My Nostalgic Thing

Discovering treasure in your garden is like unwrapping a Christmas present. On golden afternoons my brother and I used to dig in our back garden. Mud gathered under our fingernails turning them black and my dress would have a smudged grass stain on it. Dads tools, kitchen spoons and jugs spread out on the grass. We'd pretend to be pirates and find little bits of porcelain from a lost teacup, crystal embedded rocks and smooth pebbles. They are now kept in the little treasure chest (above) on the mantle piece. Why hold on to the treasure? The bits we found are worth nothing, but memories are hidden in them too. 

Did you ever dig for treasure as a child?

Nuts & Seeds Granola

No longer the knitted jumper of the food world, granola is now a chic, booming growth sector. It's one of those foods you pick at after you come home from work and watch TV, can sprinkle into your yogurt and munch on the bus for breakfast. It always comes in handy and the golden, crunchy clusters tickle your taste-buds too. Join in with the granola renaissance and bake some for yourself:

Ingredients:

(Serves 4) 

50g dried dates

 100g rolled oats

86g seed mix

20g almonds 

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Then, soak the dates in warm water until soft. Blend until smooth to make a paste. 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the date paste and stir well. 

3. Spread the mixture onto a baking tray (baking sheet) and bake for 15 minutes until golden, then reduce the temperature to 110 degrees and bake for a further 30 minutes until the mixture is crisp.

4. Leave to cool and store in an air-tight container or enjoy straight away!