Everyone I’ve spoken to recently has seemed stressed out and tired. I guess it’s that whole christmas marathon/dark evenings/dark mornings/I’ve got to direct the Nativity play/what will the neighbours think if I haven’t hand made my christmas cake by now (delete as appropriate) feeling. Or it could just be the old chestnut that is overwork + lack of sleep.

Anyway, I’d like to share one strategy I have developed to deal with the stresses and strains of 21st Century living. When I’m feeling run down, I simply let the vegetables cheer me up. Now bear with, this will make sense with a little explanation!

Are you stressed at the end of a hard day at work?

Admire a magnificent fennel and giggle at the way it looks like a rather ill man with a fluffy hairdo. Then you can marvel at how a vegetable can taste like liquorice!

Are you overburdened and under-appreciated?

Reach for the nearest bunch of cavolo nero (it’s a large, dark green cabbagey thing) and turn two of its crunchy leaves into rabbit ears, bounce around the kitchen and feel your stress fall away (probably best to do that at home).

Feeling like Christmas can’t be over soon enough?

Turn a parsnip into a comedy nose and surprise someone with a grotesque new face!

To be honest, just the challenge of buying a new type of vegetable and cooking with it (once you’ve stopped hopping round the kitchen) helps me to relax. It has certainly given me a whole new excitement when visiting my local green grocers/Tesco’s fruit and veg isle.

So why not take up the de-stress veg challenge? Just think of all the fun that’s in store…

PS. Vegetables are also good for you apparently.

PPS. How can you not love vegetables after looking at the following picture?