Necessity is the Mother of Invention. Word.

I found myself surprisingly hungry this afternoon. Surprisingly—because it was unscheduled, unplanned, and, for which I was unprepared. My late afternoon lovechild. Metaphorically speaking. Those of you who work in an office or live and die by a routine will totally get this.

Standing in front of our kitchen cupboard, all I see is my Oat-ee-bix cereal (rolled oats for my now wheat-free diet), a nearly empty jar of reduced fat peanut butter and some runny honey. A fantastic idea begins to weave together in the back of my mind and as I haven’t got much to lose—it is after all 4pm on a workday—and much to gain.

I scramble for a bowl. A few minutes later, I’m stood looking at a bowl of cereal drizzled with honey and peanut butter. I was actually feeling that tingly nauseated feeling that comes from a combination of excitement and anxiety. It was just like waiting for your ride on a rollercoaster, hearing the monster roar and tear through the air above you, wondering if you’ve just made a terrible mistake and if these people wouldn’t mind you shoving past them for the exit.

I rushed back to my desk to tuck into my new culinary invention. Sure, it doesn’t look right. I mean, peanut butter isn’t exactly the consistency that ‘drizzles’ well. It’s more the consistency of ‘clumped.’ One bite and I know that looks aren’t everything. The crisp oat chunks provide the perfect texture, the peanut butter on oat reminds me of peanut butter cookies and the honey adds a refreshing zing to the milk. The oats even seem to delay their soggy process in the milk—as if the physical properties of peanut butter, milk and honey combined slow down the inevitable breakdown into oat slush. Tasty and practical?!

Verdict: WEIRD LOOKING BUT AWESOME. Will revisit.

Too bad the office is looking at me askance now. Guess I got the rumour mill going last week when I had tuna fish with pilaf rice for lunch (What? It wasn't too bad. Just a bit salty). Clearly, I’m playing fast and loose with the rumour mill now. My cereal and its accoutrements need a name. Perhaps ‘Relax, Definitely Not Preggo’?