Closer to Normal

Had a delicious, normal breakfast this morning - yea! Still in pain today, but not nauseous which is fantastic! I ate Coach's Oats (my most favorite oatmeal) topped with Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola and almond butter.  This is my routine breakfast and usually keeps me full until lunchtime.  The difference is the almond butter.  Without it, I am hungry soon after eating a bowl of oatmeal.  With it, I am full much longer; the protein in the almond butter makes a big difference.

I've tried many different types of oatmeal before settling on Coach's Oats as my favorite with Scottish oatmeal a close second.  Rolled oats are not my thing.  Maybe I ate too many packets of instant Quaker Oats as a kid, but I'm over the rolled oat.  Steel cut, although lovely texture and flavor, takes too long to cook, especially on a work day.  And, no matter how I experiment with cooking it in the microwave, it always boils over leaving a gooey, starchy mess to clean up.  Cue Scottish oats, produced by slowly grinding the oat kernel between two large mill stones.  They cook in about 10 minutes and work beautifully in a microwave. The oatmeal flavor is delicious.  I thought I had found my holy grail of oatmeal.  Then, while reading the Kath Eats Real Food blog, I heard about Coach's Oats.  A quote from the Coach's Oats website:

The groats are toasted to bring the natural sugars to the surface of the oat, then cracked into small pieces. This patented Cracked n' Toasted™ process means that Coach’s Oats are never mushy, always naturally delicious and cook in just 3 to 5 minutes on a stovetop or in the microwave.

The only downfall is that no retailer in my area sells them so I have to order them online and pay for shipping.  One way I save money with buying them online is to combine my order with my family's to save on shipping, etc.  I heard a rumor that Costco used to sell Coach's Oats. Not sure if it's true or just some cruel joke.  Nonetheless, if I plan well enough in advance, I buy them online, otherwise I settle on Scottish oats (usually Bob's Red Mill). Either way, my favorite breakfast these days is a hot bowl of oatmeal.  Yum.