Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice……

There is little that puts the fear of God into parents more than the clocks changing. However this year I felt like an expert……I have 3 after all. We’ve done it numerous times – it’s not going to be a problem. Oh more fool me!!

3rd born  just did as babies do and with complete disregard for nature and the seasons he continued to wake and not sleep as he pleased. And this meant a 5.44am (to be precise!!) start and 2 idiotic parents dancing around in front of said baby from 6pm to try keep him awake…..and there was always only going to be one winner in this situation and no prizes for guessing who. *Yawn*

1st & 2nd born were like puppies having fallen into a vat of coffee for the 1st part of each day of the weekend but by 4pm they resembled a poor soul with narcolepsy, falling asleep on the sofa (good choice 1st born) & the bathroom floor (a more questionable choice from 2nd born – we’ll put it down to limited life experience!) respectively. I actually contemplated leaving her there, face pressed to her Gruffalo book, dribbling all over his terrible tusks & terrible jaws but I felt I had pushed my luck with regard to bacteria for this month.

 

(Exhibit A:  Entitled “Learning from mistakes” – by Sunday she managed the sofa)

Anyway bleary eyed from lack of sleep, combined with an escape to the bank holiday weekend jazz festival, I was craving sugar and lots of it! So after the obligatory feed of Chilli Nacho’s, Tayto’s, Guinness Chocolate Cake & plenty of vino, I was ready to try be healthy this week – but the sugar cravings have not subsided!

 

Now I am all about being healthy….. but its  got to taste good. I have a LETHAL sweet tooth but I have become more informed with regards to the adverse effects of sugar on our skin & general health! In short we should all be eating less.

So I try when possible (ie midweek!) to have treats made from unrefined forms of sugar – such as maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar amongst others. None are the perfect replacement health-wise but they all offer some benefit over ordinary table sugar.

Time and again I have been left disappointed by beautifully photographed and blogged about healthy alternatives only for them to fall far short of the delicious treat as promised.

This raw Caramel Sauce/Spread inspired by a recipe that I found on Nutrition Stripped however will not do that. This stuff is literally the BEST healthy sweet treat I have made. There is no refined sugar in it and it has all the benefits provided by almond butter & coconut oil. It is ridiculously easy to make. If you can measure and blend you can make this jar of scrummy heaven.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons maple syrup

8 tablespoons coconut oil

7 tablespoons almond butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 pitted dates

1 tablespoon honey/agave

A pinch of salt

Method:

1. Pop EVERYTHING into your blender.

2. Switch on!!

 

(Apologies to all offended food stylists – this is carnage I know)

 

 

 

 Could it be any easier? I think not!

I keep mine in the fridge until its gone but some people get the keep theirs for up to a week! Mine just doesn’t last that long!

I spread it on banana bread, apple slices (as recommend by the Nutrition Stripped blog), banana slices, ginger almond flour biscuits – all of which I will put up here as time goes by.

Now I am off to undo some of the damage from last weekend.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try – you won’t regret it!!

 

Cli xx