When my daughter comes back from a long trip, I try to prepare something special for her to eat. Sometimes it may be her favourite dish, sometimes it could be a surprise. It was the same this year when my daughter came back from her sport camp.

Young broad beans are delicious. Especially hot ones that burn your fingers, which my family swallow without peeling first. My surprise this year was prepared using this exact vegetable. I prepared a light tuna salad with our favourite mustard – honey dip. My daughter licked her lips and rated the dish 10 out of 10.

Ingredients:
0.5kg of broad beans
1 pepper
1 spring onion
20 almonds
1 tin of tuna in oil
1 big tomato
basil leaves

Yesterday I read an article about parents who, when packing a suitcase for their child for camp, filled 1/3 of the baggage with sweets. I guess they were hoping that every day the child would eat just a few sweets, relishing their taste. The reality will be different. The sweets will disappear in three days, the child won't eat anything else, and the pocket money will be spent on more sweets.

I am not a proponent of a total ban on sweets. I like to eat good cookies or chocolate. I think that children who can't eat sweets at home, go at them without self-control when their parents aren't around. Too many sweets isn't good either. At school we have children who can't climb up to the third floor without panting.
Due to these thoughts, my son and I have prepared some healthy and sweet muesli bars. The preparation of this is similar to the oat cookies (link) I made. Instead of rolled oats I added boiled millet groats, whose goodness is well known.

The recipe comes from www.mamdziecko.interia.pl

Ingredients:
180g of millet groats
400ml of milk
150g of dried cranberries
50g of sunflower seeds

Chanterelles, known also in Poland as kurka żółta, pieprzyk jadalny, lisica, kurek and pieprznik pospolity, are one of the most popular mushrooms at the beginning of the summer. They are found all over the world (except Antarctica) and, interestingly, picking them doesn't have any effect on their population size. Chanterelles grow in broadleaf and coniferous forests, often in sandy and acidic soil. You can find them under spruces among the moss, but these mushrooms appreciate freedom. So far, attempts to cultivate chanterelles have resulted in failure.

Travellers around Poland meet mushroom pickers by the wayside, who sell chanterelles directly after picking them in the forest. I don't buy mushrooms in such places, but when I find them in markets, I am often tempted. Today I would like to share with you the first recipe of the year for a dish with chanterelles: wWholemeal pasta with chanterelles and courgette in creamy sauce.

Ingredients:
200g of granary pasta
150g of chanterelles
half a courgette
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of butter
150ml cream
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of minced chives

Recently a book called "Incredible adventures of ten socks (four right ones and six left ones)" by Justyna Bednarek fell into my hands. Its title intrigued me, because like most housewives I suspect my washing machine of devouring our socks. I wonder why I only have one from every pair. It never happens that both socks disappear together. I read this book and, seemingly, everything became clear. Our lost socks start their new life by running away from the laundry basket and bathroom and going through a hole under the washing machine. They are bored, tired, despondent and decide to change something. According to their characters and needs, these socks find their way into a town, a meadow or other places where life opens up new prospects in front of them and moves them along.

The world in the book is a picture of a child's uninhibited imagination. Colourful socks become politicians, movie stars, flowers and brave guardians of the oppressed. The stories are written in a simple way and are aimed at pre-schoolers. We read stories with crime, comedy, action and even elements of horror. Every story raises a different and important question about our surroundings. Children, contrary to appearances, know and understand quite a lot. They watch the world and explain it in their own way. They see the scramble of politicians, the so-called stars of show business; they know that other children are sick, and we teach them how to help.

"Mum I would like something sweet" – my daughter moans. The school year is over and suddenly she doesn't have anything to do. There are no lessons, set books, pop quizzes or tests. The yearly project, which plagued us for ten months, is in the past already. In a word – boredom. "Do it yourself" – I snap at her, ironing shirts. I hate ironing and the increasing pile of clean washing sends me into a bad mood. "What do you mean 'myself'???"
In this way mini pouches from French pastry with fruit were made. Swift, easy and surprisingly tasty. You also may prepare them when guests "cheer you up" with a surprise visit. They are great both hot from the oven and cooled down. You need a couple of ingredients and the honour of the housewife is rescued.

Ingredients:
1 pack of chilled French pastry
9 strawberries
18 bars of white chocolate
3 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
caster sugar