Hot cross bun porridge

I know, I know, Easter is over, the glut of bank holiday four-day weekends a distant memory, and the chocolate wrappers long since licked clean. But since my job means I don't actually get four-day weekends (I worked Good Friday, and both Saturdays) I am still clinging to Easter and wishing it could hold out a little longer.

Like the weather we've been having! I can barely believe that we haven't had rain here for over a month. It's a nightmare for the garden - I've become an obsessive plant tender, dashing out with my mop bucket every morning to make sure our little veggies stay hydrated. (The mop bucket because we have no outside tap, and having been good and installed a water butt, we've still had no rain to fill it!) - but it's wonderful for morale.
This morning whilst dashing about doing chores I suddenly realised that we were out of museli, had no granola, and not even the wherewithall to make toast. I've been a bit of a groceries slacker this week and we seem to be running low of everything other than radishes and wine. And much as I'd love to drink wine for breakfast, I think they have judgemental names for people like that, and there ain't no way a radish is passing my lips.

So porridge it would have to be. I'm not sure such a warming breakfast was exactly what I fancied given it's already warm here today, but working on an empty stomach is not something I can do (I'm one of those people who wakes up hungry and is grumpy within seconds if I don't start shovelling food and coffee in myself). As a result I decided to freshen up my oats and channel the Easter baker in me. Hot cross bun porridge! Genius! I love hot cross buns and use Easter as a terrible excuse to stuff them in my face at any and every opportunity, so why not take the spirit of that and put it in my porridge.

One cup of porridge oats, one of milk, one of water, a large handful of dried fruit and mixed peel, and a generous dash of mixed spice. Cook. Douse with maple syrup. Eat. Perfect.
Now I'm dashing to work feeling not only sated, but rather smug! I'll be back over the weekend with a new tart recipe that I've discovered, and liked so much I made it twice last week. Have a good end to the week everyone.