Getting a Spring Back in The Step
And with Easter comes the
start of spring!
And with this changing of the
seasons comes warmer weather!
I know, it’s beyond British
to already be thinking about the possibility of sunshine but as I’ve spent the
winter working in what can only be described as a spell of grey misery, I think
it can be justified. We’re on the way up folks; yesterday it was only cloudy
for 8 hours as opposed to the usual 8 hours and fifty minutes.
Baby Steps.
Tis the season for change all
round it seems as my work have finally moved offices and we are now somewhere
where there are no rolling power cuts, no toilet mushrooms and best of all
there is central heating. If I was religious I’d be singing praise like one of
those gospel women with all of the sass. Along with the better weather and all
these positive changes it makes sense to me to do what I can to further improve
my (usually cynical) outlook on life and so I have made a kind of promise to try at least
once a week to get outside a bit more.
Phase one of project
outdoorsy as f*** started well and I went on a good hour long walk last Sunday
where I managed to explore a new part of town I hadn’t been in before. However,
whilst on this venture, I realised some things about walking that hadn’t
occurred to me before. You don’t necessarily need to own a dog as a reason to go
exploring outside but strange events seem to occur when walking alone in somewhere
like a park or a forest. In fact I can list three for you right now:
Point 1) Everyone you encounter
becomes a potential attacker. Ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme but there’s kind
of a truth in this statement. You see, when I used to walk the dog (Tally), it
felt like having some sort of force field and even though in reality she’s a
slightly short and somewhat chubby spaniel who probably in the face of danger
would sooner take off and leave me for death, having her around was nice and
ensured a feeling of security. Now, when on a solo walk I find myself
actively hoping that other people won’t approach me (usually the ones who are
also not walking dogs – irony’s a bit of a cow it seems) and when it comes to
groups of youths, the 80 year old lady within (let’s call her Gladys) doesn’t
even know how to cope.
Example – On Sunday I found a
small stretch of woods that I started to walk through and stumbled upon a pair
of guys sawing up a fallen tree. Now I’m sure there is a very reasonable explanation
for this but in my mind the first conclusion reached was that these were log
thieves (is this a thing?) and I was now the only witness to their heinous
crime. I promptly ran walked in the opposite direction, hoping they wouldn’t
follow. Of course they didn’t because I’m a completely paranoid freak but you
never know… why take the risk?
Point 2) If you like using your phone to take photos, strangers will approach and ask if you are lost. This happens to me a fair bit; I assume to other people it looks as though I’m intensely scrolling through Google maps and combined with a lack of pooch and my facial expression looking permanently confused, I can see how others jump to this conclusion.
Example – On Sunday a
gentleman approached me having spied me from a distance (taking a picture
of a nice solitary dandelion mind you) and asked where I was heading. I was too embarrassed
to explain that I was taking pictures of weeds and so went along with the being
lost assumption. Like any good person he gladly pointed out another route home
I could take and then just stood there and watched oddly as I followed his
directions. How I hate being watched *shudders*.
Point 3) You end up walking in
unsuitable territory. Having a dog means only walking in areas where they’re
allowed and even then it can sometimes mean they have to stay on lead. When
it’s just you, anything goes baby! Well, actually it doesn’t, don’t walk on private
property and such, other people don’t really like that.
Example – On Sunday, in my
attempts to avoid the guy who had directed me home (he was still watching me at
this point). I quickly changed to a path that was out of his eye line.
Unfortunately this entailed leaping like an incapable gazelle over a ditch
lined with stinging nettles. I’ll leave it to you to imagine how that went but
suffice to say my arm spent a good few hours looking like plague.
Anyway, all of these
occurrences are definitely not enough to deter me from getting into the habit
of walking more and who knows maybe it will even lead to beginning running
again (something that hasn’t even been considered since the days of
university). By the time I returned home
after this walk all the activity had boosted up my appetite enough to warrant a
treat. The transition from greedy to glutton has officially commenced people. As
a form of recovery from my ‘lovely’ outdoor venture I scoffed down a few of
these homemade Peanut Butter Blondies. A perfect way to reward oneself after
any form of exercise. Nutritious, warming, chewy, soft, sweet and nutty, these
baked square goods will have you questioning whether blondes really are more
fun.
Recipe:
Makes 8-12 blondies
(depending on size of dish and how thick you make them).
Ingredients:
1 can (400g) chickpeas drained and rinsed
¼ cup natural peanut butter
1 egg or sub 1/3 cup apple sauce for vegan option
½ cup oat flour
1/3 cup truvia or other sweetener to taste
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup almond milk
Instructions:
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (We have a fan oven which is a little bit hotter than a conventional type but all ovens vary).
Put all ingredients in food processor till fully combined, you may have to stop and stir down the sides a couple of times.
Line a baking dish with non-stick baking paper or spray with
cooking spray/oil and spread out mixture evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes
Remove and allow to cool a little before placing face into
blondies and chomping like a brontosaurus.
 |
As a little tip I also recommend adding in a sprinkling of cinnamon to the mix, maybe it’s just me that likes this combination but if anyone else does and you’re out there… I will find you. |
Whilst this recipe may not answer the blonde Vs brunette
debate (I do still love chocolate brownies very much) It can be concluded that
they are a very welcome addition to my taste buds and are definitely good
enough to rival their cocoa cousins.
Also, if you were wondering here’s me as a blonde from back
in the uni days…
I think the comparison speaks for itself but let’s remind
ourselves that spring is a time of change and some changes (like getting
outside more… and maybe not putting peroxide over my head in particular) are most definitely
for the better ;)
Happy munching!
No comments:
Post a Comment