Wake Up to Holly’s Wickedly Plain Oatmeal

I’m definitely one of those people who remain deep in a breakfast rut for an embarrassingly long period of time. For the past 2 years, it’s been Arrowhead Mills Old Fashioned Oatmeal (never instant). I get very cranky when I run out. But while stocking up last week at Whole Foods, a cute, yellow package positioned right next to my target oatmeal caught my eye. Holly’s Wickedly Plain Oatmeal. “The yummiest, healthiest, highest protein oatmeal” the package exclaimed. Could it be? I wondered. Who is this Holly and what can she possibly have done to improve oatmeal? On a whim (brave foodie that I am) and of course following careful inspection of the package (protein count, fiber, etc – okay, fine, Type A foodie that I am), I decided to give it a whirl. And I have not looked back since. Sorry, Arrowhead Mills.

Holly’s oatmeal is far from wickedly plain. It is a blend of whole grain oats, rolled whole wheat, rye, flaxseeds, barley, oat bran, 7 grain cereal, Scottish oats, quinoa, amaranth, flax meal and soy grits. (What about that ugly stepchild bulgur wheat? I know. I can’t believe she left that out either. But thank god for those soy grits.) For those of you not quite as fiber focused as I am, don’t be put off by the laundry list of whole grains. The cereal really is delicious, and it's made right here in CT.

I dutifully purchased the soy milk as per the recommended preparation on the package. I have to admit I was skeptical as I’ve never consumed soy milk, really viewing it as a gateway drug to vegan-ism. But I thought what the heck, Holly’s got something wicked going on and I better dive in. And my instincts were right. The cereal has a hearty porridge-like consistency that isn’t at all gummy or glue-like, with a pleasing chewiness to it. The soy milk lends it a rich, satisfying flavor that when coupled with a drizzle of maple syrup (a super food, you know) and a smattering of raspberries makes it nirvana for hot cereal lovers. And it cooks in just six minutes, perfectly timed with my latte preparation.  I’m hooked. Trouble is, I don’t know what to do with the three boxes of Arrowhead Mills that I bought as my hedge. (Did I mention that I’m Type A?).

Holly has two other varieties of her oatmeal – Cranberry Almond and Goji Berry. Because I am deep in my rut, I haven’t tried either, but you should!

Available at Whole Foods. (Next to Arrowhead Mills) or go to Holly's web site for a full list of CT retailers.