Roll on Summer!

'We're all going on a summer holiday
No more worries for a week or two
Sun and laughter on our summer holiday
For me and you oooh ooh
For a week or two'....(or three)

To quote Sir Cliff we are going on a summer holiday and it's been booked, yippee. My parents-in-law have booked three houses in France and want their three sons, one daughter, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren to join them for three weeks in June. Actually the three son's won't make the three weeks as they all work for their father and have to cover minding the business but they'll each get two weeks.

Much as I am very excited about a three week break in the sun, with tennis court and swimming pool I have a dilemma. I plan to spend my time looking hot (and feeling hot no doubt) in a sexy bikini swanning around the poolside. The problems with this are as follows:

1. I do not have a sexy bikini.
2. I do not look hot (and would not even if I did have a sexy bikini).
3. I do not know how to swan around (though I'm sure I could learn).
4. My mother-in-law is half the size of me.
5. My sisters-in-law are gorgeous and skinny.
6. I am not.

So last week I decided to tackle my problems and started my healthy eating campaign. I cannot diet because to me that means depriving yourself of food and I love food but I can cut down on the biscuit, sweet, sugar intake and eat more fruit. So far so good, in a week the only bad food to pass my lips have been one packet of crisps, a slice of cake and a scone. Hell, I may not go on the holiday looking sexy or thin but I'll look better than I do now, (and I think I'll buy a decent one piece swimming costume)!

With my healthy eating campaign underway I was delighted to read Barbara's blog last week. I had contemplated linking to Barbara on Fun Monday because out of all the food blogs I read I consistently make her recipes, from jam to apple cake to baked omelette's. I consider them straightforward recipes to make with ingredients I can easily purchase. The only reason I didn't link to Barbara on Fun Monday was because I knew there would be lots of reading and decided to link to one post only plus I already had the idea of writing this post.

So back to Barbara's post (I fear I am rambling a bit today) as soon as I spied the title 'blueberry breakfast bars' I was hooked, within seconds I was drooling over the photograph and knew that I would be making this no matter what the ingredients were. I hopped over to Farmgirl to get the recipe and all I needed to purchase was the blueberries. As this is not the season for blueberries they are very expensive but I had to make this recipe so purchased two cartons. When I started to measure my ingredients I was well short of the three and a half cups needed. After a quick search in my freezer I found some blackberries so added those to the blueberries, having made the recipe I think you could substitute the blueberries for a variety of fruit.


These are so yummy, OK I kid myself they are healthy but I am limiting myself to one a day. Dillon, when he tried them elevated me from 'a wonderful mum' to a 'wonderful, wonderful mum' but then asked whether I felt guilty for depriving him of these for the last 13 years! Some compliment I think.