Day 4 - Breakfast Porridge

I don't often put pictures of the cats on this blog - after all they're nasty unhygienic creatures who have no place in a kitchen but try telling them that. On the other hand a picture of a bowl of steaming porridge is no easy task to make look photographically attractive, particularly when said bowlful was consumed several hours ago.

The key to a healthy diet is often claimed to be a good breakfast. This is an excellent breakfast if not particularly original or inventive.

For one substantial serving

50g of porridge oats (this is conveniently one small coffee cup here)
3 times its volume in water
a small handful of dried fruit - I favour some excellent large raisins and chopped unsulphured apricots at the moment. Don't overdo it, dried fruit is high in sugar but still good for you in moderation.

Put all of this into a heavy bottomed pan and allow to heat gently. Keep stirring and when it starts to simmer continue for two or three minutes more. Put the porridge into your serving bowl.

Then add as you fancy some chopped fresh fruit, bananas are good or grapes.

Finally, some completely optional items;

It's traditional to add a pinch of salt to porridge. That's fine but I'm leaving it out this month.
A sprinkle of cinnamon is nice if you like it and good for you apparently.
Two teaspoons of muscovado sugar (that's the very dark stuff from Barbados) is delicious but you might not want to add extra sweetness.
Non dairy milk, soy or nut, poured over particularly with the sugar, makes this brilliant in my opinion.

And that's that. With a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge you'll feel as fat and happy as a snoozing cat all the way until lunchtime.