Study snacks

I have to start this post with an apology. I sincerely intended to post last week and was travelling home for my birthday so it made the perfect opportunity. I brought my big camera and even baking bits necessary for a really beautiful cake to blog about. However sometimes ironically living life gets in the way of blogging about one's life and I returned after the trip with a grand total of 2 photos. This is ridiculous and I'll explain why. There was so much to blog about. I celebrated with my family at a Michelin star restaurant, where the food came under glass service covers filled with special smoke to enhance the experience. Everything was beautiful and decadent but the setting was too sophisticated for me to pull out a huge camera, or even my phone.

Following this I prepared my cake and made it into the beautiful basket of roses that I imagined but unfortunately time constraints meant that as soon as i had completed the cake I had to work on my own appearance and the party was beginning in 45mins. So no pictures yet again. I have just one photo that a friend took as I was blowing out the candles, which I may add to this in a little bit with permission.

On to today, I'm up to my neck in books and journal articles......... I hate studying!! I'm sure you know the feeling, surrounded by bits of an uncompleted whole with a deadline approaching and every thought in your head telling you this is not gonna happen, is that too morose?? All of this must be taken, of course, with a pinch of salt as I am currently approaching a deadline and if you asked me when I was under less pressure I would probably wax lyrical about the things I'm learning. This is what intense study does.

I know I am not alone as we are approaching finals time and therefore people all over the world are undoubtedly pulling all-nighters/their hair out. So with that in mind let me give you a little recipe, something sweet and small that will help with the sugar craving that hours at a desk inevitably produces. The nice thing is that these little suckers are gluten-free, vegan and contain non-processed sugar.

Seed and Nut Bites

75g Eat Natural Nuts and Seeds Cereal (Can be replaced with 75g of mix seeds, nuts and bran)
15g Whole Hazelnuts
15g Almond Slices
1.5 tsp Almond Oil
1 tsp Manuka Honey (Vegans - replace both the teaspoons of honey with maple syrup or agave
1 tsp runny honey        nectar)

1 - Heat the honey and oil together in a small pan until well combined.

2- Add the cereal and nuts

3 - Mix thoroughly

4 - Fill mini muffin tray with the mixture

5 - Use a piece of greaseproof paper to push the mixture down into each muffin space until they are well compacted.

6 - Now bake at 200' for 5 -10 minutes keeping an eye on them and removing when they are brown and bubbling hot.

7 - Now, go study and let these bad boys cool COMPLETELY - do not blame me if your temptation burns you.

8 - Then turn out and snack healthy and happy =)