I already look like I have a bowling ball tucked under my shirt.

You have a defined pregnancy. Hers is less so, but she still looks like she's gained a bunch of weight, most of it in a potbelly. Given she's not wearing baggy clothes, it was a secret whose time was nigh.

more money in my pocket

This is always a good thing.

So here's the topic up for debate in my office: Is Faith turning into a Li'l Kim wannabe? (Faith Evans, the singer. Ex-wife of Biggie Smalls) We all seem to think so and are wondering if it's all related to the long-rumored Biggie-Kim romance.

I like the taste of oatmeal, but not the texture. I love oatmeal raisin cookies and oatmeal bread, but the breakfast slush makes me shiver.

I've only had oatmeal that I liked once. Unfortunately it was at a B&B, and I didn't think to ask the proprietor how she made it. It wasn't at all mushy, gelatinous, creamy, or gruel-like in texture. Each individual oat maintained its integrity, it was nicely chewy, and tasted great with a little brown sugar.

See, you both need to make it with much less water. This keeps it from getting gray and mushy and you can get the oats texture. I use half the water, and stand there stirring it since it absorbs it quickly.

For Burrell, two definitions of guel from the OED:

-A light, liquid food (chiefly used as an article of diet for invalids) made by boiling oatmeal (or occas. some other farinaceous subtance) in water or milk, sometimes with the addition of other ingredients, as butter, sugar, spices, onions, etc. Grantham gruel (see quot. 1818). See also WATER-GRUEL.

-Broth or pottage of oatmeal in which chopped meat has been boiled. Commonly gruel forced (aforced, enforced), gruel (of) force, or gruel of beef, etc. Similarly gruel of almonds.

Has anyone here tried steel cut oatmeal? Has anyone not hated it?

Love it. chewier than any other oatmeal -- I add dried fruit in the last couple of minutes of cooking. I am planning on doing the overnight method sometiome between toninght and sunday night. Left overs reheat well.

Stovetop method - not hard, just takes time. I have heard of people ( including my parents ) soaking it over night - I never did.

Steel cut oats. Taste better - more oat flavor. more fiber which means it is good for my diabetes and for things like cholesteral. and I like chewing.

Alton Brown - doesn't add salt while it is cooking - I 've tried it that way - I noticed no difference in the cooking time - and It tastes better if you add some salt while cooking.

cooking time

I usually use 1/2 water and 1/2 unsweetened soy milk ( ups the protien). a little slower - because soy milk does bad things if it gets to hot. I tend to use 1 1/2c oats to 4 cups liquid.

Now I am going to make yogurt sorbet....

there is a teacher here that was keeping her pregnancy a secret, but I think every single person knew. She was big. I think she is officially out on leave now.

I thought Biggie-Kim was hard fact and out in the open. SHe was pregnant with his baby and had an abortion. Don't know what is currently going on with Faith, I am ignorant of current music stuff.

You can also prevent guacamole browning by squeezing a little lemon juice on it.

oh yeah - Jesse go get chips and eat that guac. mmmm.

now of course I want guac and chips for dinner instead of oatmeal. I think the two together might be grossest combo ever.

For Burrell, two definitions of guel from the OED:

Thanks, sarameg! Now I'm feeling all vindicated about the oatmeal, but a little weirded out by the idea of adding meat to it.

See, you both need to make it with much less water.

I never use water, or at least I never use just water. It's so much tastier made with either milk or soy milk.

I just thought that it wasn't nearly as much fun as the original Blade.

Can't argue with that. I expected it to be realy really bad, so I was pelasantly surprised.