Gone but never forgotten....

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just pick up the phone and say hello. It doesn't matter how far apart you are, how crazy your life is or how long it has been. Good friends can pick up from where they left off the last time. I know that most of my friends are not in the same city as me, let alone on the same time zone, but just hearing a familiar voice can make you SMILE all day long!

I just wanted to say hello and let you know I haven't forgotten about you. I will be back with photos and food and fun for 2010. Wishing you all love and peace this year.

Three cheers for skype and friends!

Love Charlotte xxx

Image: Nouvelle Images

Fig Newtons for the New Year

AHH Happy New Year! What is this blog-posting and then disappearing for a month action ? Apology accepted?

Before New Year resolutions start, I want to share something with you: I went to yoga the other day and Annie (the yoga instructor) said in preparation for New Years please do not make a resolution. Stick on your path. Keep on your journey. Continue the self-growth. But please don't sign yourself up for tasks that make you feel bad when you slip a little. Life is not black and white yo! It is a constant road to be traveled. Yes corny but that is what I have learned this year (well last year) more than any other.

Lets start the year of with love and peace in the air...oh and some fig newtons. Fig newtons (at least these ones) feel like dessert but are really so healthy! I amended Sprouted Kitchen's recipe a bit. They are so good! Borrowing their picture because I still am not down with my new (recycled) camera.

p.s replace the one egg in here and this is a great vegan dessert (no one will know)!

Spelt and Oat Fig Newtons
1 ¼ Cups Spelt Flour
1 ¾ Cups Oatmeal
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
1 Large Egg
1 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Agave Nectar (could use a little more if you like)
½ Cup Applesauce
2 tbsp. Coconut oil (to ensure a crisp crumble topping)
A handful (about 1 Cup) chopped Almonds
1 ¼ Cups Fig Preserves (I made my own)

Homemade Fig Preserves
1/2 Cup wine soaked prune juice
1/4 Cup meyer lemon juice
1 Cup ginger tea (ginger infused water)
a couple shavings of ginger
a cinnamon stick
1 Cup wine soaked prunes
1 Cup chopped fig (back mission + other varieties)
1/4 Cup Apricots

(Really use any dried fruit you would like!)

Homemade Preserve:
I had soaked prunes in wines a couple days before (for the prunes and wine soaked prune juice), but if you have not just use red wine, or prune juice or a mixture of both.

Simmer all ingredients for an hour, drain off extra liquid (making sure to leave a few tablespoons in) and mash, chop or blend up. If you like chunky jam, don't over blend.

Put jam in freezer to cool while you make the dough.

Dough or Newton:
Preheat your oven to 350'.

Food process 1 1/4 cup of the oatmeal until it looks roughly chopped and a bit flour-ish.

Mix together all dry ingredients (spelt, oats, chopped oats, slat, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda).

In another bowl mix together agave, egg, vanilla, applesauce.

Mix the wet into the dry, it will look like cookie batter. Put the batter in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Line an 8x8 baking try with parchment and a little melted coconut oil.

Spread half the dough (or a tiny bit more if needed) on the bottom of the pan.

Add 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup of preserve over the bottom layer of Newton. I had extra jam, and I was tempted to use it but saved it instead. Good call.

Now add the chopped almonds to the remaining batter. Mix that well.

Try and spread (really you will be dropping) the remaining dough on top of the preserves.

Chop up the coconut oil and sprinkle over the top to make a nice crust.

Bake for around 30 minutes. But watch it either way depending on your oven.

Let them cool a bit before cutting. (No really)

Eat. Eat. Eat.

peace and love in the New Year
JM