The Mix: old-fashioned oats, toasted coconut, honey, and sea salt
The Story: My husband, John, spoils me by waking up early on weekends to start a pot of steel-cut oats. While he was skiing in Switzerland last week, I settled for old-fashioned oats cooked in the microwave. Like the instant oats we wrote about a few weeks ago, these slightly thicker, not-quite instant oats taste a little mushy, too. To glam up the texture I loaded them with large flake coconut. Local honey and sea salt amped up the bland flavor. I missed John and his steel-cut oats last week. But eating something so dessert-like for breakfast was a satisfying, single-girl, guilty pleasure.
The Workout: a 2.5-hour bike ride, including 4 long hill repeats from the Mountain Brau Haus to the Steel Bridge in New Paltz
The Instructions: Stir together ½ cup old-fashioned oats and 1 cup water in a bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Let the oats sit in the microwave for 1 minute to finish cooking. Top with a huge handful of large-flake toasted coconut, a generous drizzle of honey, and a pinch of sea salt.