Feeling fruity first thing.

Alphonso Mango Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 2 – I could easily have had it all but I had to share!)

• 1 Alphonso mango
• 2 medium sized bananas
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp nut butter
• Milk of choice added to make consistency of choice.  I used approx 300 ml almond milk.

Add to blender and blitz until really smooth.

These little Alphonso mangoes are intensely flavoured and a lovely deep orange colour.  They are also softer then the usual mangoes you can buy and easy to scrape out of the skin with a sturdy spoon.

I am loving sesame seeds at the moment.

Plus I added the remaining tbsp of coconut nut butter I made a few months ago – see how here.

Perfect.  The consistency of custard, thick and creamy with subtle undertones of sesame seeds and the mango rising above the other flavours.

I had a very busy morning which ended with us in Ramsgate as we had some chores to do at the beach house.  We then headed to Deal where Michelle has rented a cottage for herself and Ted to enjoy over the summer.  The weather was far worse at the coast.  The waves were churning so furiously they were brown as they carried so much sand.  I would have taken a photo but the wind was so strong I would have struggled to hold the camera steady and the rain was horizontal so it was pointless.  The hour I had spent in the hairdressers very soon seemed pointless too!

I wrote a blog about Deal here in January before I knew Michelle was soon to rent a cottage here.  In my photos is The Black Douglas Coffee House where today we whiled away the hours.  There are also pictures of many of the charming houses along Middle Street and Michelle’s cottage is just off this delightful street.

We did not get to the coffee house until about 3pm, by which time I was really hungry.  I started with a lovely latte.

Followed by a goat’s cheese and rainbow chard tart.

The tart was lovely – I can’t seem to get enough of rainbow chard at the moment.

I then “helped” Harvey finish his chocolate coconut and rose cake.  Actually I ate it because he did not like it.  He needed helping with the lemon polenta cake too.  Oops.

We were then joined by Michelle’s lovely niece Emily, Julian and Ted.

Ted was not in the mood for posing today.

The of us who know and love Michelle will not be at all surprised to see that she has bought Ted a rain coat :-).  Ted was concerned in case it was a bit girly!

We braved the howling winds and driving rain and walked to Michelle’s pretty little cottage.

Where we had a splendid afternoon, just hanging out.

In fact we were so relaxed we were late home and thus late for our dinner date at Sarah and Kevin’s.  Kevin makes the legendary ‘Manhunter’ cocktails which are incredibly moreish.  Luckily I was saved from myself because I offered to drive so I just had one.

A little note to those of us who say we are too busy to exercise.  Sarah worked all day until 4 pm, came home, fitted in a 6 mile walk with Kevin and then they both provided dinner for 8 people!  So no excuses folks, get out there and exercise.  Maybe not in the rain though :-).

Platters of Italian meats to nibble on while everyone was arriving and having the first drinks,

followed by chili with rice, salad and garlic bread,

delicious cheese platter

and home made fairy cakes.

After supper, the gentlemen adjourned to the smoking lounge

and the ladies chatted at the table.  More hanging out.  Marvellous.

Thank you Kevin and Sarah for such a wonderful evening and sorry I didn’t manage to get photos of everyone who was there.