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Today, for the first time in weeks, the rain has come. Yet again, I have skipped the yoga I promised myself I would do in favour of scrolling through Rightmove in the search of the perfect house. It’s futile and I know it, but I’m fairly addicted at this point. The baby is due to wake up from his nap any minute and I have worked myself into a regular grump. Time for a moment to re-centre.

Today’s moment comes in the form of a piece of banana bread with a lovely dollop of yoghurt on top. My favourite flavour at the minute is Onken’s Mango and Apple. I could easily eat the whole tub in one sitting but I enjoy making it last and savouring each mouthful.

Someone once pointed out to me that the longer you keep something in your mouth, the sweeter it tastes. For this reason, letting chocolate melt on your tongue increases your enjoyment in more ways than simply prolonging the initial flavour. Food you have spent time creating deserves to be savoured all the more, so I take my time over the banana bread, enjoying each little bite.

The kettle boils and I put down my treat to complete the tea ceremony, as I refer to it in my mind. Teabags in, decaf for me, caffeinated for my husband. Water, lovely face full of steam. Let the teabags sit. Idly inspect the progress of the chicken in the slow cooker whilst taking another spoonful of my banana bread. Lick the spoon. It’s extra gooey because I also added yoghurt into the mixture before baking. Two swirls to each teabag and lift them out. I deliberately chose a brightly colourful spoon holder to cheer up our drab kitchen. Add the milk, stirring at the same time to achieve the right colour; fairly strong but not too dark.

I love a good mug. It completes the tea ceremony. There are many ways in which a mug can be good; it may have a geeky film reference, it may be extra large for prolonged tea enjoyment, it might be a special glass mug like those my friend has or, as in this case, it may be a handcrafted memento of our road trip around Scotland last year. We paused en route between Skye and Inverness to duck into Carron Pottery shop and ended up chatting to the friendly men behind the kiln about their creations for almost an hour.

The rain is tapping on the window to remind me to turn and watch it rejuvenating our parched lawn. A big stretch fills my lungs with air, my muscles with energy. The mug warms my hand and I do a bit of what I’ve dubbed ‘tea yoga.’

I am feeling re-centred, relaxed and content with life again.

Mango and Apple Banana Bread

My version is loosely based off Nigella’s, from her book, Kitchen. I tend to deviate from most recipes I follow because I usually do not have all the ingredients, and I’ve made a few changes here. Having added a large spoonful of creme fresh to my first attempt (it needed using up), which resulted in a deliciously squidgy loaf, I decided to shake things up again and add yoghurt this time. It worked fairly well. I say fairly well, it was devoured in record time, even for us.

• 150g butter
• 3 medium or at least 2 large bananas that are slightly over-ripe
• 75g caster sugar
• 75g demerara sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75 plain flour
• 100g worth of either sultanas, cherries, coconut, mixed chopped nuts, or whatever is to hand
• a large dollop of yoghurt (if you like)

1. Pre-heat your oven to about 200°C/180°C fan
2. Tip your butter into your mixing bowl and (assuming it’s not a metal one) microwave it for 45 seconds or so until the butter has surrendered
3. Peel your bananas and mash them up. I use a fork. You could use a masher or sheer will power if it will suffice
4. Mix the banana mush into the melted butter, along with both types of sugar, the eggs, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
5. Now mix in your flour and whatever extras you have chosen. For instance, I used mixed chopped nuts and sultanas this time
6. Stir in your yoghurt if you want it to be super gooey
7. Pour it into a loaf tin that has been lined with baking parchment
8. Pop it in the oven for an hour (check it is done by poking a skewer through the middle. If there is any batter on the skewer, put it back in for a bit longer)
9. Leave it in the tin for 10 minutes or so, then when you remember, pull it out by the parchment and leave it on a wire rack to cool

I tend to store it wrapped up in the same parchment and tucked out of sight in a cake tin, so that I don’t eat it too quickly. Trust me, I am not the sort of person to forget if there is cake!