By: Blonde Two

What with talk of weather bombs and the wind playing eery tunes around our house, my mind has turned to ways to keep warm on Dartmoor. The day is fast approaching when B1 and I will have our first tent-shiver-session of the year. I fancy a new merino base layer (my old favourite is full of holes) to go under my down jacket.

Yesterday, however, I was experimenting with food instead of clothes. We Blondes are used to taking flasks of hot drinks everywhere with us. You may recall Blonde One’s struggles with her conscience over the hot Ribena or coffee dilemma. Hot liquid can also be imbibed in the form of soup. Yesterday’s experiment involved inventing the most warming, energy giving soup that I could. I think I succeeded, here is the recipe:

Blue Cheese and White Vegetable Soup

Chop  – 1 onion, three parsnips, two potatoes and 1 (small) cauliflower

Simmer in vegetable stock (oxo cube and water) until squodgy

Add 1 tsp each of allspice, turmeric and dried chilli flakes

Blend (or mash if you haven’t got a blender)

Add a decent amount of blue cheese (the tastier the better) and a goodly splash of cream.

Now I have yet to experiment with taking my soup to Dartmoor. Mainly because it was so delicious that we ate it all before I could say “rucksack”. I am convinced though, that this winter warmer will make a good “warm-all-night” supper. It has some fat, good carbohydrates, some natural sugars and that bit of chilli (for endorphins). I may even eat it in my sleeping bag!