Making The Perfect Pot of Oatmeal

Oatmeal.
Just saying that one word can conjure up all types of pictures for people. Some good and some well, maybe not so flattering for this hearty grain. My childhood memories of oatmeal are connected almost exclusively to the little brown packets of Quaker Oats instant oatmeal. I ate them for breakfast more times than I can count! But recently, I have come to appreciate the real and amazing flavor that is slow and well cooked oatmeal. There is just something so very comforting about waking up to a warm breakfast on a chilly, crisp autumn day and the earthy, grainy smell of oatmeal as it cooks.
Back during World War II, the American government encouraged mothers to feed their families with something substantial before sending them out into the workforce or school room. One of those grains that though rationed could easily be stretched, was oatmeal.
Oatmeal, like wheat, is an almost universally eaten grain. It could almost be called Scotland’s national grain! And on that note, I found a wonderful, descriptive recipe in an old book I have in my collection called “The Scots Book”.

As an added note, porridge is not oatmeal and oatmeal is not porridge though it is generally thought of as such. Porridge technically is any grain or legume that is cooked until soft. But if you go through life thinking that porridge means oatmeal, no one will try to to correct you. We are all thinking the same thing 🙂
This recipe for baked oatmeal comes together very quickly and can be cooked right away or put in the fridge overnight and then taken out to cook the next morning. The vanilla maple sauce also comes together very easily and is scrumptious on more than oatmeal! Try dipping pears or apples in it, spreading it on toast or pouring it over ice cream. It keeps well in the fridge, though it make get a bit firm. The rich yet delicate sweetness of maple always reminds me of autumn days when I was younger spent by the bonfire eating maple shortbread!