Some Facts About Spring ... and a tasty spring-time soup!

How spring can affect your sense of smell and other bizarre facts about the UK spring season.

1. It starts at different times
Spring can start at different times, depending on who you ask. Looking at the astronomical calendar the first day of spring is 20 March. The Phenological method records dates of reoccurring natural phenomena such as flowering. For meteorologists, spring starts on 1 March and runs until 31 May.

2. Snow?
Many people say you're more likely to see snow at Easter than at Christmas. This is borne out of statistics to some extent - snow or sleet falls on average 3.9 days in December, compared to 4.2 days in March. However, because Easter is a 'moveable feast', it can also take place in April, which has only 2.3 days of snow or sleet fall. So it depends on exactly when Easter falls in any given year.

3. Vernal Equinox
The first day of spring, the vernal equinox, has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

4. The warmest spring...
The warmest spring on record was 2011 with an average daytime temperature of 9.2 °C.

5. ...and the coldest spring
Was the spring of 1962, with an average daytime maximum of 5.8 °C.

6. The wettest spring
1947 saw the wettest spring to date with 331.7 mm of rainfall.

7. Average temperatures
The average mean temperature for spring is 7.7 °C.

8. Something in the air?
Sense of smell can be more acute in spring as there is usually more moisture in the air.

9. It isn't the start of the pollen season
Spring is often associated with the start of the pollen season. However, some pollen types can release as early as January.

10. The sunniest spring
The sunniest spring was in 1948, in which a total of 558 sunshine hours were recorded.

Words and above image from here

Sharing a tasty spring-time bowl of soup

~ Spring minestrone soup with pesto ~

This Mary Berry recipe for a light and summery minestrone soup makes the most of springtime vegetables, don't forget a dollop of pesto on top!

Try freezing this soup in portion-sized containers - it will keep for 2 months.

Each serving provides 4.5g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 14g fat, 4g fibre.

Ingredients

Serves Six

3 tbsp olive oil
40g/1½oz butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 leek, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
250g/9oz potatoes*, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
150g/5oz savoy cabbage
2 litres/3½ pints beef or vegetable stock
400g/14oz can Italian chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp green basil pesto

*If you would like a lower carb alternative to potatoes, you will find some suggestions here

Method

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add onions, leek and potatoes and cook for about five minutes, until starting to soften, stirring from time to time. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes more.
2. Meanwhile cut the half cabbage in quarters. Remove central stalk from cabbage and discard. Cut leaves across the wedge shape in short shreds.
3. Pour stock and can of tomatoes into the pan with the cabbage. Bring to the boil and gently simmer for about 30 mins.
4. Add pesto for the last 5 mins, and check the seasoning before serving.

xxxx ooo xxxx

Dear reader, this blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan