A little bit seedie!!

As soon as you tell yourself you can't have something, you want it, well, at least I do anyway.  I don't respond well to being told 'No', even by myself.  But tell yourself you choose not to have something, and its a different ball game.  As I have said before, it's not about restriction, it's not about sins, it's not about bad food, it is about choice, and it's about re-education, exploring new flavours, teaching yourself a healthier way of life, well, it is for me anyway.

Today I managed to get a trip to a health food store, we rarely go into town these days and I order most stuff over the internet.  But I was like a kid in a sweet shop today, getting excited over what I could do with different ingredients I found in there.  My tastes have definitely changed, nut butters, seeds, nuts, grains etc etc excite my tastebuds now, give me a choice between a bag of crisps these days and one of my homemade seeded crackers and I know without hesitation I would choose the cracker, so much more flavour, so much more nourishment, I now find myself choosing food that I know works for me and offers my body maximum benefit, that's one hell of a change.

~BREAKFAST~

 

Figs were on special offer in Waitrose the other day so I treated myself to some.  I absolutely love figs, especially baked.  So for breakfast I split a couple open and drizzled them with agave nectar (a plant produced sweetener) and baked in the oven for about 10 minutes at about 150oc.

I topped this with some 'raw porridge' (porridge oats, chia seeds, cinnamon and fat free yogurt mixed together), fresh raspberries and toasted almonds and pumpkin seeds.  Delicious!

~LUNCH~

 

We stopped off at a pub for our lunch today, just for a quick snack, and I chose a falafel wrap which was gorgeous.  Falafel, hummus, spinach and tzatziki in a wrap, with a big spinach side salad.  However, I also managed to eat most of my husbands chips that came with his steak sandwich, but they were particularly good!!!

 

~BAKING~

 

Neither of us are particularly hungry this evening, its normally like that at weekends, I had planned to make fish cakes for dinner but have instead just baked the potatoes and fish and will let them go cold to make them tomorrow.

 

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon making some healthy snacks for the week, a new version of my magical energy bars and some new seeded crackers, so will share them with you instead.

 

Seeded Crackers

In a bowl I mixed 1 cup of ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup mixed seeds (sunflower, flax, sesame), 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of agave nectar, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, 2 teaspoons of spirulina powder*, a twist of rock salt, 1 teaspoon of rapeseed oil and 1/2 cup of water and simply mixed it all together.

I then lined a baking tin with baking parchment and spread the mix thinly over it, pressing down hard to make it compact and ensure it stayed together.  I then topped with more seeds and pressed them in and sprayed with olive oil.

Baked in the oven at about 130oc for about 45 minutes to dry out.  Once cooked, removed and let it crisp up on air contact.  Once cooled, I cut it into squares and placed in an airtight container.

May not look particularly appetising, but believe me, these are just bursting with flavour, lovely, thin and crisp and amazing on their own, or spread with nut butter, or hummus, or fat free soft cheese, I love them.

Magical Energy Bars

Changed the recipe a bit today owing to new ingredients to play with!

In a pan I warmed through a mashed banana, a tablespoon of almond butter, a tablespoon of pumpkin seed butter, 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, a teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of agave nectar.

In a bowl I mixed 4 tablespoons of oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, 4 chopped dates, 1 chopped stem ginger ball, 6 chopped dried apricots, 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds, 1 tablespoon of chopped almonds, 1 tablespoon of toasted coconut and 1 tablespoon of dried banana chips.  I added the warmed banana and nut butter mix and mixed thoroughly and then spooned into a small sandwich tin sprayed with olive oil and spread out till flat.

I baked in the oven at about 160oc for approx 25-30 minutes until browned and firm.  Remove and tip onto a cooling rack.  When cooled, slice into squares and place in an airtight container.

 

I simply love these!!

 



* Spirulina powder is a dried algae powder with a potent source of nutrients and high in protein.  It is also high in iron, B12, Vitamin E and magnesium and contains more beta-carotene than carrots!  It is said to enhance the immune system by increasing production of anti-bodies.  It is also said to enhance the presence of pro-biotics in the intestinal tract, particularly after a course of antibiotics.  It is currently being studied for its benefits for Type II diabetes as it shows promise for reducing blood sugar levels. It is also meant to be a beneficial supplement when pregnant as it provides protection against iron-deficiency anaemia and provides much needed protein, (although obviously always consult your doctor before using!). 

It is best consumed in a raw form, by adding to smoothies, baking reduces its benefits.

~EXERCISE~

 

As I am an 'off-peak' gym member, I cannot use it at the weekends, which is fine as I prefer to spend my time with my husband and he isn't a member.  So when I got up this morning, whilst hubby was still sleeping, I did an hours workout using my home equipment, kettlebells, hand weights and bosu ball.

 

I managed 60 stomach crunches on the bosu today ... will no doubt feel that tomorrow, am aiming for 100!
 

 

 

 

Thanks again for reading

Jo

xx