Comments on: Toasty Oats with Coconut

By: Akhil

Akhil — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 22:17:29 +0000

Speechless. I was drawn to this post because I am a huge fan of coconut + oats. This is the perfect marriage between the two. I think more than the pictures, or even the recipe, your story telling compelled me to write this comment. I barely comment on blogs because I prefer to make the food and move on. But, I think your talent is shining through so much that I want to not only make the recipe, but thank you in advance for sharing it in such a beautiful way. Best of luck to you!

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 04:14:26 +0000

Ahhhh! You captured that feeling so well!! I’d never thought of it in those words, but when I read “each meal is like a love letter” a million memories flashed before me of times when I had put myself on a plate and handed it down only to met with disgust. Here’s to loving well and trying again at the next meal. 🙂

By: instalacje_elektryczne

instalacje_elektryczne — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 12:01:04 +0000

I love that kind of food for breakfast, it give me energy for whole day! And this recipe looks delicious 🙂

By: Meg Walters

Meg Walters — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 01:09:18 +0000

This happened a lot to me when my kids were growing up. “Jim gets polenta instead. Why can’t you make it?” Now my 27-30 year old children are all great cooks, show me worlds of food I did not dare discover when they were little, and they appreciate my homemade bread, desserts, and dinners as often as they are able. You are building people here, who are still growing. They will become who they will be, and you will always be the one who helped them achieve that.

By: Karen | Joyful Dinners

Karen | Joyful Dinners — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 03:12:33 +0000

Rachel – that was so beautifully said. Filled with love and tenderness. Thank you for sharing

By: Rachele

Rachele — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 17:03:10 +0000

So I’m well into my thirties now, and yet my eyes still fill with years when I reflect on this…

I went to small, private schools growing up and wore a uniform to school most days. My mom stayed home with us, and my dad worked hard for every dollar. As you can imagine, money was tight, but we were a family and happy.

My mom can sew beautifully, and she used to sew my clothes. When we would get dress up or down days at school, so many of my clothes were homemade. My mom put so much thought and care into each outfit, even matching me with my cabbage patch doll (oh the 80’s, such a magical time). I can remember standing in the mirror in outfits she sewed for me…such beautiful outfits…crying and asking why we couldn’t just go shopping at the mall like everyone else.

At that young, ignorant/naive age, i just didn’t get it. But now I remember how beautiful and special my clothes were, and wish I could go back and do it all over again. I’d be so proud of my clothes and loving towards my mom…

It took a few years and a lot of patience, unconditional love and living by example on my mom’s part, but I get it now. I feel the love my mom was giving me then, and have a burning and aching gratitude towards her now for things she did for me 30 years ago. And most importantly, I have learned to be grateful in the now, because I can’t go back and do it over.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is this…You’re making an investment. You might not see or feel the reward now, but they will get it someday. They will see the blessings and feel blessed, and feel your love like an overwhelming bear hug, even in hindsight. They will learn to keep loving even when they don’t feel the love.

And then you will see your investment paying off.

Excuse me…I have to go drive over and hug my mom now.

By: molly

molly — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 15:57:07 +0000

Oh, Ashley. I cheered, and moaned, and empathized when I first read your post. Then did it all over, reading the comments.

For ballast? I’ve been told, by one of mine, that my chicken noodle soup (with home-poached organic chicken, long-simmered and well-strained broth, carrots, noodles, + exactly nothing else) was worse than his broken (4″ long jagged femur break, surgery, 12″ steel rod) leg. He wasn’t kidding, either. In seven years of trying, he’s never made it past one (infinitesimal) sip. What can we do but laugh?

And take solace in the others — number two will eat said soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, by the bucket-full, moaning in pleasure the entire time. (This is why we have three!)

I am convinced some people are wired to love and attend to and understand food. And that others are just as (really, truly) happy, not bothering with it all, subsisting on cereal. I’m pretty sure I have a mix of both 🙂

Feed them in all the many ways they hunger, and know that it is always enough. Always.

xx,
Molly

By: Colleen N

Colleen N — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:55:43 +0000

Been there! Though my kids eat most things happily (kale saladby the bowl), so it always catches me off guard we someone bursts into tears at the food put in front of them. When I try to imagine getting that reaction 3xs a day like most moms, I think I’d throw in the apron. These oats, however, did not have that effect. They have been devoured 3 days in a row, with requests to have them for dessert. :). I toasted the coconut and replace some of the milk with a can of coconut milk. They say it tastes like cake/pudding. Thanks for the win!

By: Karen | Joyful Dinners

Karen | Joyful Dinners — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 17:01:13 +0000

I loved reading this, both for the story of your struggle with your children and for the amazing oatmeal. From the comments it appears that you have hit on a chord that many of us with children share. I am wondering at this point how my adventuress toddler who at the age of 4 loved the experience of living in France through a home exchange, eating her way through “stinky” cheese and delighting in trips to the market and the boulangerie, has become a teenager who won’t eat much of what I prepare. “Can’t we just eat normal food?” she asked while staring at a short rib laced risotto. But I know, as others have pointed out, that someday she will appreciate this. The lesson I want to teach her is not so much what we eat – it could be rice and beans – but that it was cooked with love. A love that is unconditional – I’m not going to stop infusing my cooking with love just because she doesn’t appreciate it. My love is not conditional on her approval. I learned this difficult lesson as a chef owner of a small restaurant. Talk about being vulnerable! Every day I would cook with all the love in my heart for whoever came to eat that day, and it took me a long time to not be crushed when someone didn’t like something or was critical. I had to just keep on cooking with love because I knew that it made all the difference in the food and in my own well being.

Thank you for sharing.

By: Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel

Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 23:47:38 +0000

major oh yum! moment for me. this looks great!

By: Libbynan

Libbynan — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 14:00:18 +0000

What is it with kids and coconut? My sister and I both loved coconut from birth and we had five kids between us who wouldn’t touch it as children. Two of them ( ages 45 & 26 ) still won’t.
As a mom, step-grandma, and step-great grandma, I can tell you that you have plenty of years left to see and marvel over your successes and failures as a parent. Every thing you do in love is a success, though it may take more years than you can imagine to realize it. Love them and insist on good manners. Those are the two best things you can do…. and grind up the coconut!

By: Lorna

Lorna — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 11:22:47 +0000

I’m starting to get fed up of my morning bowl of porridge, but it’s such a healthy, relatively easy method to start the day that I don’t really want to have to begin the search for a new favourite recipe. I’m printing off this recipe as I type, to see if my morning oats can still be saved!

By: Ralph Smith

Ralph Smith — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 01:15:56 +0000

This sounds really healthy and delicious, plus it is simple to prepare. Definitely on my short list of recipes to try.

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 06:11:42 +0000

Coconut! The scene from It’s a wonderful life springs to mind. Where George Bailey responds to Mary’s dislike for coconut. That would be a perfect response to coconut haters!

By: Maressa

Maressa — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 12:52:50 +0000

Wow are you in my head?! Amazing, love the expression of self, my sentiments exactly.

By: Vy

Vy — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 05:45:06 +0000

Children are fickle when it comes to food. My toddler will love something one day and spits it out the next day. They might surprise you and ask for it. Or even like toasted coconut one day. When they have children of their own, they’ll think back and appreciate all the meals that you made for them. Thinking back, I’m so grateful my mom cooked breakfast for us almost everyday and she still does even though she’s almost 70!

By: Pooja

Pooja — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 04:33:11 +0000

You just said out loud how I have been feeling all day. thank you!

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 03:39:03 +0000

I am banking on my children returning from college and begging me for certain foods. (I CAN’T WAIT!) I struggle the same as you. It’s tough when your expectations are set for praise. As accustomed as I’ve grown to complaints, I still feel sad about it if I’ve put forth great effort into a meal and think they’ll be pleased. I think that’s part of why I like baking for them more than cooking for them. I have a 99.9% “success” rate if sugar is involved.
(We love Megan’s buttered oats here, too. So luxurious.)

By: Ashley Rodriguez

Ashley Rodriguez — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 19:29:43 +0000

What a sweet image that is. Thank you.

By: Ashley Rodriguez

Ashley Rodriguez — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 19:29:16 +0000

Thank you for this. That’s really all I want for my children – for them to see that this is how I love them. There are things that I do terribly as a mother but feeding them, that I can do and I hope they’ll see my weaknesses and see how I used my gifts to love them well. Thanks again for your encouraging word.