The Most Wonderful Time of The Year...

is cherry season! And the photo above is my all-time favorite breakfast, oatmeal with cherries.  Cherries are showing up at the grocery store, and the cherries on my tree are ripening. There are so many things you can do with cherries, from oatmeal to smoothies. I can probably come close to eating my weight in them just as they are ;-)   If you weren't a reader last summer, you may have missed my amazing cherry salsa recipe. It's great with baked corn chips or pita, and makes a very tasty  addition to salad in place of salad dressing.

My twin daughters graduated from their respective high schools this weekend. Please forgive me, but I am so proud of them, I have to get a little bragging in. One graduated Magna Cum Laude, and the other was Summa Cum Laude.  Their party will be next weekend, where my cherry salsa will be making an appearance.

The quick and easy oatmeal doesn't really require a recipe, but I'll post it anyway,  just in case it helps anyone. It makes 4 servings and reheats well in the microwave, but I like the leftovers cold too.

Cherry Oatmeal

2 c. old-fashioned oats
4 c. water
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. pitted sweet cherries
12 brazil nuts, finely chopped or ground
4 T. chia seeds
4 T. ground flax

Bring water and almond extract to a boil. Stir in oats and lower heat to medium, cook and stir about 5 min. till oats are creamy. Stir in cherries, divide among 4 bowls, sprinkle each bowl with 1T. chia, 1T. flax, and 3 ground brazil nuts. Enjoy:)

And look what I was lucky enough to find and add to my garden-

a stevia plant! I've never grown one before, but from what I have read they can be quite finicky. If any of you has experience with these,  I'd love to hear about it!