Bank holiday memories and hash for the road

Recipe of the week...
... Brussel Sprout Hash

Ingredients: a glug of cooking oil, 1 large parsnip (or 2 small ones), half a dozen shallots, half a dozen Brussel sprouts, 2 eggs, a shake of Herbes de Provence.

Time taken: 45 mins (quarter of an hour veg prep and then half an hour cheffing).

Serves: One mighty portion.

Hi readers,

How are you today? Hope you’re well and feeling upbeat about the return to work, after our long four-day weekend. Did you have a proper relax and a decent catch up on sleep? And did you have lots of fun, too?? And lots of chocolate! Hope you managed to strike a balance, readers, between Easter antics and a recharge of your batteries.

Work got me an egg and wrote my name on it!
All is forgiven.

I’ve had a hoot this weekend, readers. Made it out on a night out (a rare occurrence these days!) and, despite the numerous hangovers around the table, we managed a harmonious family gathering. Had a big Easter lunch and toasted Sheff United (the family’s no.1 footy team) who have won an unusual number of games this season. They’re going to play better teams next season and – no doubt – lose an alarming number of games. But for now, at least, it’s good news.

This weekend, I also took the train to Scarbs for some salty fresh air, and had a catch up with the wonderfully wise CoolyColey. We slurped milkshakes together by the sea. And I ventured to Wakefield, too, to spend a day with Suzeroo. Baked an Easter cake-pancake together! Do you find, readers, that spending time with your best of friends – once you make it to them, wherever it is they may be living – is the easiest thing in the world?

Our pancake-cake (entirely 2D)

I think – you go weeks or months or what feels like years (maybe it is!) without seeing your best friends. Then, suddenly, they’re there again. You have a big hug and there’s some remark about the journey/weather/occasion. And you fall back into step. You shoot through gossip central, on into comfortable silences.

Did you have the chance to see your friends or family this weekend, readers? Or, like me, have you had the pleasure of both friends and family for company, filling your bank holiday with fun? I hope you did, readers. Later in life, you won’t look back on the sad times and you might not recall those you lost touch with, but you’ll definitely remember having fun with the fools that lasted. Who knows… maybe you’ll remember spending this weekend with them?

Never a dull moment when they're around

CoolyColey shared with me an article, this weekend, which is definitely worth a read. The article is called ‘Single Minded: The Difference Between Being Single And Being Alone’ by Bella Mackie (which you can read here), and it highlights the positives tied with being single minded. And the opportunities, and the acceptance, that enable single minded people to live happy lives today. As no one need feel alone – whether single or in a relationship. A good read.

My weekend has also been brightened, readers, by a little new music. I’ve been listening to some tracks by a band I’ve hit upon, called Blaenavon, who will be playing at my city’s summer music festival, Tramlines, in July (try the track… Take Care). Also, I loaded my music library with the Hungry Yogis’ March playlist – which you can find here – containing a big range of new-to-me songs. Good stuff to listen to while out jogging, I think, or while watching the world go by out of a train window (try the track… Sorry Hills). 

Loving their taste in music!
@hungry.yogis

Readers, I’ll stop now and get on with my recipe. BUT I hope that you had a fabulous long weekend and that you’ve made it back to work today feeling happy and energised. Starting as we wish to go on – let’s make this a fantastic week. And why not kick it off with a wonderful new recipe? Like my recipe of the week, readers, for Brussel Sprout Hash?? 

This recipe is a killer way to use up any leftover veg you may have lingering in your fridge, from the Easter roast this weekend. I was inspired to give this recipe a try after seeing an Instagram post from @cleaneating_paleo who had given something similar a go… with a delicious looking tea resulting.

Hash a la @cleaneating_paleo

So, I googled “sprout hash” and found a recipe for ‘Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprout Hash’ by Angela Simpson, on a website called Greatist (which you can read here). I followed this recipe but subbed the sweet potato for parsnip instead – as parsnips were on sale at the supermarket for only 6p (!!!) – and set about throwing together a hash for my tea last night.

It went well, readers. I’m not going gush but – dear lord – this hash was a fine way to end my long weekend. Eaten while watching the finale of Broadchurch on TV (what did you think of the ending??) and while savouring my final few hours of freedom. It tasted how your leftover veg should taste, readers, like they’ve been used for the power of good! Fancy trying your hand at this recipe? Well, here’s how to cook up a Brussel Sprout Hash in just ten simple steps…

Recipe: Brussel Sprout Hash

1.     Set some soothing tunes playing and pour yourself a tasty beverage.

2.     Time for veg prep! Peel your shallots and cut these into quarters, chop the ends off your parsnip and cut it into bite-sized chunks, then lop the bottoms off your sprouts and cut these in half.

3.     Heat your oven to 200C and boil the kettle.

4.     Pop your parsnips into a small saucepan and set these boiling for 5 minutes.

5.     In the meanwhile, heat a little cooking oil in a skillet or a small frying pan.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: If, like me, you would have to google ‘skillet’ to know what one of those is… a frying pan works fine. Just turn the heat to medium/low and make sure to keep everything moving around the pan, so you don’t singe your sprouts.

6.     Set your Brussel sprouts and shallots frying, and then take your saucepan off the heat and drain the parsnips.

7.     Add the parsnips to your frying pan, along with a good shake of Herbes de Provence.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: If, like me, you totally forget the herbs for a good five minutes… just style it out. Get shaking and add them as soon as you remember. It’ll be alright.

8.     Keep everything moving around the pan for five more minutes until all your veg are browned and coated in herbs, then make 2 small indentations in mixture and crack an egg into each one.

9.     Turn the heat off under your frying pan and carefully transport it into the oven, to bake for ten minutes. Use this time wisely… set the table and wash some dishes!

10.  Once your eggs reached desired doneness and your veg has turned slightly golden, then turn off the oven and safely lift your pan out onto the counter. Plate up – so you don’t burn yourself on the edge of the pan while eating – and tuck in!

To a delicious plateful of
Brussel Sprout Hash

And that, readers, is that. You chuck it all in a pan. And then you chuck the pan in the oven. And then something wonderful happens, and you tuck into a steaming plateful of hash. Which is actually, when you look at the ingredients list, quite healthy I’m going to say! 3 of your 5-a-day on that there plate. And not a carb in sight.

What do you think, readers? Are you tempted to give this a go? Do you have some veg you could do with using up? Be creative! Whatever’s lingering in your fridge… get it out of there! I wouldn’t recommend adding trifle to the pan, but I do think you have quite a deal of scope here for adding and subtracting ingredients. Making it up on the spot. Seems like my shallots expired five months ago without me noticing! And into the pan they went.

The 8th November?!

Readers, if you give this recipe a go… let me know how you get on. What did you put in the pan and did it work? If it didn’t work, what should we never ever put in the pan? This would be good to know. Do share any tales of hash-related kitchen adventures, whether highly successful or to warn future generations. And do have a brilliant week back at work. Take it by storm.

And sprout safely,

Hayley

Friday feels and forest fruits...

Recipe of the week is...
... a Forest Fruits Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 frozen banana, 2 handfuls of frozen forest fruits, 1 mugful of milk, and a tablespoon of honey.

Time taken: 5-10 mins (if you’ve already frozen your fruit).

Serves: Either one big meal-sized smoothie or two smaller snack-sized smoothies.


Hi readers,

Happy Easter everyone and welcome to our four day weekend!! Isn’t it great?! For any readers not living in the UK, I’m really sorry you’re missing out this treat. Here, we get Friday off work as a Good Friday Bank Holiday.. and then we get Monday off work, too! (For Easter Monday.. and that is ???). Sorrry if you don’t share in the glory of our four day weekend.

It's this level of glorious... Turkish sunset glorious
@sert_mehmet

But, wherever you may be, I hope you’re having a terrific Friday, readers. Here in the ChefBeHere household.. things are very leisurely. I woke up without an alarm today. Bliss. And did I have to spring out of bed? Noo. I flicked through the news on my phone in a warm duvet cocoon. Finally got up, made it out on a run (and did a really fast sprint!) and then Spring cleaned the house. So, everything’s looking brighter and shinier now.

And I am DONE with achieving things. That’s me over and our for attainment this weekend. Thoroughly intend to spend the rest of my days reading and sleeping, eating and drinking, and enjoying some quality time with the friends and famalam. Easter eggs and hot cross buns will, of course, feature heavily throughout my weekend.. but how about you, readers? What do you have planned for your Bank Holiday break?

Munching lots of these?
@thedepotbakery

Or maybe you’re still making plans? If you’re looking for ideas for healing things you could do over the next four days, while your head takes and break from work and routine, maybe a little yoga would be fine idea? Have a good stretch out and unwind. Or, if the suns out, perhaps you could venture outdoors and head off on a walk? Get those legs moving and some fresh air in your lungs.

Wherever this weekend may take you, readers, I hope it has you feeling refreshed and upbeat. With the warmer weather to enjoy and with so many Spring colours around at the moment, from blossom on the trees to daffodils by the roadside and bluebells in the grass, I find it inspiring at this time of year to have a real look around. Without the rush of routine and the pressures of work, maybe this weekend will be your first chance in a while to take stock of your surroundings? And see that Spring has sprung.

Our pinkest time of the year
@maepress

I was reading a blog post just now called ‘23 Mantras To Live By’, by Jessica Sletmo, (which you can read here) and – though I’m not a big believer in token phrases and kind of bland sayings – I did find a quote amongst these mantras that struck a chord…

… perhaps this is the time, readers, to let someone off the hook for a small fault? Let it be gone and forgotten, and enjoy their wonderfulness again now. Or possibly, readers, this four days off work gives you more time than normal to surprise someone with a small act of kindness? Maybe a loved one, or even someone you never met before. All you have to do is be kind and – who knows – you just might make their day. Or their weekend. Or their April.

I’m heading out for drinks later with some of the girls and I’ve made it my intention to be filled with compliments tonight.. as they’ll all have made an effort with their hair and their make up and their outfit, and everyone deserves to feel good and be told just how great they look. So, I’m on it! Meanwhile, readers, I’ve been charging my batteries ready for tonight with a super new smoothie recipe. One I invented on the spot!

There’s very little in my fridge at the moment, but I was fancying something fruity on this Spring afternoon. And, as luck would have it, I thought ahead a while back and bought in loads of frozen fruit – perfect for occasions just like today. I really recommend this as a handy way to save money and also save on food waste, as frozen fruits cost less I find and they're good to eat for a really long time.

Good value and good for the planet

So, I dug out a freezer pack out forest fruits and turned this into a smoothie success. Fancy following in my fabulous footsteps, readers? Yeahhh?? Well, you definitely can. This is a really simple recipe, readers, with only five steps and no kitchen skills required. Very do-able. All you need is a smoothie maker or blender, and a thirst for something thick and fruity!! Here’s how to prepare a Forest Fruits Smoothie…

1.     Peel a banana, cut it up into a few bits, and leave in the freezer overnight.
2.     The next day, take your frozen banana out of the freezer and pop this in a smoothie maker or a blender.
3.     Add a couple of handfuls of berries and cherries from your pack of frozen forest fruits.
ChefBeHere Top Tip: Whenever I’m at Boost Smoothie and they ask if I want to ‘double my fruit?’ I always say no as it costs more.. sadly! If like me, you do the same, then when you add your second handful of forest fruits you can think of this as doubling your fruit.. it pleased me to no end!

Alll the fruit for meee

4.     Fill a mug with milk and then pour this into the smoothie maker, too.
5.     Add a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the deal, and blend until smooth. Then find a straw and slurp away!
ChefBeHere Top Tip: This smoothie is soo thick that my normal-width straws struggled with it. I don’t have any of the chunky ones like you get at Boost, so I tried using two regular straws at once.. and this still didn’t work! In the end, I got out a spoon. If you have any chunky straws, then this is there time to SHINE.

This straw was NO MATCH
for my smoothie

And that’s all there is to it, readers! You have a berry and cherry-filled beauty of a smoothie to enjoy, hopefully in the sunshine, and this will give you lots of energy to fuel you on for a powerful afternoon.. and potentially for dancing all night long! What do you think, readers? Has anyone tried a similar recipe in the past? How did it go?

I thought this smoothie came out really well, it was thick and colourful, and tasted lovely and fruity! A hit with me.. but would you agree? Let me know your thoughts, readers! Are you a fan of a Forest Fruits Smoothie? Where would be your favourite place to drink this fruity treat? Do you have any ideas to make this taste even better??

Fire away, readers. Let me know what you think. And I’m wishing you all a wonderful long Easter weekend away from work. Remember, if there’s a fault that could be forgotten or some act of kindness you can share with another, then perhaps this the weekend is the right time? I’m sure you have something in mind and I’m sure you can do it, readers.

Smoothie safely,

Hayley

Be bold
@awaisha_art

LIVING A TAGINE DREAM

Recipe of the week...
... Sweet Potato Tagine

Ingredients: 1 large glug of cooking oil, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 aubergine, 1 sweet potato (or 2 if they’re quite small), 1 courgette, 2 stalks of celery, 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 1 handful of dried apricots, 2 handfuls of raisins, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 mugs of couscous, 1 vegetable stock cube, 2 teaspoons coriander, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons paprika.

Time taken: An hour (Half an hour prep and half an hour to cook).

  

Hi readers,

Hope this finds you well. More than well! Hope you’re having an all guns blazing start to the week!! Firing out emails and answering the phone WITHOUT hesitation.

As I write, readers, it’s a Monday afternoon in April and Brits everywhere are recovering from the hottest weekend of the year so far… may I speak for the nation when I say what cracking weather we’ve had! It really didn’t disappoint! Clear blue skies, ice cubes fizzing in lemonade, feeling the warm sun on your face, barbecues sizzling, ice creams melting fast, lawn mowers mowing away, and beer gardens overflowing… we turn out for the sun.

Me and my lovely friends
enjoying sangria in the sun

Back to work today and I’m not the only one sporting a lobster-like sunburn! As it’s April, and all good thing come to an end, the weather’s settled back down to normal today and we’re waving goodbye to our heatwave. But, along with our glowing noses and singed shoulders, it feels as though everyone’s putting their best foot forward today and getting the week off to a good start.

Doesn’t the sun bring out the best in everyone? I think so. When the sun comes out, it’s something everyone can enjoy and it’s an event that we all share in. We rip up any plans we’d made and get ourselves out in the garden instead. We invite friends over, crack open a beer and speak with neighbours we haven’t seen in months (and don’t mind all that much). We get our legs out, cream each other up, and burn all the same. We laugh about it.

And proud

I love the sun. Love love love it. I hope you all got to enjoy it while it lasted, readers, and I hope you had a cracking time this weekend. Don’t be too sad to be back to work today! There are still great shows on TV (Broadchurch! One Born!), new films out at the cinema (I want to go see City of Tiny Lights – has anyone seen it?), and there’s ace new music to discover (I’m listening to a playlist I found on The Hungry Yogis’ blog.. which you can find here) and so much to look forward to in life. Just think.

Like FOOD.. glorious food. If you aren’t feeling too weighed down by the immense amount of BBQ food inside you, readers, I’m sure you can appreciate we’ve only six days left to go until Easter Sunday. That’s right – just six days until we’re tucking into a delicious roast and scarfing our way through more chocolate eggs than a bunny could imagine.. even in his wildest bunny dreams.

Even more than that

And, meanwhile, we can’t have any one starving before Easter! Not when we’re this close. Six days allows plenty of time for some wonderful recipes. No matter how busy your week ahead looks – why not carve the time into your calendar to cook a proper meal? Treat your insides! I’m writing to you this week, readers, to share a tasty recipe that I first tried out for a dinner party I threw not long ago.

I had a bunch of friends over one weekday evening, for food and chatter, and needed an all-in-one-pot kind of recipe to feed lots of hungry mouths! I try to broaden my friends’ culinary horizons when it comes to veggie food (and my horizons, too!) and give unusual dishes a go, and have one friend who’s allergic to milk, so I was looking for something a bit different to try, and it had to be dairy-free.

Next time we're having a
compulsory dress code

In the end, I settled on a recipe I found in Vegetarian Nosh for Students. This recipe book is a favourite of mine (and will probs continue to be cherished loooooong after my student days are past) as its recipes are straightforward and fuss-free, with cheap ingredients and inventive shortcut steps, and you always end up with filling, tasty food at the end of the day.

I found recipe for a colourful-looking vegan Sweet Potato Tagine, tripled the quantities of ingredients (to feed a houseful of friends) and hit the shops to get everything in. Prepped veg the evening before and had no trouble on the night, cooking and chatting away with a wine in my hand! All went to plan and everyone tucked in and said they’d really enjoyed the food. Which is a big relief.. one bad recipe and they might stop coming round!

Just me, then

Do you have a dinner party coming up soon? Or maybe you just fancy cooking something a bit different? Trying out new flavours? Giving a colourful veggie recipe a go? And munching through for 5-a-day in one plateful?? Hell yeahhhh! Readers, if you’re tempted to give this Sweet Potato Tagine a try for yourselves, here’s the recipe in just twelve simple steps…

Recipe: Sweet Potato Tagine

1.     Set some sensational tunes playing and – as there are quite a few of them – gather all your ingredients together on one counter where you can see them all and where nothing can be forgotten.

2.     Time for veg prep! Arm yourself with a sharp knife aaand cut your aubergine up into bite-sized amounts, peel your sweet potato(es) and chop into cubes, cut your onion up into wedges, finely chop your cloves of garlic, cut your courgette into bite-sized chunks, and chop our your stalks of celery.

3.     Heat the oil in a wok or a large saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Fry until you see the garlic browning and the onion beginning to soften.

4.     Then, add the coriander, cumin and paprika to the pan, and fry for a minute more.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Of these three seasonings… I only actually had paprika. So I cheerily described the dish as “off season” to friends and cooked hoping for the best. I switched coriander for Herbes de Provence and subbed cumin for a sprinkling of chilli flakes instead. And the dish turned out pretty well considering! I’m a lucker sometimes. But, I will advise, that if you’re in a shop and you’re not sure your spice rack is as well stocked as you’re hoping it is.. maybe invest in the proper ingredients!

5.     Add the courgette, aubergine, celery and sweet potato to the pan and fry for a few minutes, stirring well to combine everything together.

6.     Add the tinned tomatoes and a mugful of water, along with the raisins, apricots and sugar. Stir to combine and turn the heat up high.

7.     Once your tagine begins to boil cover it with a lid or some foil, and turn the temperature back to a medium heat. Leave to simmer gently for ten minutes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: I use this time to set the table, top up drinks, and breathe deeply. Keep going… you’re nearly there! The house should begin to smell tasty.

8.     Add the chickpeas and tomato puree to the pan, stir to combine, and then cover again to simmer for a further five minutes.

9.     Now, while your tagine finishes cooking, fill the kettle and boil some water. Pour the couscous into a large bowl and crumble a stock cube over it. Add boiling water until this rises a centimetre or so above the couscous, and stir the contents of the bowl.

10.  Then cover the bowl with a plate and leave your couscous to stand for five minutes until all the water is absorbed.

11.  Uncover and use a fork to fluff up your couscous, then spoon this evenly between the four plates.

12.  Then – last but not least – switch off the hob and dish up your tasty tagine, spooning on top of the couscous. Serve dinner to your horde of hungry guests!

A real crowd pleaser ... Sweet Potato Tagine

Readers, to say the ingredients list looks quite dauntingly long.. isn’t this such a simple recipe?! You just add everything to a pan, bit by bit, cook through and then serve on a bed of couscous. This is my kind of recipe! I promise you, readers, if I can cook this at the end of a busy day at work, with several pairs of eyes watching me, and a glass of wine in my hand… then anyone can do it! And I believe you can.

Fancy giving this recipe a try? I highly recommend! Going into this, I was a bit unsure about adding fruit to a savoury dish. Would it be a Hawaiian pizza kind of fandango? A sweet and sour sauce? A cranberry stuffing? I am not a fan, readers, in general of recipes that mix sweet and savoury flavours. Only recently have I opened my mind to the notion of sweet and salty popcorn. It’s a whole new world.

But, of course, I wouldn’t be writing to you if this recipe didn’t taste KNOCK OUT. I think Sweet Potato Tagine is a keeper, readers! It’s fruity and vegetabley and – somehow – it just works. No one turned their nose up at the table. In fact, everyone was full of (genuine, I hope) compliments, and I took tagine into work as a packed lunch for days afterwards and it didn’t get old. A tagine dream.

Give this recipe a go, readers? And fill me in on how you do in the kitchen? And let me know whether or not you like the tagine? Sounds a plan. Meanwhile, my housemate will still be telling everyone he had tangerine for his tea and it didn’t taste all thar orangey…

Power on and have an amazing week, everyone.

Chef safely,

Hayley

And look at my pretty new tealight holder!
A thing of beauty, I think.

SLURPING, BOUNCING, DUNKING... ADULTING.

Recipe of the week...
... Spicy peach pineapple smoothie!

Ingredients: 1 frozen banana, half a mug of tinned peaches, half a mug of tinned pineapple, 1 mugful of milk, a shake of ground nutmeg, and a big shake of ground cinnamon.

Time taken: 5-10 mins (if you’ve already frozen a banana).

Serves: Either one huge meal-sized smoothie or two more modest snack-sized smoothies.

Hi readers,

How are you this evening? Are you home from work? Out of the clothes you’ve been wearing all day? Feeling fresh and comfortable now? I hope you are, readers, and I hope today’s been a good one for you. A day of bold moves and memorable occurrences.

Just saving the day

As I write, readers, it’s a Tuesday evening in April and I’m away on a work trip to Milton Keynes. We’ve checked into our hotel, after a full day with a client, and I’ve enough sanity left to have put the kettle on for a strong brew. I’m adulting! Read: I’m watching Couples Come Dine With Me and dunking my way through all the free biscuits. There are a lot of free biscuits but I need to recover strength (spent a while bouncing from one twin bed to the other) before dining with my boss. Will drink modestly and speak intelligently. As adults do.

At the moment, readers, it’s a slow news day in the UK (launched search for missing boy… found missing boy hiding under his bed). Hmm. But there are a few noteworthy stories from around the world. There’s steady reporting on the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Russia yesterday. Ongoing coverage of the search for survivors following the massive mudslide that occurred in Colombia over the weekend. And continuing bafflement about the humongous South Korean ship (a VLOC.. Very Large Ore Carrier) that disappeared in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean a few days ago, and is presumed to have sunk with most of its crew aboard.

A VLOC... look how big it is!

Interesting stuff. Not inspiring exactly, a lot of lives have been lost these last few days, but lives have also been saved. Due to the bravery and determine of others.. which is a positive thought. Wish me luck, readers, dining with my boss tonight and trying to maintain the ruse that I’m an intelligent, responsible member of staff! I can do this!! I’m sure some of you can relate and I’m sure – like me – you too are intelligent, responsible people most of the time.. it’s just convincing colleagues that you are 100% of the time! When that’s a BLATANT lie.

Tonight, I write to share with you a fab fruit smoothie recipe that I tried out this weekend. This recipe comes straight from the Primavera Kitchen blog and you can read the original post here. I happened upon this recipe, readers, as I had an abundance of tinned pineapple and peaches in, along with one very neglected smoothie maker… and I thought there must be some way to turn this into a tasty smoothie?!

Where there's a will...
... there's a way

And there is! A quick google led me to this simple recipe, which spices up the fruits with a little added nutmeg and cinnamon. The result is a warm, tropical smoothie… with 3 of your 5-a-day inside! Whether you’re still feeling hungover from the weekend, readers, and in need of a vitamin kick, or you’re feeling a little unwell maybe and need something to boost your system, or you could just generally do with an energy burst to power you ahead with the working week??

Whatever the reason (perhaps you just want a fruity bev), I recommend a spicy peach pineapple smoothie! This drinks tastes like summer loving and the sun on your face, salty sea air and warm sand between your toes, like you’re sipping in a hammock under a blue blue sky, with tropical tunes drifting over from the bar, and the sound of crickets in the bushes… with only a little imagination required.

Just close your eyes...
... and you're there

 SOLD? Want to blend your own spicy peach pineapple smoothie?? Yeahhh you do. This is a very straightforward recipe, readers, with only five steps and absolutely no culinary skill required. Any idiot could do it, I promise. Even you. I’m kidding! So, all you need to do is…

1.     Peel a banana, cut it up into a few bits, and leave in the freezer overnight.

2.     The next day, take your frozen banana out of the freezer and pop this in a smoothie maker or a blender.

3.     Half fill a mug with tinned peach slices, then fill the second half with tinned pineapple pieces and tip into the smoothie maker.

4.     Fill your mug with milk and then pour this into the smoothie maker, too.

5.     Shake a little nutmeg and quite a bit of cinnamon in there, and blend for a minute or so until smooth. Then find a straw and slurp away!

SLUUURP

Et voila! What do you think?? Do you think this sounds a tempting recipe to try out, readers? And, if you’ve given it a go, did it go well? And did you like the taste of your smoothie? Did it taste how summer tastes to you??

I think, to me, summer tastes like barbecued grub (burned to a crisp) and fresh fruit, melting ice cream and aperol spritz! This smoothie recipe will be perfect for sunny afternoons on summer weekends, to drink out in the garden, sunbathing with a good book… bring it on! I cannot wait for summer, readers, and I hope this smoothie inspires you the same way it has me. Summer will be with us soon.

Until then.. slurp safely,

Hayley

See you there!