CJG's Porridge

This is the concoction of a dear friend of mine. Each time I stayed with her she would prepare this enormously filling and delightful bowl of breakfast goodness and we would drink redbush tea and eat porridge and have the sort of conversations that are only of interest to two old friends who have drunk a lot together the night before and still have news to share.

Candice died this week of, as they say, a long illness bravely borne. I will make my own porridge and think of her.

Start with a standard quantity of traditional rolled porridge oats, organic for preference and mix it with 2.5 times its volume of water. 30g weight of oats is about right for one person.

Put it in a large bowl or jug that will microwave - yes, you can make it in a pan but do you want all that hassle on the teetering edge of a hangover - and start the abomination for a couple of minutes. The porridge will boil up so make sure the container is large enough. Meanwhile chop a large banana into slices, find a handful of raisins, another handful of sunflower seeds, hull less pumpkin seeds or a mixture of the two and pinch of cinnamon if you like it. Add any other seeds you like and maybe a few nuts, walnuts are nice if you have them.

Toss these into the porridge, give everything a good mix and return to the microwave for another couple of minutes until the oats have finished cooking.

Then, with dedication born of love, serve the porridge with maple or golden syrup lavishly applied and a little soya cream if you like it.

Feel the goodness filling you up. Take care of all your friends.