What in the world did people do before mugs were invented? How ever did they hold their hot tea, water, iced coffee, and homemade juice?

Mugs are best when used in lieu of a bowl. I have one such mug that my Mom got me when I left for college. It’s a sweet and simple little mug etched with the words “Daily Cup”. I have officially deemed this mug to be my oatmeal mug. It’s the perfect vessel for my Daily Cup of oatmeal!

I just typed the word “oatmeal” into Google, just for kicks, hoping to have my sentence finished with some insanely creative things. Instead, I got the usual suspects: oatmeal cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal peanut butter cookies, and oatmeal pancakes. I mean, oatmeal cookies and pancakes can be quite sumptuous but oats are good for so many other things than just cookies, people! What about toasting it and putting it into homemade soap? Have you ever tried date balls? Homemade granola bars?How about just straight up oatmeal?

In my humble opinion, oats are best when simmered in milk on the stove top and whipped into creamy oatmeal. Today, I’m feeling a more simplistic variation than my usual concoction of almond butter-banana-honey-cinnamon.

Whatever happened to simple meals? With the right additives, oatmeal can be a near complete source of nutrients to kick-start your day {fiber, fruit, protein, dairy, calcium}. I have two Platinum Rules when it comes to oatmeal: always use milk when simmering and always add a spoonful of almond butter. Always always always Always always. Step on your right foot, DON’T FORGET IT.

I, however, am not casual about almond butter – it’s heaping tablespoon of  the stuff or none at all. On this particular morning, I broke my rule and opted to omit the almond butter in my oatmeal {egad!}. Instead I toned it down and enjoyed my Daily Cup of whipped coconut oats with peaches and seeds of ch-ch-ch-chia.

Sometimes we all could stand for a little more simplicity.

I don’t know about you, but my week has been stresssssful. It’s only the second week of school and I already find myself falling behind in some classes. I guess I haven’t quite found that magical balance of school, work, studying, friend time, fun, exercise, and blogging {which seems to be tipping the scale}. For now though, I find that unplugging myself really helps.

She unplugs herself? Gross!

Okay, no. By “unplugging” I really mean to be without gadgets and electronics. It’s really nice to sit undisturbed, be able to breathe, and read a book or get homework done. I’m always amazed at how productive I can be without the influence of cell phones, iPods, computers, cameras, printers, and other such silly things. I can already tell that most of my weekends will be spent in the park, very unplugged indeed. Hopefully, this will push me to spend less time on the blog, giving me more time for scholastic endeavors. After all, it is a bit silly and ironic to crave “unplugged time” yet want to blog simultaneously.

It’s all about balance. Life is a balancing act.

Wanna make my oatmeal? Here’s what you do:

Apricot coconut whipped oatmeal
recipe yield: 1 serving

In a small saucepan combine

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup nut milk 

Set the burner to medium. Continue to cook, stirring often, as the oatmeal begins to bubble. At this point toss in

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
pinch of cinnamon

Continue to cook until the oatmeal begins to thicken. Remove from the heat while it still seems slightly runny, as the oats will continue to thicken upon standing. Enjoy topped with

1 tablespoon each of chia seeds, hemp seeds, and toasted walnut halves!