Oats are proven to lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and calm nerves, a very nice benefit for our crazy times.
I am a serious stress-eater; I eat when I'm stressed. Long before I learned oats calm nerves, I must have instinctively known it because I was making a pot of this special oatmeal, my basic, bejeweled oatmeal below, in the morning, and then just leaving it out all day on the counter in a sealed container, taking a spoonful several times throughout the day, as I passed by it, like when I felt "I gotta chew!", like when I'm frustrated.

In a small saucepan, add:

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. raisons

1/2 c. cranberries

1 3/4 c. water

Bring to a rolling boil.

Add 1 cup oatmeal, barely stir, immediately remove from heat.

Let sit uncovered for 2 minutes.

Feel free to add hipping cream, butter, cinnamon, raw or brown sugar, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Rolled oats are the star for this class. They are naturally sweet, crazy-versatile, they are inexpensive, and easy to prepare. They are a great source of B vitamins, and, surprisingly calcium, as well as protein, and of course, fiber. In fact, oats seems to have a special level of fiber---I think it was an Harvard article that likened oats to 'a garbage truck for your body---it hauls out the trash". A very good thing.

Commonly served for breakfast in parts of Southeast Asia, this dish also makes an awesome dessert (sorry; I think I say ‘awesome’ way too much...but this IS awesome!)
Black rice is often called “Forbidden Rice”, which makes it all the more fun to make, serve and eat! So exotic and mysterious! (As always, if you can’t find the fancier rice, good ol’ brown rice is always fine.)

Try out this Black Rice Pudding:
1 c. black rice
1/2 c. sugar
1 15 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well
Bring rice and 3 c. water, and 1/4 tsp. salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with a tight-fitting lid, 45 minutes (rice will still be wet). Stir in sugar and another 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 1/2 c. coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a low simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and rice is tender but slightly chewy, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool to warm, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes. Just before serving , stir pudding, serve in bowls, and drizzle remaining coconut milk over pudding.
*Rice pudding takes some time to cook, but it keeps very well, covered and chilled, for 5 days, so you’ve got breakfast for your work week all ready!

If you looking for a way to increase antioxidants in your diet other than blueberries, black rice is an economical, longer shelf life and possibly more healthful alternative, according to scientists reporting to the national meeting of American Chemical Society in Boston recently. In fact, just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries! So fight cancer and hearth disease by adding black rice bran to cereals and baked goods to increase your personal illness fighting potential.