Nuts about nuts.

Hi to anyone who is reading. I hope you can keep up with me, as I dart about a lot. Keep it fresh is what I say. Here you'll find trekking tales, rambling on about my rambles, chatting about arty crafting, cooing about my kittycats, pinching the pennies till they bleed, droning on about my doggy friends, shopping till I drop (yellow stickers of course), and harping on about healthy eating and exercise, all with a dose of old fashioned common sense. So if you can stomach all that, you're very welcome here. 

Today is about nuts. I am wanting to incorporate more nuts into my diet, but the trouble is that they are so expensive to buy, and the other problem is that they are so darn hard to chew. I am on a mission to look after my teeth as I want them to last me the rest of my life, so masticating gob fulls of nuts is not a good idea. However, I will not be beaten. I have decided that I have to find more money to spend on nuts, they have to be at the top of my priority shopping list. I don't make lists by the way. Although my diet is pretty healthy I can fall by the wayside occasionally and buy a packet of biscuits, this has got to stop, now. The temptation to buy cheap and buy junk is always there, I just have to be stronger, nuts are the priority now. 

As for chewing them, there is a simple answer to that, smash 'em to bits with a pestle and mortar. The brazil nuts have been smashed, and some of the walnuts as well. I have mixed them together.  

The nut mix is in a sealed container in the fridge, but it won't be there very long. I have got into the habit of munching on a piece of cheese when I open the fridge door, not good for the salt and fat intake. So from now on I shall be dipping into the nut box with a teaspoon.

There must be lots of things you can do with nuts. I know you can make nut cutlets, perhaps mix them with mashed chick peas or beans and mould it into burger shapes. You can sprinkle nuts onto breakfast cereals and add it to porridge. You could add it to stews if you want to. Today I'm making a superduper protein shake with it. It's a bit of an experiment really, I don't know how it's going to turn out. A lot of my food is experimental, ha ha. So, slice a banana into the jug, add four teaspoons of smashed nuts.  

Next add some milk. I bought a carton of almond milk to try it, because it was on special offer. I doubt whether I will pay full price for it when the offer has finished. Add about half a cup full. You could use any milk. I've just had a thought, I've always shied away from buying cheap long life or skimmed milk, as it tastes awful. Perhaps using it in this way might make it more palatable.  

Whizzzz it with the stick blender, add more milk if you want a more fluid consistency. I added a touch more, but it was still quite thick like porridge. I like dipping into things with a spoon so left it at that. While I have been sat here typing this it has all gone. It was lovely. You could make this and serve it as a healthy pudding, not that I do puddings after a meal. For me, puddings are a meal in itself.

How is the yellow sticker shopping lasting? It was a week ago when I stocked up my fridge for peanuts, ha ha, geddit, nuts on the brain. All the fruit is eaten, the root veg made into stew and frozen. I've eaten mushrooms, brocolli, and sprouts every day for a week. Spinach gone, some salad leaves and a whole lettuce yet to be eaten. Now I've got some lentils soaking, I shall be adding mushrooms and sprouts to make a spicy three day stew. No Tesco shopping is needed this week, I have plenty to be going on with.

It's sunny, and I'm off out for a walk. Toodle pip.