In the days when I actually had a Valentine, I remember stressing about what to buy for him. I’m not a big fan of the holiday, but I didn’t want to be a V-Day Grinch, so I did what any girl did when she wanted to give a gift where it was the thought that counted. I bought him a box of Mike and Ikes, or some other candy similar to the gummy family, and a card that read like this:
“I wanted to get you a card that said something warm and mushy inside…
(inside card, it read) OATMEAL!”
That’s about the extent of my sappiness. I go for corny. I will always for for corny over sappy. Why? Well, we could go around in circles, psycho-analyzing that statement, but in a nutshell, I will always rather laugh than be serious.
Looking back on this, at the heart of it (get it? haha, oh I kill myself!) perhaps I was looking for a way to vow my love for oatmeal, rather than my Valentine.
I really do love oatmeal. Rain or shine, paycheck week or not, those oats will always be there for me. You can dress them up, dress them down, and they will never let me down.
Most times, I will make them sweet, rather than savory, though there was this one time when my pantry was completely bare, and I made them savory with some mixed spinach, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Not bad, though it could have used some contrast in texture.
This is where the oatmeal recipe from Mark Bittman comes into play. The New York Times food columnist writes in his new book, Food Matters, about how individuals can lessen their dependence on industrial farming and its environmental impact by cutting down on the amount of animal products they consume. He suggests eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat. One way, is to eat more oatmeal, and in this recipe, he suggests serving oatmeal with scallions and soy sauce.
from seriouseats.com
From the Seriouseats.com post:
“Holy cats, savory oatmeal?! He can’t just casually combine those two words and not expect an onslaught of gasps and hyperventilating.”
The thought of gasps and hyperventilating made me laugh out loud, because that’s exactly what happened when I told my roommate that I made oatmeal for dinner. And I only told her because she asked.
As a self-proclaimed oatmeal expert, I will try this dish, and report back.
Confessions Of A Splenda Stealer 
Oh boy do I love oatmeal. It is the ultimate accessory to any splenda stealer such as ourselves. Allegedly my office has been providing me with lots of free breakfasts this week (oh wah wah poor KC) and I have begun to feel lonesome for my oatmeal.
A box of Mike & Ikes? Why not just walk up with a disarming ‘lil head tilt, sweet smile, kick him in the junk and be done with it. Chix. On the V-day kick, in 1898, a single rose went for $3.75 at NY florists…adjusted for inflation, that’s about $93!
[…] I blogged once before about my appreciation of Bittman’s quest to inspire people to use oatmeal for […]