I Now Know Why Goldilocks Liked Porridge: The Tale of How I Became an Oatmeal Convert

I'm a southern girl, through and through.  And being a southern girl had certain implications, such as growing up drinking sweet tea in the summer time, eating fish caught straight from the lake and fried and eaten under a shade tree and, of course, eating hot,  buttered grits for breakfast.  And, I must say that I have very fond memories of eating those buttered grits for breakfast; alone in a bowl or cut up with a runny egg and home made biscuits.  There's just nothing like that hot breakfast cereal to get you going in the morning.  However, when I started this new healthy life style diet I am on, I realized that grits were no longer going to be in the picture often and my only other option for a hot breakfast  cereal would be oatmeal...or porridge, as I like to refer to it.  Seriously, I did NOT see what Goldilocks (or those 3 bears...) saw in the stuff.

I think, as kids, we either grew up eating grits or oatmeal, never both.  So, when it came time for me to join the ranks of oatmeal eaters, I pondered how I could even enjoy such a thing.  Then, I asked my hubby (who is a wonderful cook and can make ANYTHING taste good...) to find a way to make oatmeal tasty so I would eat more of it; and he did JUST THAT!

Here's the way he originally prepared my oatmeal for me:

* Prepare 1 cup boiling water in a small pot
* Add 1/2 cup oats (NOT instant) to the boiling water and a pinch of salt.  Stir for about 6 mins.
* Remove from heat and place a lid on top of the pot to steep.
* While the oatmeal is boiling, take a small skillet and add about 1/2 cup water.  Peel and slice an
    apple and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down a little and continue to stir apples until they soften a
    bit. 
* When the water is almost evaporated, add some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and a little bit of
   Splenda Brown Sugar.  Stir this together and pour into the oatmeal mixture.
* Pour entire apple, oatmeal mixture into a bowl and top with a handful of walnuts.

Now, THAT bowl of oatmeal was SO DELICIOUS that I found myself wanting to eat it every day!  And then, I decided to try my oatmeal with another fruit to see how it would taste too...

                                               Prepare the actual oatmeal the same as before...

Next, I decided to try using bananas.  I start with a little I Can't Believe It's Not Butter melting in the skillet and then slice up one banana and stir it around a little. Next, I add some Splenda Brown Sugar and a handful of walnuts and stir for about a minute, with the heat reduced.  As soon as I remove this mixture from the burner, it is ready to add to the oatmeal that is steeping in the pot.

Place in in a bowl and ...VOILA!  NOW, I know why Goldilocks and those bears liked porridge so much!  This is not only a deliciously warm breakfast choice, but also a healthy one.

When I decided to become an "Oatmeal Convert", I did so for health reasons.  All of the older people (not that I'm getting older, mind you!) ate oatmeal for breakfast every morning and they all appeared to be in such good health.  I googled the benefits of oatmeal and here are some of the things I found:

*  Oatmeal is full of soluble fiber and can lower your cholesterol.
*  Eating oatmeal can reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
*  It stabilizes blood sugar.
*  Oatmeal has antioxidants and boosts the immune system.
*  Eating oatmeal can prevent weight gain.

I really couldn't find any reason why I shouldn't be eating oatmeal.  HEY!  If it was good enough for Goldilocks and those 3 bears, then it is  definitely good enough for me!