Saturday, October 17, 2009

Steel Cut Oats


There's sooo much talk surrounding steel cut oats, and to be honest...I'd never heard of them until somewhat recently. As I shared last weekend, I FINALLY found steel cut oats at a health food store here in Tulsa and I FINALLY tried them this morning. Annnnnnnnnnnnndd? I really liked them!


So you're probably thinking, what's the big whoop about these steel cut oats compared to old-fashioned and instant oats, right?



First things first, all oats undergo cleaning, hulling, and conditioning, which removes the outer shell (the hull), leaving the inner kernel (oat groat). From this stage, oat groats are processed differently. Steel cut oats, also known as Irish oats, are cut with steel blades, creating a chewier oatmeal consistency. Rolled oats, commonly referred to as old-fashioned oats, consist of steamed groats which are then run through rollers to flatten them. Instant oats are rolled even thinner than old-fashioned oats as to decrease the necessary cook time. Additionally, instant oats are cooked and dried so that they simply need hydration and a short cook time before consumption.


Here's what steel cut oats look like:




Therefore, steel cut oats are less "processed" than old-fashioned and instant oats. They also have a lower glycemic index which can cause lengthened satiety, blunted blood glucose curves, and a denser consistency. Draw backs: cook time!


So here's how I prepared my steel cut oats this morning.....


Step 1: Boil 4 cups of water



Step 2: Add 1 cup steel cut oats to water and return to a boil





Step 3: Reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.






Step 4: Add flavoring of your choice.
My additions: 1 Tbsp pumpkin butter, 1 tsp turbinado, 1 tsp Splenda brown sugar


Step 5: Enjoy!


The consistency is much different than old-fashioned oats -- more of a dense tapioca if you will? Overall, thumbs up. Like others, the extensive cook time and preparation may deter me from enjoying steel cut oats on busy mornings. I did make plenty for leftovers, so we'll see how those reheat.


Is the "juice worth the squeeze"? Maybe for a change, but I'm pretty happy with old-fashioned oats! Based off this morning alone, I did feel "satisfied" for a long time! Even with old-fashioned oats, I'm typically hungry by late morning -- not so much with the steel cut oats.


And in football news...sorry for ya, OSU! *happy dance* Fingers crossed for my Illini at 6!!

Tobe Dobutsuen Ikoooouuu

12 Oktober 2009, senin
Abis undokai kemarin, Mei dapat libur 3 hari, dari senin mpe rabu. Kebetulan hari ini suami juga dapat libur, so kita putusin pergi ke dobutsuen, zoo. Tempatnya lumayan jauh juga, perjalanan perlu sejam an deh by car. Pagi jam 9an kita dah berangkat, hari ini gw malas bkin bento segala, jadi di perjalanan mampir bentar di spmaket, beli makan siang dah.

Nyampe disana, mobil antri masuk, rameee bangettt..soalnya lagi hari besar, hari Olah Raga. Kita ga nyampe muter2 si cari parkir, tapi ga dapat parkir yang deket areal zoo nya, so harus jalan kaki. Untungnya Aya mau duduk di stroller, jadi ga usah gendong deh. Lumayan juga bawa2 stroller, so barang2 bisa ditaroh disitu, ga perlu tenteng..hehe.

Tiket masuknya ternyata udah naik dari tahun lalu. Sekarang 450 yen/orang, dari 300 yen. Anak anak dibawah usia 6 tahun gratis. Hari ini ada special day buat anak2 yg pergi bareng nenek/kakeknya dapet free tiket, ga usah bayar. Sayang kali ini, mertua ga ikutan hehe.

Anak2 seneng banget ke sini, walaupun mpir tiap tahun kita datang kesini 2=3 kali...tapi yang namanya anak2 yaaa heppi heppi aja, soalnya di dalam areal zoo nya ada arena permainan gitu dah...keluar coin lagi deh..hihi gpp lah biar anak senanggg.
Aya senang banget kesini, dia nyebut semua binatanggg itu "bebek" ato "guk guk" ahhaha...
liat penguin die bilang bebek...liat gajak die bilang guk guk....hahhahahaa ngakak deh gw.
Mei si cuman seneng liat aja, tapi giliran disuruh meraba binatang kayak kelinci ato marmut, ato bebek, die mah uda ngacir duluan...hahhahaa
Nyampe di rumah uda sore, da cape banget, so makan malam juga tinggal beli aja...makan ala kadarnya...hihihi