Daddy's Steel Cut Oats

My dad is the kind of guy who gets into habits, and sticks with them. For as long as I can remember, my dad has been enjoying hot cereal for breakfast. He does occasionally mix up what sort of hot cereal he's into, but the basic routine remains the same. Pretty much any hot cereal reminds me of him - Cream of Wheat, Grits, Oatmeal, Hot Cereal... I think he likes them all.

When we were little, my brother and I were more into cold cereal. Because I was a little slob, I would eat my cereal and then leave my bowl sitting in the living room (or wherever). Soon enough, either the dog or the cat would find the bowl, stick their little head in there and see if there was any milk or cereal left in there.

I guess all this pets+cereal bowls action grossed my dad out (fair enough), so he went out and got himself a very special bowl and a very special spoon. At least, this is how I remember the whole thing going down. He even had a special spot for his bowl - well out of reach from us kiddos who might not respect the sanctity of his personal dishes! I remember the whole thing through a childlike filter of awe and wonder. As far as I know, he probably still has this bowl and probably still keeps it in the same spot.

For a while, my dad was really into the hot cereal from Bob's Red Mill. Then, he got really into the Steel Cut Oats... and then, just a year or two ago, he stumbled across the Quick-Cooking Steel Cut Oats, and I think that is still his current favorite. In fact, when I told him that I was going to have a bowl of oatmeal with (real) maple syrup for breakfast in his honor, he said "That's what I had for breakfast this morning!" Ha ha. Like I said, he is the kind of person who really gets things dialed in and sticks with it.

These days, I still love cold cereal, but I also really like oatmeal. I usually only end up making oatmeal on days when I am headed off to a big yoga class, or if I want a hearty breakfast that will keep me going well past noon. Usually I just use regular oats to make my oatmeal, but in honor of my dad, I picked up a bag of Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats, and made myself some for breakfast. I even served them up in my most special bowl with my favorite spoon. The QCSCOats were really great, I think I am a convert! They had a bit more bite and chew to them than regular oats, which I found really appealing. I added in some chopped walnuts and a generous dose of pure maple syrup... for a totally delicious breakfast. Dad would be proud!