How Obscure is Oatmeal Really?

Today one of the teachers is hosting a Canadian Thanksgiving potluck dinner at her house. I signed up to bring homemade pumpkin pie.

Interesting sidenote: none of the British teachers at my school have ever had pumpkin pie before, so they are quite excited about it.

I went to the local grocery store to see if they had any frozen pie shells. When I didn't see any, I knew I had to figure something out since there was no way I was going to go through the hassle of making pie crust (with a broken thumb no less). Besides, who actually eats the crust of the pie anyways? So when I got home, I started checking out recipes. I found a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars with an oatmeal crumble crust. YUM! Plus, I figure it would be easier to locate oatmeal than frozen pie crusts anyways.

So yesterday I went to the grocery store with my little shopping list (partly translated in Italian in case I couldn't find stuff) and came out with everything BUT the oatmeal. Of course. So a little later on that day, on the way to meet a friend, I stopped at another grocery store to ask if they had any oatmeal.

This is the response I got from the clerk:

Oatmeal? And in what capacity do you use oatmeal?

She took me over to some beans and other grain products in bags, just in case the oatmeal might be lurking around with the lentils and corn. But it wasn't. So she directed me down the street to the health food store.

And that is where I found my oatmeal! It wasn't instant, of course. And I still am not sure the lady who sold it to me knows what it is for, but at least I got it. Now I can make my Thanksgiving dessert!