Stopping to savour a little something is where the joy is. And I should know; I literally wrote the book on snacking, with recipes for everything from crab nachos to gildas. Day-to-day, however, my treats are made up of quite run-of-the mill mum stuff – bits and bobs grabbed with one hand in the middle of doing 900 other things. Whoever you are, however deliciously unoriginal, the key to snacking is the same as the key to life: plenty of jars in your fridge.
Monday
Today starts off well, so naturally I worry about how I will maintain the momentum. We went apple-picking at the weekend, so there’s a mountain of very delicious d’arcy spice apples in the house – so many that I will need to turn them into compote before the week is out. I slice one for me and the baby and consider dipping the slices in almond butter, before remembering the Bonne Maman Caramelised Apple Spread in the fridge. (Sorry about that, almond butter!) It’s like eating a gently spiced, caramelly, cosy apple tart. Second breakfast? Don’t mind if I do. It gets me wondering what would happen if I were to add some comté or gruyere to this little stack? Definitely nothing bad.
Tuesday
We love an “instant cheesecake” in my house. To make one, we normally spread a digestive with cream cheese and then some kind of sweet spread; today we’ve gone for Bonne Maman Chocolate & Orange Spread, and it might just be the best instant cheesecake I’ve ever assembled. The combination of fruitiness and chocolate makes me feel more than a touch Christmassy, so I choose to be present with this snack and a cup of tea, and I let the premature festive magic wash over me.
Wednesday
Quite a lot of the time I’m thinking, “I just need to eat some cheese”. That’s what I often find I’m after when I search the recesses of my brain to determine what, precisely, I feel like eating. I satisfy this craving with cheese crackers, cheese straws, cheese and onion crisps, cheese puffs, you name it. But sometimes, the only thing that will do it is the corner of a block of mature cheddar. It has to be the corner, it can’t be a slice, I wouldn’t really consider that a suitable snack because I need something I can sink my teeth into. Anyway, as of 3:50pm today, the block of cheddar in the fridge is more of a rhombus – and the chutney jar is a little lighter than it was five minutes ago. No regrets.
Thursday
I love a boiled egg any which way and will often cook too many on purpose. This afternoon I mix a little gochujang [red chilli paste] with some mayo, cut a boiled egg in half and spread the mayonnaise generously on the yolk. Big pinch of flaky salt. I eat it with a fork while one child sleeps and the other’s at Wickes with her dad (lucky thing). Eating an egg like this feels like a very me thing to do, and it’s nice to reconnect with myself in this tiny way.
Friday
My four-year-old loves banana chips, and as I always have a minimum of 17 snack options in the house for her and quite often zero for me, I end up eating banana chips after school today – and remember they’re good! I love that unique, dense crunch they have. I must admit I waited until no one was watching (for fear of mess – can you imagine?) to spoon a little Bonne Maman Chocolate Hazelnut Spread on top of a banana chip, the perfect silky, hazelnutty, grownup foil for this after-school bite.
For snacks that hit the spot any time of the day, take a look at Bonne Maman’s new range of delicious spreads
