Loyal readers of the oat blog of record know I don’t shy away from a dollop of yogurt atop my morning oatmeal. I’ve tried the blogger-fueled obsession with yoats, or yogurt covered oats. They didn’t do it for me. 

Tossing my fruit in yogurt, though, is primary genius, oatizens. I coated tiny pieces of kiwi, strawberries, bananas, blueberries with the tangy nectar of the cow gods, and bliss ensued. 

His…

and hers.

‘

All mine! 

Things this post taught me:

1. My ban on crisps, which I feared you would tire of, is officially lifted.

2. I need a white farm table, adorable bowls, and milk containers. 

Gluten-Free Plum, Oat and Rosemary Crisp

3 lbs sliced plums
2/3 cups palm sugar or cane sugar
3 Tbs plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs finely chopped rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup melted butter

Toss together the sliced plums, cornstarch, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla bean and salt. Transfer to a 10” round baking dish.

In a bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, sugar, sea salt, rosemary and lemon zest. Add the melted butter and fold with a spatula until all the dry ingredients are moist with the butter. Crumble it on top of the fruit.

Bake at 350F until golden and filling starts to bubble. About 45 minutes. If the topping starts to get too dark, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper.

via Cannelle et Vanille

Again? Yes. 

Mangoes are in season, meaning that they are ripe, sweet, and cheap. Pick some up, post-haste! 

Loyal readers of Oatally Awesome will remember these fine folks, Mary and Eric, of Portland, Oregon. While both of these extremely good looking people eagerly follow the oat blog of record, only Eric enjoys oatmeal everyday at work — Mary had never eaten a steamy, tasty bowl of oatness!

My mission was clear. I would make a simple, slightly spiced bowl of oatmeal, lay out various toppings, and cross my fingers. I offered up blackberries, bananas, and plain yogurt.  

Mission accomplished! Mary loved the oatmeal, and while she’s fairly loyal to granola, I think she will incorporate bowls of the good stuff in her morning routine. 

First convert: Mary. Next convert: the world! Muahhhhhh!

Oatventures in Scarcity: When nary a fresh ingredient can be found and breakfast appears in peril, we make do, my loves — we make do and emerge triumphant!

The fruit bowl was worse than bare, containing a lone, crinkled up leaf, a reminder of a era long gone, one filled with time to market. The refrigerator was worse, with relics of the past standing alone, looking war torn. The cupboards were a bit better, but full of decidedly un-breakfasty items. The freezer was my last hope, and there it was: a bag of Treader Joe’s frozen raspberries,  propped upright against a wall.

The verdict: Delicious. Although you can see the raspberries turned to mush, I actually appreciated the even distribution of fruit. The raspberries were actually sweet, but not too sweet. Definitely something I’d buy again.

I asked the publisher, Rosie, for a comment, but she was too distraught over her summer haircut. It turns out her hair was the equivalent of wearing platforms — her stature and heft has diminished! 

Before:

After:

Raspberry Oatmeal

1 cup of water
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of frozen TJ’s raspberries
1 pinch of cinnamon
1/3 cup of yogurt

Bring water to a boil and add oats, cinnamon, and a minute later toss in the raspberries. Pour cooked oatmeal into a bowl and top with yogurt. Enjoy!

Comments? Click on the header and 

Seriously, not just when you’re at Bonarroo. From my time in Munich, I know that beer is acceptable at all hours of the day, and can be bigger than my head.

So why not drink oatmeal beer for breakfast, along with your morning oatmeal and coffee? I know Mary is in without even asking. Hydration is important, you know.

Got something to say? Click on the header and say it!

Alright, I admittedly got carried away with that header. It is unlikely that jaws will drop when I reveal that I’m a fan of oatmeal and the New York Times. Consequently, when the latter ran an entire article on former in late January, I was intrigued. The marriage of oats and blueberries is nothing new, but their recipe included steps I don’t usually take. The recipe instructed that I add cinnamon, honey, and salt at the same time as the oatmeal. I usually abstain from using salt, and I don’t add the other additions until a moment before serving. I learned that seasoning trick from Ina Garten, and the women knows her business.

They also suggested stewing the blueberries in the oatmeal, and, as you can see, they popped and colored the whole thing a lively purple.

Rosie, Oatally Awesome’s Publisher, didn’t say anything, but the purple hue clearly gave her paws. I assured her it was very good.

Here’s the thing: I rarely have fresh blueberries in the winter. My lofty aspiration of buying seasonal ingredients, coupled with the high price of berries during winter, usually precludes me from enjoying fresh blueberries in March. My dear Mr. Lee, however, the owner of my favorite fruit and vegetable store on Atlantic, priced them irresistably low. I was loathe to stew them when I had dried and frozen blueberries on hand. Indeed, I regretted it.

I had half a box of the blueberries leftover, so I tried the recipe again. I omitted the salt, and added the blueberries, spice,orange zest, and honey only minute before serving, and I much preferred it.

The leap from very good to fantastic is small, but meaningful, when we take on the most serious issue of morning oatmeal.

Blueberry Oatmeal

1 cup of water
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
Dash of cinnamon
1 teaspoons mild honey (I’m still using my blueberry honey from Vermont)
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1/3 cup blueberries
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest

Bring 3/4 a cup of water to a boil. Follow the NYT recipe and add the ingredients, save the blueberries, now. Reduce to a simmer. When the oats have absorbed the majority of the liquid, add the blueberries and remaining water. If you’re following my recipe, add the remaining ingredients.

Serves one person. That would be me.

Post Script: Hey, NYT - because you’re clearly reading this - Rosie would like Sam Sifton to drop her a line. She thinks his writing is coming along swimmingly, and that he might, one day, be able to write for Oatally Awesome. Contact info below.

Comments? Make them! I want to hear your voice. I bet its nice.

Recipe suggestions? Questions? Email me oatallyawesome@gmail.com.

Twitter. Yes, we’re on it.

Man, I love figs. I love them fresh or dried, raw or baked. This was a really good breakfast, and it felt sophisticated and complex enough to transition into lunch or dinner. In the future, when I’m feeling feisty enough, I’ll replace the yogurt with ricotta and bake the whole thing in the oven.

Fig and Honey Oatmeal

1/2 cup of oats

1 cup of water

3 dried figs, quartered

1/4 cup of yogurt

honey (I’m still all about my blueberry honey from Vermont)

Boil water, add oats and simmer for abut 5 minutes. Quarter figs. Pour oatmeal into a bowl, top with figs and yogurt. Drizzle honey on top. Enjoy!

Yields 1 serving. Just for me. All mine.

Comments! You want to make them. And why not? You’ve got things to say! Good, smart things that I want to hear.  Click on the heading and let me know what you think.

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Oatmeal is a warm and delicious breakfast option. We know this. What you may not know, however, is how beneficial a steaming bowl of oats can be for your sweet bod.

In just one easy meal, you’ll receive omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. Oatmeal is also fiber-rich, lowers cholesterol levels, and keeps arteries pristine.

Bert hearts oatmeal and likes to rock out with Quaker Oats Boxes. (And Ernie.)