Al fresco May days

May Morning

We’ve been rambling all this night
And some part of the day,
And now returning back again
We have brought you a branch of May

The merry month of May is upon us, but beware don’t cast a clout before May is out – the country folklore is as true now as it was centuries ago – even though the sun may be shining merrily away one day, the next can see you reaching for those Winter thermals.

Among the many May traditions, May morning, or the eve of May Day, saw young people spending the night gathering flowering branches, bushes, and greenery to decorate their houses.  And others looking to enhance their chances of love would go out before sunrise and wash their faces in dew to improve their complexions, remove blemishes, cure consumption and ease rheumatism.  Even Henry VIII and his first long suffering wife Catherine of Aragon, are recorded as gathering May dew in 1515; sadly it didn’t help her marriage but at least she kept her head!

May Eve was known as Mischief Night in some parts of the country where folk would play practical jokes and make a general nuisance of themselves. Horns were blown in the middle of the night and tin can bands did the rounds with the townsfolk none too merry about the prospect of a broken night’s sleep. Morris dancers would be out on the village greens at dawn while in certain regions Jack-a-Green, a man covered in leaves from head to foot would make an appearance and the ever present May Queen, representing the goddess Flora, would be central to the celebrations of tableaux and processions.

Lots of our old traditions have died out but the holiday atmosphere prevails with two bank holidays in the month. The second bank holiday in May exists because it used to be held on the traditional day off falling in the Christian calendar after Whit Sunday or Pentecost. Whit Sunday always falls seven Sundays after Easter Sunday.

Fast forward to today and our modern traditions and as soon as that old sun starts shining we think about firing up the barbecue and eating al fresco – it’s a fun way to spend family time together without having to worry too much about preparations or about creating any mess! So here are a few BBQ tips and recipes to keep the kids – and you happy – over the hols.

Burgers and baps are the obvious go to but let the children do their own creative thing by choosing their own toppings of tomato sauce, brown sauce and mustard or an assortment of cheeses. Finish off with a table full of sprinkles, chocolate flakes, chocolate sauces, fresh fruit and ice cream and the kids can make their own ice cream or fresh fruit toppings.

Frozen Fruit Cubes

Keep the kids hydrated and encourage them to eat fruit with the frozen fruit cubes which they will also enjoy making. Freeze any berries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries etc with water in an ice cube tray and place in glasses when frozen. Add lemonade or sparkling water for a summer drink or just pop an ice cube in your mouth and enjoy!

Ice lollies

So easy and great fun to make with the kids, you can let your imagination run riot with any ingredients they choose. All you need are lolly moulds and sticks, then choose a selection of fruits, whizz in a blender, add some water to dilute and pop into the freezer until set. Ring the changes with bananas and milk and create iced smoothies, ideal on a hot May day.

Chocolate bananas

Get your potassium here! Plus a cacoa fix with this delicious hot dessert. Slice the banana length ways and open slightly with skin on or off. Insert marshmallows, chocolate chips or buttons into the banana, wrap in foil and place on the barbecue for 5-6 minutes. For adults add a dash of rum or pina colada and you have a decadent dessert.

Dippy chocolate treats

Grill marshmallows on the barbecue or campfire and have a bowl of melted chocolate ready for the kids to dip them into. Use strawberries, sliced bananas, grapes, pineapple and apple slices on small skewers so the kids can dip each piece of fruit into the melted chocolate before eating. When cooked on the grill, peaches and apricots become jammy, soft and caramelized Serve a warm, grilled piece of fruit over melting vanilla ice cream – heaven!

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