SUZI: Soaked Oatmeal

I’m a fan of oatmeal, and my favorite way to eat it in the mornings is to soak it the night before.  It really makes it so much better.  Here’s my favorite soaked oatmeal recipe in case you’d like to try it.

2 cups rolled oats
3 cups water
½ cup plain yogurt

Mix together in a pot and let sit on counter overnight.

In the morning, put it on the stove on low and add:

½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raisins (I don’t actually add the raisins because while I like raisins, I don’t like the in my oatmeal.)

Bring to a simmer and cook until the consistency is how you like it – anywhere from 10-20 minutes.  Serve with a pat of butter and a bit of milk.

I found this recipe on a website that I can’t find again so I think it may not be up anymore.  It was written by a lady whose family sold all of their possessions, left their suburban life and moved into a tipi on a homestead in the middle of absolutely nowhere.  She was 13 at the time.  They lived in the tipi until they built their own log cabin (with no amenities).  That’s where she lived until she went to college.  While it was fascinating to read about, I also found myself growing more nervous and anxious the more I read.  I have this unfortunate quality where my brain automatically tries to imagine how I would handle a situation if I were in it.  Scott and I do this a lot – I think it is our process-oriented nature.  I realized as I was reading I was trying to figure out how I would survive in a tipi not knowing anything about growing my own food or building a log cabin while raising three children and being completely separated from civilization.  I actually had to quit reading because I was getting a headache thinking about it.  While I like camping and I’m fine with not having any amenities for a few days, I certainly wouldn’t want to live like that.  

For years.  With children.

While that’s fine for them, I say turn on the lights and give me a fridge.  

And a gas stove to cook my soaked oatmeal on.