VESPA VS. HARLEY (1/08)

I love oatmeal now, which is truly astonishing. I mean, I actually find myself waking up in the mornings, thinking "Hot damn, it's oatmeal time!" As soon as my cholesterol hit 200, I tried to eat more of it, hoping it would bring the numbers down, but I never learned to enjoy it. I hated the slimy, soupy texture, and never felt like I'd really had a meal unless I added a couple of pieces of toast, to have something to chew on. I figured I was doing good if I averaged one dose per week.

So, how has it suddenly managed to steal my heart away from whole wheat waffles with peanut butter, and become my breakfast of choice? Well, I have two words for you. Steel Cut. If you have only had instant oatmeal all your life, then I must tell you that the difference between eating that and eating steel cut oats, is the difference between riding a Vespa and riding a Harley. Some would argue that they aren't even in the same family, and I can only wonder why no one bothered to explain this to me before now.

I suppose most people in this day and age, just can't get past the lure of anything instant. Yes, the steel cut oats do take 30 minutes to prepare, but it's not 30 minutes of standing at the stove, stirring. It's 30 minutes of more or less ignoring them, and being able to read the paper, or go get dressed, or do some yoga. How hard is that? And what is your reward for all that "effort"? A breakfast you can really sink your teeth into - literally. With this oatmeal, instead of ending up with a soupy mush that you could suck through the gaps in your teeth, you get a thick, rich concoction full of little chewy morsels. Has anyone ever made for you a luscious bowl of old-fashioned rice pudding or tapioca? If so, compare digging into that with eating a little cup of powdered vanilla pudding from a box, and you will know what I am talking about. One's a Harley, the other's a Vespa. Now if only this Harley will bring my cholesterol down, perhaps I can come out of hiding and face my doctor again, who was threatening me with drugs last time we met.