Double-Almond Oatmeal

For three straight days and counting, it's been raining. Thankfully, both Zach and I love downpours - the stationary exercise bike allows us to work out even while feeling cozy and watching the rain, our house is warm and cuddly, and it's lovely to have an excuse (especially since we don't really have proper snow days here) to put aside errands for another day and just stay snuggled up indoors watching the storm.

Of course, thundershowers undoubtedly call for rainy-day meals. Oatmeal is one of my favorite comforting breakfasts, but Zach (*gasp*) doesn't like oatmeal - ordinary oatmeal, that is...

However, a gastronomic invention we both love is almond milk, but we usually don't purchase it for the sake of economics. As our everyday fridge staples we settle contentedly and gratefully for 1% milk and light vanilla soymilk, both reasonably affordable. Last week, however, we discovered almond milk drastically on sale at our local grocery, and, delighted, we stocked our pantry!

Back in my raw foodie days, I used to make quick homemade almond milk by whirring a couple of spoonfuls of raw almond butter into a blender full of water, and I completely fell for its slightly sweet, sprightly, ever-so-spicy flavor that reminded me faintly of a chai tea latte without the added sugar.

I'd been to Trader Joe's this week and returned home with a beautiful bag of raw almonds, so, with the thunder roaring and the rain spattering a staccato rhythm on the windows around me, I whipped up a batch of creamy, crunchy, double-almond oatmeal that even Zach savored spoonful by spoonful...

Double-Almond Oatmeal

2 1/4 cups almond milk (either the original or vanilla flavor)
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 T honey or agave nectar
2 T maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 T raw almonds

~ In a saucepan, bring the almond milk to a boil.
~ Reduce the heat to low, stir in the oats, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
~ Stir in the raisins, honey or agave, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Continuing to stir, leave the pan over the low flame just until the oatmeal is heated through again.
~ Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the almonds.
~ Serve with a splash of cold almond milk added to each bowl...

*Note: This will fix 4 normal-sized bowls of oatmeal, or 3 generous ones - depending on the weather, your appetite, and how much you adore almonds! :-)

*A second note - couldn't resist telling y'all about my current favorite "alternative" to dessert: a cup of chocolate hazelnut tea, with a splash of milk or soymilk and a dollop of honey...