This oatmeal tastes good? Yes folks, it can be done.

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Unfortunately for all you grillers out there, this will not be a holiday to remember. I know, that's the point of Memorial Day- to drink beer and grill lots and lots of meat, right?? But guess what. It's rainy and foggy and colddddd here. So grillers, all the best luck to you today- I hope you at least get to use your stove-top griddle. Ah well, c'est la vie.

With that said, it's almost noon and due to the weather it's been a slow start to my day. John and I are finally just about to make breakfast. On account of our weekend spent eating too many rich and salty foods, we've decided to surrender to a bland and tasteless bowl of oatmeal. Yup, you heard me.

Oatmeal. Tastes like cardboard if you don't prepare it right. Lots of fiber. Mom always told me to eat it. But somehow, it's never been that appealing. Don't get me wrong, I've gone through "health phases" where I wake up every morning and force myself to eat the mushy monster. But, as of lately, I want nothing to do with oatmeal. So, friends- I am about to do the impossible. I am going to attempt to make my oatmeal actually taste good. Here goes.

I guess I have to add, that the following recipe is not to be taken as health food. In my humble opinion what makes this oatmeal actually worth finishing (and pretty darn delicious for mush), is the fact that I coax it into submission with a bit of butter and cream. Come on, you should know me by now. This recipe makes two hearty servings of oatmeal. Eat up kids.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Organic Scottish Oatmeal (I'm weird about texture, so I prefer the porridge-like consistency of scottish oats versus the regular modern rolled oats. Plus, I think the Scottish version tricks me into thinking I'm eating something special and not any old bowl of oatmeal)
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries or any other fruit you prefer (I think any berry works nicely)
• 1 tablespoon or so of honey, depending on how sweet you like it
• 2 tablespoons cream
• sprinkle or so of cinnamon

Say hi to Sammy, my labrador retriever. He likes this recipe because while I'm chopping the strawberries, he tends to get all their tops. And strawberries are one of his favorite things!

Directions:

1. Bring water and salt to boil. Add 1 cup oatmeal, turn heat down and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
   
2. Remove from heat. Equally divide oatmeal into two separate bowls.
3. For each bowl, add one tablespoon butter, one tablespoon cream, and honey to taste. Mix well.
4. Top each bowl with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and sprinkle each with cinnamon.