Comfort Food: Oatmeal

Lately I have been really craving various comfort foods. Perhaps it is because of stress at home, perhaps it's because Winter is nearing an end, but for what ever reason, I can't seem to get past the need for a good carbohydrate-rich meal. One of my favorites is Oatmeal. Why? Partly because I wrote an entire tragic (in that the main characters always die pointlessly) children's series based on an Elephant named Fibre (yes, spelling is correct), and a porcupine named Oatmill (again, spelling is intentional). Also, oatmeal is a staple of many Scottish homes. I think I like it more for that reason than anything. ^_^

My friend Joseph, recently posted some recipes for instant oatmeal on his blog, and challenged me personally to come up with a recipe with Blueberries and nuts. Always up for a challenge (though not always successful at same), I thought I would give it a go. So, this weekend I talked my wife into letting my purchase 20 ounces of dried blueberries from Costco, some pecans, and some powdered non-dairy creamer. Of course, I didn't get a chance to try the recipe I had planned over the weekend, but this morning I managed to mix up a batch. Here is the recipe that I posted in the comments to Joseph's blog posting:

Blueberry and Pecan Oatmeal:
Oats (probably about 1/2 cup)
chopped pecans (about 1 tbsp)
powdered non-dairy creamer (abt. 1 1/2 tbsp)
dried blueberries (abt. 1 1/2 tbsp)
Sweetener of choice (mine is honey)

I mixed the dry ingredients together, and then covered with hot water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, mixing occasionally. It ends up being pretty creamy, and once you add the honey (I have a great little bit of wild honey I picked up), it's all the better.

It was good, it was filling, and it was (after the purchase of the blueberries) relatively inexpensive. Of course, it doesn't beat real Porridge oats with fresh fruit and cream, but it does the job. Also, I recommend using honey instead of sugar (unless you have an allergy to it), because the taste melds well with the pecans and oats. But if you do, be sure to add the honey right before you eat. Honey breaks down quicker than sugar, and as such can suffer from over-cooking.

Maybe the next time I go shopping, I'll get some Maple extract and soak the oats/nuts in it. Maple and pecans are a great combination. ^_^