Boarding School Memories were Made of this

How many of us went to boarding school? If you were a ‘boarder’ you will remember the excitement of going back to school after the school holidays.

Most of us did not relish the academics, nor did we love being away from our family, but our boarding school friends were like another family we had. After the hols were over, it was great to see our friends. One thing that we always looked forward to was the bag of goodies from back to school shopping. Especially the treasured jar of Blue Band, Bluesh, or BB as we called it.

Why was BB considered like gold? As the school term wore on and we had eaten through most of our initial stash of goodies, BB kept us sane.

Blue band is what pushed us through those moments of hunger, homesickness, boredom and those insatiable junk food cravings. Remember that paste we used to make when we were missing chocolate? You would mix blue band with sugar and cocoa powder. If you were lucky enough to have sneaked in some peanut butter from home, that went in too. After stirring everything vigorously in a cup, you savoured each spoonful, licking it slowly as if it was the finest Swiss chocolate.

Blue band also worked wonders when stirred into ‘murram’ or boiled githeri.And of course the mountains of bread we consumed as teenage girls could not have been possible without those generous slatherings of the noble Blue Band.

As we think back to those special moments during visiting day when our families would come bearing kiondos of food, gifts, and Blue Band, we can’t help but smile with nostalgia.

Our high school days are long gone, but the Bluesh legacy lives on for the next generation. Rather than our kids eating funny concoctions created in desperation from limited ingredients, we use this inspiration to teach them to make their own delicious BB snacks. Here are two easy recipes for your little ones to try this weekend.

RECIPE : Superstar Toasted Sandwiches

Ingredients

4 slices of bread

Blue band

Filling of choice (tomato, cheese, ham, leftover mincemeat or chicken etc)

METHOD

• Show your child how to put on the sandwich toaster
• Instruct them to apply blue band onto the bread
• Have them put in two slices of bread (blue band side down) into the toaster
• Show them how to neatly arrange their chosen filling onto the bread
• Request them to put the remaining slices of bread on top, blue band side up.
• Let them close the toaster gently
• When the light turns green show them how to open the toaster and remove their superstar sandwiches
• Switch off the toaster and once it is cool have them wipe it with a sponge.

Day-School Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 100 g self-raising flour
• 20 g cocoa powder (or leave it out if your child prefers plain)
• 100g caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 40 g Blue Band
• 120 ml milk
• 1 egg

METHOD

Switch on your oven to 170 degrees C. Have your child put 12 cupcake cases into the slots on a cupcake baking tray. Show your child how to measure the ingredients. Assign them tasks like breaking the egg or pouring in the milk depending on their age. Mix everything in a large bowl together, using a wooden spoon. Have your child give it a good stir and once there are no lumps, have them measure the mixture in tablespoons into the tray. Set the timer for 20 minutes but keep watching them in case they are ready faster. Remove them and place on a rack to cool. Have your child serve them with or without icing.

Editor’s Note : Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To make sure you are sending your kids to boarding school with adequately nourished bellies, sign up for the good breakfast challenge and receive top tips from world-renowned athlete David Rudisha himself.

For more tricks on making meals with BlueBand visit our list of cooking schools and take some cooking courses that will benefit you for good.