A PORRIDGE PRIMER: PART II (MORE TOPPINGS)

Hi, friends. Have you been porridge-ing since I last wrote you (here)? I hope so. As promised I wanted to keep your porridge bowls at their most nourishing best with more topping ideas. These don’t have to be complicated, nor fussy. One way I keep porridge topping fun and easy for everyone involved is to set up a quickie, DIY-porridge topping bar for my family twice a week. It may include my all-purpose-porridge topper (basically, stewed frozen fruits in pure maple syrup. Ratios are here), or a small tray lined with jars of honey, granola, jam, preserves, peanut/almond/pumpkin seed butter, apple butter and the like.

On more decadent days, I like to offer small bowls of freshly cut fruit, pomegranate pips, honeycomb, or even grated chocolate. (NOTE: CHOCOLATE ON PORRIDGE IS A GAME-CHANGER!) I’m giving you a little visual inspo here, and below—my THREE FAVORITE PORRIDGE COMBOS to get you started on your own journey. The important thing: HAVE FUN. There’s no wrong way to top your porridge, and the more freedom you give your little people, they more likely they are to eat their oats.

THREE FAVORITE PORRIDGE COMBOS, BELOW

MY FOUR FAVORITE PORRIDGE COMBOS:

In our house, no two days of porridge look alike, but we do have toppings we gravitate toward. How much or little or each is entirely up to yo. Mix and match until you find your own favorites—these are just starting points.

STRAWBERRY, BANANA, MAPLE + ROSE PORRIDGE

• PERFECTLY RIPE BANANA, SLICED

• PERFECTLY RIPE PEAR, SLICED

• STRAWBERRY PORRIDGE TOPPER (RECIPE BELOW)

• GRANOLA OR MUESLI (OF CHOICE)

• EDIBLE ROSE PETALS (OPTIONAL)

• DRIZZLE OF HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP (OPTIONAL)

PEANUT BUTTER, HONEY + CHOCOLATE PORRIDGE

• PEANUT BUTTER (OF CHOICE: CREAMY OR CHUNKY)

• HONEYCOMB OR HONEY

• SHAVED OR FINELY CHOPPED DARK CHOCOLATE (70% OR HIGHER)

• POMEGRANATE PIPS OR SMALL BERRIES

• PERFECTLY RIPE PEAR, SLICED

• SUPER RIPE PERSIMMON, SLICED

• BEE POLLEN (OPTIONAL)

PUMPKIN SEED BUTTER + MARMALADE PORRIDGE

• PUMPKIN SEED BUTTER

• MUESLI (ANY KIND)

• PEPITAS (PUMPKIN SEEDS)

• PERFECTLY RIPE PEAR, SLICED

• CREAM OR HALF-N-HALF

STRAWBERRY PORRIDGE (OR ICE-CREAM) TOPPER :

I posted this last week, but in case you’re new here and missed it—here’s what you need to make the strawberry, banana, maple porridge, above. It’s also amazing on pancakes, waffles, yogurt or ice cream.

Combine one 12-oz bag of frozen berries with 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup in a small pot over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until the berries soften and weep, releasing their juices (if they are very small or dry, like blueberries and some blackberries, you may need to add a splash of water—about a tablespoon. Cook until the berries are just soft and juicy, but not too runny. Serve over warm porridge, and store any leftovers in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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images belong to Sarah Copeland, and should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **

• Photos // HARRISON LUBIN

• Food + Prop Styling // SARAH COPELAND

• Ceramics // LAIL DESIGN + CRATE & BARREL

• Linens // HANDMADE + CRATE & BARREL