Day 5

Oatmeal; it's what's for breakfast.

  I'll begin day 5 by saying that my kids think I make the BEST oatmeal in the world.  That really is so flattering.  I love that they think I am the best cook ever, besides Grandpa, and that they brag to everyone about my breads, and oatmeal, and cookies, and especially my sandwiches.  (really??? sandwiches???)  They rave about them!  That being said, I went into this "meal" knowing that lots and lots of medifast users HATE the mf oatmeal.  I read a post on the mymedifast site yesterday and the user said it was her very first medifast meal ever and she cried.  Yikes.  Can it really be worse than the eggs???  How bad can they mess this stuff up?  

Ok, so I tried to go in prepared.  I started by making the boys my famous oatmeal: 3 cups water- boil in pot on stove.  Add salt- really a key ingredient here.  Add "some" brown sugar.  (I say "some" because I don't measure it, I just scoop some in, and the kids usually always add more anyway)   I'll guess 1/3 cup brown sugar.  & some cinnamon.  (again, I don't know how much, so every day it could taste different)  - Oh and while we do have a dedicated big jar of cinnamon from Costco, I sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture (1 part cinnamon/9 parts sugar) into the water.  Once that gets boiling, I add 1 1/3 cup oats.  I buy the store brand oats and use whatever is in the big Tupperware container this week.  (today it was quick oats, sometimes it is old fashioned, and whenever I made this for me, I always used Coaches oats, cause they are really good!)  Stir the oats into the boiling water, lower the temp and cook for about 5 mins, or until it is done.  My big kids leave for seminary at 5:45 am, and we were out of milk - (they like to add milk to their oatmeal to make it even more awesome) so they had to have the less awesome version today. Kind of like me.  

I gathered my ingredients: mf packet of oatmeal, salt, regular cinnamon, a tiny pack of Truvia, and some Torani's sugar free caramel syrup.  I put  6 oz of water in my bowl and added the salt and cinnamon, the put the "oatmeal" in the bowl & stirred it with a fork.  (why a fork???  I'm  not sure, maybe to get the lumps out?) Then I microwaved it for 30 seconds and stirred and microwaved it for another 30 seconds and stirred and microwaved it for another 30 seconds and stirred.  (I think that was all, I don't think I cooked it any longer than that)  I decided it looked thick enough, so I added the Truvia and some of the sugar free caramel syrup and stirred.  Then I smelled it and added some more cinnamon.  I snapped a pic and gave it a try.  

First impression: not bad.  It was a different texture than I am used to, really fine oats, but I guess that will be ok.  There is a funky aftertaste.  I know this isn't my regular oatmeal, but I also know that I have lived my whole life eating "regular" food and for the next 6 months I am making changes so I can enjoy my regular (with Truvia, not sugar) oatmeal for the rest of my life.  No, it isn't great.  It isn't something I would want to eat if I wasn't on a major diet, but still not anywhere near as bad as those eggs.  (ooohhh, I can finally understand why Captain Jack Sparrow was singing about the "really bad eggs" he must have tried these.  haha)   But I now have an oatmeal option.  Success!