After 10 long laptop-less weeks, I am relaxed and reinvigorated. A little time AFK has given me time to read and think and I am super stoked to share my new passion for "me-time" activities like hand quilting and hula hooping!

This past New Year's Eve, my bestie got engaged and I could not be more excited for her! Even better, she asked me to be her maid of honor. She wasted no time in setting a date, and before you know it the big day is now six months away. I've been doing my best to help out with planning (even if 'helping' means letting her vent over cocktails) and things are going well, but there is one undeniable fact looming on the horizon. In six months, whether I am ready or not, I will be responsible for making myself as presentable as possible for more photos than I would care to think about. This sudden need to try on formalwear has gotten both of us on a serious health kick.

For me breakfast is the hardest meal of the day. My ideal breakfast? A triple venti caramel macchiato with whole milk, and maybe a toasted buttered croissant or two if I'm feeling peckish. This is not a skinny girl breakfast by any means. So to make mornings a little easier on my hips I've turned to oatmeal. No! Wait! Don't turn away just yet!! I know, oatmeal is a huge Internet foodie fad. And if you're an oatmeal amateur like I was, chances are good that the only oatmeal you've had comes out of an envelope and gets no more love than a quick zap in the microwave. But oatmeal lovers have been right all along! Oatmeal is a food that demands your attention, and the more love you give, the more your efforts will be rewarded. In my experience, the longer it takes to prepare your oatmeal, the better it is. Stay away from quick-cook or instant versions. Those tend to have that slimy, gluey consistency and taste like cardboard and paste. I like old fashioned steel cut oats, sometimes called Irish oatmeal. It keeps a nice al dente texture, and tastes warm and nutty, providing a base for flavor that makes me think more of a rich breakfast risotto than health food.

In honor of my new love of oatmeal, here are two easy recipes that take less than ten minutes to prep and cook, and will convert you to an oatmeal devotee like me!

Banana Bread Oatmeal
You will need:
1 banana 6"-7"
1/4 c. Steel cut oats
3/4 c. Water
1/8 c. Chopped, toasted walnuts
2 tsp Sugar in the Raw
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Salt and nutmeg to taste

Boil the water in a small pot. Stir in oats and salt, turn temperature to low. Slice 3/4 of the banana into the pot and stir slowly. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir slowly until the mixture reaches the consistency of a creamy soup or chowder. Cooking oatmeal is a lot like cooking eggs, if you cook it til it's done, you'll eat it overcooked. Turn off heat and stir in walnuts and vanilla. By saving the vanilla til the end you keep the freshest vanilla flavor possible. Pour the mix into a bowl as it continues to thicken. Top with thin slices of the last 1/4 of banana and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Now, I know I said not to over cook the oatmeal, but that's not necessarily true. I really like this recipe when it's overcooked and allowed to sit for a while. I eat it while it's still warm, but letting it sit gives it a denser texture, almost like an English boiled pudding.

Speaking of pudding, here's another one that has a distinctly desert-like appeal.

Blackberry Vanilla Oatmeal
1 c. Blackberries
1/4 c. Steel cut oats
3/4 c. Water
2 tsp honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

Bring water to a boil in a small pot. Add salt, oats, honey, and blackberries. Reserve 8-10 blackberries to use later. Turn heat to low and stir. Once the berries begin to turn red, start to mash the mixture as you stir. Cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, then turn off the burner and add vanilla. Pour into a bowl and top with remaining blackberries and a big creamy blob of Greek yogurt.

Just think of oatmeal as a delicious canvas. Add fruit, cook it in tea or juice, add crunchy things, sweet things, chewy things, creamy things, chocolate, nuts, jams and marmalades, butter, flavor extracts and syrups. Really, as long as you start out with good oatmeal, use your intuition and make something tasty!!