By New Year 2021. The black-eyed peas went on at eight in the morning on New Year's Day, because they always go on at eight in the morning on New Year's Day, because the Simms family tradition does not take years off, even the years that have been as difficult as 2020, or especially those years. The peas are the commitment: I am still here, the stove is on, the tradition continues, we eat this food with the people we love and we step into the new year with the flavor of continuity in our mouths.
Shanice stayed through New Year's Day. She and CJ sat at the kitchen table on the morning of January first and ate black-eyed peas with Calvin and me and Destiny and Travis—Destiny and Travis, who are engaged now, who came for New Year's with the particular glow of two people who have made a decision and are living inside it—and the table was full and the year began. I made cornbread again. I used the written recipe I'd given Shanice at Christmas and we made it together, side by side at the counter, and I walked her through the places where the written recipe leaves gaps because no written recipe can contain everything, and she listened and asked questions and adjusted and the cornbread was right and she knew it was right because she could tell.
I said to Calvin in bed that night: "2021 is going to be a good year." He said, "You don't know that." I said, "No, but I'm intending it. I'm putting the intention in the black-eyed peas and I'm directing it at the year and whatever the year does with it is between the year and God, but I am intending it." He laughed. He said, "Okay, Loretta. Intend it." I intend it. I am intending it. Here is the good year. Here is the table. Come on in.
The black-eyed peas take hours, and the cornbread comes later, and in the space between — while the kitchen fills up with the smell of something good and the people you love are still in their pajamas pulling chairs up to the table — you need something simple and warm to hold everybody in place. This oatmeal is that thing. I’ve been making a version of it on New Year’s morning for years, before the cornbread, before the peas are ready, just to give the table a reason to gather early. It is not complicated and it is not trying to be; it is just warm and right, and on January first, warm and right is everything.
Best Oatmeal Recipe (Vegan & GF)
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free if needed)
- 2 cups water or unsweetened non-dairy milk (oat, almond, or soy)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 medium ripe banana, sliced, or 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries
- 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
- 1 tablespoon natural almond butter or peanut butter (optional)
Instructions
- Bring liquid to a simmer. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the water or non-dairy milk and salt to a gentle simmer.
- Add the oats. Stir in the rolled oats and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5—7 minutes until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid and reached your preferred consistency. For creamier oats, cook a minute or two longer.
- Finish with flavor. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetness.
- Serve warm. Divide between two bowls and top with sliced banana or berries, toasted nuts, and a drizzle of nut butter if using. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 150mg