Hi readers,
I hope you’re well lately and enjoying a fab end to summer J One thing and another, I
haven’t written much over the past few weeks – fear not, I’ve been off having fun. There’s been a wedding, a hen do, and even a trip to Greece! I’ll
be back at it soon, sharing recipes with you fantastic people. Thank you for
reading.
In the meanwhile, here’s a sort of poetic ode to porridge which I
wrote in the early hours while I couldn’t sleep last night, followed by some
suggestions for tasty porridge toppings. For all you porridge lovers out there –
enjoy!
Take care lovely humans,
H x
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An ode to porridge
Porridge is humble food
Warm
Comforting
Oaty
Stodge for your podge
It’s filling
Plain, simple food
Feed all the family from one big pot
Eating porridge together
Tiredly, quietly, not yet fully awake.
Porridge is winter food
Just what you need
When the cold outside fogs up the windows
When ice is creeping up the glass
And you wake with cold toes
Stick a leg out, no
Prised away, finally, from the comfort of bed.
Porridge is eaten in the dark, with morning yet to come
Looking out into the night
From the safe light of home
Sheltered from the storm
Thoughts of the day ahead
Thoughts of the next meal, already
Remembering your dreams and sharing them with others
Sharing your porridge, too.
Porridge can be eaten under a woolly blanket
In your cosy PJs
With big socks on
Maybe in your favourite bowl, with a big spoon
In bed, with your big spoon beside you
Toasty together under a thick quilt
Eating porridge, not toast.
Porridge tastes pretty good when it’s snowing outside
And things are warm in your belly
With a ready brek glow
Hats, gloves, scarves on the radiator
Still damp from snowball warfare
With more yet to come
A snowman’s waving from outside the window
He’s enjoying the snow
You’re enjoying your porridge.
Or, is porridge taste eaten beside the Christmas tree?
Shaken (with cinnamon), and stirred
That’s a cosy scene, now
Curled up on the settee
Nursing a hot bowl, with sleeves over hands
Decked in a festive onesie
Porridge and an eggnog, porridge and a cuppa tea
Whatever your bev, suits me.
Porridge paired with an Advent calendar
Open today’s door
Have you tried this yet?
Melting your treat
... not on your tongue
But on your porridge
Yes, stirred thought your oats
Chocolatey goodness
As Jesus would have wanted.
Porridge makes me think, often
Not of the nativity
But of bears
Now I wonder why
Bears like honey, we know
Pooh Bear’s favourite food
And I like porridge with honey
But, would bears like porridge?
Goldilocks and her three bears
How did the story go?
Did they eat her in the end?
Or, did they all eat porridge together?
I hope that was it.
Porridge in pop culture
The workhouse comes to mind
Gruel, I’m thinking of
Along with Oliver Twist
Please sir...
Windmills under blue skies
With beardy quakers milling oats
In stop motion
I think of Scotland, on a blowy day
Barren moors, ginger folk
Donning jumpers and tartan kilts
Blustery clouds fill the sky, they’re heavy and iron grey
Cold stones flag the cottage floor
And by a cauldron over an open fire
The Scots stir their porridge.
Porridge
Gets me through winter
One hot bowl of oats
To the next
Find me nodding in the kitchen
Until the microwave pings
Fill my boots with breakfast
And then the day begins.
---
ChefBeHere recommended porridge
toppings
Honey & raisin –
classic flavours & speedy to prepare if you’re in a rush
Cinammon & banana –
personal favourite, this porridge tastes like banana bread!
Peanut butter & jam – a
treat porridge best enjoyed with a big day ahead
Nutella – stir a tablespoon
through, that’s all you need, and sprinkle with nuts
Dates & coconut –
sweet, dry, exotic, a porridge inspired by faraway places
Prunes & vanilla – give
your belly a call to action with a healthy dose of prunes
Apricot, maple syrup &
seeds – feed healthy with a seedy start to the day
That’s all for now – I hope these ideas shake up your regular bowl
of porridge!
Heat safely,
Hayley
