The First Recipe Nanna ever taught me to make

So, I grew up with two sides of the family on two different sides of the country. My Hamilton side [my mothers family] lived in South Australia and for a brief period, Melbourne. So I only got to see them during holidays, when we would either go over to the mainland or they would come for a visit to Tasmania. In contrast, the Crawford side [my fathers side] were a 20 minute drive across town and I would spend a lot more time at Nanna and Pas house.

Being a very selective eater due to undiagnosed food sensory issues as a child, I would often ask for the same dishes. Having a very deep love of sugar, I would spend part of each visit snacking on the varied and delicious baked goods Nanna would make or feasting on the abundance of Cadbury chocolates hidden in spots Nanna didnt know I knew existed [sorry, Nanna]. However, Nanna would also teach me how to make things while I was at her house.

The first ever recipe she taught me was….a blueberry smoothie.

I know.

Not the most complicated of recipes to learn. However, I was only 5 at the time and apart from another recipe I will share at some point, I didnt know how to cook. It helped that I had just spent the day braving the elements to help Nanna and Pa and my aunts to pick a metric ton of blueberries at a berry farm that allowed you to pick your own off the bushes.

Also, this smoothie was delicious. So delicious, I would ask to be allowed to make it every time I was over. As I got older, the blueberries were replaced by mulberries or raspberries that grew in their back garden or blackberries we would pick from the disused paddock behind their house.

So, I wanted to prove the original recipe, as I remember it.

Blueberry Smoothie
[Note: this is not an exact recipe, as it depends on the size of your blender as well as how much you have of each ingredient. Add what you think is right and experiment, adding as you need to]

Enough milk to fill a blender vessel [about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way]
Vanilla ice cream
Heaping handfuls of blueberries

1. Pour the milk into the blender
2. Add the blueberries after washing them
3. Add scoops of ice cream [I usually did 1-2 but thats up to you]
4. Put the lid on and blend until everything is combined and looks right. It should look a nice blue/purple colour, if not, add more berries until you get a shade you like.
5. Pour into a big glass and drink with a straw