Oatmeal: Chocolate

C is for chocolate.
Oatmeal + Chocolate = Happy Morning.
Sometimes, when I make my morning oatmeal, I add a teaspoon of coco powder. If there are squares of unsweetened chocolate or chocolate chips hidden in the pantry, they go in too. No need to discuss the benefits of chocolate and no need to discuss the history: chocolate is good. Period.

C is for cashew butter.
Cashew butter is expensive. I put it in my oatmeal the one time I had some in the house. It was melty and mixed-in well, making a my oatmeal filling, savory, and buttery on my tongue.

C is for coffee.
I have never added brewed or instant coffee to my oatmeal. Now that Starbucks has Via flavors, I might have to try adding instant coffee into my morning oatmeal.

C is for Cinnamon.
Oatmeal with Cinnamon (and sugar) is like BP&J, a classic.

C is for Cinnamon and (ground) clove.
Just a touch of ground clove makes oatmeal and cinnamon into Christmas.

C is for Carob.
Something else I've yet to try, only because I would have to make an effort to get carob chips at Whole Foods.

C is for (grated) carrots.
Another ingredient I've not attempted to mix into my oatmeal. Add carrot, a few raisins, some cinnamon and maybe a dollop of cream cheese (c is for cream cheese!) and I would have carrot cake for breakfast.

C is for cranberries.
Dried or fresh cranberries with sweetener make morning colorful.

C is for cherries.
Dried or fresh. Pitted if fresh.

C is for coffee creamer.
Many, many years ago I lived alone and never bought milk because I never could finish a half gallon. So I got liquid vanilla or hazelnut flavored coffee creamer for my coffee. One day, I added a touch to my oatmeal. It was creamy, delicious, and took no effort. Then discovered soy milk lasts longer than regular milk and comes in flavors too. So I gave up my coffee creamer, which was probably for the best as coffee creamer is one of those food products with a long list of unpronounceable ingredients Michael Pollen says people should avoid ingesting.

C is for coconut.
Tomorrow, I may have to add coconut to my chocolate oatmeal, just to try.

Oatmeal: Banana

B is for Bananas and Blueberries. Sometimes, B is for blackberries, but only when I have a bag of frozen blackberries and it is "eat from the freezer" week.

B is for blueberries.
Dried, fresh, or frozen. If frozen, defrosted slightly to make purple water and therefore purple oatmeal.

B is for banana.
Take a frozen banana, break it in half. Defrost in bowl for 2 minutes. Add a half cup of quick oats, a dash of salt, and a cup of water. Heat 3 minutes on high. Mix well. Enjoy.

B is for Brazil Nuts.
Add two Brazil nuts to oatmeal for a day's worth of selenium.

B is for brown sugar.

Oatmeal: Apple

In my mind, oatmeal is like ice cream. Good on its own, better with mix-ins, best with mix-ins AND toppings.

Being wholesome, mushy, and somewhat time consuming to prepare, oatmeal has a bad reputation. I fell in love with it more than six years ago when I trained for a marathon and found a bowl of oatmeal and a banana to be the best combination of foods for me before a long run. I started looking forward to getting up so I could make my breakfast and add new foods, spices, and milk to my oatmeal. My mix-ins and toppings.

Before I start my list, I should say I like all kinds of oatmeal (rolled, old-fashioned, and quick) because certain mix-ins work best with certain base oatmeal types. I use water, not milk, and I always add a pinch of salt.

Here is my list, in alphabetical order, of what I like in my oatmeal.

A is for Apple.

Diced apple. Good.
Diced apple with cinnamon. Better.
Diced apple with cinnamon and sugar. Perfection. Like pie for breakfast.

A is for Agave Nectar.
This is controversial and expensive. Agave nectar doesn't have a strong flavor (like honey) and lightly sweetens up a bowl of oatmeal. I don't use it everyday, due to the expense. However, it's quick, simple, and I like it.

A is for Apple Butter.
Nutritionally empty(as are apples, according to my husband). Faster than dicing an apple.

A is for Apricots.
Dried apricots. Honestly, I've never had fresh apricots.

A is for Almonds.
A is for Almond Butter.
Chopped almonds in oatmeal are good but the almond butter melts and makes it especially delicious. Some people like crunch, I like melted streaks of nut butter.

A is not for Almond Extract.
Adding almond extract to oatmeal is a bad move. Just avoid.