Three Bears' Porridge

Although I don’t need to convince anyone around here that porridge makes a yummy meal, a good dose of a fine Goldilocks storybook could go a long way to getting children interested in trying this delicious breakfast. There’s oatmeal, good, and then there’s porridge, really good! One of our favorite Goldilocks storybooks, which specifies the toppings used by the Three Bears on their porridge: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Start with Steel Cut Oats. Also called Irish or Scottish oatmeal. Place ¼ c per person in a bowl THAT FITS easily INSIDE YOUR CROCK POT!!!! Muy importante.

Add 1 c water per serving. Soak up to 24 hours. The soaking makes this recipes so easy to do.

I usually prep this after breakfast or lunch and leave the crockpot all set up to be turned on before bed.

(A note on soaking grains: most whole grains contain phytase, which can be broken down by soaking. Soaking whole grains increases their nutritive value and makes them easier to digest by breaking down the phytase. If this piques your interest, you can google it or read more in Nourishing Traditions- a cookbook I recommend with a grain of salt. It is not a beginner’s cookbook, but it does contain lots of information about nutrition.)

Set your bowl inside then pour water between your bowl of oats and the outer crock. You have effectively made a double boiler, or a baine-marie if you prefer French.

The real reason I like to soak our porridge is that it makes breakfast really easy. Stumble out of bed and Voila! Fresh, hot, ready.

Although if you forget to turn on the crockpot, it is a MAJOR letdown. Don’t forget! Steel-cut oats take forever to cook on the stove, so I pretty much only make them in the crockpot.
Close-up:

Another note: this crockpot set-up does NOT work with regular rolled oats, i.e. oatmeal. You will end up with a burned mess. Ya, I know, I tried it.

The real key to getting children interested in porridge or oatmeal is the oatmeal SUNDAE BAR. We use ground flaxseed, walnuts, bananas, frozen or fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and, on super-special occasions, Sunspire carob chips. Oh, and of course the homemade cashew, almond, sunflower, or sesame milk.

Shown here with a cup of Organic South African Rooibos.

Also, because I’ve already gotten questions about it, here are some general cookbook recommendations:
Whole Foods for the Whole Family- available from your local La Leche League, or used on Amazon
Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods- my second choice, in print, which is why I’m making it a permanent button on my blog
Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition 4th Editionby Marilyn Shannon- the whys behind lots of healthier food choices *a REALLY IMPORTANT BOOK* which I plan to review in depth later

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday, Blessed John Paul, pray for us!

"No pains should be spared to make the hours of meeting round the family table the brightest hours of the day."
-Charlotte Mason