One thing I like about the cooler weather is oatmeal not only sounds good, it is a great way to take off the chill.

Yesterday, I made a big helping of oatmeal with these ingredients: peach chunks, peach juice for part of the liquid, brown sugar, candied ginger root cut in thin slivers, cardamom, fresh-grated nutmeg, and oatmeal, of course! It was delicious, but as soon as I started eating it, I realized I left out the walnuts and vanilla! Today, an even colder morning than yesterday, I shall make it the way I intended.

Nom! Nom! I love my oatmeal!

I usually use dried fruit in my oatmeal. Cinnamon, allspice, mace, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger (ground or slivered candied ginger root), pecans, walnuts, peanut butter (mixed in after oatmeal is cooked), honey, and anything I have on hand that just sounds like it might make a good bowl of oatmeal are likely to end up in it in some combination of these ingredients. Yum! Dry cereal is OK, but oatmeal is versatile AND hot. I never use milk on it. Don’t need it.

Samuel Johnson with his acerbic wit probably just needed some fiber in his diet to mellow him out, if you know what I mean. If only he had eaten his oats…!

Fortunately for me, I come from a long line of Scots, so I know the benefits of this wonderful food! Oh, and I should mention it tastes good, too, if you gussy it up with selected spices, fruits, brown sugar, and nuts! Plain oatmeal, um, barely fit for horses….