From the Heart of Europe

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• Mon, 14:33: RT @JolyonMaugham: Northern Ireland is abandoning the algorithm for GCSEs - but maintaining it for A Levels. Not sure why, if it's unfair f…
• Mon, 16:05: John Hume obituary: Nationalist leader who championed ‘agreed Ireland’ https://t.co/6I1mKuUnMG Good summary from Fi… https://t.co/PpwdnNqLfw
• Mon, 17:11: RT @CRobertson_LD: Really good blog post here: https://t.co/b1vA0ckue0
• Mon, 17:23: RT @10DowningStreet: A Level, AS Level and GCSE results will now be based on teacher-assessed grades. Students will receive the higher of…
• Mon, 17:23: RT @Keir_Starmer: The Government has had months to sort out exams and has now been forced into a screeching U-turn after days of confusion.…
• Mon, 18:03: RT @fiyahlitmag: Theydies and gentlefolk, friends and enemies, we present to you the finalists for the inaugural #FIYAHCON2020 #IgnyteAward…
• Mon, 18:55: September 2007 books https://t.co/TqXCz8moS8
• Mon, 20:00: RT @BeilinsonOrel: If you're wondering why you see both LukashenkA and LukashenkO, the answer is basically that the former is Belarusian an…
• Mon, 21:32: Cheering for @ClareCollege this evening, especially against @BalliolOxford !!!
• Mon, 21:44: RT @gideonrachman: I had no idea the bagpipes were popular in Belarus. Stirring sound

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A month or so ago, I was intrigued to see an early morning tweet from Alexander Stubb, former prime minister of Finland.

My world famous #bananapancakes are back: 2-3 eggs, a mashed banana and 1/2 cup of oats. Today’s toppings: Turkish yougurth, cashews, blueberries and honey. Beat that. pic.twitter.com/eK9yWtQOk0

— Alexander Stubb (@alexstubb) July 2, 2020

I'm a fan of breakfast in general. I've made myself egg on toast as a matter of routine every morning for about twenty years. I used to have bacon at weekends, but have been warned that it's not all that good for me, so more recently I've been doing a poached egg (with a splash of vinegar in the boiling water) on salmon on buttered toast.

But this looked like an idea worth trying. So I gave it a go.

I was inspired to give this a try myself. Wondered if enough liquid but yes, eggs and banana are fluid enough. A yummy start to the day. Thanks @alexstubb! https://t.co/U1yJy1AhoS pic.twitter.com/VYXMQCeWcS

— 𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙨 𝙒𝙝𝙮𝙩𝙚 🇪🇺 🇧🇪 (@nwbrux) July 2, 2020

The banana itself is not all that liquid to start with, but once it has been mashed around a bit and then the grinding effect of the oats, it turns into something very much resembling a batter. I found the Stubb recipe quite large, in fact, but you can use half a banana, one egg and a quarter cup of oats and voila, you have a single banana pancake. (Or you can use the full quantities and make one for a passing friend or relative.)

It's had a really positive effect on my digestion. I have a rather irritable bowel, unfortunately, and have tried all kinds of solutions to improve my general comfort level over many years. I can honestly say that the banana pancake breakfast has had the most beneficial effect of anything I've tried. I guess the oats and the banana together are a powerful combination. (I was eating an egg every day anyway.)

Anyway, it may not work for you, but it made a difference for me. Thanks, Alex!