Cranberry Breakfast Bars

Cranberries make me feel a little bit Christmas-y...

Image

Ok, so quite a lot Christmas-y.


It doesn’t take much to tip me over into way to early Christmas excitement. I’m pretty much there already. Christmas songs are getting the sly play every now and again… Christmas tags may or may not have been purchased on etsy… I’m like an elf… But the difference is I'm just slooowwwly getting prepared for the day..

Amongst my searching for decorating ideas, I became distracted by the thought of cooking with cranberries.. Baking with cranberries.. Who bakes.. Nigella bakes! Google Nigella and cranberries.. 

Cranberry Breakfast Bars. High five Nigella! 

I'll admit, I did a little happy dance.

I've been wanting to try muesli bars for a while now, but it’s been quite hard to find a recipe that wasn't too complicated. Because let’s be honest.. I like to bake, but if the recipe calls for too many ingredients, or has too many steps… I'm out.

Cranberry Breakfast Bars

But I do love a melt and mix recipe. It makes baking easy. I found Nigella's original recipe here. Although I played with the amounts, I only really added in a touch a white chocolate chips, just for a little treat! But with the moulding ingredients of warmed condensed milk and rolled oats, you could really do this with any flavours. Hazelnuts and dark chocolate with candied orange.. Dried mango and coconut.. Mmm.. Mango...

Recipe:

• 1 can skim condensed milk *
• Almost 3 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup cranberries
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup peanuts chopped ( I added a handful of chopped walnuts and pecans too)
• 1 cup of mixed seeds (I used sunflower kernels, pepitas and pine nuts)
• Handful (or two) of white chocolate chips - optional

Preheat to oven to 150degrees. 

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

Warm the condensed milk on the stovetop slowly, stirring occasionally. 

Mix all ingredients into a bowl, stir warm milk through.

Bake in the oven for an hour, remove when slightly golden on top. 

Cool for 15minutes and then slice into squares. 

It helps to let it set just a little for slicing, as when it cools completely, it's harder to slice.

* I used skim milk as I'm trying to be health concious here! Also, full flavoured condensed milk may add a little too much sweetness to the bars for my liking.

Xx


Ps, all this talk of cranberries... 
Is anyone else singing.. Zombie, Zombie, Zombie-eh-eh-eh-eh........?

Daydreaming..

Have you ever had a dream that you thought was impossible? 

Maybe impossible is the wrong word.

Have you ever had a dream that you perhaps like dreaming about, more than the actual reality of it..?

I have one of those dreams.

It's a cake store... With a library. Or a book store. Or even a book swap. Or all three. Basically it's a cake store, with a load of books.

Fresh flowers would adorn every table, in sweet little jars. 

All the tea cups would be mismatched, the pastries and cakes would be served on small tiered servers. So not to block your view of the other people you're with.

It's a dream I think more and more about. I plan my menus. I imagine my store. The produce I would sell and the window displays I would create. 

It's all there in my imagination.

But for some reason I'm terrified of making it a reality.

Is it because half the fun is dreaming about it? That in my mind my picture perfect store with white washed chairs can never go into financial ruin, or get bad reviews, or have bad employees...? That in my imagination my cakes always taste amazing and are never dry?

Once, not so long ago, I was offered a job in a cupcake store, to do the front counter. I turned it down due to other commitments at the time.  But this afternoon, as I daydreamed about my forks and spoons being tied with twine, I found myself biting my lip with the tiniest amount of regret.  If I had taken the job. Would I be closer to my little dream? Would I have more of the necessary experience to make it all possible? 

Obviously there is no point squandering my time on such thoughts now. 

But it really, honestly, made me think today. That perhaps this little dream of mine isn't impossible. Maybe the only thing holding me back is fear.

Maybe I just need more practice. More experience. Maybe that time is now...?

I made a mini decision today. A mini decision to set me on the road to my little store. 

I would start practising more. Creating more. Changing recipes to suit my needs. Failure or not. I decided not to let that bother me. That the only way I can come closer to this little yellow store with white chairs and sweet treats, would be to practice. Baking. A lot.

It's only a small step. But hey, it's a step right?

So today I baked some lemon and raspberry muffins, adapting (yet again) this recipe. I used plain flour instead of wholemeal. Adjusted the sugar levels. Added an egg. 

And had an eggy failure.

But! 

I am undeterred. Tomorrow I attempt red velvet cupcakes. 

Every new recipe I try, I can add to my menus. To my special high tea menus... To my little dream kitchen.. To my little kitchen - book store... 

Xx

Friendship

When you're a child. You pick your friends based on who's the most fun. 


Or because you both hated chasey, so you would slink off to the monkey bars together and spend hours hanging upside down giggling instead.


You didn't really sit down and think about it. 


"Hmm, I would like my friend to be kind, and loyal. Fair but challenging and interesting."


That never happened.


As I've gotten older, I've met new people and made new friends, and continued to cherish my older friends. But sometimes it's just so funny how these things turn out. It's really hit me how much I value a supportive friend. Not only a fun friend, but someone who is there for you too. A friend who will encourage you and remember tiny details that even you forget yourself at times (ahem.. 16th of May day) A friend who loves you regardless, and all of your silly, pointless, crazy over the top ideas.  They listen to you, hear you out, sit back and say.. 


You know, you could do that. 


It's all of these tiny valuable attributes that make a beautiful friend. 
I feel lucky to have those friends. 
Those gorgeous supportive friends, who listen to my constantly changing and occasionally, seemingly, impossible ideas... 


"Let's build a giant NOSE for the dance item." 
"We'll DO IT!!"


Or who support my ever changing interior design ideas..


"I think we should paint a chalkboard wall and paint the kitchen yellow!" 
"Let's do it!"


Or those friends who listen to my little stories, and tell me they are the best stories they've ever heard. Or read my blog and constantly let me know their thoughts.


I value each and every single one of you so so much. You make my days brighter, and my life just that little bit easier by knowing I have you around..

Xx