Now that we’re well into January, you’re probably like resolutions whaaaat??! I hear you. I don’t make them, not really, but I do welcome the opportunity to try new things in the name of a new year.

This time, it was a whole foods detox. No caffeine, alcohol, meat, dairy, wheat, sugar, white rice, kimchi, soy, or myentireregulardiet, in other words, for two weeks. I ate a lot of nuts, vegetables, fruit, brown rice, and quinoa, and felt fantastic from the second day forth. Of course, a diet so strict kept me at home much of the time, and by the second week I missed the part about food that I love the most–sharing it. Still, those two weeks taught me more about the way I eat and satisfy cravings than I’ve ever known. And more than once, oatmeal saved the day.

Oatmeal is frigging wonderful, do you agree? Besides cooking it, I’ve used it as a facial mask and exfoliant, and a looong time ago my grandma gave me a warm oatmeal bath when I had the chicken pox. A bowl of stovetop oats is a blank canvas for all kinds of delicious add-ins, both savory and sweet. (Actually, I hadn’t thought of savory oatmeal until last week when my friend Ji Sun mentioned she likes to add a bit of kimchi to hers–brilliant). Hopefully you will not now associate oatmeal with chicken pox, and instead will be able to imagine all kinds of tasty possibilities for your bowl. A couple of ideas to get you started:

Oatmeal with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, coconut oil, and cashew milk
Oatmeal with kiwi, pineapple, and coconut milk
Oatmeal with prunes, orange, and cloves
Oatmeal with tahini, maple syrup, miso, Asian pear, and toasted almonds
Oatmeal with tomato, avocado, hummus, and nuts

Have an excellent week. xo