Scrunch

Wednesday 19th January

Day 273

This morning I’m on a mission with my rucksack. To hunt down suitable treat ingredients for my vegan cousin and his family who are our guests this weekend. I walk past diminished dark green shrubs in the gardens and lumpy black bin bags in the street, their seams iced with lines of hoar frost. My breath plumes in front of me - a steamy mist in the bright air. I can feel the sun is coming. I love browsing the shelves in the health food shop and leave with a heavy bounty which drags on my back - bottles of almond nut butter and pumpkin seed spread, barley malt syrup and sticky hemp bread, honey halva and soya custard. I wonder why I still go to Sainsbury’s when I have all this wholeness on my doorstep.

While waiting for the plumber I make a batch of breakfast Granola or Scrunch as we call it in our family. Mix porridge and jumbo oats with sunflower oil and an outpouring of honey. Stir in ground almonds and chopped hazelnuts. Bake in an oiled tray till toasty golden on top. When cool break up into crumbly chunks and scatter in sultanas and dried cranberries. I think I’ll use this as a topping for last year’s roasted rhubarb and elderflower which is still languishing in the freezer and we’ll have it for dessert. And maybe for breakfast too.