Cranberry-Almond Oatmeal
I used to hate weekends. Sounds crazy, right? But it's true. I used to work a corporate job that had me stressed out every day of the week. Weekends were crammed with all the things I didn't have the time or energy to do during the week, so they were hardly fun or restful. To make matters worse, I constantly worried about things at work. Sundays were filled with the dread of having to return back a job I disliked {ok, hated} and had me feeling empty and unfulfilled.
Six years ago, I said goodbye to the corporate rat race to stay home full time and I never looked back. It was challenging going from a two incomes to one, but we made changes and adapted. The hardest thing to get used to were the looks and comments from people when I told them I no longer worked outside the home. "Must be nice!" is what has been uttered most often with that subtle voal tone of envy creeping up just behind the words. Too often, these exchanges left me feeling embarrassed and angry. As if everyone assumed I sat home on my tush all day watching soap operas and eating bon bons. Um, no. But you know what? It is nice to be home full-time. And I decided a while ago that I will not apologize or try to defend the decision I made to leave the corporate world. Now when someone says, "Gee, must be nice!", I look at them squarely in the eye and say, "Yes, it is!" with a big smile on my face.
I wake up grateful every day to be able to stay home to pursue my passions even if they currently don't bring me an income. I have the most amazing husband who believes in me and my abilities. He works hard every day of the week and cheers me on every day of my life. In turn, I do my part by running our household and taking care of every day tasks. We may not have children, and caring for a dog is hardly difficult {crazy as our pup may be}, but I enjoy being a homemaker and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Now, I look forward to weekends. I space out chores, errands and household tasks throughout the week so that Peter and I can use the weekends to relax and do fun things together, and spend time with family and friends. Sundays are no longer filled with dread. Instead, they are filled with sleeping in, lazing around in our pajamas and eating a leisurely breakfast.
Last Sunday, Peter was recovering from the stomach bug that everyone seems to be getting, and was under doctor's orders to eat simply, so I made us oatmeal for breakfast. While Peter slept in, I took the pup for her morning walk and after we came home, while the pup ate inhaled her breakfast, I stood by the stove slowly stirring old fashioned oats in a pot of gently simmering milk until they became plump and creamy. I sweetened them slightly with brown sugar and maple syrup and then topped my portion with dried cranberries and toasted sliced almonds {Peter likes his oatmeal plain}. I brewed a pot of Earl Grey tea {our favorite} and Peter and I sat down to eat and talk while one of my favorite Pandora stations played in the background. It was the perfect start to a Sunday: quiet, calm, restful and delicious. In other words, the way all weekends should be.
Cranberry-Almond Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a "blank canvas" and can be topped with a variety of other ingredients such as bananas, raisins, currants, dried cherries, cream or fruit preserves. If you have houseguests or a large family, a fun way to serve oatmeal is to set out a variety of toppings in small bowls and have everyone help themselves. Keep the oatmeal warm by leaving the lid on the pot or transfer it to a crock pot on the "warm" setting.
2 cups whole or 2% milk
2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. pure maple syrup
Dried cranberries
Sliced almonds, lightly toastedPlace the milk and water in a saucepot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Add the salt and stir gently. Do not let the milk mixture boil. You will know when it is warm enough when you see small bubbles along the edge of the milk and steam rising from the pot. Slowly pour in the oats and stir frequently over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick and creamy in consistency, about 7-10 minutes. Off the heat, add the brown sugar and maple syrup and stir to incorporate. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls and top with the dried cranberries and toasted almonds.
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Love your story! And, yep, it IS nice to be home! :)
Wishing I hadn't had breakfast already....I'd love some of that oatmeal!
Love your blog! :) I feel like I could just hang out here with the nice pictures and vivid descriptions. Keep up the good work! :)
It doesn't matter if you're like me and running a business from home or if you're a homemaker. The week is full of activities and sometimes I feel we work harder than those in offices during the week. The perk is we really get our weekends! Enjoy them, no shame at all!
I currently struggle with overly busy weekend syndrome myself, but I'm trying to get better at managing chores and time so that I can relax more on weekends. It's a challenge for sure, but weekend breakfasts are one of the few times I get to relax and I love them because of it. This oatmeal sounds perfect for a slow peaceful weekend breakfast :)
Thank you for making me this on Sunday. It really helped my ailing stomach. You are an amazing woman and my great love!
Flavia, I too get all my work, errands, cleaning, etc done during the week so our weekends are filled with down time (and my kid's sporting events). I need to try this oatmeal - I've only made the prepackaged oatmeal and this recipe looks like the perfect place to start. :-)
Flavia, our stories are so much alike. I too left my career (but to be an at-home mom). My weekends were never about relaxing; they were about running all of the errands I couldn't do during the week. There was no relaxing to be had on the weekends. It was a tough decision to walk away from the career I loved but one that I have never regretted. I totally get what you mean about those who think we do nothing. And because of this non-paying gig that completely fills up the creative quotient of my being, some still think it isn't a legitimate reason to not take on greater carpooling responsibilities, more school volunteering, etc. Funny how others feel it is important to fill up our time with what they feel we SHOULD be doing. I completely get where you're coming from.
I also made oatmeal this weekend. But I made an overnight version that's put into a Crock Pot the night before. Loved that I had breakfast waiting for me on a busy morning when I'm getting my kids out the door for school.
Double thumbs up from me on this post!
I'm a HUGE fan of oatmeal in the morning. This is definitely a recipe I'll have to try! :)