Argument with DH over oats

[SummerInSun]

To save time (maybe 30 seconds?!) tomorrow morning, I've just measured out the oats for tomorrow's porridge into a saucepan and left them ready on the stove. In the morning I'll get the milk out of the fridge, add it, and cook the porridge.

DH has just come into the kitchen and said that the oats will go stale overnight and put a lid on the saucepan. I think he is insane and oats can't possibly go stale in ten hours. He thinks it's obvious that oats left not in an airtight container will suffer a major quality deterioration and doesn't see why I wouldn't have automatically put a lid on.

What's the Mumsnet verdict?!

I’d have put a lid on, not because they might go stale, but because everyone knows spiders run their willies on stuff after dark.

Doyou think a curled up cat could keep oats fresh? Because that is what would happen on my house on an open pan.

I would have covered them, bugs might get in.

can't remember the last time I saw a spider in our suburban house. Maybe it's different in the countryside?,
I life in suburb of a big city and its really not unusual to see spiders in the house, and other bugs too.

Having just rescued an enormous spider from the bottom of the cutlery drainer, I think that given they can get anywhere, I would have put a lid on it. The idea of leaving food uncovered does not sit well with me!

I would say that if he is cooking the oats then he is free to cover them however he wishes.

I'd have put a lid on, purely to prevent bugs getting in. But then I'm funny about food being left out for too long, and I'm funny about bugs, so...

Spiders and flies "spider season"?? Is this a thing? I can't remember the last time I saw a spider in our suburban house.

It's spider season now. Our house is spider central. I don't mind little ones but the 3-5 inch giant house spiders are definitely in me standing on a chair territory. DH is a busy man at the moment

@Zaphodsotherhead one of the slug deterrents in the garden is oats … try spilling a little (seriously automatic wash powder its my got to for cleaning/killing off ants & I am sure neat powder detergent would deter slugs)

but don't mix porridge with detergent it really doesn't improve taste (though it might keep the spiders off )

IME porridge pans are one of the easiest to clean. Put cold water in, as high as the stuck on porridge in the pan. Leave for a while. Porridge should then be easy to scoop out in a more or less solid lump. Then pan is almost clean, though will still need to be washed.

No wonder my pans entail much scrubbing to get clean, I've been doing it wrong all these years by filling the pan with HOT water and I mean really hot water! I will use the your method TheSilveryPussycat from now on!

Thank you mumwon. My kitchen floor will be a mixture of oat and detergent from now on. (Seriously, you never go into my kitchen in the middle of the night without slippers on. Or boots).

I live in a large city and have no garden but every morning I have slug / snail trails all over the bloody place so as PP said kids game
I put oats out and had
Slug trails,
Fly crap
Spider willies
Daddy long legs feet
Fluff
And . . .
Hair . .

Your turn

I put the milk on them and leave overnight. In summer they go in the fridge but not in winter.

How much time did this actually save though? Surely if you eat porridge regularly you can tell just by looking how much you need to put in the bowl, therefore no need to measure. Also microwaving for two minutes would save time compared to cooking it on the hob and also not putting your oats in the pan tonight would have saved you the time spent having this conversation with your OH and also writing and reading the replies to your Mumsnet post. 😄

Zaphod you have brought back memories of nightime barefoot kitchen slug squelching

Why would spiders be interested in oats? They are carnivores.

RE my photo post of GIANT SPIDER 🕷 yesterday - I am sorry to report he is drownded.

Too much of water hast thou, my dear spider, and therefore I forbid my tears.

I'd put a lid on because we have slugs here! Sometimes they appear in the kitchen!

ConFusion if I was a spider I would probably wee in a bowl of oats - it would be like a spider litter tray.

RIP tunnock's spider

This was never meant for one as beautiful as you

This world

(Struggling to type through tears)

no more willie wiping for Tunnock's spider

Oh yes SilveryPussycat, it's always fun when you find a dried up black thing in the middle of the floor and it could be anything from an overcooked oven chip, through a slug that didn't make it out on time, to a mouse's spleen (also have cats).

Your darling husband is a nutjob