Tag Archives: recipes

#HeadlineTherapy Dutch woman crowned World Porridge Making Champion

Thanks to PA Media and STV News Online for the Headline

I’ve returned to having oats for breakfast as my cholesterol is edging into the danger zone, or perhaps I just got the wrong person’s results. (I need to have a second test ).

Still it was the Porridge Making Championships up in Scotland at the weekend and the win for Gina Saarberg from the Netherlands that caught my eye. She won the “Golden Spurtle” at the World Porridge Making Championship.

A Spurtle is a traditional 15th -century wooden utensil(practical version) used to stir oatmeal smoothly without forming lumps .A slimmer, longer version of the honey wand.

Weirdly the lady insisted on bringing her own water from the Netherlands to mix with the organic pinhead oats from the Dutch Company De Halm. Scottish Spring Water just wouldn’t do it, interestingly enough.

De Halm pinhead oats can be ordered online from specialist retailers in the UK. Still to be honest a bag of oats does take me a while to get through so this isn’t too much of a problem as I’m not a fan of online shopping.

Also, especially for the competition ; Gina added a little salt which brought out aromas and nuances of flavour that made the porridge taste even better. Unfortunately, salt is also a blood pressure raiser , so that for me is a difficult one. Taste over health? Well perhaps a little salt.

Another winner was a gentleman from Australia who won the ” speciality” title ,where you are allowed to add one special ingredient to your porridge. He won with his Sicilian inspired Canoli Porridge. Not one for a rushed breakfast before work I fear.

However, well done to the winners and my sympathies to the Scottish Water Suppliers who seem to have been edged out by the “Netherland Nectar”.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏

Bowl of porridge labeled Pinhead Oats beside jar labeled Netherlands Nectar
AI Generated Image (Not actual winner)

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Ha Ha…..Second Bite of the Cherry (Tomato)…..Sandwich City

What cities do you want to visit?

Well Jetpack said I’ve answered the prompt and my PC Version of WordPress said I haven’t . So I get a second bite of the Cherry.

I thought I’d be current, as one of the current scandals in British Politics is the recently elected Leader of the Opposition saying that she does not like “Sandwiches” or damp bread, and that she doesn’t believe in stopping for lunch at all in true “Gordon Gekko” style. Apparently she sends out for steak (most likely at tax payers expense as all the Politicians food is subsidised), for her lunch.

Well dear Kemi,

Let me take you by the hand , through the streets of Sandwich City, it will make you change your mind”. (Apologies Ralph McTell)

I do worry sometimes that Politicians on the right lack the feel for the Common man and Woman which is understandable if you are married to an Investment Banker and are Leader of the Conservative Party. You should though think before you eat, because you may have alienated a significant part of the population who otherwise may have supported your megalomaniac ideas about everything else.

Yes, I know balance sheets and profit and loss results are important, but so my dear are working conditions and for those of us without MP expenses, holidays and whatever other benefits Parliament have voted for themselves. The option of ringing out for a steak delivery for most is just not feasible and for a lot is totally repugnant.

Maybe popping out to Marks and Spencers, or a local Independent Delicatessen , both of who are very proud of their “Sandwich Heritage”. Yes, I know , Politicians policies have destroyed the High Street and lots of people work in Industrial Estates where they need food delivered because there aren’t near any shops.

Kemi, look a High street in Sandwich City, buzzing with people , spending their lunch break , chatting , enjoying their own unique choices , vegetarian, sour dough bread , sipping their coffee, rejuvenating themselves for an afternoon of work.

I mean what is the problem, and not just that how about employment and the profits that come from the Companies that make Sandwiches for the masses. The Sandwich Industry makes a contribution to GDP, do you not think that Sandwich making is an art that is useful employment?

You see this pub the “Earl of Sandwich” , it celebrates the gentleman who is said to have invented the Sandwich. Sandwiches have historical merit that a lot of Conservative Party Members would appreciate.

Interestingly enough what John Montagu , “The Fourth Earl of Sandwich ” is known for is incompetence, although this may have been recorded by scurrilous journalists of the period and passed on into history. (a lesson for all politicians) Apparently he was an inveterate gambler and didn’t want to take a break so asked his servants to bring him some meat wedged between two pieces of bread. Thus the Sandwich was invented.

Yes, Kemi, perhaps you can do without the bread, but that isn’t the point.

The workers need a break and they need time and food to regenerate themselves. Work breaks are just that, they are time for refreshments and refreshing yourself.

Oh and I should just mention , it’s not just eating we do during our lunch breaks , we need toilet breaks too.

In Sandwich City, there is the perfect balance of access to refreshments and the time to take them an refresh yourself. What is so bad about that Kemi?

I hope this has been a useful experience for you Kemi and has given you food for thought.

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