Hearty Oatmeals

I am looking forward to today as I have made arrangement to meet up with DO and TW.  DD3 was down with a chesty cough and a low grade fever for several days.  That fever made me a panda as I was up several times a night taking her temperature (no medication given since it's low grade fever).  After a 10 days course of antibiotic, she finally recovered.  Phew!  Just when I thought things were getting back on track, DS2 caught the same virus and is down too!  I've kept him away from school since Monday to prevent him from spreading the germs.  To make things worse, DD3 started running a fever again yesterday :-(  Though MIL has agreed to take care of the children while I go "partying", I felt irresponsible to leave my sick kids with her, as she has to cook and take care of FIL, niece and nephew.  After contemplating, I decided not to join my girlfriends (PS: DO, I'm sorry I couldn't make it today, owe you one.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY girl!).

With an unpredictable weather, it is tough to bring them to the supermarket.  I just make do with whatever ingredients I have in the fridge to cook something simple, and that is usually oatmeal.

When I was young, my mom fed me with oats on an almost daily basis and I hated it!  It was only when I started working, then I started to appreciate eating them.

This is a sweet version, cooked with brown sugar and served with cream cracker/soda biscuits and dried fruits.

Savoury version, cooked with frozen stock, leftover braised pork belly (I removed the fats) and some vegetables.  When cooking savoury oats, I like to crack in an egg.

I do not measure out the ingredients when I cook oatmeals.  Just put oats and water in a pot, cover and cook on medium low fire.  Bring to boil.  Add in sugar to taste.  Remove from heat and let it stand for 5 mins before serving.

PS: You may use more or less water, depending on what consistency you want.

Love your pals

Have I been a homemaker for such a long time that I'm losing touch with the outside world? Besides taking care of kids, doing housework, bake and cook, what else is in my life? I surf and blog, trying to get myself away from the kids, I need some "me time". Of course, I try to stay in touch some friends whom I've not met for the longest time.

I first met DO in July 1992. To be honest, she doesn't make me feel at ease with her. She seems like a no nonsense kind of lady, and snobbish if you were to ask me. But when I get to know her better, she's in fact a very nice lady with a big heart. We have travelled around the world together, and she even joined me when I went for my honeymoon ;-) Prior to my honeymoon, she has joined DH (my boyfriend then) and I on various holiday trips and they get along very well. So well that people may mistaken them as a couple instead. I remember when we were travelling in ANZ (Australia and New Zealand), I'm the one pushing the shopping cart behind them (like a maid). The 2 of them walked ahead of me, discussing what to prepare for dinner and breakfast (I can't cook a decent meal then).

TW came into our lives a few years later (1997?) but we are as close as sisters. Though we don't spend much time together, I must say the bond among the 3 of us are very strong. There is nothing we couldn't talk about. TW is a very bubbly lady, and she will make you feel at ease with her pleasant personality. I was scheduled for my amniocentesis on her wedding day (Sep 2007) and my gynae had advised me to stay home for bed rest. I won't say I feel obliged to attend her wedding but I feel that I need to be there, to share her joy and to give her my blessing. So, I rescheduled my amniocentesis 1 day earlier to attend her wedding :-)

We don't usually meet up as it is difficult to arrange when I have 3 kids, DO is working and TW is busy with her volunteering service and frequent travelling. Coincentally, our birthdays fall on the same date but on different months. DO's birthday is in July and I've made arrangement to meet up for lunch. Happened that TW is in town so we arranged to meet today since DS2 went over to my inlaws and DD1 only get home later part in the afternoon. We had a good lunch (not so much of the food but it's really the companionship) followed by a drink at O Cha Cha, Raffles City.

I believe fate has brought the 3 of us together and I'm thankful to have them in my life. I love you girls!