Fruity Oatmeal

We were given  a packet of oatmeal by grandmother. Ying Yue was so enthusiastic about having some oatmeal that we decided to try making it. There is an art in making oatmeal. Not well cooked, it is very hard and tasteless. Watery oatmeal is also not very appetizing. After some experimentation, we have come up with something that we like very much.

Ingredients
Oatmeal
Water
Sugar
Fruits
Raisins

Bring the oatmeal to a boil. Ying Yue had fun stirring it with a whisk, which helps in the cooking process. This process reminds me of breaking rice grains for Cantonese style porridge. This helps to create a thick creamy texture. The thickness of the oatmeal is also dependent on the amount of water added. I never enjoyed my oatmeal breakfast as a child and wonder why she wanted to make this particular dish. While we were busy with this mother and child bonding session, she mentioned that she had this for breakfast in the childcare. I suppose adding some sugar helps to make it more palatable.



Ying Yue came up with something that really reminded me of the little Chang Jing in the very popular Korean drama series. As we were thinking about how to add some fruits, I was thinking her favorite strawberries which was not available at the moment. We found some raisins, orange and blackberries. She came up with different combinations of the fruits for each member of the family.


For Me Chen with extra raisins

For Ying Yue with orange segments



For Daddy with extra blackberries

For Mummy with orange segments



This breakfast worked out for Ying Yue as she loves hands on activities. Ying Yue loves setting up the table for each family, getting everyone spoons. She enjoys partaking in any food she has thoughtfully made and gets to understand why I tell her that making a meal is creating a gift for someone. Sometimes we wonder why the kids didn't like or are lukewarm about the meal we have prepared. However if she has taken part in the making of it, she was so eager having every bit of the food.