Straw for strawberries

This is a great time for strawberries and we bought a big box of them at the shop today. They are rich and juicy and it will take lots of effort to eat them all up quickly before they can spoil.

Sharon said: “I have decided I have to shed a few pounds ready for my swimsuit in the summer. I have certainly gained a bit of weight as I am so less mobile and less active than normal. I have to get these pounds of, especially as Phil is making me walk everywhere with my stick and getting up and down is a bit difficult. He hasn´t let me use my wheelchair for two days and I have had to walk constantly. So, the loss of a bit of weight would be a great help.

“Instead of cappuccinos at home for my mid-morning treat and some fattening thing, I have changed over to home-made fruit smoothies. They are very easy to make and very, very, nutritious and lovely and creamy. A bit more like milkshakes really but without any milk. For liquid I use a pot of yogurt and a little bottle of Actimel. You can add any fruit you like and whiz it up in your blender.

“I like bananas because of the taste and because they are filling. Now I have got lots of strawberries, I will be having strawberries in my smoothies all over the weekend. I have been having ripe pears in my smoothies this week. I´m looking forward to trying lots of other fruits as well. I´ve just found out that before the days of factory farms and plastic tunnels, strawberries were grown in gardens. The slugs and insects loved them and so gardeners used to lay straw all around the plants to keep the pests away. That´s why they are called strawberries.

“I can thoroughly recommend these smoothies as they are both nutritious and filling. So, you don´t need to have lunch as well. Plus, it´s getting too hot to eat big meals, especially at mid-day. I´m in cut-offs and T-shirts now, which is marvelous as I can put away all those stuffy overwhelming winter clothes.

“We are already using the ceiling fans and the afternoon siesta is a great way of fighting the heat.”

©Phillip Bruce 2009