Nutty nourishment?

You roll over in bed, stretch a little, open your eyes to realise...

It's Monday morning. 

I don't know about you, but for me, 

the worst possible thing that could happen on a Monday morning is thinking it's Sunday.

That's what happened this morning, I got out of bed (still at 6am, mind you)

strolled into the kitchen to make my breakfast when I heard movement upstairs.

My lazy family awake before seven on a sunday?! what?!

It's okay... because they weren't. 

They were awake before seven on a Monday.

fail

But it's okay, Monday can always redeem itself with a delicious breakfast! 

Now that it's starting to get a little warmer (although currently its cold and overcast)

I'm getting back into muesli for breakfast.

For me, a perfect winter breakfast would have to be oatmeal

and for summer muesli with fruit and yogurt goes down a treat!

A little while ago I was sent some Brookfarm products to review.

Their toasted macadamia muesli (pictured second) was a perfect combination of grains, brans, seeds, dried fruit and crunchy macadamia nuts with a fantastic honey flavour. 

I loved the full bodied flavour and crunch of the macadamia nuts.

This muesli makes for a perfect breakfast because you're not only getting your whole grains - but also healthy fats from the almonds and all the benefits of the dried fruit without an overload of processed sugar!

I was also sent Brookfarm's gluten free macadamia muesli with cranberries (first picture)

which was filled with brown rice puffs, amaranth, buckwheat, sunflower and pumpkin kernels as well as sweet currants, sultanas and cranberries. 

Sometimes gluten free products are revolting

I'm talking flavourless cardboard.

But this muesli was delicious! and made for a great change from the regular oat-based muesli

I'm also a huge fan of trail mix.

It's one of my go-to snacks. 

For me, trail mix is about finding the perfect balance of flavour and texture.

Salty/sweet, crunchy/chewy etc. 

Brookfarm's Seven Mile Beach walkabout mix was a mix of dried fruit, nuts and belgian white chocolate.

I love the combination of white chocolate with dried fruit (well actually, I won't discriminate against any chocolate)

and the sweet white chocolate balanced perfectly with the tart dried pineapple. 

I loved how the proceeds from every pack of Walkabout Mix sold goes to Rainforest Rescue to help preserve rainforests in the Daintree. 

Because, afterall, how are you going to go on a "walkabout" if there's nothing to walk through?

Brookfarm also comes through for the Dark Chocolate lovers with their Mt. Bogong Walkabout Mix

This mix was a combination of dark chocolate, cranberries, pumpkin and sunflower kernels, oven roasted macadamias, pistachios, almonds and muscatel grapes.

I think this mix would have to be my favourite of the two because I loved the mix of dark chocolate with tart cranberries and crunchy nuts. 

and if trail mix isn't portable enough for you, Brookfarm have their delicious muesli in bar form

so you can grab and go. 

And the best thing about these bars for me? 

They're all natural with no dodgy ingredients.

Perfect for stashing in your bag for when the hunger monster attacks!

I hope I've knocked a little of the monday funk out of you,

but if I haven't, just remember... 

There's only 4 and a bit days left until the weekend! :P 

To get some Brookfarm products for yourself,
check out their list of  retail outlets and distributors or buy online
You can purchase the products WORLD WIDE. 
So any of you can try it for yourself :)

But do tell me, 

What's your go-to snack?

Kristy was sent Brookfarm products courtesy of www.brookfarm.com.au 

If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com

 

Sweet Saturday: Blueberry Crumble Muffins

so I'm back and so is Sweet Saturday!

I thought about what I should include in SS's come back post

and I decided a super sweet recipe would definitely fit the bill 

The only problem was deciding what to make. 

The last couple of weeks I've been promising my sister I would bake her something while she was at school

(an act of procrastination? you betcha!) 

But, alas, I didn't quite get there. 

So yesterday as soon as I'd gone out and bought eggs I was in the kitchen, 

cooking up a storm (or muffins, if you want to be realistic) 

But these weren't just any muffins, 

they were Blueberry Crumble Muffins.

Picture your favourite blueberry muffin - moist, fluffy, full of blueberries.

Now add a crunchy, buttery, sugary crust on top.

My sister is the blueberry muffins number one fan.

She's a bit of a blueberry muffin connoisseur, so this muffin faced a tough critic!

 But I had promised her a recipe that didn't include any weird ingredients

(the girl does not like chia seeds or wheat bran or cakes made with butter substitutes) 

So she arrived home from school, blueberry muffins sitting pretty on the end of the bench.

I see a look of disgust on her face and she cries "Did you make bran muffins?!?"

After some reassuring that the crusty tops were infact a mix of brown sugar, flour and butter 

and the muffins were free of any bran - she tried one. 

Did I pass the test? 

Did my muffins meet the blueberry muffin connoisseur's criteria?

Well, she told me to keep the recipe

she told me to make them again

and she told me to post it on my blog.

I think that's a win, no? 

Especially when we're talking about the girl who always finds a problem with what I cook

(sisterly love) 

So here's the recipe,

I promise it won't let you down!

Blueberry Crumble Muffins 

150g butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/3 cup milk 

1 large egg 

1 large egg yolk 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups plain flour 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

2 cups blueberries (see tip) 

For the topping: 

60g cold butter, cut into cubes 

1/2 cup plain flour 

3 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 

Preheat oven to 180*C.

Spray a muffin tray with cooking spray, or line with paper liners. 

In a bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg, yolk and vanilla. 

In another larger bowl, mix together sifted flour, baking powder and brown sugar.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir gently to combine. 

Make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the sugar and flour until there are no lumps of butter and the mix resembles bread crumbs. 

Add the blueberries to the muffin mix, being careful not to break the berries. 

Fill the muffin tins evenly, with the batter almost reaching the top of the cups. 

Sprinkle over an even amount of the crumble topping over each muffin. 

Bake until golden and crisp and a skewer inserted into the muffin removes clean (about 20-25 minutes for regular sized muffins, 30-35 minutes for texas sized muffins) 

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing onto a wire rack. 

Tips: 

- You can use fresh, canned or frozen blueberries (I used frozen this time)

- For frozen berries do not defrost as this will add too much extra liquid to the batter and you'll end up with bright purple muffins 

- When using canned blueberries, drain as much of the liquid off as possible

- When turning out the muffins onto a wire rack, place a cookie sheet underneath to catch any of the crumbly topping bits that fall off (trust me, they're the best part!) 

So tell me, 

What's your favourite baked treat? 

and are you a lover of the crunchy top, soft bottom or fluffy middle of a muffin?

(I'm a big fan of the crunchy top!)  

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Now that I'm finished with school and my exams, 

I'm planning on cooking and baking alot more. 

Do you have anything you'd like to see me make?

i'm baaaaaaaaackkk!

That's right,

I have officially finished with school!
and successfully completed five exams.

To say that I'm happy would probably have to be the world's greatest understatement.

It's still quite surreal actually, I haven't really come to the realisation that I am free from school forever

Originally, I was planning to take a break for a while,

however, I like to be busy so I've already schedueled two meetings

and planned a whole bunch of other things.

So hopefully, there will be a lot coming my way soon!

In other news, 

my computer gremlins have packed up and left!

So I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Expect to see lots of new things :) 

So tell me, 

while I've been gone

What have you been doing? 

andd... 

What kind of posts do you want to read here?

Exam schmam

it's saturday again!

Unfortunately, this post is once again lacking sweet treats.

I still have computer gremlins!

But I thought i'd write a quick post to let anyone interested know how my HSC exams are going.

So far i've done my Business Studies paper and first English Paper.

Business was a breeze, and English was way better than expected.

However english exams always seem to be the ones that explode my brain.

Why? Because they are mind numbingly boring and full of writing.

Throughout the week i've had little moments where i've squealed in delight as i've come to realise that:

1. I'll never have to look at another business text book again (it's time for real life stuff!) 

2. I will never, ever have to study poetry again

The HSC isn't all that teachers are other students make it out to be.

It's not that bad. 

Sure, you have to spend a good hunk of your time writing out boring essays and answering multiple choice questions

but it's not the end of the world, and I can think of 100+ other things that are way worse.

Plus, by October 26th, I'll never have another exam to do :) 

So, my exam tips?

1. Eat Breakfast!

2. Make a checklist of all the equipment you need, and check it

3. Relax

4. Remember you can only do your best

5. Read, read, read and re-read the questions

6. Scribble down ideas as they pop into your head (especially in English!) 

Sure, I'm not sitting my exams to get the highest of high scores,

or a good UAI or ATAR or whatever.

I'm sitting my exams so I can say "Hi I'm Kristy and i've managed to survive 13 years of school" 

Actually no, I don't know why i'd say that.. but hey, at least I can! 

Really i'm just sitting these exams for me 

to say that i've done them

and to really move on from school. 

Here's hoping there's much bigger things coming my way. 

So tell me, 

How has your week been?

and what subject did you DESPISE at school? 

A not-so-sweet Saturday: The case of the photo hog

so this Sweet Saturday post is a litttttle different,

well... alot different than I planned.

You see, there's this person... lets call him.. C.F,

he gets taken everywhere, trusted with the job of keeping photos safe.

Usually, C.F is a good guy

but this week?

C.F is a photo hog.

Okay okay, enough of that.

I'm talking about my Compact Flash drive.

This week it decided it wasn't going to share my photos

and instead plans on keeping them for itself. 

I don't think so!

Luckily I have a computer genius Dad and hopefully he will be able to get C.F to surrender my photos

and then I can share what I was planning to post!

But i'll give you some clues. 

It's a little bit nutty, a little bit sweet and you can even have it for breakfast.

Any guesses?  

But anyway! 

Next week marks the start of my HSC

also known as the beginning of the end

But the beginning of the nicest end in the history of the world ;)

I can not wait to finish school.

So tell me, 

Does technology frustrate you as much as it frustrates me?

and what can't you wait for?

The worst possible time for computers and things to go bad, 

always seems to be when you need them most.

Unfortunately, my sister has the worst luck when it comes to computers,

many a time she's gone to finish the last tiny bit of her assignment (on the day its due, of course)

only to have her computer gobble it up like a kid in a candy store. 

Have a fantastic weekend! :)

Hello mother nature?

Is it just me, or did mother nature miss the memo that...

IT'S OCTOBER!

 Or maybe she's a little confused,

because this weather is definitely more fall-like than summer.

But, alas, it is what it is.

This cold weather has meant i'm back to eating my fall and winter favourites,

piping hot oatmeal sprinkled with warming spices like cinnamon,

hot chocolates instead of ice cream for dessert,

and steamed vegetables instead of summer salads. 

My wardrobe even had to revert itself back to winter mode

and my cute summery skirts and dresses are right back in the wardrobe. 

I've also realised that studying in the sun makes it 100x more bearable than studying inside.

and studying inside when the skies are dark, miserable and gray and the heavens seem to be streaming from the clouds? yeah, hardly motivating is it?

But hey, I'm not a study bug

so I get to do other fun things,

like reviewing products, 

shopping,

cooking,

exams? pssshhh!

 So here are the Carman's Muesli bars I talked about in my last Carman's post

their signature flavour of warming cinnamon is perfect for this cold weather.

The Apricot and Almond bar is soft and chewy 

with a perfect balance of crunchy almonds and soft apricot pieces. 

 The deluxe muesli bars could quite possibly be my favourite. 

They're chewy with a slight crunchy from the puffed rice and nut pieces. 

These bars are perfect for those with coeliac disease or gluten intolerances

and they don't taste horrible like some other alternatives available. 

Don't like dried fruit but still want to enjoy the chewy oat-y goodness?

Well, Carman's solves that problem too with their Fruit-free muesli bar. 

 You won't find any fruit here! Just oats, honey, cinnamon and nuts. 

Not my favourite because I'm a big dried fruit fan

but this was the favourite of one of my fussy mini taste testers!

Sometimes its good to stick with the tried and true, 

and that's exactly what classic muesli bar is. 

Sultanas, currants and dried apricots are the perfect addition to the honey oat base.

They're soft and chewy and definitely taste more home-made than other store bought bars.

For me, 

the best thing about Carman's muesli bars is what they're made of. 

 All natural, Australian made, GM free, Preservative free and REAL.

Carman's believe that food should come from the kitchen and not the chemist

and this is something I agree with, 110 percent! 

and they're not going to cost you a fortune 

- you can buy them in supermarkets Australia wide! 

....

So this cold weather has me thinking, 

does the weather affect what you choose to eat?

what's your favourite comfort food?

 

For me, when it's cold, I tend to seek the comfort of a warm bowl of oatmeal 

or a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate.

When i'm feeling sick, I crave salad vegetables - why? I have no idea!

For some reason, the freshness of crisp fresh vegetables seems to do the trick every time.

 

 Kristy received Carman's muesli products courtesy of www.carmansfinefoods.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products, send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com

Sweet Saturday: Never too Old

It's the weekend again! :)

and time for another Sweet Saturday post! 

This weeks post comes with a bit of a confession.

Yes, I'm eighteen... but I still happily eat food designed for little kids.

Those cookies you see up there? Yeah, they're Wiggles Biscuits.

 I was sent the entire Healtheries range of products to review,

and in the box was their range of Wiggles Products

It's crazy to think the Wiggles have been around longer than I have!

The "bickies" range comes in two sizes, a multibox and share packs  

so they're perfect to either pop in your purse or to keep at home. 

Now, you might be thinking... "Did Kristy really eat Wiggles biscuits?" 

you bet I did! 

and I was actually really impressed! 

They had some of the best nutritional information I've seen on biscuits, 

with no artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, MSG and less fat than other popular brands.

They were also higher in fibre as they're made from whole grain flour!

Plus, with cute shapes like Wags the Dog and Dorothy the Dinosaur, 

who could resist? 

They're not overly sweet like some other kids biscuits, 

which was perfect for me - but it may take a little adjustment from a picky kid!

That said, this picky not-so-much-a-kid-anymore would totally buy these Wiggles Bickies for herself. 

The Healtheries range is available in Supermarkets and Selected Health Stores across Australia,

so why not get your hands on some - and let yourself be a kid for a while?

You're never too old to enjoy yourself! 

 

And keep your eyes peeled! Because I still have the rest of the Wiggles range to review, 

and also the Kids Care range... 

So you'll be seeing more of my snacking side!

....

So tell me, 

Do you eat any "childish" foods or foods that bring back memories of your childhood?

and What are your plans for this weekend?

 

And on that note,

I think i've come to realise that I haven't eaten fairy bread in way too long!

Kristy received Healtheries products courtesy of www.healtheries.com.au

If you'd like a review of your products - send an email to ksayerphotography@gmail.com