Just Desserts

My daughter commented the other day about how some people she knows eat dessert every day. She wondered why some people did and others didn't - I think she was thinking more about why we didn't!

We don't have dessert every day for a myriad of reasons. Firstly when I was growing up my mother didn't make dessert every day so it wasn't the norm in our household (it was at my aunt's house so I liked going to stay there!). When we did have dessert though I remember the excitement of having one of mum's particular puddings and they were a real treat.

Secondly I don't think you need a dessert everyday. If you have something everyday it loses the treat factor and I never want to lose that factor about dessert. Plus I don't want to consume unnecessary calories if I can help it.

Thirdly who has the time to make dessert as well as a main course in this busy life we live in?

When I do bother to make some my staple dessert is apply crumble made quite easily using the apple peeler/corer/slicer my sister gave me for a birthday many years ago. (I confess at the time I thought it an odd gift until I discovered how it worked and now I rave about it!) I will sometimes add blackcurrants for taste and colour and because we have bags of them in our freezer picked from our very generous hedge of blackcurrant bushes. Another favourite is adding rhubarb which I think everyone should have in their garden. I do love picking it and coming in with a bunch with its bright red stems and large green leaves. The plants we have in our garden come from our first house so we have had them for 25 years total and they continue to give us food every year. It's the plant that keeps on giving! If you can procure a piece of a rhubarb plant from someone and tuck it in a corner of your garden you will not regret it!

For desserts that are filling, healthier and low cost/great value you can't go past the old-fashioned fruit puddings that seem to be loved by everyone and always fill that spot left after dinner!