That’s Nuts!

Hi all.

Remember when I told you that I made the Toasted Chocolate Peanut Butter for the nut lady? Remember how some of you got all in a huff because I made it for someone else instead of myself? Well. I told you I wanted some, I told you I’d make this.

The Bare Bones

I decided to keep it plain this time. I love the taste of the toasted nuts, it’s rich and creamy and oh, so buttery.

Next time I shall start adding in the flavours. I can’t wait!

So how do you make nut butter? I’m a recent convert and believe me, I’m obsessed!

Let me teach you. It’s super easy and before long, you’ll be a convert too.

Lay'em on there

Step One: Lay the nuts out on a baking sheet. toast in the oven until golden brown like above. They’ll be really hot, so don’t try one fresh out of the oven like I did. Your tongue will thank you.

In they go!

Step Two: Put your toasted nuts into a food processor. Whiz for awhile and you’ll get:

The Crumble

Step Three: Keep whizzing. It’s important that you don’t get frustrated and add milk or water here. That will only create a greasy blob.

The clump

Step Four. It will begin to clump together, this is what you want. Keep whizzing.

The Paste

Step Five: You’ll get this pasty nut butter after awhile. Keep blending for something more spreadable. I suppose you could stop here if you were the really impatient sort, but stick it out and you’ll love the results even more.

The Extras

At some point, if you’re like me and you’ve only got a mini wee little food processor, you may have to do your nut butter in two doses before it begins to really consolidate. It’s okay to test it at this point. (You’ll notice I did- see licked spoon above)

The Rosette/Ball

Step Six: Your nut butter will begin to ball up here. Once you’ve blended the two sections, if you needed to, put them together and they will ball up like this. This is what we like to see.

The Spread

Step Seven: You’ll soon see this. This is what nut butter is suppose to look like, right? It would be here that you’d add in flavourings, if you so chose.

The Closeup

It would also be here that you scooped it into its chosen container.

And licked the processor clean.

The Cleanest Ever

This part is not optional.

You can also make some Pecan Almond Butter while you’re at it.

The Afterthought

Because, after all, if you’re like me, you might be entertaining a friend from Paris this weekend. And you wouldn’t want her to miss out on your favourite topping, now would you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, you heard me right. I’m entertaining this weekend. And for this reason, I shan’t be writing/posting until probably monday, when I shall have loads of pictures and stories for you!!

In the meantime, please try making your own nut butter. It’s quite grand and goes well on everything. EVERYTHING.

If you’re me

Love, Hannah

PB and Jam Packed

Toasted Chocolate Peanut Butter

Go make this now. What? You don’t know how? It is really the most simple thing you could do.

1. Roast/Toast peanuts

Look at her go

2. Whizz up to make peanut butter

It will turn a lovely colour, I promise. Thank the roast/toasting.

3. Melt some chocolate (I prefer dark!)

Oh the sheen!

4. Add and whizz up to make Toasted Chocolate Peanut Butter!! (TCPB)

Can you say yum?

I made this for the Nut Lady at one of the local markets. I’d just bought some peanuts at Sainsburys because I seem to have every single nut butter here but peanut butter? So I got 90g package (the only one I could find unsalted) and that was £0.65. So I went up to the lady to compare pricing, since I’d much rather support someone who sells in a market than a large corporation, no matter if they are fair trade.

Smooth and Chocolatey

I asked her how much hers would compare price wise. We got to talking. I told her how I’m part of the Food Coop here, and the Community Garden, and how I understand buying in bulk keeps prices down.

I like to make my own Labels.

In the end, she offered to sell me 100g for cheaper!! We were talking about making your own nut butter, and I told her how I was really into it and how to do it. I mentioned mix-ins (such as chocolate) and she seemed really interested. I raced home and promptly made her some.

And a top as well

She looked so touched when I left it for her yesterday at her stall. I can’t wait to hear what she thinks!! The only bad thing? I didn’t leave any for myself! Needless to say, I bought up those promised 100g of peanuts and I shall be roasting and toasting them up soon. As soon as I replenish my chocolate supply, that is. I’ve got some other ideas for nut butter as well, Chai? Malt? I’m so excited.

And what goes best with nut butter? Well, we all know nothing goes best but it goes well.

Jam!

Plum Jam, that is. I bought these plums the day I wandered into Portobello market. It had been awhile since I finished off my Strawberry Plum Jam and fruit hasn’t been on sale in the shops for ages. 5/£1? Can’t be beat.

On second thought, they're rather more yellow than purple, aren't they?

Put sliced plums in a pot.

Oh look what I found!

One of my flat mates left for reading week and left us her yogurt. By which I mean she left it to me. By which I mean I claim it. Free yogurt? Onken? Yesplease.

L-R--> Pecan Butter (in mustard jar), Sunflower Seed, Fluff (impulse buy), Speculoos, Spiced Almond Butter, (missing): Raw Almond

Bad exposure, yes, I'm sorry.

Boil it down. Into the most deliciously, naturally sweet jam ever. No sugar needed!

I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee but as I got to Kings Cross, she sent me a text saying she couldn’t make it.

What do you do dear? (Anyone else know those books?)

Walk to Camden Market, since you’re already on your way!

Hope it doesn't rain....

Camden turned out to be really overwhelming.

Market street number one?

I honestly wish I’d taken someone. Topic for another post, but I really don’t know that many people.

Gray days don't keep people away, do they?

I tend to get overwhelmed when there are too many people and too much to look at. This situation was no different.

On the Bridge

I just walked/wandered around, didn’t buy anything, but just took it all in.

Camden Lock!! This is for you Dad

I found tons of great little shops and eateries. Like this one!

How cute is that?

I’ll be back with a friend for sure.

Camden has got an historical side as well.

Hello, Miss

And this was quite interesting to picture as I walked around the modern-historical mix of it all.

I loved these...whatever they were.

Tons and tons of chinese and Indian food stalls like this where you could mix and match things.

Picture this x10. I think I'll stick to the veggie cafe, thanks.

I wish it had been the 1930s or 40s or something. I’d have been there with my three parasoled friends or perhaps a charming beau?

Modern mixed with historical

Finally I had to leave because it was getting dark. Not sure whether it was the weather or the time, but I walked back to home.

I walked past a little church graveyard park that Mom, Dad and I had passed on our first day in London. See the changes in seasons?

Remember this? November

vs

September

I’ll definitely be going back to Camden, but I’ll have to find a companion first, so I don’t get so overwhelmed!

Hope you’re all well!! It is reading week here, so I haven’t got class. I’m doing up all the essays I can so I can feel not so stressed in the coming weeks (which include my birthday!) My friend who is studying abroad in Paris is visiting me this weekend as well, which is an incentive to finish all the work I can so we can just live it up in London!

Love, Hannah

I’m a Bathing Beauty

I did it!!

What did I do? If you’ve read around my blog, you probably know that I have an entire page devoted to challenges….which I need to update…anywho, today’s challenge was bathing suit shopping!

Just to show you. I achieved a beautiful smoothie color yesterday:

perfection in smoothie form

the smoothie family!

Papa, Mama and Baby!

and I decided for some random reason to make Pecan Butter while my mom was taking a nap. Well, it was near the end, she’d slept for long enough

some of these

Pretty sure I just decided to make it because I saw those ^ in the fridge. It’s not like I needed any more nut butters or anything…

the world's most useless food processor!

This thing holds about 1/4 cup nuts. no joke.

Choco-Pecan Butter
-1/3 cup pecans
-1 tbsp cocoa powder
-5 prunes

Yes, you might think I’m strange for adding prunes but a. we had some and b. I didn’t want to use up my dates or figs. Tastes SO GOOD!

lookie!

It’s got a bit of crunch, which is fab.

*crunch*

and a wonderfully light chocolate flavor.

mmmm

and that naturally velvety texture we know and love pecans to provide. Darn them, they’re just so seductive!!

I made myself up a nice OIAJ last night but today is CHILLAY so I scooped it out and heated it up. I also took this liberty to add some rhubarb compote, greek yogurt, choco-pecan butter (show you soon!) and strawberries.

nom.com

and some Barbara’s Oat Squares, of course. These things are addictive!! Have you ever stuffed one with nut butter, because you SHOULD.

I’ve done massive amounts of cleaning lately. As I move into my junior year of college (coughwhat?), I’m preparing to move more and more permanently out of my house. Sad though it may be, it is also most exciting. So I’ve been going through everything really thinking about what I do and do not need to keep. It’s keeping me from being a poltroon as well. Give it away and throw it out!

Mom and I brought all the clothes I didn’t want anymore to Plato’s Closet. Have you guys heard of this? They pay you cash on the spot for stylish clothing you donate (not saying I’m stylish at all…) I’m wondering where they got the name from…

I brought over a huge tub + a plastic bag and they only took $17.95 worth. I’m thinking they didn’t want to pay me for all of it, haha. I don’t blame them, we’ll try their other store. I got some pretty cute shirts there though.

I love stripes!

These pictures don’t do them justice. Seriously cute.

waist tie!

My mom was kind enough to hold them up for me!

mucho cute

“Cute” seems to be a leitmotif here…too many times.  Smite me down.

Mom and I then popped over to Marshals where I got two cute new bathing suits and a pair of shorts to wear over them. If you’re new to the blog, I’m a camp counselor this summer and I need something….camp counselor-ish, for lack of a better phrase.

behold

and

I reverse to brown!

Surprisingly, I tried on about 10 bathing suits in less than 10 minutes without having bad body image. SCORE. I didn’t really look in the mirror, because I knew I wouldn’t like what I saw. Let’s be real folks, when were dressing room mirrors good for anything but making you look ghostly white and showing alllll the pores in your face? Yeah. So I just concentrated on how the suits felt. Suited me fine. ha….ha….sorry.

and two cute belts; one is a waist belt that actually fits, and the other goes with my vintage dresses. Gotta whip those out before camp begins. Did I mention we wear the same “Camp Staff” t-shirt every day? (we get 7).

yeah. hot.

Well, it sure makes packing easy.

Marshals is my favorite. Although they sometimes have some frippery,  most times they’ve got really great stuff. Remember how my sister broke my beloved Pufferfish cup?  Well I found another one. Not a Pufferfish, but it is my favorite animal….any guesses?

 

 

 

AN OWL MUG!

I'm pleased.

I had some tea after dinner in it. I’m quite pleased with my purchase.

Mom and I were going to stop for Froyo but the flavors were Root Beer and Coffee. I was having a massive allergy attack and not really feeling either of the flavors so….

When I got home, I made myself what is probably the ugliest green monster to date. I drank 1/2 of it and then decided to photograph it for you. You probably could have done without, I know, I know.

case in point

This was a heinous color, but it tasted mighty fine. I paired it with TJ’s Raisin Rosemary Crisps

these are a good time

and some Choco-Pecan Butter, naturally.

perfect!

Now I just need a jacket, some towels, bug spray sans DEET…..hm

Did you know: The word we think of as “segway” is actually spelled “Segue” ? “Segway” is the scooter!

Love, Hannah

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Anyone else find dressing room mirrors unflattering/false? Ever tried pecan butter/making your own nut butters? Have you ever worked at a camp? Share a story!