Oatmeal and Beauty for Dummies

Woowoo!! Tomorrow is Fridaaaay!!! I contemplated going home this weekend, but the weather is going to be nasty and I don?t want to take the bus. So next weekend it is. I have personal training material to study anyways!

Also loved reading your comments on my Single Lady post. Such a wide variety of people who are with their high school sweethearts, single and ready to settle down, married for decades, engaged, or in a brand new relationship. I definitely forgot to mention that a person?s happiness in or out of a relationship depends on the people in their lives. Duh. It takes two to tango!

So I fiiiinally get to answer another Q&A today. I?ve been waiting until I made oatmeal!

Susan –
I actually do have a question for you … do you think that at some point you could do an oatmeal for dummies post?  I see your oatmeal combinations and think they all look just stellar, but I don’t know the first thing about buying oats or cooking them.  I’m also really intrigued by these custard oats that you keep making, but since I don’t know about making regular oatmeal, I really don’t know when I’d mix the egg in!
Thanks – hope you’re doing well!
Amy

Thanks for the wonderful idea Amy!! Oatmeal does not actually have to be all that intimidating. First off, oats are just another grain, much like wheat, barley or buckwheat. Oatmeal is just the oat grain ground up for easier cooking and consumption.

The different kind of oatmeals you see on the shelves are all just different kinds of cuts. Steel cut for example is the least processed of the bunch. They?re the whole grain ?groat? just cut up into a few pieces. Rolled oats are the groats rolled out into a ?flake.? Instant oatmeal is the same kind, just smaller and thinner so it cooks quickly. Oat bran is the outer layer of the grain, known mostly for its fibre content. The nutrition info varies slightly with cut, but overall is generally the same. Especially when you compare the volume after cooking.

Since today was a well-deserved rest day from the gym, I had time to make stove-top oats before work. I obviously opted for my new favourite combination ? custard oats.

First, I put a small pot on the stove and set the burner on slightly below high.

Yes, my oven is old. It?s got character ;)

I added 1/2 cup rolled oats to the pot. 

Then dumped in 1 1/2 cups water.

Once the water is in, I add one whole egg.

And whisk!

I keep an eye on it, whisking frequently, as within a couple minutes it starts to show signs of bubbling. 

Then I immediately turn the heat down to medium/low.

 
Keep whisking!!!

You don?t want little clumps of egg whites popping up, so keep stirring, and keep the heat low so it doesn?t cook too quickly. The slow simmer is also necessary for optimal creaminess ;)

This is usually when I make my coffee or pack my lunch, or this morning I emptied my garbages :)   (Garbages is apparently not a word??)

After about 15 minutes, my oatmeal is looking good, but is missing a key ingredient ? cinnamon!

And depending on my toppings, I?ll add a little sweetener to the mix. Sometimes it?s brown sugar, maple syrup or molasses. Today?s was stevia.

 
You may have noticed I also traded my whisk in for a spatula. Or rubber scraper. What the heck are these things called?

It keeps it from sticking to the sides. Once the oatmeal starts to thicken, I start stirring with this puppy.

And just when it seems like it can?t get any thicker, I take the oatmeal off the heat and stir in a couple pours of unsweetened vanilla almond breeze.

Oatmeal will continue to absorb liquids even after you remove it from the heat. I find stirring a little extra liquid in after cooking ups the creaminess ;)

Then pour the mixture into a bowl and top with whatever you?re in the mood for!

 
Today I was in the mood for sliced banana, peanut butter and even more cinnamon (cause you can never have enough cinnamon).

If you can cook rice, you can cook oatmeal. You don?t have to do the slow-simmer method like I do. On the mornings I?m a little more rushed, I opt for oat bran which is a finer cut. Takes about 5 minutes for it to cook up on the stove!

In other news, I joined the world of the professionally groomed today.

New hair straightener!!! A Chi kind. I think it?s one inch? And the plates wobble. And it gets HOT. Everywhere I went told me it was a good one.

That?s my polka-dot ironing board by the way. I don?t have a working outlet in my bathroom, so I have to groom in the hallway.

I washed then blow-dried my hair. Here?s what the rats nest looks like brushed after blow-drying.

I think you may now see the problem here :P

I sprayed in some TRESemme no frizz mist before straightening. Not exactly the proper protector, but will do for now.

After straightening, I put in my essential product ? serum. In this case, John Frieda Frizz-Ease.

The ?after?:

Hmmm?it was alright. My hair was still a little damp in places, and I didn?t have time to pin it up while ironing. So I didn?t quite get all the kinks out. Plus, my straight bangs were pissing me off, so further styling was required?

I tried to get a shot of the back for you guys?

 
And tried again?

Success!!

Definitely think I need to work on my technique. But hey, baby steps! My co-worker almost died the other day when I told her I only recently bought my first bottle of nail polish. Make-up is the only girly thing I ever got into, and that was because thick black eye-liner was a must as a teenage punk rocker :P

I didn?t think about supper at all while at work today (rare!) and didn?t feel like cooking when I came home. Thus, I had the classy meal of a peanut butter sandwich.

PB+Protein to be exact, with one side of the bread spread with my protein powder/water goo. A gorgeous red delicious on the side, because apples and peanut butter sandwiches are made to be together.

Well that?s all folks! A pantry tour is coming soon, as well as my usual monthly wrap-up. Looking forward to writing posts over the next few days! Hope you all have a fabulous Friday and start to your weekend!! xoxo

Questions of the Day:

1. What?s your favourite cut of oatmeal? I?ll always be an old-fashioned rolled oats gal. I love the chewy creaminess of it :)

2. Beauty product you can?t live without? Mine?s concealer, mascara and that hair serum. I?ve even admitted to leaving my mascara on at night so it?s still on when I go to the gym in the morning!! :P