Cooking is Caring

And now . . . Featuring me back in 2014 when we lived in an apartment in San Jose, California. I was making some Brazilian pancakes. Savory for dinner; sweet for dessert! I will be sharing the pictures and recipes sometime in the near future.

I've heard so many friends tell me they don't like to cook; that cooking feels like a chore to them. I get it. I think cooking, like many other things, is not for everyone. I also consider it to be an art. A gift! Not everyone has the skill, but I grew up with a mother that cooked delicious meals. Both of my grandmothers also cooked very well. So did my dad. Bottom line: I might have gotten my love for cooking from them.

My mom cooked and baked the most amazing things—she would even make pizza and ice cream from scratch. Don’t get me started on the delicious Brazilian beef and cheese she’d make, fried empanadas, exceptional desserts, and so on. Oh! And the best french fries ever! Rice, beans, steak. You name it! No wonder I liked to eat so much. Well, actually, I still like to, so never mind!

Nevertheless, I took it for granted until I realized how blessed I was. My friends from high school started to invite themselves over just so they could eat my mom's food. They had no shame in admitting it. That's when I finally saw that not everyone had a mom like mine. Unfortunately, I didn't start taking cooking seriously until I moved to the United States and met my future husband. As an American, he was very curious about Brazilian food. However, before he started making demands and placing requests, he cooked a meal for me: he grilled me some salmon. That was so sweet. None of my boyfriends ever did that for me.

Anyway, that simple gesture made me want to do the same for him. Twelve years later, I am still gladly doing so for him and for our daughter. Not only because they enjoy eating my food, but because I love cooking. It is also rewarding to see how much they appreciate it. That might be the best part of it, to be quite honest!

“Mamae (Mommy), can you please make me some oatmeal?"

All right then!

I never really cared for it much when I lived in Brazil, but when I was a nanny in Kentucky, I learned how to make oatmeal for the kids. Ever since, I have improved my oatmeal recipe and little one loves it!

As I mentioned in a previous post, both my daughter and husband have the flu and a loss of appetite, so I try to make some of their favorite meals, including this recipe. Here it is.

Nanda's Coconut Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 1 cup 2% organic milk

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup organic steel-cut oats

• 6 tbsp brown sugar (if you like it sweet)

• Dash of salt

• 1 can organic coconut milk

• 1 cup unsweetened organic coconut flakes

• Strawberries, or fruit of choice

• Walnuts, or nuts of choice

Directions

Pour milk into a pot along with the cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract. Set over medium heat. Let it come to a boil.

Add oatmeal and lower temperature. Let it cook slowly.

Mix in sugar and salt, moistening it with some coconut milk little by little.

Add the coconut flakes.

Finish with more coconut milk, if necessary, to reach desired consistency.

Top with fruit and nuts of choice.

Bom apetite!