Breakfast of Champions

Ok so I am not sure oatmeal falls into the list of "champion" breakfast choices....actually I am not sure what champions do eat for breakfast! No doubt some do eat oatmeal. But the question is: What type?? More on that later......

I do know however, that this gal loves oatmeal, especially when the weather starts turning to the frigid temperatures. My favorite oatmeal, steel cut oats, unfortunately takes way too long to prepare-you can soak it over night, cutting down the cooking time, but the last thing I want to do at night is have to think about what I am going to have in the morning! Sometimes I don't know what I want to eat until minutes before or when the mood strikes. The "instant" varieties just taste like mush to me so I stay far away from those. It's all about the texture, crunchy and nutty appeal that I am after, if you will.




One of my all time faves has been McCanns Irish Oatmeal, the steel cut variety in the white can. It has the nutty and crunchy texture that makes it so appealing to me and when time allows, I do grab this from my pantry. And it's high in dietary fiber and low on fat so it is a clear winner in the "good for you" category. If you look on the can above you will see it got an award in 1893 for "uniformity of granulation" at the Chicago Exhibition. (AKA-the Chicago World's Fair. FYI~ read "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson for a very intriguing look at that fair as well as history of Chicago's Architecture) Cool! I didn't even know that this oatmeal was so interesting in and of itself!

Oatmeal is not just an Irish thing either. Oh no! Did you know that the Scots have something called a "spurtle" for stirring the oatmeal? Apparently it came from a need to "break up the oats".....

"The spurtle, or porridge stick, was used before the advent of rolled oats. The oatmeal had to soften and become edible, so it had to be cooked for a long time. The spurtle was used to stir it frequently to prevent the formation of large lumps."

sample of the spurtle

My very healthy and smart sister turned me on to her secret for getting the good oatmeal that I love, but in a quick cooking form so that I can enjoy this practically every morning if I want to....

Enter: Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats! The package says it cooks in 8 minutes. I am convinced (I haven't actually timed it) that I get it done in 6!



This morning, while the oatmeal was bubbling away on the stove, I sauteed up some chopped apples, ( I used a beautiful Rome variety-so deep red that the flesh inside had red streaks running through it!) walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg and a squeeze of agave syrup. All I can tell you was my entire home smelled wonderful.....little did I know that the temperature outside here in Chi-town this morning was reading 67° F! Oh well I will consider it a "trial run" for the future mornings when it's below freezing....