Chickpea’s Adventure in the Kitchen

One sunny morning, Chickpea woke up feeling ready for a busy day ahead. As usual, breakfast was important—this time, it was a warm bowl of porridge to start the day off right. For Peanut and Lentil, the breakfast menu was a bit more special: Bircher Muesli, which Chickpea had prepared the night before. It was the perfect mix of oats, fruit, and nuts to give them the energy they needed for their adventures.

For lunch, Chickpea had packed picnic boxes for Peanut and Lentil, who stayed at home while Black Bean received a fresh, plant-powered salad at work. But Chickpea wasn’t just thinking about food today—there was a mission to complete!

After a lovely dog walk in Hyde Park, Chickpea snapped some pictures of her four-legged participants to share on Instagram. It was all about building trust and confidence with the owners of future furry friends. There was so much to explore, and Chickpea hoped to inspire others to join in on these fun activities—but Peanut and Lentil had other plans!

Back at home, Chickpea curiously checked on what Peanut and Lentil had eaten. To her surprise, only one Bircher Muesli had been finished—the cucumber and garlic yogurt dressing from one picnic box was untouched, along with the tortilla triangles and dried pears. One picnic box hadn’t been touched at all. Why? It turned out that Lentil had gorged on the mini cupcakes made the day before, which were supposed to be frozen for daily treats. Chickpea was a little miffed—Lentil always had a knack for finding the treats!

As the evening came, Chickpea pondered what to cook for dinner. A tin of anchovies had been sitting in the cupboard for far too long, and its “use by” date was fast approaching. Chickpea wasn’t sure how to use it, but remembered a recipe from a camping book: spaghetti with anchovies, olives, capers, and tinned tomatoes. The challenge? How to make it healthier and pack in more fibre.

After thinking for a while, Chickpea decided to add cauliflower—but that didn’t quite do the trick. So, Chickpea added dessert to the menu, featuring Greek yogurt, banana, and almonds—goal achieved! The dish turned out surprisingly delicious, with a sprinkle of parsley and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Even though Chickpea only managed to eat one-third, it was still a success!

Dinner was ready by 5:00 PM, and Chickpea had the washing up done by 6:00 PM—leaving plenty of time to unwind with a game of Exploding Kittens. (Needless to say, Chickpea lost, but it was still a blast.) By 6:30 PM, Chickpea was out in the allotment, feeling proud of the day’s accomplishments.

After a busy day of over 27,000 steps, Chickpea knew tomorrow would bring more opportunities to work on strength and flexibility.