Humans cannot easily digest oat hulls, so groats are the rawest form of oats that can be eaten.  They are whole oats with the stalks/hulls removed, usually by a mechanized process, that leaves just the main portion of the oat kernel, called the groat.  Groats can be eaten cooked or raw (often soaked in milk or water), or further ground down (yes, even easily at home) into other forms that are used in common foods.   “Meal” is a term that refers to coarsely ground seeds.  They are very similar to steel cut oats, and often referred to as Scottish oatmeal.  Around 70% of the world’s oats are used as livestock feed for poultry, cattle, sheep, and horses.  The other 30% are eaten daily by humans as a delicious and hearty food that is known to help lower cholesterol.  Oats in general do not need to be cooked before eating, and taste and texture preferences afford many options.  

Steel Cut Oats

These are oat groats that have been cut into smaller pieces by steel blades.  The smaller pieces expose more of the oat groat surface area, so it makes them a little quicker to cook, and have a different texture than whole groats.  Steel cut oats (also called Irish oats), like oat groats, are digested more slowly than other oat forms (such as rolled and instant), so they provide a smoother nutrition intake and leave one feeling full longer. 

Whole Grain Oats

The rawest form of oat, this grows in the fields and is harvested.  It is usually used for livestock feed in this form as the stalks can be eaten as hay, and the hulls (with the oat kernels inside) are easily digestible by farm animals. 

Rolled Oats

Likely the most common form of oat on store shelves, rolled oats are groats that have been steamed (to soften them up), and rolled flat.  With the additional processing step of steaming, rolled oats begin to lose some nutritional value.  Since they are flat, rolled oats cook faster than steel cut oats, and have a different texture.  While cooking raw oats can take anywhere from 3-10 minutes, for those who prefer instant oat satisfaction, there are instant oats available.  They have been pre-cooked, steamed, and rolled flat.  Add liquid (usually hot water), stir, and they’re ready to eat.  With the additional processing steps of pre-cooking, steaming, and rolling, instant oats begin to lose some nutritional value.  https://www.livinghealthywealthywise.com/oat-groats/   See also https://theforkedspoon.com/what-are-groats/  Thank you, Muse reader!   

"The best lines come out of real life.  You catch one, you shine a light on it and you put it in the right situation.”  That's how Howie Cohen, now an exec at the Phelps agency in Los Angeles, came up with some winning campaigns during the 1960s for Wells Rich Greene while working on the Miles Laboratories account.  There, his original designation as "backup to the backup" creative on the Alka-Seltzer business led to the side-splitting but relatable "Try it, you'll like it" and "I can't believe I ate the whole thing.”   https://adage.com/videos/i-cant-believe-i-ate-the-whole-thing/29  Thank you, Muse reader!   

Jan Mankes (1889–1920) was a Dutch painter.  He produced around 200 paintings, 100 drawings and 50 prints before dying of tuberculosis at the age of 30.  His restrained, detailed work ranged from self-portraits to landscapes and studies of birds and animals.  His work is now exhibited in his native Netherlands in the Museum Arnhem, Museum Belvédère and Museum MORE.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Mankes  See also https://vsemart.com/dutch-painter-jan-mankes/    

Touch is an important part of choosing fresh figs.  The figs should look plump and appealing, but they should also feel firm and full and yield to a light touch.  Figs that feel very soft are likely to be mushy inside.  You should also pay attention to the aroma.  Ripe figs at their prime will smell sweet and fragrant, whereas figs that have started to spoil may smell sour.  It's also important to avoid dry or cracked figs because this will translate to dry-tasting figs and none of that delicious jammy interior that makes the fruit so special.  Choose figs that look robust and hold their shape, as this is a good indicator that the texture will be what you expect out of an in-season fig.  Common Fig Varieties:  Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Calimyrna, Kadota, and Adriatic.  The shelf life of freshly picked figs is about seven days.  They need air circulation; arrange them in a single layer without their sides touching in a container lined with paper towels.  They fare best in the fridge.  Check them daily, and discard any that have turned bad.  Stacey Lastoe   https://www.southernliving.com/how-to-store-figs-7551157#:~:text=Place%20the%20figs%20in%20a,too%20long%20to%20enjoy%20them!   

Award-winning, versatile, and prolific children’s author Eve Bunting died on October 1, 2023 in Santa Cruz, Calif.  She was 94.  She was born on December 1928 in Maghera, a small town in County Derry, Northern Ireland, to parents Sloan and Mary Bolton.  The Boltons ran the busy and well-respected local post office/shop selling produce and grocery items.  Through their shop, the family also provided a lending library for the town, filled with books and poetry.  Eve’s parents often asked her to recite poems and biblical verses, a practice that helped her develop a facility with language, rhythm, and rhyme that served her well throughout her life as both a writer and a public speaker.   https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/93379-obituary-eve-bunting.html   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2736  October 25, 2023