<p><em>raises hands frantically</em> Oh, oh, pick me! I know the answer.</p>
<p>I believe the rolling thing is – argh, what are they called?? – used by runners to work out soreness, keep you stretched out, etc. Ds2’s cross-country coach used it on him.</p>
<p>I buy bulk oatmeal at Sprouts, the old-fashioned rolled oats, not the quick-cooking kind. I cook it over the stove using 3/4 cup 1% milk. Toward the end, I add five chopped pecan halves.</p>
<p>I have one of those rolling things, its main purpose is to work out the kinks in the back and neck when they are tense. Just like I use a tennis ball against a wall to work out shoulder areas that I can’t reach.</p>
<p>They do it in my office too - I asked about it but don’t recall the exercise.</p>
<p>They are called “foam rollers” - they’re made out of hard foam and come in several different versions. As others have said, they are used to stretch and work knots out of muscles. I’m sure there’s plenty of instruction available on youtube.</p>
<p>About oatmeal, I prefer steel-cut, but sometimes make rolled oats because S2 won’t eat steel-cut. In both cases, I buy the organic variety:</p>
<p>[Country</a> Choice Organic Irish Steel Cut Oats, 30-Ounce Canisters (Pack of 6): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Country-Choice-Organic-30-Ounce-Canisters/dp/B000KNB0OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312299003&sr=8-1]Country”>http://www.amazon.com/Country-Choice-Organic-30-Ounce-Canisters/dp/B000KNB0OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312299003&sr=8-1)</p>
<p>at Trader Joe’s (and the Old Fashioned Rolled Oats from the same brand). I cook them in relatively large quantities with water using the package directions, and add things afterward (cinnamon, yogurt, nuts for me; milk and brown sugar or honey for my sons).</p>
<p>I eat eggs for breakfast every day of the week, with the only exception being the days when I have morning runs - I fix a bowl of oatmeal and try not to eat anything protein-rich. Doesn’t seem to affect my cholesterol in any ways.</p>
<p>My oatmeal comes from Trader Joe’s - same brand as the one mentioned by NYMom. I make steel cut oatmeal when I have more time, and when I’m in a hurry, I go with quicker- cooking rolled oatmeal.</p>
<p>Oatmeal–I put 1/2 C. regular oatmeal (not quick, not steel cut) in a large bowl ([Set</a> of 6 Bistro Large Bowls in Individual Bowls | Crate&Barrel](<a href=“http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/individual-bowls/set-of-6-bistro-large-bowls/s266191]Set”>http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/individual-bowls/set-of-6-bistro-large-bowls/s266191)) with 3/4 C. almond milk (original, NOT unsweetened).</p>
<p>Microwave on high for 4 1/2 minutes. Let it stand for a few minutes. Add fruit (cut up apples, craisins, etc), stir and eat.</p>
<p>Tastes good, you don’t have to stand by the stove and stir it and you don’t have a messy pan to wash.</p>
<p>Last point is important…</p>
<p>Went on 6 days vacation and weight went up 4 pounds. Replaced a good routine with a BAD routine! Let’s hope the next 7 days vacation will be better.</p>
<p>Yes, it is! Those pans are awful to clean. Some people cook oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker. </p>
<p>I avoid the quick-cooking or instant oatmeal like the plague. In my limited experience, it tastes like chalk and it is often sweetened.</p>
<p>I can’t eat any kind of hot cereal. The texture makes me gag. Oh well. Walnuts are good:).</p>
<p>Alum, I’m the same way. I cook my oatmeal to within an inch of its life. Very firm. I can’t stand anything squishy – grits, cream of wheat, bananas, tomato, anything.</p>
<p>Oatmeal is definitely best when served “al dente.” That’s why I can never eat it in a restaurant they always way over-cook it.</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay - Aaargh! Bananas! Bane of my existence. Tomatoes I’ve made peace with as long as their friends Baguette, Mozarella, and Basil come along for the ride.</p>
<p>I digress.</p>
<p>Today on Zen Habits there is a fitness post that is perfect for WLFD. [Four</a> Simple Fitness Fundamentals | zen habits](<a href=“http://zenhabits.net/basics/]Four”>http://zenhabits.net/basics/). Seriously.</p>
<p>lol, coreur, I think it’s undercooked when eating out!</p>
<p>Alum, I don’t eat cheese either. :rolleyes: I’m difficult.</p>
<p>"Oatmeal is definitely best when served “al dente.” " I agree. H likes his oatmeal to look like snot. I compromise by taking my portion out of the pot prior to the whole thing turning into a goo.</p>
<p>Speaking of “al dente”. It is unbelievable how much research is involved in determining the time it takes to cook pasta to the perfect al dente state! Eons ago, a guy I knew got a post-doc in Germany. Rumors were that his research was funded by grants from some Italian pasta makers, and he was supposed to write software for an MRI device designed for studying moisture content and distribution in pasta, which would help the pasta makers to determine the optimal cooking times to be stamped on their pasta boxes. LOL. I had to google that, and what do you know (not his publication, but…):</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.aaccnet.org/cerealchemistry/articles/2006/CC-83-0235.pdf[/url]”>http://www.aaccnet.org/cerealchemistry/articles/2006/CC-83-0235.pdf</a></p>
<p>Cereal Chemistry… I live, I learn :eek:</p>
<p>I’m a big oatmeal fan (Quaker original) in the winter but just can’t eat hot cereal in the summer. I’ll have to rethink all the brown sugar when I start up again! I like it really creamy but with some texture; haven’t been a fan of steel-cut. I just prepare it in a pot per the canister directions. My favorite way to eat oatmeal is out of the big pot on a cruise ship. :D</p>
<p>I’m eating a lot of Cheerios right now; seems to have very similar nutrition content. </p>
<p>My Very Bad Saturday did not seem to cause a problem; down a smidge from last Friday. Whew! I would love to average a pound a week long-term; I’m doing a teeny bit better than that right now but realize it might not last.</p>
<p>I love steel cut oats in the winter. I usually make a batch one morning that makes enough that I can refrigerate a couple of days worth in the fridge. To mine, I usually add a little butter, a sweetener (either brown sugar, raw sugar or sometimes a bit of jam or maple syrup), dried fruit (cherries, blueberries or cranberries or apples) and chopped almonds. It becomes quite a hearty dish! The worst of it is the butter, but I use much less than I would if it was a bagel or toast and for me, it adds some rich flavor.</p>
<p>I buy the bulk steel cut oats from Whole Foods - CHEAP! If you haven’t had steel cut oats before or don’t have the patience to cook it, Trader Joes has individual serving sizes in their freezer that you can plop in a bowl and microwave - it’s plan so you can still add your fixings. :)</p>
<p>I only like my oatmeal in cookies. From The Good Housekeeping Cookbook:
<p>I use instant oatmeal at work as a snack. It’s filling and easy. I add one packet of sweetener. It’s not fabulous, but it’s quick and sticks with me.</p>
<p>I keep a box of instant oatmeal packets in my desk, too. If I’m short on time to go out to grab something for lunch, a packet of oatmeal becomes my lunch.</p>
<p>I have oatmeal daily for breakfast and also can’t eat the mushy stuff. I have the Silver Palate “Thick and Rough” oatmeal cooked briefly with very little water in the microwave. It has texture and a somewhat nutty taste.</p>