Mulling Over Breakfast and A Roast Chicken

I'm simply not awake at breakfast, I go through the motions of putting on the kettle and making tea, dozing while standing up (it is possible), being 'not with it', and prone to crabbiness when approached. All the same I still manage to make some sort of breakfast that tastes all right and does the trick.


However, I think it would behoove everyone to read this....
http://www.tracingpaper.org.uk/2009/04/29/cereal-offenders/
...on the utter disgrace and rank disregard with which cereal manufacturers hold for their consumers. Might as well have the jam doughnut you've been hankering for anyway!!


Expensive junk. So in the spirit of health, frugality and a refusal to be a consumer of all that's rubbishy; from now on it's porridge (oatmeal) for me and mine. There are ways around the 'I don't have enough time' syndrome. And that's to soak it the night before. 1 Cup of Porridge Oats to 2 Cups of Water is my preference (allowing half a cup of oats per person, one cup for Daddy Bear). I never make it with milk unless there is a particularly hideous pot which I can't, otherwise, justify throwing away.  Soak it overnight with the above ratio and the minute it comes to the boil it's done. 3 minutes - faster than a microwave. 


Don't you think it's a bit boring though? I certainly do..so I've been tarting mine up with a handful of raisins and a dash of cinnamon. Use maple syrup or golden syrup instead of honey. Dice in some apple the night before too - as long as it's under the water it won't brown. A particularly nice variation is walnuts and dried cranberries, if you're up to it. 
The best part is this is seriously cheap for breakfast presuming you buy the largest bag of Flahavan's Oatlets; plain porridge clocks in at 10cents per person add another 30cents for raisins and the same for apples. Meaning that brekkers for a family of four should, maximum, cost EUR1.50 per day. 


However this evening we have had a roasted chicken, a magnificent bird from my local butcher, for which, he charged me 7 Euros. Rather on the plump side, no blood spots in the meat and even better the bones weren't blackened (what on earth causes that in supermarket chickens?) plus it had flavour. 
Lidl once again provided the vegetables, clocking in at a modest EUR1.75 (including spuds). 
Even as I type there are leftovers in the fridge for luncheon sandwiches and the carcass is simmering gently in a pot with a carrot, some celery and an onion. That stock will be for Wednesday and I have some chicken soup with spatzle (little egg dumplings) in mind. 
Three meals from a 7 quid chicken, who would have thought it.