Nurturing my inner... bowl of lower cholesterol

If I asked you about oatmeal, what would be your initial reaction?  A mushy/bland or sugar-saturated glop the consistency of tile grout?  That's because you've eaten instant, overly-sweetened, preprocessed junk.  Time for you to explore other options.

Oatmeal with Cranberries, Pecans and Brown Sugar

1/4 cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp chopped and toasted pecans (Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
drizzle of light agave nectar

Oatmeal, not the kind in the package that you make in the microwave, is actually good for you.  They have done studies that show that eating oatmeal for breakfast can help lower your cholesterol and improve brain function.  Tastes good and does that too?  Well, sign me up!

The oats I purchased might not be what you're used to seeing.  You're probably more familiar, like I had been, with rolled oats.  But steel cut is where it's at.  (Please ignore that I ended my sentence with a preposition.  Apparently eating oatmeal doesn't improve your grammar skills.)

Comes in a canister, in raw form. Shake
it. It even sounds hearty.

Steel cut oats look different than rolled oats.  I don't want you to be shocked when you look at these and think, "What the hay!"

Those don't look like oats. Are you trying
to pull one over on me!

At least you were warned.  Steel cut oats look more like broken pieces of grain instead of flat discs.  Don't be afraid.

Into a pan of boiling water go the oats.  Cover and turn down to a simmer.  If you find that the water is evaporating too quickly, turn the heat down even more and add a little extra water if it disappeared too much.  (There really is no shame in having to adjust as you go.  Hey, you're in there cooking!  That's what counts.)  Cook for about seven to nine minutes or until oats are tender.

Give a little stir and cover.

Raisins were an option, but I really was in the mood for some tart cranberries instead.  I used dried ones, so, a lot like raisins when you think about it.

Sweet AND tart. You get a little of both worlds.

I threw these beauties into the pot with the oatmeal when there was just a few minutes left.  That way they could soak in a bit of hot water, plump up and soften.

You don't have to do this step, I just like to.

When the oatmeal is fully done, add the brown sugar and a pinch of salt.  Sounds odd, sure, but salt really brings out the flavor in sweet as well as savory dishes.  Stir.  (Wow, I am barking out the orders now.)

Brown sugar is a carmely, mellow sweetner.
Not harsh like white sugar.

Uh, needs crunch.  Sliced almonds, walnuts, any nut is fine.  I like pecans and lucky for me, I had some in the pantry.

Nutty flavor balances out the sweet.

When the oatmeal had all the flavors I wanted incorporated, I grabbed a bowl and filled it up.  Then I tasted it and still felt it needed to be just a tad more sweet.  I was not about to add regular sugar though.  Back to the pantry I went and searched around for what else was in there.  Oh, agave!  Lightly sweet.  Just what I needed.

A light, less sweet substitute for maple syrup.
Great on pancakes and waffles too.

A little drizzle on top, then stir in your bowl.  Yep, that should do it.

Agave comes in other colors and flavors.
I'm sure you will find at least one you like.

Hearty, wholesome, satisfying and perfectly sweetened to your personal preference.  While still being good for you.

Not your bland cafeteria oatmeal.

Less than eight minutes may not be considered "instant," but it is super fast and so much better for you than the quicker stuff.  Besides, easy things aren't always best.  Thank goodness that doesn't have to translate to difficult either.