The Met Office is amazing, I’m sure. And if I was out at sea I would value their shipping forecasts… actually, I love them when I am at home – there’s something so soothing about listening to the litany….
“Forties Cromarty:
Mainly north or northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 or 6 later. slight, increasing moderate later. Occasional rain. Good becoming moderate or poor.
Forth Tyne:
North or northeast backing northwest 3 or 4, increasing 5 at times. smooth or slight, occasionally moderate later. Occasional rain. moderate or good”
What it actually means, of course, I suppose I could puzzle out but it’s enough for me to hear it. Good work, men at the Met.
But what about yesterday’s forecast? What about all the warnings of minus three degrees? Freezing fog and bitter cold and ice? Reports of road gritters on standby?
I went to bed, thinking about what to cook today, anticipating there would be a need for warming and sustaining food, maybe porridge first thing and something with dumplings later on… and got up to this…
That’s not freezing fog. Nor is the temperature below freezing. Looks quite bright, actually.
So, I think, we will have a fruit smoothie for breakfast.
I love to give the Bear a smoothie to start his day with – it’s a brilliant way to get extra fruit and vegetables into his diet. I always have a bag of frozen fruit in the freezer, either for putting in his porridge as a treat or for making desserts or smoothies with. We always have banana and yoghurt… and there’s always juice…
I started off making his smoothie with fruit juice to loosen it and then discovered that vegetable juice was a brilliant way to get more of his 5-a-day in… and V8 has just so many things that a Bear would balk at… look at them all
And do you know what? He doesn’t even notice!
So first of all, get some frozen fruit… half a glass full is about right.
You’ll need yoghurt, a banana and some juice
Put the fruit into the blending jug and add a couple of spoonsful of yoghurt
and a good sloosh of V8
Then blend….
….. look at how it all goes together…..
Then pour.
And does he know he is drinking spinach and carrots and tomato with his fruit smoothie? No, he doesn’t. Everything blends together beautifully – the fruit and yoghurt are all he can taste. The V8 stops it being too sweet, really. It is a great improvement on the days when I added fruit juice.
Has he got his fair share of his 5-a-day? Yes, he has.
And does he enjoy it? Yes, he does.