I’m sick of talking about work.
I have discovered the secret to perfect oatmeal…at least the way I make it. Back before Atkins, I became the designated oatmealler of the household. I discovered (quite by accident) the perfect recipe…at least for how I like it, which is the “real thing” (not minute) cooked in the wave of micros, and with milk, not water. I made it pretty much every day for like, months.
Then, we went back on Atkins for a change (it didn’t work, ‘cuz I just couldn’t stick to it this time. Don’t know why, but I’m mad at myself for that. . . . but I digress.) So, before Christmas, we decided to try CJ’s modified pyramid…which meant we could do oatmeal again.
And suddenly…the magic was gone! Oooo-Noooo! No matter what I did, it boiled over. Worse, the oats just were…shall we say, aldente.
I have these perfect little individual-sized, lidded pyrex bowls in which I perform this arcane ritual. I put a half-cup of oats, a bit of salt and a lot of splenda (and in my case a lot of cinnamon) then add enough milk to cover plus a tablespoon or so. Then, I put the bowls in the wave of micros for three minutes, stir, another minute, stir, another minute, stir, and a final minute. Perfect!
Except, it wasn’t. 30 seconds of cooking and it was boiling over. I thought at first maybe the oats were old, but they weren’t that old…only a few months. Then, I realized,we’d gotten whole milk. Maybe that was the problem. We’d always used 2% before. So…we got 2%. Still happened. But I thought the milk looked awfully thin for 2%…It wasn’t. It was non-fat masquerading as 2%. (It had a blue lid, which in the kind we’d gotten before meant 2%) So…we got 2% and Voila! Perfection. No boilover and the oats just sucked that stuff right in.
Ain’t chemistry fun!
This reminds me of that Seinfeld skit where he announces he’s discovered the perfect way to make oatmeal – in the face of everyone discussing microwaving, he says, just put it in a pot and boil it for [howevermany] minutes.
But your way sounds excellent. My husband makes it very often in the winter, in the microwave like you, but he uses a very large bowl to prevent the boiling over and doesn’t stir in the middle. He puts raisins in for sweetening, and he thinks they help prevent boiling over also.
Or was that cream of wheat…hmmmm…
Cream of wheat is yummy too, though I haven’t had it for years. Oatmeal is breakfast just about every day in our house…unless we’re naughty and have eggs, or really naughty and go out. Gotta be “real” oats – neither quick nor instant – cooked with water and raisins, add milk after cooking. In our antique microwave, it seems to make a difference where the bowl is placed in order to avoid boiling-over.
I think I must use “quick” oats.
I think position has a bit to do in this case as well. I’m trying to cook both our bowls at once, so they’re on the edge of the turntable rather than in the middle. When I did this before, I did the bowls one at a time and in the middle, and rarely had a boil-over problem. But the real difference for me was the silly 2% milk. That was soooooo weird…
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkkk!
Can we talk Belgian waffles, instead? Preferably made by a nice person with a white poofie hat :)
Outmeal, I can’t stand, but I used to be the master of cream of wheat. Hum, do I want to try to remember my technique?
- S
No white poofie hat, but I make a killer waffle, if I do say so myself. From scratch. Stiffened egg whites and everything! That recipe, along with an amazing recipe for banana bread were the only bright spots in my so-called “HomeEc” classes.
Problem with waffles is, what I love to put on them, which is just about anything, depending on my mood! I’ll probably gross everyone out, but my “old reliable” is peanut butter (crunchy Adams, ‘natch) with (dare I admit it?) a bit of real maple syrup on top. (I come by my waistline honestly…sigh)
I’m a longtime oatmealer.With the real (non-instant) thing, I try to remember to set up the night before and pour the heated liquid over the oatmeal so that it sits overnight. It is basically tender the next morning and just needs a brief heating in the microwave.
With the scottish style oats I often add up to half the measure of oatbran which adds creaminess. Also Trader Jo’s dried Montmorency Cherries are a nice thing to cook in it -They have some tartness that the other types of dried cherry lack.
What the heck are Scottish style oats? Ground in a stone mill with lots of grit?
(I allowed to say that…I’m a MacPhail. 
)
Seriously, tho…I’ve just been handed oatmeal for years and generally considered it thoroughly inedible, so I’m totally ignorant. I discovered this method sort of by accident when I really wanted a change for breakfast that was good for the system.
We’re real “con-noi-surs”: Quaker Oats…the big bags from Costco!
wonder if dried blueberries would work. I bought some a while back and have not found a way to use them yet.
Dried blueberries or the blueberry “raisins?” Dunno about the first, but the second are yummy right out of the bag! But I’d think dried ones cooked right in the oatmeal sounds really good.
ReEEEEEly good. (running to put a note on the fridge.)
Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran Cereal. I cook half the serving amount in the microwave, in a minute-thirty, stopping every thirty seconds to stir and check.
Then some butter, 2 tablespoons of half and half, a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Not hungry until lunch time on that kind of breakfast.
I have a fondness for all of Bob’s Red Mill hot cereals…especially scottish oatmeal which I cook with water and add greek yogurt and dried fruit……have to restrain myself with blueberries as i will eat them like candy. I use dried fruit in cookies, breads, any old thing
Apropos of nothing, has anyone ever had a cat figure out how to open a refrigerator and how do you stop him?
Now we know how you come by your name! I don’t even want to think about it! My Efanor is a strong boy and he loves opening doors.
Sheesh…I dunno. Bungee cords?
Pepper spray/sauce on the spot he/she grabs to open it? Double sided tape? Anything to make the spot “ickie” to the touch without hurting said kitty. I’ll ask Carolyn in the morning. She’s always got good ideas for persuading kitties to behave. I think I’ve been really lucky in my cats. The worst they generally do is drive me crazy when I’m trying to work and they want attention….like right now. ARGH! Go Away, Efanor!!!! I need that arm.
How about a child lock on the fridge?
I restrict oatmeal to the days I go riding. 3 tablespoons organic oatflakes, 1 heaped tablespoon raisins; 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1 cup water: soaked overnight and cooked on lowest heat of electric hotplate – just simmers until ready, about 3-4 minutes while checking your blogs. Even if I get lost in the comments it doesn’t boil over or go hard.
Wish I could get cream of wheat here, haven’t had any since I was about 10.
Child lock on the fridge…why didn’t I think of that? Possibly because my parents just threatened my life….
Wow…that sounds like, seriously healthy! and yummy.
I think I must use…I dunno, quick oats or something, cuz I don’t have to soak them. That would take, like, organization. But they’re tasty. I’m not a huge fan of oatmeal…tried it several times in the past and never got past the first couple of bites (terrible admission for a MacPhail, no?) But just a year or so ago, I found this way of cooking it, and I’m really very fond of it. I think I could get into adding fruit and nuts to the basic recipe, tho. Mostly, it’s just got to have lots of splenda and cinnamon…with the 2% milk, of course.
I found out when I was making Noah’s Pudding that barley, cooked to soft and pureed in a food processor, is highly reminiscent of cream of wheat. You might want to give it a try.
Forgot to add the pinch of seasalt and I eat it with slivers of unsalted butter, it’s quite runny, and a drizzle of honey.
I used to be “eh” about oatmeal, and then I tried the Joy of Cooking muesli recipe. With thick rolled oats, which stay more separate and chewier than regular rolled oats. A cup of oatmeal and a cup of boiling water, allowed to stand overnight. Then add raisins, coconut, almonds, and dried apricots. Eat with milk, soy milk, yogurt, or plain, cold or heated. It’s like eating soft granola.
Oooo…that does sound yummy! Am I the only one who loads it with cinnamon?
evenus17…..love the idea of the child lock…next step if the chili powder fails.
Bob’s Red Mill is my go to company for cereals……..I mix them up with fruit, nuts etc. Hot is great for these cold mornings. Another day where it will be below 30….probably for several more days….cardinals and doves at the feeder…..the Dumpter Duo is enjoying ‘The Birdie Show’
GRITS! I say!
Instant grits zapped in water with butter and a bit of shredded sharp cheddar cheese once they’re finished.
Just as good for supper as that other grain of the field.
Spoken like a good Kentucky-girl!
I didn’t use to like grits, until a friend made me some with cream cheese and jelly mixed into them. That was divine! Although I still prefer fried cornmeal mush…. essentially crispy golden rectangles used to convey melted butter and syrup to the mouth. Alas, like many, I have resolved to lose weight, so that is definitely off the menu for a while!
I believe it was a character in a Nora Roberts book who explained to the “Yankee” hero that grits were principally a delivery system for butter and salt…
Is anyone else here a Malt-o-Meal fan? To me, cream of wheat is too bland and gluey, but malto-meal is just right. Oatmeal is also good, sweetened with cooked-in raisins.
Couple of years ago I was looking for an instant overnight fractional increase in my iron count, so that the lab tests in the morning would be sure to OK me for cataract surgery. Study of the USDA food nutrition site informed me tha three of the foods highest in iron levels were malt-o-meal, raisins, and chocolate. Well, this sounded doable! Cooked a sizeable serving with raisins in, added Ghiradelli bittersweet chips and stirred for half a second before topping with milk. YUM! Don’t know if it really helped my iron count, but it’s become a little luxury for occasional breakfasts.
Actually, I live North of the Grits Line. That’s 60 miles South of us in Elizabehtown. From there South you get a small serving of grits with every breakfast at non-chairn resturants. I didn’t like grits until I had cheese grits which is a different thing to the grits with milk and sugar my parents liked. Cheese grits are baked and can be served as a side item at any meal.
I was making a poor attempt to imitate one of my cartoon favorites. Foghorn Leghorn.
It’s interesting how so many of the breakfast grains are regional. I know I’ve never had Malt-o-Meal and have no idea what it is. As far as I’m concerned, oatmeal and grits are supper foods. (Breakfast, dinner and supper are what we ate.)