Play with your food

I can't pretend to know anything about parenting, but from my own experience of growing up cooking alongside my own, I can't help but think that the earlier we take an interest, the more chance we have of enjoying a tastier, varied and more natural diet. Eating processed meals take away so much of our ability to make food choices, e.g. if you saw two tablespoons of salt going into your food, would you eat it? 

My 18 month old niece abbie has made good headway already with baby-led weaning, and now, helping out my sister with the baking! 

And yes, rice krispie cakes can be part of that aforementioned balanced, varied diet...!

Nx

Soup: in sickness and in health

I'm poorly. Have been for a few days now. Being poorly is rubbish unless you're young and accompanied by a paying adult, because there's no one to look after you. 

When I was young and off school, I got endless amounts of sympathy from my mum. She bought me the best tissues, the best baker's loaves and, invariably, a Terry's Chocolate Orange. One winter when I had been struck down with something particularly crappy, she even bought me the Muppet Christmas Carol. But for me, being ill is saved by one culinary wonder - and that's soup.

Sometimes mum would cheat and go for the Heinz Chicken Soup (it really is their best offering - though sadly doesn't align with my ethical efforts in the present day), but most of the time I was treated to her experimentation with Cranks recipes - her favourite school of cooking thought of the time, and what a school it is.

Being ill nowadays, I'm either at home alone in a shared house or at home with housemates in a shared house. Neither of these really lend themselves to relying on others to look after me. Adapted from the Cranks recipe, Tomato and Lentil soup is the cheapest, easiest, most adaptable recipe to make with half a brain using store cupboard essentials - so you won't even need to leave the house.

Cheat's Tomato and Lentil soup

Roughly chop an onion and gently fry it in olive oil in a large saucepan; add a large handful of red lentils and stir through for a minute or so; stir in a tin of tomatoes - if you've got any fresh ones chop them up too; make up a pint of vegetable stock and throw it in the pan with a generous teaspoon of marmite; season with herbs, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Throw it all in a blender, blitz it up and serve with grated cheese and a nice chunk of bread. 

It's hearty, warming, healthy and perfect for a cold but the best bit, you barely even have to be awake to do it. 

Keep warm. Nx