Thursday, October 30, 2008

PORRIDGE WITH SYRUP

I had porridge when I was a primary school kid - Ready Brek (remember the ad with the kids going to school with a glowing red line around them?) to be precise - but I hadn't had it since. I was traumatized by my old Gramps once asking if I wanted some one Saturday morning and delving in to the bowl unsuspecting and gulping down a revolting salty spoonful. He didn't realize youngsters ate it with sugar, I didn't realize oldies ate it with salt - yeuch. So for 28 or 29 years I avoided porridge till last year.
One morning I got into the office and was hungry. I mailed Thomas to ask if he had any fruit or anything and he replied he only had syrup porridge sachets. I was revolted but starving. I poured it into a mug and covered it in milk. I microwaved it. The texture made me queasy. The sweetness reminded me of the salty experience. Yeuch. I avoided it for another year.
Last week I was freezing one morning when I got up and what did I see on to of the fridge but syrup porridge sachets. I gingerly attempted a spoonful. It was warm and the texture was less alien this time.
Every morning since I have come down in the cold and reached for the porridge rather than the cornflakes. Porridge is actually quite nice, when Gramps is no longer likely to sabotage it with salt (but don't tell Thomas - I slagged him off for weeks for buying such a revolting snack). My kids of course have never tasted porridge because I never bought it so when I offered them a taste of the gloopy oats they wandered off muttering that looks sick under their breath. I wonder how long it will take me to convert them to warm winter cereal.

1 comment:

The Scudder said...

You don't eat ( & love ) porridge ?
You're a bloody disgrace to the Clan name you bear !
Go into the naughty corner & don't come out 'till you've tried all the Scottish porridge varients .,.,., Och ok and the crazy Danish stuff too ...