As some of you know, I had foot surgery in the beginning of December. Now, over a month later, I'm just beginning to walk again. It's a tentative, gingerly gait, at best, but there's something wonderful about being able to walk from the kitchen counter to the table with a cup of tea. It also means that I can begin cooking again. Kind of. I wouldn't call it gourmet or involved, but I have put together a quesadilla for the Itty One and cooked a single egg on the stove.
But today, something special happened. It snowed. Now, that might not seem like a very special thing. After all, I live in Wisconsin. We're experts at snow. And yet, this year, it is the first time it's snowed. And the ground if covered in white. And even though it will mean things are harder for me for getting around on crutches, I'm really liking the snow. I've missed it. Winter in Wisconsin isn't the same without it. So welcome, snow. And, since I couldn't go outside to enjoy the flakes fluttering to the ground, I did the next best thing. I made comfort food.
Simple, yet satisfying, oatmeal is my go-to food. I made it on the stove with some water and my favorite pumpkin butter poured over it. I like to cook it until it's a bit thickened, but still watery enough to slide off my spoon. I added some dried cranberries, chopped banana and a sprinkle of coarsely chopped walnuts and gave a few more stirs. And then I put it into a bowl, added a spoon, and oh-so-carefully carried it to the table and enjoyed it while watching the snow fall outside my window over the lake.
It's perfect comfort food and another victory on my road to recovery and back to the kitchen.