Porridge: How Do You Eat Yours?

In recent years you may have noticed that porridge has made a serious comeback into the breakfast bowls of the UK:

• "Pret A Manger Boasted by Sales of 50000 Porridge Pots a Week" The Guardian
• "PepsiCo Invests £8.5 Million in Quaker Mill and Porridge Sales Soar" Pepsico

Porridge is even a frequent visitor to my breakfast bowl (I never thought I'd be saying that a few months ago). So why the renaissance? The population today is more health conscious and strangely porridge appears to be fashionable!

Probably for the "fashion" reason I had tried porridge for breakfast a few times. I didn't enjoy it and the experience reminded me of the porridge I ate as a child - a salty sloppy cement like substance.

So what changed? A few months ago someone made me porridge using just water. I loved it and have had it almost exclusively for breakfast since then.

After becoming a Porridge Eater I made a couple of important realisations:

• You all make and eat porridge completely differently.
• You seem very passionate about your porridge.

These points were emphasised during a recent coffee time discussion at work: 4 of us talking about porridge for 20 minutes and none of us cook or eat it the same. Points proved.

How do they eat theirs?

• One of my colleagues eats half a mixing bowl full of porridge mixed with sultanas and raisins approximately 3 hours before a long run. He makes it with 1 part oats, 2 parts water and 1 part milk. He adds more milk to the bowl when serving and loves it when the porridge floats in the milk.
• Another makes it with half water and half milk. And enjoys adding sugar and milk once served.
• Rather unfortnately my third colleague has no idea how his is made, his wife makes it. However, he recently found out that after 25 years of believing his porridge was cooked with salt it actually hadn't been.

How do I eat mines?

• I make mine with water only. 2 parts water to 1 part rolled oats.
• I serve it with Acacia honey and fresh fruit. My favourite being blackberries. 

This leaves one question. How do you eat yours?

Weekend Food Highlight #2

This weekend's food highlights were definitely a couple of fabulously simple breakfasts!


Breakfast Number 1: Banana and Oat Shake

I generally get some hard and fast exercise in first thing on a Saturday morning - allows me enjoy the weekend relatively guilt free. Afterwards I have a small brunch to help me recover. This Saturday I had a Banana and Oat Shake - absolutely delicious! I'm not a massive fan of smoothies or milkshakes but I really enjoyed this one.

Blend the following ingredients: 1 banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, dribble of honey, 1.5 tablespoon of rolled oats and rounghly 250ml of milk. Done.

This shake was inspired by the wonderful 'A Wee Bit of Cooking'.


Breakfast Number 2: Poached Eggs on Organic Caraway and Rye Toast


I'm lucky enough to live within a five minute walk of a gorgeous Organic Bakery. I bought a Caraway and Rye loaf there on Saturday.  For breakfast on Sunday I poached a couple of eggs and served them on a couple of slices of the Caraway and Rye bread toasted. The flavour of the Caraway just worked with the poached eggs. Gorgeous.