A nice bowl of (soupy) oatmeal

I know there are a lot of oatmeal fans out there: John, a year-round oatmeal man who fortifies his with a big spoonful of peanut butter; Kevin, who makes it as a snack any time of day or night; Mike, a steel-cut oats purist; and Pam, who sits next to me at the winter table eating something hot and made of oats, but quite different than my oatmeal.

I like mine real soupy, with lots of nuts and fruit. (So soupy that certain family members make fun of it.)

I start with whatever piece of fruit Pam has cut in half, usually a pear or apple because it's winter, sometimes a banana or peach. Chop that up, then break up a good half handful of walnuts or pecans or mixed nuts, and for extra flavor add in some chopped dried fruit, like the excellent apricots and plums that Brian gave me for Christmas.

And of course the oats, just under a half-cup of quick oats from the cardboard tube.

I add enough water mixed half and half with soy milk or dairy milk to almost fill the bowl, and give it four minutes in our underpowered microwave. If it comes out thick, I add some more water before sitting down to read the papers and take in a fine well-balanced meal. That's good eating!