Tutti Frutti

Wednesday night - a precious time of aloneness - M's at a meeting and will be back when I'm already sound asleep. I've soaked in the bath and finished my book. Dressed in my pyjamas, my body warm and cuddly from a soak in the tub, I toss around the options of reading another book in bed or writing a blog. Or a third option sneaks in - be a good wife and make M tutti frutti.

For brunch last Christmas, I made stewed fruit to be served with yoghurt. Whether our friends were that thrilled with it, I can't say, but it was a hit with M and me. I now keep a supply of it in our fridge to be added to oats or yoghurt for breakfast. It's been finished for a few days now and just this morning M asked hopefully, "Are we going to have some more tutti frutti soon?" I shelve the book and shut the door on the computer beckoning me to write - tutti frutti it is.

It is a simple process - the hardest part is chopping the dried fruit to bite size pieces. It's not as pleasing on the eye as leaving the fruit whole but it is easier to eat. I've found that dried apricots, peaches, pears and apples work well as do prunes. And cranberries add a splash of colour. Avoid dried figs - the skin doesn't soften enough. After all the chopping is done, I boil the kettle and steep two cups of rooibos tea with just a hint of sugar and a good dash of lemon juice. I pour the tea over the dried fruit and let it stew overnight on the counter. In the morning, we will have stewed fruit - or tutti frutti as M calls it - ready to be added to natural Balkan yoghurt.

Good wife - when M gets home tonight his pyjamas will be waiting for him at the front door and in the kitchen tutti frutti will be plumping up on rooibos tea. In bed, I still squeeze in a few pages before switching off the lights. And writing, well, as Morrie said, that will come.