Let's start at the very beginning




I am so excited.  My spurtle just arrived.

So maybe that sounds a little strange.  I'm probably the only person I know who would get excited to receive a spurtle.  I mean, let's be honest here, I'm probably the only person I know who knows what a spurtle is.

It all started on November 6, 2009, when A.Word.A.Day's word of the day was spurtle.  As a lover of silly or particularly useful words, spurtle struck a chord with me.  Just say it aloud - it's like turtle, but ever so much sillier because it begins with a spuh.  After enjoying saying spurtle to myself a few times, I was, as a lover of all things related to food, delighted to learn that a spurtle is a wooden stick for stirring porridge.

For a while, I was content merely to know the word spurtle, to whisper it to myself and giggle.  But as my enthusiasm for a good bowl of oatmeal has grown, so, too, has my desire to own a spurtle.  Because, really, when you need to stir a porridge, who wouldn't want to say, "hey, could you please hand me the spurtle?"  So a week or so ago, I decided to bite the bullet and order one.

I was surprised to discover just how many options there are out there for purchasing a spurtle online (thank you, Google.)  Ultimately, I was besmitten with this gorgeous cherry wood spurtle for its simple carving and its gorgeous toasty sienna coloring.  Plus, being a native Michigander, where summer is synonymous with all things cherry, I liked the idea of having a spurtle that felt representative of my home state.

Now for the test: will I love my spurtle?  Will I love it so much that I'll be glad to have named this blog in its honor?  Will Sam break up with Quinn when he realizes she still has feelings for Finn?  Only time will tell.  But for starters, it must be time to break it (the spurtle, not the Glee cast) in with some porridge.

Golden-Spurtle-worthy* oatmeal

I love oatmeal.  I loved it even when all I did was boil some water, toss in some old fashioned oats, and stir it around for a few minutes until the oats had inbibed a sufficient amount of said water and become edible.  But then I got The New Best Recipe, and I discovered a whole new dimension of smooth, gooey, delectable oatmeal textural possibilities.  And then I discovered Irish oatmeal, and my world was rocked again with new dimensions in nutty, toasty oatmeal flavor.  I'm still working on perfecting the texture of my Irish oatmeal, so today I used regular ol' old fashioned oats.

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (I use Calder Dairy skim milk)
1 1/2 cups water
pinch salt
garnishes to fit your fancy

Combine the milk and water and bring gently to a boil.  Spare this mixture a modicum of attention so that the liquid doesn't boil over and make a mess of your stove top, as it often does to mine when I get distracted waiting for the pot to boil.
While warming up the milk and water, melt the butter is a small frying pan until bubbling, then add in the oats, stirring frequently, until the oats smell nutty and toasty and delicious, about two minutes.  Turn off the heat.
When the liquid boils, add in the toasted oats.  Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (with a spurtle, if you just happen by some lucky twist of fate to own one), until thick.  Stir in a pinch of salt to taste, then turn off the heat and let rest for 5 minutes to continue to thicken. 
Garnish (I used raw sugar, Korintje Indonesian cinnamon, and dried cherries) and serve immediately, chasing the winter blues away and warming your soul.

Serves one

*Each year, the world's best porridge makers get together and compete for fame, glory, bragging rights, and the golden spurtle.  Disclaimer: I should tell you I have never competed in the international porridge racket, and I make no claims as to actually winning the golden spurtle with this recipe or any other.  But I will say that this is damn good oatmeal.