Friday, 2 January 2015

GO NUTS THIS YEAR

Recipe: Squirrel Pots
Time taken: 2 minutes
Ingredients: Dried fruit n seeds n NUTS

Hi readers,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s 2015!

That is so, so weird to write. It’s a New Year! It actually… happened. We’re in 2015! Living it up! My word, did you have fun celebrating the end of 2014? See the fireworks? I hope so!

 
NEWSFLASH as of today my health kick is launched! Hurray! I think! No so I’m actually EXCITED to be starting my health kick. There’s all these people in it together in January. It’s all about community spirit. Giving a nod to fellow joggers and fellow fruit n veg shoppers, y’know.

 
So after DISGRACING myself yesterday on a hangover and eating literally anything that was about to be banned today, I didn’t put up a fight this morning. I went quietly! Poured my muesli and shuffled on. No chocolate or alcohol for a month! All goodness and sunshine, instead. Gah.

 
And here, lovely readers, is my first tip for how to treat your belly this January. I call it: the Squirrel Pot. Basically, it’s the best lunch you can ever pack yourself when you’re heading out to study in the library. It’s a classic of mine. Have you ever seen a squirrel nibble on a nut? That’s me. I look a lot like that, a lot of the time. A scary amount of the time. It's all in the cheeks.
 

You know Graze boxes? The little boxes you can get delivered for you in the post with 4 different healthy snacks inside? I used to have them! Well, squirrel pots are sort of like Graze boxes. Except they’re a meal not a snack! So you get more than a gram of nuts to inhale. And also you don’t have to know the nutritional information of your pot. Because who gives a? And also you know you won’t get anything weird in your pot like wasabi olives. This is guaranteed. AND also it’s insanely cheaper to make Squirrel Pots. Gotta love em.

 
Basically, Squirrel Pots are the best because…

1. They take like two minutes to make. Overslept? C’mon you have two minutes.

2. They taste SO GOOD. Like MMMMMM AHHHHHH GRRRRRR.

3. They’re bloody filling. No emergency Greggs needed.

4. They’re super healthy. Maybe high in fat? But overall awesome.

5. They could beat a sandwich to death. Hands down. They're strong.

6. I invented them. And I hear squirrels approve.

7. They’re named after a really cool animal!!

Here’s my friend Woody feeding squirrels earlier this week
 
And here’s the squirrel that stood with me watching him
 
And seven IS the magic number, so if there are seven great things about Squirrel Pots then they have the wizarding world on their side and your lunch is MAGICAL. You can’t argue with magic!

 
So, readers, here’s how to make Squirrel Pots! These are a few of the best ways…

ChefBeHere Top Tip: For all variations of the Squirrel Pot you will need a little Tupperware to see you through. Mine is round and about the size of an apple. I got it from Wilko. I say, think how many goodies you want to fit inside and then find one that’s the perfect match for you.

Here’s my Tupperware bud (it's a giant apple)
 
THE NUT CLASSIC

1. For this recipe, you need to buy a bag of mixed raisins n peanuts. You can get Smartprice or Value bags for like 40p. Plus, four bags of exciting nuts!

ChefBeHere Top Tip: My fave nuts are… Brazils, cashews, almonds and hazelnuts. There’s walnuts and pine nuts too but I use those in salads, so I leave them out of my tubs. Also, there’s pistachios but I’m not so sure about those. And there’s pecans but they can be a little pricey. Probably, there are loads of other cool nuts, too. Let me know if you have any to recommend!

 
2. You scatter a layer of raisins n peanuts in your tub. Then do a layer made up of 2 of your exciting nuts. Then another raisin and peanut layer. Then a final exciting nut layer, with the 2 you have left!

ChefBeHere Top Tip: You can cheat with the exciting nuts if you like and buy a bag of ‘Mixed Nuts’.

SUPERSTAR SEEDS

1. For this recipe, you need a bag of mixed raisins and peanuts like before. Plus, two bags of yummy seeds!

ChefBeHere Top Tip: My fave seeds are… sunflower and pumpkin! There are little seeds like chia seeds and sesame seeds too, which I use in other stuff. But they’re kind of hard to eat with your hands and I worry that they get stuck in my teeth. A very serious issue.

2. Like before, you scatter a layer of peanuts n raisins, then it’s a layer of Seed 1, then your second layer of peanuts n raisins, then finally a layer of Seed 2!

ChefBeHere Top Tip: You can cheat with the exciting seeds if you like and buy a bag of ‘Mixed Seeds’.

FRUIT-TACULAR

1. For this recipe, again you need a bag of mixed raisins and peanuts. Plus, a bag of some kind of dried berries. Plus, a bag of some kind of other dried fruit.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: My fave dried berries FO SHO are… cranberries, blueberries and goji berries! My fave other dried fruits are… bananas, apricots and dates. Mmmm. Also, you should try dried apple rings! They don’t fit into Squirrel Pots but as a snack they’re the bomb.

2. As with tradition, scatter one layer of raisins n peanuts, then one layer of dried berries, then a second layer of raisins n peanuts, and a final layer which is your dried fruit!

And hey presto! Here’s the Nut Classic I made today :)
 
I encourage you all ALL to give this one a go. It’s so easy! And costs far less than people think. And fills you up. And powers you through the afternoon! And it doesn’t feel like healthy food. Works your jaw like people say a steak does. And it TASTES LUSH. Need I say more?

 
Go people. Go forage for some nuts. And then make your own Squirrel Pot! And lemme kow if you like it! I want to hear… can you be bothered to make your own rather than having one delivered? Does this fill you up until teatime? Does it beat Graze? Does it beat a boring old sandwich?

 
And if you’re inspired to get creative with Squirrel Pots let me know your ingredients and your recipes! I’m always open to something new in the New Year. :)

 
Squirrel safely,

Hayley


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