When I was a kid my dad made my brothers and me breakfast every morning. We often didn’t get to see him much since he came home late at night, so mornings were always boy bonding times in our house (probably much to the relief of my mom who could sleep in and get ready for work without being bothered). When it got cold out he would start making us piping hot bowls of oatmeal. He would throw in walnuts, raisins, and dates if we had them in the pantry. Next, he would pour a bit of milk over it and complete the dish with a dusting of brown sugar and cinnamon that he kept pre-mixed in a can. Now an adult, I still do the same preparation once the air begins to get brisk, and I start eating oatmeal every morning. These days, though, I switch it up a bit. Usually, I go with pepitas and dried papaya. Other times hazelnuts, almonds, and dried pineapple. However, sometimes I forego traditional oatmeal all together and prepare my dad’s classic fruit-n-nut combo into oatmeal muffin form. A preparation that makes for a nice change every now and again. These muffins are the perfect breakfast bread for any morning. They’re best served right out of the oven when they’re still hot and will melt and soak up any butter you spread on.
