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What should I share this week folks? Well, I’m just back from Ireland where I spent the last fortnight with my family and quite unbelievably I seemed to hit Derry at just the right time – hello heatwave! So yeah. Two weeks hanging with my Mum and Dad, helping out wherever I can (that invariably means being designated cook) and generally lending a bit of support … Dad had a bit of a dip a few weeks back but has thankfully rallied again. I can’t deny this is an emotional, stressful, overwhelming time for us all and I’d feel weird acting as if everything is totally normal on the blog so I thought it best to be upfront and honest about the whole thing. Anyway, our family isn’t one to wallow in our sorrows and I can assure you there’s still plenty of laughs to be had … my Dad still cracks us up from time to time – joking about things that are essentially grim is seemingly his forte. I think it’s the only way he/we can deal with this horrible hand we’ve been dealt. Generally speaking, us Irish do tend to use humour to counteract difficult situations – the troubles being just one example. It’s probably another reason why Freud deemed us ‘one race for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever’ … not that I entirely agree with that sentiment, as I’m a habitual over-sharer and don’t mind going in for some deep and meaningful’s myself. Nevertheless, therapy is still far from the norm in Northern Ireland so banter acts as a good daily antidote to daily strifes.
My current way of clearing my head, however, is to declutter. And then declutter some more. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a ‘maximalist minimalist’ mainly because I’m forever drawn to colour and from what little I know about this lifestyle it’s all about the neutrals. My home and wardrobe are feeling ever more pared back though, and it’s actually quite liberating – so much so, it’s infiltrated how we approach things (life) in general in a big way. Whilst I still love great design, it more about function for me now … decorative items just hold no sway with me anymore and the same goes for my closet, which could almost be classified as a ‘capsule’ collection at this point. Pretty much everything can be mixed and matched bar one or two items that are a bit more unique. I can’t see us going back to our old ways at this stage.
Travelling has also become something we want to explore again, which is how our ‘month in Berlin’ idea came about. So we’re upping sticks this summer and moving to this awesome German city for what we’re calling a ‘working holiday’ – I honestly cannot wait to eat my weight in awesome vegan food and immerse myself in oodles of culture. I’ll definitely be uploading blog posts to accompany our stay and give you the lowdown on what has become something of a European vegan mecca.
Even though we’ll be eating out a lot when we’re there I also want to do plenty of cooking – we always opt for self-catering. Recipes like this rawnola are going to be super handy for breakfasts and snacks because they’re quick to make and satisfy those sweet cravings. The Cornish Sea Salt ‘cinnamon salt’ addition is an absolute must in my opinion but if you can’t get your hands on it simply add a pinch of good quality sea salt (or pink himalayan salt) and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. There’s something about sweet and salty that just really hits the spot for me. I’ve never been one for indulging in confectionary but give me a bowl of granola and fruit and I’m one happy lady. If you’re anything like me and classify breakfast as the happiest meal of the day then this is going to be a little lifesaver – you can mix up the ingredients to suit too … not got almonds? Use brazil nuts or cashews instead. You could also swap the oats for buckwheat flakes – it’s entirely up to you. Simply use this ‘recipe’ (such as it is) to create your own perfect rawnola. Enjoy!
what you’ll need
1 cup regular oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup whole almonds
4 x medjool dates
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 tsp cinnamon salt
what you’ll do
place the oats, coconut and almonds in food processor and pulse to break apart.
add the stoned dates, raisins and cinnamon and pulse until it forms a sticky rubble – be sure not to overwork the mixture.
refrigerate for an hour to firm or serve immediately.
place a handful of rawnola in a bowl, add sliced apple and pour over you favourite plant milk. finish with a little more coconut and cinnamon salt.
