A confession...

I've been really stupid.

Ever since the joyous day I found out I could eat oats again, I've been making up for lost time. As I said earlier, I've just been enjoying them every day, soaked in water overnight in the fridge, as well as in cookies, pancakes, cakes...

But I couldn't understand why all the creative and delicious-looking oatmeal recipes on people's blogs talked about using so much water; I thought I must be a bit weird liking mine thick... and just kept on doing the same thing.

Then I ordered my next lot of oats (and other gluten-free goodies) from Goodness Direct and realised the site offers free postage on orders over a certain value so I added some oat bran. When it arrived, I decided to mix it with the oats but wasn't sure it would "work" just soaked overnight - so I cooked them together, on the stove.

For once, I followed instructions (almost) by using (nearly) the amount of water recommended, not believing for a minute it would work. I stirred sceptically, then suddenly realised, it was thickening up! In disbelief, I stirred - and stirred  - and stirred. And it kept getting thicker! With hindsight, I may have stirred for a bit too long as when it cooled, I could pick the porridge up in one gelatinous mass!

It was a revelation.

And, a bit more water and some serious fork action and the consistency problem was solved. It was thick, it was creamy, it was... HEAVEN. AND it filled me up till lunchtime!

Serious oatmeal addicts will think the above bowl - made the next day by adding cooked and blended butternut squah and a tbsp almond butter - is very, very boring which it probably is but to me... porridge heaven!

What to put in tomorrow's bowl though? THAT is the question...