CHOCOLATE BLISS BALLS

These bliss balls are quite rich but perfect for when you need a chocolate hit. I tend to eat them in the morning with my breakfast smoothie. Out of all the the things I have tried to make whilst experimenting with vegan baking these are the best. I think it's because they are not trying to imitate something so you don't have any preconceived ideas about what they should taste like. I really like them and I hope you do to!

INGREDIENTS

6 mejdool dates
3tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup of nuts
1-2 tbsp coco powder

METHOD

1. Remove the caps and pits from the dates and tear into smaller segments. Add the dates, 1/4 cup of oats and the maple syrup to the food processor blend on a high speed until smooth. It may form a ball but just squish the ball down and carry on blending.
2. You can use any nuts you like for these balls i used cashews due to the fact they don't have an overpowering flavour but feel free to experiment and use whatever you have in your cupboards. Add the nuts and the coco powder to the food processor and blend until well combined and the mixture is relatively smooth, you will still have small pieces of nuts. Taste the mixture and see if you want to add more coco powder to make the mixture more chocolatey or maple syrup to make it sweeter.
3. Now take a tsp of the mixture and roll it into balls in your hands and then roll in the remaining oats to coat them. Continue doing this until there is no mixture left.
4. Put in an airtight container they balls should dry out a little bit and get firmer.

SOBA NOODLES WITH A PEANUT SAUCE

This is a really quick and yummy meal normally I'm addicted to pasta but I've been wanting this more recently. There is a lot of garlic in this recipe so add however much you like. I've been feeling a little bit ill at the moment so I've been eating a lot of it and garlic is really good for you as long as the people around you have eaten it too! You can substitute the noodles for any type you want. You can also use tofu and marinate it in the same way and meat eaters can use chicken just do what you fancy and enjoy it.

Serves 1

SAUCE
3tsp peanut butter
3tsp of sesame oil
1tsp of soy sauce
1/2 tsp of miring rice wine
1/2 tsp of minced ginger
1 meduim minced clove of ginger

MARINADE
2tsp of semane oil
2tsp soy sauce
1tsp of minced ginger
1 clove of minced garlic

OTHER INGREDIENTS
65g buckwheat soba noodles
2 quorrn fillets
2 baby pak choi cut in half
1 carrot cut very finely (i used a vegetable peeler to get thin slices)

1. Make the marinade and marinade your quorn/chicken/tofu and leave for as long as you can if I'm in a rush 10 minutes will do. Make the sauce up and set aside.

2. In the meantime follow the instructions and cook your noodles. For my soba noodles I filed some water with salt and a dash of soy sauce and added the noodles when it was bubbling i then let it boil for 5 minutes and then rinsed immediatly with cold water

3. Whilst the noodles are cooking put the quern in a frying pan and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked allow the edges to get a little crispy and darken.  Add some baby pak choi cut in half and allow to wilt.

4. When the pack choi has wilted take the pan off of the heat and add the noodles sauce and carrot to the pan and stir mixing everything together. DONE

ISSEY

PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

A new ice cream parlour has opened up in Southsea! It's called Parlour. I had a pistachio and rosewater ice cream. It was really good. I had 1 scoop at that was definitely enough because the ice cream was so rich! It was £3 so i think it will be more of a place i go for a treat than a regular haunt.

This is what I wore. I wore my skater skirt with a chambray bra let with a lace shirt over the top. It was perfect for going shopping as I was nice and cool but the lace top mde me more covered up as i wouldn't be comfortable going shopping in just a bralet i would feel too exposed.

When we got home I started knitting the sleeve of my jumper. It is from the amy butler book Farmhouse Knits. I am making the Striped jumper but without the stripes the colour I am using is Mint. It is my first ever try at knitting a jumper. After I finish this sleeve I have to do the neckband then I am done.

Issey

xxx