Is it Supposed to be Chewy?

Good Morning!  Yes, I'm one of *those* people.  The ones who are unusually happy and greet everyone with a "good morning".  I use to teach with a lady that would look at me and say, "It's just morning.  There isn't anything good about it cause we're at school."  I'd just smile in response. Because, really?  What is there to say to that?

So, I said I was going to try oatmeal this morning.  And I have.  And the jury is still out on whether or not I like it.  I know, you're wondering why I'd try oatmeal if I don't like it.  Or better yet, you're wondering how I've never tried oatmeal before.  Well, let me explain...

I'm a Southerner.  Born in southeast Texas, raised in coastal Louisiana, currently shacking up in Alabama. I joke and say you couldn't get much more southern than me since I'm from below I-10 (if you don't understand that, look at the map up there). In fact, I've never lived north of  I-10 until we moved here to Alabama.

So, as a true Southerner, I eat grits.  I like grits.  I like them plain with butter.  I like them with bacon. I like them for dinner with shrimp and sausage.  I don't know if Momma never fed me oatmeal, or if I tried it when I was small and didn't like it, or what.  But I know, as an adult, I don't eat oatmeal.

As an adult, though, I DO like oatmeal cookies.  Oatmeal cookies with raisins are even better.  I actively search for Grandma's brand oatmeal raisin cookies when I go places (they're a little hard to find).  Mallory makes oatmeal cookies for us occasionally.  I figured if I liked oatmeal cookies, I might like oatmeal for breakfast.

I poured over Pinterest looking for oatmeal recipes.  I found some that looked really yummy...blueberry cheesecake oatmeal, healthy cookie dough oatmeal, bananas foster oatmeal.  I even found a pin that was titled "52 ways to make oatmeal".  FIFTY-TWO? I was in over my head.

So, I opted for simple...brown sugar and cinnamon with bananas slices.  I read a couple of recipes for similar types of oatmeal and figured I could handle this for my first foray into oatmeal.  It was easy peasy to make.  I boiled my milk, added the cinnamon and brown sugar to it.  Added the oatmeal and let it cook for five minutes because I got the old fashioned oats, not the quick cook stuff.  As I write that I am reminded of the movie My Cousin Vinnie starring Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, and Joe Pesci and how he talked about how no true southerner would use quick cook grits. HAHAHA  Anyway, I digress.  I pulled the oats off the stove and sliced my banana and VOILA!!!

You know how I said I figured I would like it cause I like oatmeal cookies.  I am just not too sure of that.  I had to text Lauren and ask if they're supposed to be chewy.  Mine were.  She assured me that they were.  Then she laughed.

I'll have to try oatmeal again before I make a firm decision.

So, until next time....