The Book of Rubbish Ideas

And when you've finished with it, sling it in the compost bin!

It’ll be here before you know it missus!

I thought I’d get in quick with a rubbish-free card solution and with a yummy idea to get the day started on the right foot too.

I’ve also allowed you a stack of lead time to send this article to any fellas you know who might be glad of the inspiration - ehem….

Here’s how to make your mum feel special with a fruity home-made card and a very special breakfast in bed!

To celebrate the special event which takes place on Sunday the 22nd March, Tropical Wholefoods, pioneer of sun-dried tropical fruits, has come up with a delicious breakfast menu for mum, which can be announced with a home-made card made using dried fruit.

These unique designs include sun-dried pineapple, chewy banana chips and apricot kernels to form a smiley face. Another card uses the same dried fruits to make a colourful bunch of flowers.

Kate Sebag, managing director of Tropical Wholefoods and a mum of three herself, says: “Children will enjoy making the cards for Mother’s Day. They can write a special message for their mum inside - or they could use the cards to write a fruity breakfast menu. Then mum can enjoy a tropical compote, a fruit shake, fruity porridge or a bowl of Granola, all made using our delicious range of fair trade dried fruits.”

As well as offering inspiration for the Mother’s Day cards, Tropical Wholefoods has put together a selection of recipes for every mum’s special day (see below).

Many of their products are organic and fairly traded and some carry the FAIRTRADE Mark and that ticks the box for me!

Fruity breakfast recipes:

Fairtrade Tropical Compote
The Earl Grey infusion in this gives an interesting subtle twist to the tropical flavour. Serves four and is easy to make.

Ingredients
75g Tropical Wholefoods Organic Fairtrade Dried Mango
50g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Sun Dried Apricots
225ml Fairtrade Orange Juice
1 Fairtrade Earl Grey tea bag
Juice of half a freshly squeezed lime
1 tsp Fairtrade Honey
Half a tub of Greek Yogurt

Method
Pour the orange and lime juice into a small pan. Add the Earl Grey tea bag and bring to the boil. Stir, remove from heat and add in the mango and apricots. Leave for 30 minutes. Remove the tea bags, add the honey. Simmer again for 15 minutes and allow to cool over night.

Fruit Shakes
Soak Tropical Wholefoods dried mangoes, apricots, bananas and pineapples in milk or yogurt for an hour, then blend for a real fruit shake.

Fruit Porridge
Simply add bananas and apricots from the Tropical Wholefoods range to a bowl of porridge.

Granola
Make your own granola by mixing together in a roasting pan:
6 parts oats,
1 part wheat bran or wheat germ
1 part chopped nuts,
1 part sunflower seeds,
1 part sesame seeds,
1 part coconut flakes

In a small saucepan, gently warm together:
1 part sunflower oil
1-2 parts runny honey, depending on how sweet you like it
Spoon over the mixture in the pan and mix around to coat evenly. Roast in the oven for
about 45 mins to 1 hour (depending on how full the pan is) at 150 C. Stir thoroughly every
15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and while the mixture is still hot, immediately
add:
1 part chopped Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade sun dried apricots
1 part chopped Tropical Wholefoods dried mango and pineapple (easiest to cut with
scissors)
1 part raisins
Allow to cool and store in air tight container.

Tea Cake with Bananas and Raisins

This tea cake is very tasty and low in fat (at least until you spread it with butter -
yummy). It’s easy to make and if you don’t eat it all at once, keeps very well in an airtight
container.

Ingredients
500ml of strong Fairtrade tea
200g Tropical Wholefoods Chewy Banana Chips
200g Tropical Wholefoods Bogoya Banana Strips
125g Fairtrade raisins
160g Fairtrade Demerara sugar
125g Tropical Wholefoods Walnuts (roughly chopped)
1 large organic egg beaten into 2 tbsp milk
450g organic self raising flour.

Method
1. Heat oven to 170C/320F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Soak bananas and raisins for 90 minutes in well brewed tea.
3. Line two roasting tins of 23cm x 23cm and 22cm x 11cm with baking paper and grease
the paper with vegetable oil.
4. Place soaked fruit in food processor and blend for a minute.
5. Pour into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
6. Pour the mixture into the lined tins and spread evenly. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown on top and springy to the touch in the centre.
7. Straight away, turn onto a wire rack. As soon as it’s cool, slice, toast and butter.

Happy cookin’

Rubbishly yours,

TS x