Oatmeal Griddle Cakes

This morning I woke up awfully early… 6:00 on a Sunday. I tried so hard to go back to sleep but just ended up tossing and turning. I finally decided to get up so DFJ can get a few more hours of sleep in peace. Sleeplessness has been my enemy over the past few weeks and questions about what the future may bring constantly haunt me. I seriously need to get over this for my own sanity. There are so many things on my mind lately and to-do lists just keep getting longer and longer with not much progress on the things that I should work on. In order to get away from it all, I indulge in some fun things like baking artisan bread with my own starter (more on that in a later post), doing yoga at home after my yoga teacher introduced me to YogaGlo, endless life conversations with DFJ, playing Settlers of Catan, watching Parenthood, reading The Casual Vacancy, and getting serious advice from friends. Life is really scary, complicated, and stressful… but you just can’t let it get to you. If you do, you fail to see what’s important and overlook the simplest of things that can make you smile. I need to live by these words and do better at being in the moment, just savoring the fact that I am alive.

When I tiptoed out of the bedroom in my pajamas, I turned on my old laptop and did something that I have been meaning to do for a long time, organize pictures and write them into CDs so I have back-ups. The project is far from over but it is a start. I moved back and forth from doing that to writing a blog post that will come up later this week, while a pot of oatmeal was bubbling away for this week’s Food Matter’s Project. Quite an eventful morning!

DFJ woke up just in time to find me mixing up a batter for Oatmeal Griddle Cakes. The lovely Aura, author of Dinner with Aura, picked this delicious brunch item for this week. These griddle cakes are hearty and healthy, just the perfect fuel to start your day! Between mouthfuls, DFJ looked at me and told me he wished every day is as relaxed and easy as a Sunday. I completely agree… on Sundays, we make breakfast leisurely, sip our coffee slowly, and actually get the chance to talk. It makes for a wonderful start to our day!

These griddle cakes are the perfect use for leftover oatmeal, but since I have not made oatmeal in a long time, I made a fresh pot using old-fashioned rolled oats, a pinch of salt, and a good douse of cinnamon after it was done cooking. I followed Mark Bittman’s original recipe closely except for a few tweaks: I used ½ cup of rye flour (in lieu of all-purpose and whole wheat) and I used a combination of dried figs and golden raisins.

 

I love the crispy exterior and the chewy interior, the heartiness of the oats, the sweet juiciness of the plumped up figs and raisins, and the wholesomeness of these griddle cakes. A little bit of agave nectar and some fruit on the side makes it even better. A thick smear of almond butter also makes for a very delicious post-workout snack (I devoured it in less than a minute after the gym today).

Visit Aura’s blog for the original Mark Bittman recipe and while you are over there, check out her delicious recipes and gorgeous photography. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Food Matter’s Project website to see what the other members came up with.

I hope everyone has a great Valentine’s week! This is the perfect time to go overboard in letting your loved ones know how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate them. While you’re at it, do take time to give yourself some love as well, because you deserve it!

P.S.

I love you guys and am so grateful to you for reading my words, listening to my stories, and checking out my recipes!