Resolutions - a cunning plan!

I make new resolutions regularly, whether it is simply to try to find time to read my book, to make time for ‘date night’ with my husband or have a family day out. As I have mentioned before, my resolution for 2017 was to have adventures I can well and truly say that we accomplished that one! Even as this post is published we are camping at the tranquil Goo Moremi Gorge – really making sure we make the most of the opportunities for adventure in this awesome country.

This year, we have two resolutions for the Honeycomb Hub (though I’m sure we shall add more throughout the year!)

-firstly, to strengthen our links with other organisations so that if someone comes in with a query or issue, we will have the knowledge of local services and provision to point them in the right direction

-secondly we hope to focus on our provision for those with special needs through our honeybees, sensory friendly session and our work with DSAB. As part of this we are strengthening links with a new association ‘Bravehearts’ to see how we can support their members who are parents of children with special needs. We are planning coffee mornings with them to discuss what they would like / need, how we can offer this and what other services and providers we can collaborate with to make these things happen.

Personally, I also have resolutions. Mine this year is to be healthier in what we eat as a family (can you hear the groans from the boys in my life?). I certainly have a weakness for chocolate - especially when my lovely husband brings me British Cadburys Dairy Milk back from the UK! However, my main problem is that recently I have not been organised enough in planning my meals and by the end of the day I realise we haven’t had enough fruit and vegetables – you know it is bad when I’m wondering if ketchup counts as one of your 5 a day!

But I have a cunning plan to change this and it is three-fold (Blackadder would be very impressed …

 though perhaps with a slight sinking feeling!)

1.       Order a weekly vegetable bag from Eco Fresh to ensure we are eating a range of vegetables

2.       Plan our meals in advance.

3.       Ensure we have a piece of fruit or vegetables with breakfast to start us off on the right foot.

Thankfully I have the ‘keep fit’ side of a healthier lifestyle sorted. It does have its uses having a sister who is a personal trainer and working in a building with a fitness studio! Even without that, having 2 boys to run around after and 2 dogs to walk each day does keep me moving.

One of the Eco Fresh vegetable
bags delivered to the
Honeycomb Hub

So, now to my cunning plan to eat healthier. The central thread that all of these ideas hang off is ordering the vegetable bag from Eco Fresh. They are a farm in Ruretse, providing weekly vegetable bags with a range of vegetables and a dozen eggs however the thing that sets these bags apart is the bunch of fresh herbs. (NB, My top tip is to store these herbs in a glass in the fridge with just a splash of water in the bottom and they will stay fresh for over a week!) For those interested, details for ordering these can be found at the end of the post.

I love a surprise. I will go out of my way to avoid finding out something. I didn’t know where we were going for Honeymoon until we reached the airport (my clues were it would be warm, I would need Euros but we weren’t going to Europe!), we didn’t find out the sex of our children when I was pregnant and if I have an inkling about where a present may be stored, I will go out of my way to avoid that cupboard. So I get very excited each Thursday when I receive my veg bag and unpack it! This is also where part 2 of my plan comes in, plan my meals in advance.

Thursday night will be meal planning night, when I shall figure out what recipes I am going to make from the vegetables we have, and also what else I need to buy to supplement them which means that Friday will be shopping day, just perfectly in time for scrummy weekend meals and batch cooking for the week ahead!

Ultimate Breakfast smoothie
(though with avocado instead
of blueberries - delicious!!)

Which brings me on to number 3. I have realised that if I want us all to get more than our 5 a day in, I really need to start first thing. After a first glass of water (especially cleansing with half a lemon squeezed in!) we have a glass of juice which does contribute to your vitamin intake, though I like to think of it as an extra. My favourite ways to get fruit and veg in in the morning are with either banana pancakes, smoothies or Phillida’s scrambled egg mess. (A lot tastier than it sounds, perhaps we need to come up with a better name!) I shall post the recipes below.

I have also become the Queen of adding in extra vegetables, especially as my Big one is not only vegan (-ish, apparently ice cream is ok to eat!) but can be a little fussy over which vegetables he eats!

Below are 3 quick and easy recipes to smuggle more fruit and vegetables into your day! 

All that is left for me to do is wish you all a Happy New Year and good luck with any resolutions you choose to make. xxx

Quick and easy bolognaise – I discovered this cheat when I really didn’t have enough time to cook and it only took 15 minutes, though when I am more organised and have time I love to leave the mince simmering all day

-fry onion (or leeks), grated carrot, garlic and mince (or soya mince)

-blend 2 tomatoes, half an apple, basil, chives, parsley a little water (and an optional splash of red wine)

-Sprinkle a stock cube on mince before adding the sauce.

-Simmer until reduced and looks yummy!!

Serve with pasta, rice, spinach,  potato.. or whatever you fancy!!

Ultimate Breakfast Smoothie  - (serves 2)

(btw when I say cup I mean any cup you have lying around)

-throw a banana, a cored apple and a handful of blueberries in the blender

-add ½ cup of oats, 1 cup of natural yoghurt, ½ cup of milk and an optional squeeze of honey

-blend and serve!

This is our basic recipe but quite often we will add in any fruit we have around. ½ avocado makes it super creamy and spinach and mango/pineapple go really well together! We also love to add in chia seeds if we have any.

Phillida’s scrambled egg mess - (serves 2)

-Fry  3x sliced spring onions, 2x  diced tomatoes and  a grated courgette until the majority of the water from them has gone.

-add optional chilli (it certainly starts your digestive system up for the day!)

-add in 3 eggs and scramble them into the vegetables.

-serve either by itself or on a bed of spinach which wilts under it – delicious!

To order the vegetable bags

Call Fiona Manger of Eco Fresh on 71319889 and then either collect it from her farm on a Thursday or you may also ask to collect them from The Honeycomb Hub. At P110 they are great value and also encourage you to use different vegetables to the ones you always pick up on your weekly shop.