have some oatmeal

and start your day braced for the aforementioned nasty elemental forces. You have time for breakfast, really, you do. It helps bucking up for the day to be much easier. After years of avoiding the oats cuz instant is like cardboard porridge and not so good for you with the artificial 'flavorings' included. Tom has decided to be good to his heart and circulatory system with this yummy meal. It takes even less time than eggs 'n' toast. My hippie 'whole-y-er than thou' self suggests to use organic ingredients if possible, to look after our planet's health in the process. And they taste better too - you get what you pay for in both ways.

Tom's Oatmeal with Nuts and Fruit

I like these:















..any whole grain raw oats would be fine.
Measure out the oats, 1/2 to 3/4 cup is plenty, then pour into the bowl you will use to eat them.
Measure out double that volume of water, bring to a boil in a medium size pan.
While the water is coming to a boil, gather the following:
5 or 6 walnut halves
1/4 cup raisins
small ripe banana
honey
1/4 cup milk
Getting out the milk early and letting it equalize to room temp is also recommended.
Add oats to boiling water, lower heat to keep it boiling but not boiling over.
Stir occasionally while you separate raisins, break walnut pieces into quarters or kernels and slice up the banana.
When the the water has boiled away and the oats are fluffy (usually 10-12 minutes), cover the pan and remove from the burner to let sit for a minute.
Finally, scoop oats into your bowl, add nuts/fruit/milk and drizzle some honey:














































Enjoy with your bevvie of choice. Been trying to switch over to breakfast tea. Stash's English Breakfast or Earl Grey. Still, it's hard to resist that morning coffee since Madison has an abundance of great roasts. Here's one:






















A fitting way to close this post might be to quote my old pal Dmitri:
"Never regret the extra expense and trouble of having high quality food."
Over the years I have found this to be very good advice.

listen:
Ornette Coleman - To Whom Who Keeps a Record, The Shape of Jazz to Come
T-bone Burnette
David Bowie - Outside

read:
Andy Summers - One Train Later

view:
Terry Gilliam's latest, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassis (!)
Spalding Gray - Gray's Anatomy
Coen Bros' Oh Brother Where Art Thou