Friday.
noun: Friday, plural noun: Fridays
- the day of the week before Saturday and following Thursday.
- the day it all goes to pot and you don’t actually care following a week of trying to keep ’em all alive & yourself sane.
- where’s the wine?
We’ve made it to the end of another week. I’m big into celebrating the wins. We spend too much time focusing on the losses, beating ourselves up over how we didn’t get there on time, get through the never list of things to do or simply wishing we had done a better job.
So here it is – you got to Friday. Your family seems relatively unscathed from the chaos, no one noticed you wore the same bra for the entire week (not even hubby) so let’s bake!
I have this thing for flapjacks and lunch boxes. I’m always on the look out for lunchbox solutions that are healthy, nut free and tasty!! Lunch boxes are not only for Christmas they are for life, (sorry I couldn’t resist) for school days but this time of year they sneak their way into our weekends for day trips here, there and everywhere. And if you have some left over for Monday….well that’s a bonus.
After many many runs at this, I feel (and more importantly, my kids feel) that I have come up with a really delicious, nutritious, healthy and refined sugar free lunch box bar. No syrups – just sweetened with dates and super easy to make too!!
Now you also probably know by now that I like to live on the edge a little (it is the weekend after all and rock’n’roll never dies) so the optional dipping of these into a good quality dark chocolate does of course bring a little indulgence (and sugar!) to the party. But like I always say, it’s about balance. So I do half dipped and half plain. Compromise!
Here’s how – finger lickin’ is mandatory.
Ingredients:
3 cups oats
1 cup dates
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
3 tbsp coconut oil unmelted
1 tbsp chia
4 tbsp Tahini
Splash of milk of choice (I used coconut).
Method:
Simmer dates in 1 inch of water for 8 minutes or until all water has soaked in.
Blitz dates and oil until they are smooth in a food processor.
Add Tahini and blend it again.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz until everything is well mixed but not completely pulverised.
Spread into tin lined with baking paper. I pressed my mixture down with a fork to compress it as much as possible. This step is important to stop it from crumbling.
Bake at 180C for 18-20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in tin.
Cut and store in sealed box in fridge.
Or melt 200g dark chocolate chips and dip.
Your’s off to dig out the picnic blanket in the hope this weather will improve – here’s to the weekend!!,
Cli xx
All shots by Anna Groniecka
