As usual this time of year approaches and I need to convert my amazing mint leaves into mint sauce.

I have tried many different ways to chop the leaves small enough not to give the diner a huge mint leaf to chew with roast lamb, but mostly have ended up chopping the leaves for hours with scissors. Effective but soooo boring and time consuming.

This year I searched the internet as usual looking for ways and found out that some people use a food processor.

I remembered that I had one somewhere – it was one I had bought in 1970 when I used to make wedding cakes for my friends. It had been stored in a box in a cupboard (the worst thing you can do with a kitchen gadget) and had even moved house with me six years ago only to be stored in the same box in a different cupboard.

I got it out – noted that the newspaper it was wrapped in was twenty years old, gave it a wash and loaded it up with washed mint leaves.

It was a success, although the leaves get a bit mushy and a little vinegar and sugar mix was called for but, no problem and my mint sauce was made for another year.

Fired with enthusiasm I knocked up a batch of pastry mix for the fridge – much easier than mixing and rolling all in one go!

And then I decided to make yorkshire puds for the freezer – and they were amazing – just look…

And all this in minutes from my 38 year old Braun food processor – it will no longer be kept in a cupboard but on the worktop – possibly not next to my more up to date items, as you will agree it does look a little dated….

But obviously built to last!!