{"id":3921,"date":"2012-07-29T12:17:46","date_gmt":"2012-07-29T16:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/ourladyofweightloss\/?p=3921"},"modified":"2012-07-29T12:17:46","modified_gmt":"2012-07-29T16:17:46","slug":"dysfunctional-chef-best-sweet-n-creamy-oatmeal-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/ourladyofweightloss\/2012\/07\/dysfunctional-chef-best-sweet-n-creamy-oatmeal-ever.html","title":{"rendered":"Dysfunctional Chef: Best Sweet n’ Creamy Oatmeal … ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Like a mad scientist,<\/strong><\/em> I have immersed myself into experimentation mode, assembling my personal best cooking tools, which include but are not limited to my beloved slow-cooker, spectacularly beautiful measuring cups from Anthropologie<\/a> (wait for a sale to purchase)<\/em>, a hard wood cutting board (gift from friend, Betsy)<\/em>, sharp knives that Peter (husband)<\/em> brought to the mix explaining to this Dysfunctional Chef that sharpened knives are far better to work with than dull ones (imagine that someone had to point that out to me; I wear Dysfunctional well!)<\/em> – along with real food ingredients.<\/p>\n

Real Food<\/strong><\/em> is my mantra of the day (week, month and year)<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0 I am determined to treat my body like the holy vessel that it is and preserve it without preservatives.\u00a0 I’ve read more than enough articles to know that the ill-effects of processed foods on the body and the brain are not worth it!\u00a0\u00a0 I won’t go down that road now, but just know that real food is what the Intelligent Universe intended for us to eat.\u00a0 There are no processed boxes of cereal growing on bushes out there; are there?\u00a0 (I see a fun visual \/ art project in that comment!)<\/em><\/p>\n

Now … as you breeze through the list of ingredients below, you will note that I am using half n’ half (not fat-free half n’ half)<\/em>.\u00a0 Surprised?\u00a0 Me, too! I totally shocked myself when I put the bottle in my supermarket cart.\u00a0 Not something I usually stock up on!<\/p>\n

Next time you go to the supermarket, compare labels.\u00a0 Fat-free half n’ half is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, while half n’ half is basically milk and cream.\u00a0 Considering that there’s only 1\/2 cup of half n’ half in the recipe, calorie-wise, it ain’t that much per serving, so I figure it was worth the real food splurge.<\/p>\n

Dig this:\u00a0 When products say fat-free, ‘they’ have usually added a slew of sugar to it to improve the flavor; and when things say sugar-free, ‘they’ have probably added a slew of fat to improve the flavor.\u00a0 Read the labels, please!\u00a0 Not just for serving size and calorie count, but for real hard-core information!<\/p>\n

And now for the recipe! Enjoy!!!\u00a0 And please feel free to share your Best Ever Oatmeal recipe below – in the ‘comment’ area!<\/p>\n

Slow-Cooker BEST SWEET n’ CREAMY OATMEAL … EVER!!!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/strong><\/em>
\n1 cup steel cut oatmeal
\n1\/2 cup dried cranberries
\n1\/4 cup dried figs, diced into little pieces, best you can
\n3-1\/2 cups water
\n1\/2 cup half n’ half
\n2 T. agave syrup light (optional)
\nhandful of walnuts (optional)<\/p>\n

Instructions:<\/strong><\/em>
\nMix all (exception optional items) in slow-cooker.\u00a0 Cook on low for 9 hours.<\/p>\n

Best to make it at night!\u00a0 When you wake up in the morning, you are in for a treat.\u00a0 The cranberries and figs add sweetness to the mix.\u00a0 If you are a sweet freak (as am I)<\/em> and you are in search of ‘more sweet,’ then drizzle the agave syrup over the mix before cooking or after.\u00a0\u00a0 I prefer agave light to dark, but that’s just my personal taste.\u00a0 A handful of crumbled walnuts atop is nice, too!<\/p>\n

Now, for the BIG Question!\u00a0 Is this worth the effort?<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Is it better than making oatmeal in the morning, on the stove???\u00a0 For me, yes!<\/p>\n

Partly because I was playing the part of Mad Scientist\/Dysfunctional Chef.\u00a0 I totally enjoyed myself.\u00a0 It was FUN!\u00a0 Don’t discount the importance of having fun!\u00a0 Waking up to the sweet smells of something already cooked was a novelty, and now that I think about it, I truly believe that it influenced my sleeping and dreaming.\u00a0 I woke up extremely happy, from the get-go, bouncing out of bed, heading into the kitchen for the big reveal.<\/p>\n

It was bigger than cooking, more than making a healthy breakfast; it was a cooking adventure!<\/p>\n

And finally,\u00a0 it was oh, so creamy, sweet good!\u00a0 Sounds like a win\/win\/win\/win\/win … win!<\/p>\n

What cooking adventures are you creating today?<\/p>\n

Spread the word \u2026 not the icing!<\/p>\n

Janice
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Life & Wellness Coach
\nSelf-Help \/ Weight Loss Artist
\nwise * fun * utterly useful<\/p>\n

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Like a mad scientist, I have immersed myself into experimentation mode, assembling my personal best cooking tools, which include but are not limited to my beloved slow-cooker, spectacularly beautiful measuring cups from Anthropologie (wait for a sale to purchase), a hard wood cutting board (gift from friend, Betsy), sharp knives that Peter (husband) brought to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[175,2130,1772,1793,2794,373,927,2793,2417,640,70,2473,1005,60,92,1207,978,1,2100],"tags":[955,2884,3865,167,2892,3841,671,2890,3825,3828,2891,2889],"class_list":["post-3921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-coach-yourself-thin","category-cook-with-me-friday","category-cooking-tips","category-dysfunctional-chef","category-feed-your-soul","category-food-news","category-fun-2","category-happiness-tips-2","category-happy-living-tip","category-healthy-eating","category-janice-taylor","category-meatless-monday","category-mindful-eating","category-our-lady-of-weight-loss","category-recipes","category-spiritual-weight-loss-2","category-the-happiness-diet","category-weight-loss","category-weight-loss-success-coach","tag-breakfast-recipes","tag-cranberries","tag-dysfunctional-chef","tag-figs","tag-half-and-half","tag-healthy-eating","tag-how-to-lose-weight","tag-oatmeal-recipes","tag-our-lady-of-weight-loss","tag-recipes","tag-slow-cooker-oatmeal","tag-slow-cooker-recipes"],"yoast_head":"\nDysfunctional Chef: Best Sweet n' Creamy Oatmeal ... ever - 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