Pilates Plans... and Peas!

Well, I may soon be packing my Pilates wagon and, all being well, heading off to teach live Pilates classes again at my lovely community venues at Orlingbury, Cranford, Broughton in Northamptonshire, and at East Farndon, Medbourne and Market Harborough in Leicestershire. What a joy that will be, seeing people in person for the first time in well over a year now. 

I have learnt many a new skill over the last year and certainly become much more tolerant and philosophical about the odd technical glitch here and there with Zoom and my 'reassuringly expensive' Air Pods! Despite these little moments, Zoom and Air Pods are here to stay in my world …what an overall success story they have both been for my Pilates classes. 

A huge success that has been born out of Zoom, has been the creation of my On Demand video library, made up of more than two hundred videos now, and ideal for anyone to dip into at their convenience. Sometimes I do not see my signed-up class members live on Zoom, but I receive lovely little notes here and there to say how much they enjoy having the video library at their fingertips. 

Another welcome addition seems to have been the Unlimited Pilates Class Pass. This gives access to any number of live zoom classes and / or video library classes as anyone should wish, without restriction. I am planning to continue with this when I go live too, so that everyone can have the option to continue their Pilates practice at home.  I always say that doing just one Pilates class a week is just excellent, but if there is time to get in two (or more!) Pilates classes, then that is marvellous. An available video library, and a couple of zoom classes that sit alongside my live classes will create that perfect opportunity.

There are many more things on my list to tick off over the next few weeks for me to bring my overall Pilates plans together....a bit of a jigsaw that consists of several risk assessments and a host of Covid H&S considerations..... but what has any of this got to do with peas??! Well, last week I was having a bit of 'day' delving into the world of Covid government guidelines and information, when after a while I just absolutely had to change the task, or be lost forever inside the internet.

So I trotted off downstairs to the kitchen to clear my head, and rummage around to see what vegetables I had left after the weekend with which I could make soup. I found the perfect opportunity in the freezer... a bag of lovely, smiley frozen garden peas. Peas are so vibrant and sweet and can be made into the most wonderful and easy to make soup. Pea and Mint to be exact. I have made this soup countless times over my life and it is really delicious. Anyway, the recipe took hardly any time to make, and in no time I was fortified, cheered and smiling again, feeling so much better at having to delve back into the world of Covid H&S! Here is the magic formula:

Jane’s Pea and Mint Soup

300g frozen peas

1 small red onion diced

1 garlic clove crushed

¼ cup of chopped fresh mint leaves 

8 fluid ounces of chicken stock (I use a Knorr chicken stock pot)

4 fluid oz of milk

Ground black pepper to taste

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and slowly cook the onion and garlic until wonderfully translucent and melted. Add the peas and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes stirring. Add the butter and mint. Once the butter has melted it is time to add the stock and simmer for 10/15 minutes. Add the milk and after heating through, liquidize until smooth. Taste and add ground black pepper. Enjoy!