Oatmeal and Graham… Crackers

Steve — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:50:26 +0000

Oatmeal and Heather Graham?

Wait… why did she drop by for breakfast with oatmeal? Hmm…

Don’t worry, Heather Graham is not actually involved here… Let’s talk about the “hazards” of oatmeal, instead.

Do you enjoy oatmeal in the morning?

Well, I actually do… but I tend to spiffy it up a bit to make the arguably-quintessential morning-like quick meal into something more extravagant. Adding things like milk, fruit slices or bits, syrups, sweet sauces, even cream of rice or wheat in the mix, will make it a more substantial yet flavorfully-fun morning snack… or even a small meal.

So, I decided to toss in graham crackers into oatmeal.

Folks: beware! Many people tend to use one (1) cup of water per 1/2-cup of oatmeal. A graham cracker will act like a sponge and deprive your oatmeal of the water that prevents it from caking; you will need to compensate for the addition of graham crackers with additional water. Rather than attempt to guess at a precise amount, gently trickle in your water (I tend to prefer hot, boiling water) into your oatmeal until the water level is covering the graham crackers (which should be initially dry before adding) and wait for the ‘crackers to draw in the moisture.

Then, enjoy!

Starbucks Opens with Breakfast… Again

Steve — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:00:21 +0000

The Setup

This afternoon, as I sauntered into the local Starbucks [SBUX] to get my usual coffee refill, I noticed a small countertop sign at the register bravely announcing the availability of some new menu items… for breakfast.

“What?!? Breakfast?

“Steve, what happened to returning to core competency?”

Well, I didn’t quite understand it, either. So I asked the barista who was refilling my coffee cup, and she said that she had not tried any of the new menu items either, although she kept eyeing the oatmeal packets sitting forlornly at the far corner behind the bar.

Okay, so I settled down with my fresh coffee and my 12″ PB.

Fast forward a few minutes. I was minding my own business (somewhat) and typing up my latest musings and meanderings, including a quick note about the Xbox 360 price drop (which definitely caught the attention of a lot of the Starbucks patrons around me!), and doing a bit of light Web browsing. Another barista sidled up and plopped down on the adjacent stool and wondered aloud if I’d already tried any of the new menu items. I blurted out, “No, but if you whip up a sample, I’ll give it a try!”

So she hopped off the stool and ran back to “whip up” a batch o’ samples…

The Premise

So, curious about this new development, I navigated over to Starbucks’ site to see if there was a press release.

And here ’tis. And here’s the official Starbucks description (from the press release) about their new breakfast-aimed menu items:

A Better Approach to Breakfast – A Great Start to Your Day

Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal – Now customers can start their day with a piping-hot bowl of oatmeal, packaged for easy transport. Each order can be customized with three different toppings; a portioned 50-calorie pack of brown sugar, 100-calorie pack of dried fruit and 100-calorie pack of a nut medley, and contains 140 to 390 calories depending on topping selections, up to 7 grams of fiber and 1.5 servings of whole grains – half of your daily needs.

Power Protein Plate – A convenient option with simple ingredients, the Power Protein Plate is a hearty combination of a cage-free hard-boiled egg, 100% whole wheat bagel, peanut butter, cheese, and fresh fruit. At 330 calories, this wholesome breakfast or snack has 16 grams of protein (about one-third of your daily needs) and 5 grams of fiber.

Berry Stella – This first of the six healthier additions was introduced nationally on July 15, 2008. For those who eat on the run, the Berry Stella is a 100% whole grain breakfast pastry that delivers a hearty blend of fiber, whole grains, real fruit and more than 200 mg of Omega-3s at 280 calories.

Apple Bran Muffin – Not your ordinary bran muffin, StarbucksÒ new Apple Bran Muffin is moist, delicious and full of ingredients to start your morning off right. Made with whole wheat flour, oats and wheat bran, and baked with real apples, tart cherries and honey, this muffin is a perfect option with 7 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, Omega-3s and 330 calories.

Chewy Fruit & Nut Bar – Full of whole, nourishing ingredients including oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and honey, the Chewy Fruit & Nut Bar contains heart-healthy Omega-3s and 250 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

Multigrain Roll with Spreads – Find a simple, delicious breakfast option in a multigrain roll served with a choice of savory almond butter and strawberry preserves. Made with seven different seeds and grains, and sweetened with honey, the roll boasts 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, at 280 calories. The almond butter spread is pre-portioned to a 100-calorie pack, while the strawberry preserves contains 40 calories.

The Action

The industrious barista strolled back with a tray of the sample cups filled with the oatmeal. It was topped with quite a few raisins, nuts, and some other partially-hidden foodstuffs (maybe the brown sugar?). Since the oatmeal is being prepared from a premeasured packet, getting the hot water volume just right is really important.

As I tasted it, I had a flashback of the Quaker Oats oatmeal I used to eat quite frequently; I used to top it myself with a mix of nuts, banana slices, and honey. The brown sugar certainly is nice, too. On the whole, the experience was positive, and if I’m in a rush, I might just order some in the future… although I’m not sure I’d be sticking around a Starbucks in the morning to enjoy oatmeal, since I’m usually rushing to get to different destinations.

N.B.

You’ve probably noticed that I occasionally do some light computing (both mobile- and notebook-type) at various WiFi-enabled Starbucks locations. Remember the initial birth pains for the free Wi-Fi with the Starbucks Card? Here are some related Javamancy posts, listed in reverse chronological order:

Also: This is part of the New Starbucks? series.