




In that first year whilst we were busy digging vegetable plots, planting trees and clearing the land, we were also renovating our fantastic farm house which dates back to the Tudors.
Here is the oldest part of our farm house. We installed new windows and repaired a lot of the brickwork.
By the time our first child was born we were settled into our new life. The old life was just a hazy memory - something we would rather forget
Now we are eating about 80% of our own produce (depending on the season),and we feel great!
We saved a dog that Ava named 'Veggy'. He was beaten by his previous owners and now lives a life of luxury on our farm.
We rescued some battery chickens too. They were on the way to the slaughter house and had known nothing but cruelty and life in a tiny cage. I will never forget the day these chickens stepped outside for the first time. They were literally born again.
These days we are enjoying the delights of autumn sunshine, our new baby and homemade sugar free jam. Wonderful!
Some people dismiss the enzymes argument, but I would still advise you to soak because it softens the nuts and they are more easily blended into milk.
How long should you soak nuts? The denser the nut, the longer it will take to soak. Almonds take about 10-14 hours to soak. Hazelnuts would take about 8-10 hours, followed by pecans, walnuts and Brazil nuts at 4-6 hours. Less are required for cashews and macadamia nuts.
Sweeteners and flavorings add flavor to your basic nut milk. For sweeteners, you can use dried whole dates, maple syrup, agave nectar or brown rice syrup. The flavorings could be fresh vanilla bean or vanilla extract, almond extract, spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom or the spice used in making chai, some fresh fruits, raw cocoa powder or carob powder.
After blending, here are two ways to strain your nut milk:
After straining the nut milk, you are left with an irregular mold of nut pulp. Since nuts are expensive, you can reserve them in making other recipes. The recipe -
1 cup raw organic almonds or other nuts, soaked for 10-12 hours, drained and rinsed well
2-3 cups filtered water
Combine the almonds and 1-½ cups of water in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy. Pour the almond mixture into the sieve and let drain. Then grab the corners of the cheesecloth, holding it together securely and squeeze the cheesecloth to extract all of the milk.Return the nut pulp back into the blender and add enough liquid to cover the pulp. Blend again adding more liquid to liquefy the mixture if necessary. Strain the liquid and squeeze the cheesecloth to extract all of the milk.Transfer the milk to a covered glass container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Enjoy hot or cold.
Just look at that cheeky grin.
That is what eating too many lollipops does to a girl!
Anyway, you one can't live just on lollipops (sadly) so back to the snack bars....
Here is what you need to make these lovely snacks yourself :
40g rolled oats
40g sunflower seeds
40g pumpkin seeds
Handful of sesame seeds
3-4 tbsp something sticky (golden syrup, date syrup, honey etc.)
What to do:
Start by heating up a non-stick pan and dry frying the seeds over a medium heat. Add the oats and fry for 3 mins. Add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds and fry for 2 minutes.
Take care – the pumpkin seeds may pop a little!
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in your choice of stickyness – it will sizzle at first but keep stirring until the oats and seeds are coated. Allow to cool slightly.
Line a 20cm x 10cm baking tin with greaseproof paper.
Spread the mixture evenly on the paper and line another one on top of the mixture.
Use a presser (or chopping board) to apply pressure to the mixture.
Chill for at least 1 hour, or until solid. Turn it out of the tin and peel off the greaseproof paper. If you have problems peeling off the paper, leave it at room temperature for 1 min and try again. Cut into bars.
Keep it in an air-tight container and store in the fridge. Best to be consumed within a week (or hour if necessary!)