African Vanielje on May 12 2008 at 2:50 pm | Filed under: breakfast, dairy
OMG! The sun is shining! Not only is it shining today, it shone yesterday and the day before too, I have the sunburn to prove it. This morning it is streaming in through my kitchen window. ( Oops. My very dirty kitchen window. Need to clean that. I’ll put it on the list of things to do on a non-sunshiney day. )
The momentary twinge that is trying to tell me I’m overreacting is firmly banished. It is the African part of me that is used to 8 month summers. Here in England you cannot afford to be nonchalant about sunshine. While you’re busy playing it cool, that was it! Summer! Been and gone. Never mind, there’s always next year.
Well I don’t intend to be caught out again this year. The sun is shining, I’m smiling and my blog is working thanks to the amazing Andrea. I know I’ve been a little scarce and I blame it entirely on blogging technology, which was matrix-like sucking the very life out of me. Luckily Andrea was on hand to lend much needed technical support. Okay, technically not support as she actually just did it all for me, but the point is that it was I, me, moi that had the brilliant idea of enlisting her aid in the first place.
Feeling enthused, I’m starting my day off with one of my favourites, a banana lassi. In winter I just blend up yoghurt, banana, honey and cinnamon. In summer I add some fresh mint from the pot on my windowsill and instead of powdered cinnamon I use a cinnamon quill to infuse it with a touch of spice.
This is a super healthy start to the day and super simple too. I use organic live yoghurt, local honey which has a very delicate flavour, but rich undertones with an almost meady alcoholic quality, a fairtrade banana and homegrown mint. I throw them all in the blender and give it a whizz. The honey scent wafts out first and seems to underscore the smell of the banana and mint.
I pour it into a glass but can’t resist a quick taste test straight out of the blender. Of course, this leaves me with yoghurt all down my t-shirt. I quickly wipe it clean with a damp dishcloth. Did I say clean? I don’t want to know what the dishcloth has already been used for this morning. T-shirt and dishcloth go in the washing machine and I give my lassi a quick stir with a fragrant cinnamon quill. I leave it to infuse for a minute while I change my t-shirt and try to convince my daughter to put suncream on before school. Mission accomplished. Back to breakfast.
You can drink this delicious cocktail as a milkshake or add it to your granola or cereal. And if you don’t like your morning shakes too thick, thin it down with a little milk or some fresh squeezed OJ.
Mmmm. Despite the fact that my perfect bikini body is still a work in progress, with completion being months ( perhaps longer ) away, I feel fabulously healthy inside and out. Re-invigorated, I decide I might even get in a post today!
Happy summer everyone!
Yay! You’re back! (and you’re welcome).
The boys and I love little cocktails like this for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. The honey sounds wonderful! Michael used to keep bees and we enjoyed the fresh honey so much.
I missed you! This is a wonderful morning drink. The cinnamon quill adds a elegant touch.
I’m so glad you’re back – I’ve been missing my dose of South African Somerset!
That Yeo Valley yoghurt is a little bit of nostalgia for me, but our local Darling yoghurt here is just as good, so I might try whizzing up one of these for myself – I’ve never tried adding mint to the combination before.
Glad you’ve got some sunshine now – save just a day or two for July for me!
We’ve been having much the same weather on this side of the channel – and finally sunshine the last few days…
I want to run naked through the gardens – but have been exercising restraint and just wearing shorts (and a t-shirt)
i love to start the day with things like this. i’ve never thought to add mint into my banana yogurt drinks though (my favorite is banana, yogurt and peanut butter). i’ll have to try it, especially now that my mint plants are raging out of control!
I love lassi for breakfast. I always amazes me how it manages to attack the shirt, though.
I have missed you!
That looks great. I love creamy concoctions for breakfast.
Glad your in bloggingbusiness again, I missed you!
The sunshine, although fleeting, will energize you… as will this lassi.
Thanks Andrea. We had someone keep a few hives here for a few years but I think the bees swarmed and became a real problem with all the kids so they stopped it. I miss that honey.
Courtney, glad to be back. I can’t resist cinnamon quills for infusing things, but am not a real powdered cinnamon fan.
Thanks Kit. My mom always buys the Camphill yoghurt. Is that near you? Hope to see you in July!?
Katie, good for you for the naked chef urge, and for resisiting temptation too. Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts
Michelle, mint is a little invasive (a little!) but there are so many good uses for it. Not least Mojitos. I’m going to have to try the peanut butter because my daughter will love that.
Chou, I thought it was just me…
Marye, I’m not so much of a morning breakfast person. More a 4pm breakfast person, but this goes down easy.
Thank you Lizet . I’ve missed everyone too and am looking forward to getting visiting again.
I know – wasn’t it super exciting to have a mini-heatwave on the weekend?? I also tend to the over-excited end of the spectrum when the sun comes out because I know (as happened last year!) that early summer spell of sun might in fact comprise our full allocation of summer sun this year!!
Sadly, I am hugely NOT a fan of bananas, so I won’t be joining you for the breakfast cocktail
Aaah but Jeanne, think of some creamy yoghurt, with pawpaw and a squeeze of lime!
Using an enitre cinammon quill is pretty wasteful, unless you’re growing it yourself.
I agree, concerned. However, I never waste anything in my kitchen. What I can’t use, I recycle, and with cinnamon, I do the same thing as I do with my vanilla pods. I store the quills in a sugar jar, and if I use them to infuse something, I wash it off, dry it and re store it. This is less wastefull than breaking pieces off and tastier than having old, dried out cinnamon powder sprinkled over everything.