Breakfast
Porridge
Basics : water, oats (flingor / hiutaleita) and a bit of salt
Extras : fruits (apple, banana, raisins, figs, berries, …), nuts, sunflower seeds, … cinnamon (kanel), cardamom, ginger, vanilla, …
Never start with more than half a kettle of water.
It's easier to add some hot water to the porridge if necessary. But it's impossible to take water out of the porridge if you have too much.
Early enough !!!
Don't be afraid that you start preparing breakfast too early. Getting a good fire going, boiling these amounts of water and cutting up fruities will take enough time before breakfast is actually served.
For about 30 people, preparing breakfast might take only ½ hour. But for about 80-200 people, you'll soon need 1½ - 2 hours. And then it will still take quite some time before people are gathered for the circle.
NONE !!! or hardly any !!! At home, maybe you boil your porridge for a while, but not at Ting.
Tricks :
- Boil (lightly salted water) + boil extra kettle of water (reason, see later)
- When the water is boiling, pour in the flakes while stirring.
- When the porridge is getting thicker and starts boiling, take from the fire. The porridge will get thicker and softer while people are gathering for the circle (half an hour, if we're fast). If you would keep the porridge on the fore to boil for some time, you will burn it.
Why the extra kettle of boiling water ?
If suddenly the porridge gets too thick (while stirring, or while it's off the fire), just add boiling water.
NEVER add cold water to ready porridge, only hot water.
If you don't need the extra hot water for the porridge, you have it all ready for tea or for washing up afterwards.
Never use milk to prepare the Ting porridge. Many/Some people are vegan, and even they should be able to eat the porridge. Milk or yoghurt could be added in the circle if available and for those who like it.
Fruits in porridge make the porridge less dull.
Some raisins, sliced banana or apple, nuts (see note a few lines down), sunflower seeds … can make porridge even fun to eat. The fruit should already be cut, sliced, …. by the time the porridge is ready.If you serve the fruit separately, you always need more fruit.
Always add the fruit after you take the porridge from the fire. Fruits don't need to be boiled !!!
Also some cinnamon, cardamom, ginger … could spread a nice taste (but don't overdo).
Don't add jam, honey, sugar to the porridge. People could add it in their own plate if they feel like it. Some don't.
Watch the allergy list !!! Quite often some people are allergic to nuts. Take some porridge in a small separate kettle before you add the nuts.
Tea/coffee
Herb tea is often liked at the breakfast circle.
It might give some extra heat in cold Ting winters or rainy summer Ting days, it might quench the thirst in hot Ting summers.
You never make too much, since even cold herb tea could be drunk all day round.
Coffee is usually not served in the circle. The coffee drinkers however will find the coffee if it's around.
Coffee could also be a good trick to attract people to the kitchen if extra help is needed. A coffee drinker can hardly resist the call of a good cup of dark brown gold from the kitchen, … and once he/she is in the kitchen for a cup, it's easy to ask him/her to give a hand in cutting, slicing, keeping the fire, cleaning a kettle, fetching some extra water, …
Coffee, especially organic and fair-trade, is rather expensive, and only for a limited amount of people. Either it's not bought from the Magick Hat, or, the expensiveness could be mentioned in the circle, and the coffee-drinkers could be asked to think about this and put a little extra in the Hat
Fruits
Cold soaked grains
