If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea, we would immediately agree not to talk about world affairs.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea, we would also be enjoying a blueberry muffin. I would tell you about our adventures defrosting the freezer, and about how I have so many defrosted blueberries right now, that I am not sure quite what to do with them all.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea, we would carry on talking about fruit and how the shops are full of stone fruits, from apricots to nectarines to all sorts of plums. We would talk about their wonderful colours and how they are so tempting to buy.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea, we would talk about holidays and what plans we have. I would then talk to you about Charlie, who, since coming out of the cattery after our long weekend away, has fallen out with us. He turns up twice a day for food, and then disappears. I would tell you that he has gone back to the flat he got stuck in and made friends with the new tenants, who had called me to tell me he was there. Charlie is his own cat.
If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea I would say my plans for making pickles and chutneys hasn’t really come to much, but then we were away last weekend and yesterday we were busy with other things. And then you say, why don’t you make chia seed and blueberry jam? It isn’t a true jam, but you could pretend it is and so kill two birds with one stone. We laugh, and head to the kitchen.
Using any of your favourite frozen berries (2 cups), thawed, divide the berries up into two bowls. Add half a cup of water and the juice of a lemon to one bowl, along with a tablespoon of either honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup). Mash until pureed. Stir in the whole berries and 4 tablespoons of chia seeds. Put into a jar and refrigerate.
Footnote: the muffins were made using a recipe featured in an ancient blog post back in 2013. Yes folks – we’ve lived in New Zealand for exactly four years! Hard to imagine.
Thistles and Kiwis 
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