Morning Zinger Porridge

I make oatmeal or some other kind of hot cereal at least twice a week.  We call it porridge.  To keep the porridge from getting old, bland, and predictable, we have a fun time coming up with new ways to flavor it.  We have Very Berry Porridge, which is the berry medley from the freezer section of Costco.  We have Pumpkin Pie Porridge, which is canned pumpkin with the spices you find in pumpkin pie.  We have many variations of tropical flavored porridge with old bananas, coconut, and fruit.  Thanksgiving Leftover Porridge could have anything in it (no turkey though-no guarantee on the mashed potatoes)! 

This morning I made Morning Zinger Porridge for the first time.  The name came to me as I took my first bite!  I had a pile of pears that all had bruises.  Kids don't eat fruit that has brown spots, don't you know?  So I pureed the pears, added some lemon juice to keep them from oxidizing (turning brown), and poured them in the oatmeal.  Then I thought about commercial products I see with pears as the main ingredient.  What do the professionals add to pears?  Ginger.  I added some ground ginger and lightly sweetened with a little honey and some organic agave syrup.  Zing!

Now I make a huge pot of oatmeal (any leftovers get consumed by M or Grandad) so I can't give you exact amounts.  But the secret to cooking, I've learned from my chef-husband, is to keep the flavor so that you can't quite put your finger on what you are tasting.  You must have another bite to taste it again!  And again!  What is that delicious flavor?  High notes, low notes, mid range...mmmmm!  Auguste Gusteau says, "Anyone can cook!" in Pixar's Ratatouille, and you know what?  I'm anyone!

F shares her meal with her baby brother.  It is a boring bean soup made by me, but a scrape-the-bottom-of-the-crock-pot-soup when M flavors it.

The kids saw me adding the honey to the pot, so they were excited to have honey and pear porridge.  They gobbled it up!  I'm hoping the ginger keeps E from getting carsick today as we drive to the black belt ceremony!