Slow Sunday, green spaces & porridge love!

Nov 12, 2023

Yesterday I had a walk around this city—Bristol—that I moved to last year. I haven’t really got to know it yet, so I went down to the Harbourside then up Park Street, took a left up Great George Street to a park with a tower in it, to see the view. And I discovered a small nature reserve right in the middle of this part of the city. Absolutely beautiful it was. The light and colours faded like an old painting ushering me towards winter.

The shining sun disappeared as afternoon grew older, bright coppers and reds scrunched across the damp ground, drifting into twilight. The world moved from bright sunny day, to shimmers of grey then darkened skies. I arrived home as little lights sparkled on in people’s homes.

I’ve always loved towns lit up under dark skies.

Recipes

I thought I’d share some porridge love. Porridge made with whole grains is a great breakfast at this time of year. It’s cheap and full of nutrition. If you know your Ayurvedic constitution, vata types wheat and oats groats are good for you, pitta types they are great for you too and so is barley. Kapha types a dryer lighter grain like millet and buckwheat are best for you. Basmati rice is a good option for all types.

A basic bowl of porridge for one person is the ratio 1/3 cup grain to 8 cups water or milk. Vata types do well with milk, and adding cream is also good. I make mine in a slow cooker overnight on low, but you could also make it in the oven overnight on very low. I think you could make it in an insulated cardboard box too—homemade slow cooker—but I haven’t tried yet.

Creamy date apple & pecan

I added chopped apple, dates and pecans to a basic mix of oat groats (the whole oats) and water, then added double cream and cinnamon in the morning.

Oaty apple with tahini balls

I made this the same as above but only apple then added some tahini balls in the morning, freshly squeezed orange juice and cinnamon. The tahini balls were made with 1/2 cup light tahini to 1 tablespoon maple syrup. The more you mix the stiffer the mixture gets, until you can roll into balls.

Spicy black rice & orange

I made this one with black rice, prune, orange and cardamon. Put the rice and prunes and water or milk in the slow cooker with chopped orange. I blended in the morning and added cardamon.

Black rice blueberry & ginger

Similar to the one before, made with black rice, but add some fresh ginger and blueberries instead of the orange and clove. And drizzle light tahini in the morning.

I hope you enjoy these porridge recipes, if like me you are heading into winter.

Joy dots

Winters fading colours

Promise of fires and chestnuts

Raindrops on telegraph wire

People’s smiling faces

Taking it slow

Windows lit up

Hibernation

Squirrels

Damp earth

Today was a complete winters day, and it stayed that way all day. The tree out front still covered in leaves, but lots on the ground too, damp, lush and slippery. Gentle breeze through the leaves on the trees, branches waving, and crows along the road cawing. It was an underwater day, but beautiful. Rainy city.