tablespoon of flaxseed meal
~brown sugar
~cinnamon
~milk

Banana

~Mash 1/2 of a banana. Stir into cooked oatmeal.
~Add the yogurt, brown sugar, flaxseed, and cinnamon.
~milk

* Cinnamon makes insulin work more efficiently to stabilize blood sugar levels, reduces cholesterol levels and other artery clogging fats in the blood. I now keep our cinnamon on the table so we remember to use it more frequently.

Now it's your turn. What do you put in your oatmeal?!

Sail On!

Columbus
By Joaquin Miller


BEHIND him lay the gray Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: “Now must we pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?”
“Why, say, ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”

“My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly wan and weak.”
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
“What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”
“Why, you shall say at break of day,
‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’”

They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
“Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dread seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say”—
He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”

They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
“This mad sea shows his teeth to-night.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone?”
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
“Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”

Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck,
And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck—
A light! A light! A light! A light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”

Yesterday, my husband read this aloud to me from the two-in-one volume Streams in the Desert/Springs in the Valley. I love this poem! Especially this motivating line... "Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! and on!"

Today, my husband woke up sick with a fever and body aches. Might be the flu. The boys were sick over the weekend, but are much better today. So we shall nurse the sick ones back to good health, nourishing them with good food and drink, comfy soft beds, and prayers of healing to surround them and protect them. I am glad Clara is still a nursling and getting antibodies that will hopefully protect her from this illness.

Hope everyone is well at your house!

Inspiration for the day...

"With every breath you take,
breathe in the sweetness of everyday life;
the laughter of your children,
the pitter-patter of their feet,
the melody of their voices,
the sound of your husband's voice,
the strength of his arms,
the smell of clean clothes,
a clean house,
cooking,
the stillness of the night,
the warmth of each day."
-Candy Summers

I do not ask that Thou shouldst give me some high or noble task.
Give me a little hand to hold mine.
Give me a little child to point Thy way, over the strange,
sweet path that leads to You.
Give me a little voice to teach to pray.
Give me two shining eyes Thy face to see.
The only crown I ask to wear is this, that I may teach a little child.
I do not ask that I may stand among the wise,
the worthy, or the great;
I only ask that softly, hand-in-hand,
a child and I may enter at the gate.
-Anonymous