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The Heart of the Home: A Tribute to My Father and the Perfect Bowl of Oats

This article is long overdue. As I sit here in my kitchen in the Chicago-land area, it is a quiet Saturday morning in January 2026. Outside, the weather is bitter cold with temperatures dipping well into the teens, but inside, my belly is full and warm from a fresh pot of oats.

A Legacy in Every Grain

If you’ve spent any time browsing Fuzzy Monkey’s Kitchen, you might have noticed a theme. There is Quaker memorabilia scattered throughout our photos—everything from vintage cookie tins and recipe books like the Quaker Oats Favorite Recipe Collection to shirts, jackets, and even shorts.

This isn’t just a style choice; it’s my history. My father worked for the Quaker Oats Company for over 30 years. Growing up, we didn’t just eat oats; we lived them. This post is a tribute to my father’s career and a way of saying “thanks.” Thanks for the granola bars, the countless batches of Oatmeal Scotchies, and every sporting event I was lucky enough to attend because of his hard work.

Simple, Slow, and Steady

I have no idea why it took me this long to document this basic recipe. Perhaps it’s because it’s so simple that I overlooked it. While quick oats have their place, there is something meditative about cooking Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats on the stove, slow and steady.

The beauty of a basic bowl of oats is that it’s a blank canvas. I never eat mine plain. During this photoshoot, I topped my bowl with dried cranberries. Ask me again in a week, and it might be fresh blueberries, walnuts, or even a handful of butterscotch chips left over from my latest batch of cookies.

How I make old-fashioned oatmeal.

First gather the ingredients.

A top-down flat lay of ingredients for old-fashioned oatmeal, including a canister of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, a bowl of dry rolled oats, a glass measuring cup of water, a small dish of salt, and a vintage red Quaker Oats tin. — Everything you need for a warm, comforting bowl of oats—featuring a bit of family history.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

A stainless steel saucepan with an orange handle on a black glass stovetop, containing water at a rolling boil with steam rising. — The first step to a perfect bowl: bringing your water to a rolling boil.

Add 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats.

A hand pouring a white bowl of dry Quaker Old Fashioned rolled oats into a stainless steel pot of boiling water on a black electric stovetop. — Stirring in the heart of the meal: adding the oats to the boiling water.

Add salt, if desired. I prefer to use other flavoring such as dried cranberries, raisins or fresh fruit.

A hand tilting a small white dish to pour a dash of salt into a pot of simmering old-fashioned oats on a black stovetop. — Adding a quick dash to bring out the nutty flavor of the rolled oats.

Cook on low to medium heat for 5 minutes. In my case this often takes longer than five minutes. Maybe it’s because of the electric stove. At any rate, I don’t usually rush it, this just gives me time to make the coffee or do the dishes.

A top-down view of a stainless steel pot of simmering oatmeal on a glass stovetop, with the digital oven timer above it clearly displaying 5 minutes. — Patience is key: letting the oats simmer for exactly five minutes for the best texture.

The final results, plain old-fashioned oatmeal.

A top-down view of a single serving of cooked, creamy old-fashioned oatmeal in a white bowl with a blue rim, positioned next to a container of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. — A simple, hearty bowl of classic old-fashioned oats, cooked to creamy perfection.

Close up of the cooked oats.

A macro close-up showing the soft, creamy, and hearty texture of cooked Quaker Old Fashioned rolled oats in a bowl. — The hallmark of “slow and steady” cooking: tender, creamy oats that are never mushy.

At the time of this writing, this is how I styled my oats. Yum!

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal

David Gates

Single serving of Old-Fashioned oatmeal.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 6

Cook Time 11

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

Sauce pan
spoon

Ingredients

1/2 cup Old-Fashioned Oats
1 dash Salt optional, I do not add this.
1 cup Water

Instructions

Boil the 1 cup of water over the stove until boiling.
Add the old-fashioned oats.
Add the dash of salt, I do not add salt to my oats.
Cook on low to medium heat until water is absorbed. Usually 5 minutes.
Add dried ingredients if desired.
Let it rest / cool for a few minutes and serve.

Notes

This recipe is for one (1) single serving of old-fashioned oatmeal. This recipe easily doubles, triples, you get the idea. Salt is not necessary and I don’t add this. Instead, I usually add dried raisins, cranberries, or fresh fruit, like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries for taste. I also add cinnamon or sugar for added flavor.