July 19, 2019
Dear Everyone:
A few years ago, my doctor and I were discussing my cholesterol level.
In the course of the discussion, she asked me what I ate for
breakfast. I replied that I
usually had a couple of granola-type nut bars.
This was a habit from years long past, when I was working, and it was
the easiest thing in the world to keep a few boxes of these bars in my
desk. I could wolf one or
two down, with a cup of caffeine, in record time.
She suggested that it would be a good idea to vary my diet a little.
Maybe have eggs once or twice a week.
Of course, we all know about eggs and cholesterol.
But it seems that the demonization of eggs has fallen out of
fashion in the dietary world of late.
She also posed the idea of eating oatmeal instead of nut bars at least
once in a while.
We all remember oatmeal, don’t we?
On cold winter mornings, Mother would concoct a huge vat of
oatmeal. Each child received
a gelatinous glob of cooked cereal in a bowl.
We could try cutting it with a little milk and flavor it with a
spoonful of sugar.
Nevertheless, one had to choke down the entire thing before the school
bus arrived.
I looked in the breakfast aisle at the grocery store.
Many, many variations on the theme of “instant” oatmeal.
Many different flavor
combinations involving sugar, maple, cinnamon, and who knows what.
In the meantime, the doctor prescribed a generic cholesterol-lowering
medication to the evening group.
For some reason the medication works best overnight.
I decided to try “good, old-fashioned” oatmeal manufactured by a
well-known company. The
package indicated placing one-quarter to one-third cup water or milk in
a bowl. Add the contents of
one pouch. Microwave for one
to two minutes.
That’s a lot of variables.
I tried a quarter-cup of milk and sixty seconds.
I also took the liberty of adding a generous dollop of brown
sugar to the mix. It wasn’t
too bad. Certainly it was
much better than the globs of stuff we had as children.
Over time, I developed a system.
My ceramic bowls have a floral pattern on them.
Skim milk up to the first notch in the yellow flower was just the
right amount. Large clump of
brown sugar and the contents of one pouch.
Nuke in the microwave for 90 seconds.
Then I added my own special touch:
I smothered the entire bowlful of oatmeal with sliced almonds.
First it was one spoonful…then two…then three…then, oh heck! keep
sprinkling slices until you can’t see any more oatmeal at all.
Not exactly “what the doctor ordered”.
But quite tasty.
Lately I’ve taken to adding dried cranberries that have been previously
soaked in pomegranate juice.
Even better.
As for the skim milk; the reason for using skim milk has nothing to do
with cholesterol. It’s just
that skim milk lasts longer, as in it doesn’t turn sour as quickly as
whole milk.
And, for the record, in the last two blood tests, my cholesterol level
was well within the “normal” range.
Triglycerides are a tad bit high, though.
What causes triglycerides?
Eating lots of grains like rice and… oatmeal.
Well, we can’t win all the time now can we?
Love, as always,
Pete
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