My best date ever

No!!!!!

Not this sort of date...

This sort of date 😅

Although both dates are great I'll stick with the sweet ones for now 👏

Dates are great for our health.  The benefits include relief from constipation, intestinal disorders, heart problems, anaemia, sexual dysfunctions, diarrhoea, abdominal cancer, and many other conditions.  They are rich in several vitamins, minerals, and fiber which are all beneficial for health. .

I would have been inclined to stay away from them in the past because they are so high in sugar but it is only naturally occurring fruit sugars so I'm ok with them now.  This is something I've struggled to get my head around for a while.

I've been using dates a lot lately to make flapjacks and other sweet treats and I find them great as a source of energy and I find them really satisfying.

I was trecking down to Spice World on the Quay to buy Medjool dates every week (a major pain as you can imagine) until I discovered that Aldi do dates.  They work just perfectly and whats even better is that they are three times LESS expensive.

Aldi I LOVE YOU 💗 

Anyway....

Am I the only one who can manage to be good with their diet all day and then at 8 o lock it's like an internal alarm goes off and BAM!!!  You want to eat everything in the kitchen????

What's that all about?

Is it boredom?

I'm not sure.  I just go with it BUT I always make sure I have healthy food on hand to snack on.

Here's a perfect little treat you can enjoy guilt free in the evening time.

4 ingredients, quick, simple and you can make a big batch that will last you all week so it's win win if you ask me 🍫🍪😋

RAW CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Ingredients

340g pitted dates
120g mixed nuts (almonds, hazel nuts, walnuts, cashews)
110g oats
40g cacao powder

Directions

• Place the pitted dates in the food processor and blitz until they form a paste.  Be patient here!!!  They will go through a few phases and you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times but stick with it.  Keep going when they form a ball and you think the processor is going to jump off the work top.  they are nearly there at this stage.  Just another minute...

• Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blitz until it holds together when you pinch it.  You may need to add a tiny bit of water depending on the dates you use.

• Line a pan with cling film and pour the mixture in.  Flatten it down really well with the back of a spoon or your hand like I do.

• Place it in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 10 bars.

• I wrap them in clingfilm individually and store them in the fridge.  They will keep for a week but trust me, they won't last that long 😆
• I top them with peanut butter or some decadent chocolate hummus.  Trust me on this one, it sounds horrific but it's amazing!!!

CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

Ingredients

1 tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed

2 ripe bananas

2 tbsp almond butter

40g cacao powder

Directions

• Place all the ingredients into the food processor and blitz until smooth.
• Scrape down the sides a few times to make sure it is really well blended.
• Store in the fridge in an airtight container for a week.

Enjoy this healthy chocolate frosting on top of spelt cakes, toast, porridge, your raw chocolate brownies or straight from the spoon....  NOM NOM 🥄🥄

Enjoy  👌