Quaker Oatmeal.  To think that someone had never made let alone eaten oats!  Sad, sad to me!  Oatmeal is one of my favorites and something I enjoy several times a weeek and have for years.  We just cannot have someone who knows me and does not know oatmeal!  I must share the good secret of Quaker oatmeal for breakfast with my new friends. 

Sweet Rachel and her daughter Ruth (who recently had twins, one cute little boy and one beautiful tiny girl) were home one morning visiting with a caseworker and I working on some premi-newborn things. It was morning and the ladies were just waking up.  After a bit of time answering a lot of questions the caseworker had, I remembered that the oatmeal Asha’s Refuge brought to this family in some bags of groceries was an item that seemed to confuse Rachel.  “It is morning…breakfast time…time for oatmeal,” I thought to myself.  My insides grinned and I got tickeled inside knowing what goodness was about to take place.  Today… Rachel and Ruth will learn all about oatmeal.  First I showed them pictures of the oats growing in a field trying to explain what it is… it got a little tricky even for me!  What is an oat?! Where did it come from?  Is it wheat?! No. Rice?! No.  It is just an oat. (Laughing to myself.)

Taking Rachel by the hand, I went into the kitchen, began opening cabinets in search of a little pot to teach her how to cook oatmeal. Rachel, Ruth and the nice caseworker laughed at me as I danced around in the kitchen for oatmeal!  I began to boil the oats warning Rachel about that foamy stuff that always tries to boil over and make a gooey mess.  Rachel stirred the oats and water as I cut up a little apple to add into the oats.  We must have a little honey, sugar and cinnamon.  Frantically looking in the cabinet for cinnamon and sugar, I suddenly realized this family has no spices!  Ack!  We must have cinnamon and a tiny bit of something to sweeten these bland oats.  If we don’t, they may sadly hate them and never try them again.  Ugh!!  

Father help me to find something to make these oats perfect for this sweet family… I whispered to myself.  And then I saw it!  Crystalized tiny little bags of instant sweet honey/orange/ginger tea!  Apparently and luckily big brother Eugene loves hot spice tea and has somehow found himself some. I opened one of the little pouches of tea and added just enough to sweeten and add a little flavor to the apples and oatmeal.  

Once the oatmeal cooled off, I added a bit of milk, stirred and poured it into bowls.  Rachel and Ruth enjoyed their healthy breakfast and say they will be cooking oats again!  One of my favorite things to do with newcomers is share my little American favorites…like oatmeal.  One day, I will have to take them for Chai Tea!  (So happy the babies will grow up knowing all about oats!) Rachel says, “Shhh!  Don’t tell Eugene we borrowed his favorite tea.” 😉