New York and Oklahoma October 2015

As I am writing this my family trip to America feels like a lifetime ago. Back in Northern Ireland the leaves definitely are more yellow than green, the clocks have gone back and the nights are closing in. It was a shock to my system to go from toasty Stillwater to chilly Belfast but I have to admit autumn is my favourite time of year. 
It had always been the plan to go and visit my brother Conall at his college in America. But with training and university stuff this always felt like a bit of a dream. I was delighted when my family finally set the date to head out to Stillwater Oklahoma. I was even more delighted when I could go too!! 
I have taken a year of leave from uni to focus on my training for athletics, so of course I can go to America for two weeks in October. 

New York skyline from Statue of Liberty

Although this was my parents main break for the year I have already had mine so honestly training was the priority. But in between that of course I want to go and check out the food scene and local shops.

Lots of bean to bar chocolate in Mast Brothers Brooklyn

Brunch at Cookshop in the Lower West Side

We spent a week in New York before heading to Stillwater. Conall had pre warned us that there isn't much to do in Stillwater and it's a long way to go for a weekend so we spent a week in New York first. 
It was great we got to surprise my mum when Conall arrived on a Friday evening to join us in New York for the weekend! My dad let it slip 4 times but she still didn't catch on and her reaction was great. We never really surprise my mum and Conall has never been to New York before so we combined both and had a great weekend. 

The moment we surprised my Mum

Flat Iron Building family photo

I have been struggling with some injury issues since mid August. My first proper run was only a few days before we left and it was lovely to run around Central Park and begin my 2016 journey. It all felt very significant and emotional that I was starting my campaign for the summer in such a magical and amazing place. Well sort of... in my head the sun was shining.... In reality the weather was worse than Belfast. Luckily it did dry up and the sun made an appearance for the last few days of our time in New York. 

Skyscrapers and trees in Central Park when the sun came out

On one of those beautiful days we rented some elliptigo bikes. This had been on our agenda in New York for a long time. As some one who is always looking for other ways of training I have had my eye on the elliptigo for a while. It is basically an elliptical trainer but on bicycle wheels! Which would be a godsend as I find cross training indoors awful, I like fresh air too much. You are able to pay monthly and hire one from a company in the UK but I didn't want to do it without trying it out first and there is no better place than Central Park! 

Elliptigo riding in central park- Such fun

Central Park has wide cycle and running lanes that meander through the park but It can get pretty busy with cycle tours, runners, tourists and horses (yes really). I think we chose the time that 3 cycling tours started. Our inexperience combined with wobbly tourists on bikes was never a good combination but I found the elliptigo easy to get the hang of. When my dad first started using the elliptigo, myself, boyfriend Johnny and mum were literally rolling on the ground laughing. I wish I could have captured my dads expression.. It was priceless. 
I probably better explain this when you are on the eliptigo you are quite high up and standing up right. It has bicycle handles but you use your legs like you are running. This alien combination combined with my dads grinning expression and lack of grace made for my sides splitting every time I looked at him. That is the best thing about the elliptigo I couldn't help but smile when I was using it. Yes children were pointing and shouting "WHAT IS THAT?!??" but I am assuming it was because it looked like great fun.. And it was. All round a 10/10 for the elliptigo. 

Of course we did the usually touristy things but I won't bore you with the details. And of course I researched lots of good places to eat. I think I had my family tortured with going to trendy restaurants but it meant we didn't have a bad meal.... And I hate bad meals!! As I was training I was still trying to eat well (only chips once per day). Most people may find it surprising that in the land of burger and fries was generally easier to chose healthier options in New York than good old Northern Ireland. Saying this Food in New York was very different to food in Stillwater Oklahoma but both were great simply for different reasons. 

Johnny and I at the Rockefeller Centre on a grey day 

Artsy photo at the Top of the Rock- Empire state in the background

We flew from New York to Oklahoma City in the smallest plane I have ever been in... Even I couldn't stand up in it. It probably only seated 30 people, we could see the pilot and there was one air hostess. It was great we stepped off the plane and it was warm!! You could smell the heat and the crickets were chirping which always brings me back to holidays of my childhood. It was dark when we arrived which I always find annoying, I want to see the place I have just arrived into. As we were flying over I couldn't believe the vastness of Oklahoma City, and how the city lights form a grid. The layout of towns are very different In Northern Ireland where our roads follow the landscape, curving around and meandering through the country. American roads are straight and direct ploughing through the countryside. 

Okay so the low down on Stillwater. I was expecting it to be brown and dry looking but it was very green with lots of trees which I was quite surprised by. It is quite a rural part of the world. Drive a few miles outside the town and there are endless farmland and cattle ranches. It is extremely different to the hustle and bustle of NYC. The people are nicer and everything is a lot slower and more relaxed. Even the people talk slower here! As I am sure you can imagine a Northern Irish accent is difficult to understand because we talk so fast so at times people were looking at us like we were a different species. Needless to say we stuck out like sore thumbs. 

OSU Cowboys mascot- Pistol Pete

It was great to finally see where Conall had settled. My mum and I really struggled when he first left home because we couldn't picture where he was. I always joke that I forget he is so far away so it was nice to finally be able to picture him somewhere. 
Let me tell you something. My little brother is brave. He left home to study in a country he had only visited once before, to a town he had never seen or understood and didn't know a soul. He also went with only 1 suitcase which is impressive. If I was packing up for American college I would probably be trying to bring my kitchen aid and food processor, oh and not forgetting the kitchen sink. On a serious note it is sometimes difficult to comprehend that he is the one living an independent and adventurous life. At the same time I am very certain that the decision to stay at home for university was the right one in terms of my athletics career due to the support from my parents and family. I am afraid I think I might be too selfish in terms of my athletics to survive within the team environment of the college track and field system.

Chilling in Stilly- Vintage car parade on Main 

The facilities at OSU were staggering. Literally staggering. These dedicated student athletes get world class facilities and support on a daily basis. The athlete gym set up is better than any I have seen in the UK or Ireland. The track and field team have an amazing club house that is so new they have to take their shoes off before going in! The club house also has the perfect recovery tools on hand such as hot and cold plunge pools, massage therapists and recovery drinks. At the track they also have a state of the art alter G treadmill. To have access to this in Northern Ireland you have to be receiving top tier support from the sports council and accompanied by a Physiotherapist at all times!! I was also extremely impressed with the regular student gym. Every student at OSU gets membership to the gym included with their tuition. I personally think it is amazing that the college has invested in student fitness and well being. Unfortunately I feel UK and Irish universities don't necessarily value this like the Americans. 

Boone Pickens 60,000 seater football stadium

One other extremely positive aspect to life as an American student is college pride. The whole of Stillwater is decked out in the college colour, orange... Even the old ladies of the town wear orange with pride. Everywhere you go people are proud of OSU and Stillwater. In particular the American Football team provides much pride and its truly admirable that a community comes together in such an exciting and spirited way. I find it sad that we don't have something like this where the community comes together is such a large way. After all we would probably get stuck at which flag to use in Northern Ireland!!

Our time in America came to an end at the right time. I felt rejuvenated and ready to head home for a good training block but at the same time I didn't want to leave Conall and the comfortable warmth of Stillwater. 

Since returning home my training has been going well and I am almost pain free which is an amazing feeling. I was also cheered up by a wee New Balance winter clothes drop. Currently loving running around in beautiful purple and yellow. This week I also turn 22! I am looking forward to spending some time with my family this weekend. 

New  Balance kicks- Time to go home



Have a GREAT week,
Katie

Food for when I'm feeling under the weather

I had my wisdom tooth taken out yesterday. For those that don't know my parents are dentists but because they knew they would have to put up with my complaints after they didn't offer to take it out. To be fair the procedure took 5 minutes and wasn't painful but oh boy- the after pain is not fun. I currently have a face like a chipmunk or else look like I have been fat boothed on one side of my face. Needless to say I have been getting some strange looks when out and about. 

My boyfriend Johnny could not stop laughing when I sent him a picture of my swollen face this morning and claims that I look like quagmire from Family Guy.... I was sent this in reply... 

Thanks Johnny for my current doppelgänger 

It was the perfect time to get it done because I am in a low intensity period for training. Infections in wisdom teeth are very common in young athletes and can hinder performance quite substantially. Mine had been giving me some bother for a few months so I am quite glad to get rid of it because I don't want it to continue flaring up during winter training. 

Now the difficulty comes with getting good nutrition when I can't really open my mouth to fit a spoon in. I have been on the liquid diet for the past 48hrs and definitely not enjoying it. I am trying to get as much vitamins, minerals and protein into my body as possible by whizzing up smoothies and juices which I normally wouldn't be a big fan of. I definitely like proper solid food, and choose normal food over shakes, drinks and bars for recovery, so this is not exactly enjoyable for me.

Saying that I have whipped up some tasty soup for tonight that will hopefully make me feel less chipmunk more human. This is not just for those who have had a recent tooth extraction, but it's a great recipe for easy lunches in the winter months. Obviously yesterday and  today were lovely (dry and not freezing) in Northern Ireland and soup may not be appropriate!! I know I would love to be chomping on some BBQ! 

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This recipe is loosely based on a deliciously Ella recipe that I found on her app. I think some of the recipes are a bit bland so I have tweaked it to make it tastier and more substantial. It's really easy as its all done in the oven in one tray. To make this a filling lunch I would top with some shredded cooked chicken or having it with a sandwich or salad. 

It is kind of like hienz tomato soup but with proper vegetables, so it is the perfect comfort food! 

Ingredients 

6 medium tomatoes 

2 red peppers 

1/2 white onion 

2 celery sticks

1 garlic clove- left whole 

1tsp dried thyme 

Small handful basil leaves roughly chopped

Few Rosemary sprigs chopped 

1 tbsp Olive oil 

Salt 

Pepper 

Chilli flakes 

Vegetable stock or water 

2 tbsp tomato purée 

2 tbsp cider vinegar 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190•C 

2. De-seed red pepper and cut into 4-6 bits. Quarter tomatoes and place both on a large baking tray. 

3. Finely slice onion and chop celery into thin slices. Add to baking tray. 

4. Peel garlic clove and place in tray along with the herbs. Drizzle over oil, season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. 

5. Mix well to coat and spread out in an even layer on the tray. 

7. Place in top rack of the oven and roast for 30 minutes. 

8. After this time take out and leave to cool for 5 mins then peel some of the thin skin off the peppers. (This is not essential but will give the soup a better texture- I usually just try to take off some of it).

9. Turn the oven up to 200•C. Spread out the peppers tomatoes and onions then return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the onions have taken on more colour and the tomato skin has browned slightly. 

10. Place the roasted vegetables into either a saucepan and purée with a handheld blender until smooth OR a food processor. You will need to add some of the hot stock as you go- 300ml or less to ensure it is the right consistency. 

11. Finally stir through the tomato purée, vinegar and season if needed.  

I have no pictures of this yummy soup but you can take my word for it, it is that amazing, almost radioactive orange colour that the famous Heinz soup is! 

Also major congratulations to my training partners and friends Christine and Michael on the birth of their baby boy! 

Enjoy,

Katie x 

Excitement of the Week- Recipe for Green Courgette Salad

I had an exciting day yesterday... May not be exciting for most but it was great for me. 

If you follow my Instagram posts or have been listening to me natter on, you will know I have planted some vegetables in my garden. So yesterday my long awaited courgettes were ready to eat! Not only that but while they were roasting I received a package from my shoe and clothing sponsor New Balance. I still get excited about the latest shoe or trainer from New Balance and this is no exaggeration but I truly think my shoe brand is fab!! 

So it really was an afternoon of excitement.... Athletes lives can be quite boring. 

Poppy and I chilling and weeding post     

                           run 

I planted my courgettes around May time. I put them in small pots to begin with, lovingly watering them everyday and kept them inside so they didn't get too cold. After this I put them in large pots, continuing to water everyday (but just around the roots not the leaves... They don't like that.. They told me). We did have one tragic moment in the Katgette (Katie-courgette) relationship and we lost one of the plants. 

     They may be little but they tasted        

                             great

On a serious note planting vegetables and getting to eat what I have grown has been really rewarding and very therapeutic!! I also read recently that it's  a trendy thing to do, so get to it people. 

   One of the early pictures before the    

             broccoli went a bit wild 

New balance have recently brought out the Vazee range which will replace my staple shoe the 890's. So as I'm sure you can imagine I was eager to try them out to see how they compared. I had been teased with Instagram posts from Emma Coburn and Jenny Simpson and I couldn't wait to try them myself.

         New Balance Vazee Pace in 

   personalised solid grey back pack 

I was happily cutting some food for lunch when the new balance parcel arrived. The shoes were contained within an amazing spaceship like backpack made by a company called Solid Grey. Poppy really seemed quite interested in it and would not stop sniffing it and pawing at the straps so I think she was excited too!

       Poppy also loves New Balance  

                       Deliveries 

The launch of the Vazee Pace also coincides with the "Always in Beta" brand launch. This is almost to be the new motto of new balance and means to be always improving, evolving and pushing. This is basically what is seen as the qualities and attributes that athletes need in order to achieve goals. I stand by these and I'm not being big headed but it is something that I feel I show in my character. Saying that it can also be a curse and this year I may have pushed myself too hard and I have not had the best of track seasons but this is one of the crucial hard lessons in athletics. With Always in Beta in mind I will continue to improve and evolve, and I cannot wait to put things right. 

               I am Always in Beta 

Every time I tell anyone I am growing courgettes they seem to feel the need to then recount their or a family members experience with them. This usually seems to revolve around the fact you get so many you don't know what to do with them and end up eating courgettes for weeks and weeks on end!! So today I am going to share a recipe for a green courgette salad that I will probably be bringing out countless times over the next few weeks to use up my courgette bounty. 

It's a great salad because you can mix and match what to put in it, use leftovers and tailor it to what you have on the fridge. You can also increase protein content by adding some sliced chicken or boiled eggs which will keep you fuller for longer. This very loosely based on a salad that was in a free Tesco magazine. I make this at least once a week and it's a great weekend lunch and it does require a bit of prep. But what you can do is make double, keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and eat for lunch. I have added a few things to make it tasty and changed about the ingredients. It is best served warmish and great with a few grains, couscous or rice to make it more substantial. 

Green Courgette Salad

Enough for 2 with some possible leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Ingredients 

2 medium courgettes 

1/2 red onion sliced

25-50g Feta cheese (depending if you like a little or a lot) 

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 tbsp chopped parsley 

Zest of 1 lemon 

50g blanched hazelnuts 

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 

75g of leaves roughly chopped (I find rocket and spinach work really well here) 

175g grains or rice (I like to use ready to eat quinoa or freekeh) 

choose 1 from- 

90g asparagus 

OR 

90g green beans 

OR 

90g broccoli 

OR 

do a mix of them all!! 

Choose 1 from- 

125g broad beans (usually frozen) 

OR 

125g frozen peas 

OR 

125g edamame beans (usually frozen) 

Dressing- 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Juice 1/2 lemon 

1tsp soy sauce 

1 tsp honey 

Sprinkle of chilli powder 

Other options- 

1/2 avocado chopped 

1 chicken breast sliced 

Boiled egg quartered 

1. Preheat oven to 190•C 

2. Begin by preparing courgettes and red onion. Trim the ends of the courgettes and cut in half lengthways. Then cut into thick half moon shapes about 2cm thick. Alice red onion. 

3. Place courgettes and onion on a baking tray and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 190•C for 20 minutes. Remove red onion and set aside. Using a spatula gently flip the courgettes. They should have browned nicely on one side, if not increase the heat to 200•C. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the chunks. I really like a dark colour on my courgettes (this gives the best flavour). 

4. While the courgettes are cooking prepare your green veg. Place pan with an inch of water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Then reduce to gentle simmer. 

5. Prepare the vegetables you have decided to use and cut into bites sized chunks. Throw into a steamer basket along with your frozen broad beans, peas or edamame beans. Place this on top of the pan of water, cover with lid and cook for 5minutes of until just tender. (They should still have a good bite and be firm). 

6. Remove from the pan of water and set aside to drain and cool slightly with the lid off. 

7. Chop herbs, feta and hazelnuts. Throw these into a medium mixing bowl. 

8. Whisk or stir dressing ingredients. 

9. Add the rest of the ingredients including the lettuce into the mixing bowl. I usually serve this as room temperature. The green vegetables and courgettes just slightly warm but it's also great cold. 

10. Pour over the salad dressing and toss well with a large spoon. At this stage also add in grains and optional extras like chicken or egg. 

11. Serve in a pretty bowl and dig in. 

    Feta chunks add such a good sour    

              tang that lifts the salad

Give it a go you won't be disappointed! Don't worry too much about the exact quantities- mix it up with what you already have. And who knows give it a few weeks and I may be able to supply all the readers of this blog with a free courgette... Stay tuned. 

Katie X 

We are not ladies who brunch... We are strong women who brunch

Following extreme disappointment last weekend in the England U23 champs at Bedford last week I decided to do things that I really enjoyed. I went for lunch with my friends, had a spontaneous lunch with Johnny, did my first Pilates class overlooking strangford lough, ran some different routes and topped it off with Sunday brunch at the little pink kitchen. 

    The table at Little Pink Breakfast Club 

I have 'liked' the little pink kitchen on Facebook for a couple of months now and I love when one of Sarah's witty posts pops up on my news feed. I was so intrigued by her Brunch club which is held in her home. The food looked like my kind of food and I jumped at the chance when she posted that some spaces had become available for brunch this weekend. 

I brought my friend Jill along and we were both a tad worried that going to a strangers house for breakfast... may be slightly dangerous.... But I feel this adds to the effect of food clubs along with the worrying prospect of making polite conversation with strangers. Luckily our fears were not met and we were greeted by the host with the most, Sarah's husband "Mr P". 

I don't think I was quite prepared for the group of women I was about to meet. We took our seats around a large communal table and were offered drinks and introduced to a few of our most intimate neighbours. Chat was polite and Jill and I had a lot of catching up to do so we did just talk among ourselves for a while. 

Apart from some oohing and ahhing as the menu board was brought out the chat was constant. All thoughts of awkwardness were forgotten and Jill and I loved sharing some stories with the women around us. 

             The brownie with tasty   

     chocolate sauce and sour cream 

                      SO GOOD 

Caroline from the popular Belfast Food Tours persuaded us to do the usual "tell us your name and a little bit about yourself...". This is literally my most hated activity in a room full of strangers. But after some encouragement of "women need to boast a bit more" we all shared a bit about ourselves. I always feel a wee bit embarrassed and I tried my best not to blush! 

I was surrounded by business owners, an academic, cancer charity workers, a teacher, a writer, bloggers and to top it all off woman of the year. It was possibly the most interesting group of people I have ever had the pleasure of being in company with. 

We talked about women in Northern Ireland, Airbnb, sport, adoption, cancer and of course food. I had a realisation moment that I was so very lucky to have been surrounded by an amazing bunch of people and how crazy it can be that our paths crossed. 

So thank you to my brunch group for opening my eyes and making me thankful for being alive!! This was more than just brunch, it was an experience I won't forget. I would truely recommend Sarah's little pink breakfast club... Although I can't promise your group will be as amazing as mine was!! 

Book here at 

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sarah-p-8042630061 or check out Little Pink Kitchen on Facebook for upcoming event details. 

What we ate- 

The food lived up to expectation and then some. I had run that morning and hadn't eaten yet so I was starved and wolfed down the whole lot. 

- shallot and thyme potato cakes 

- bacon 

- roast pepper compote

- sweet potato mayonnaise 

- slow roast tomatoes 

- rocket 

The potato cakes were more what I would call a rosti- they were crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked. 

Sweet potato mayonnaise- SAY WHAT? Such a revelation. Slightly sweet and creamy. I piled this on as I am a sweet potato addict

The pepper compote and roasted tomato provided the acidic tang that rounded it all off. I definitely ate more than my fair share of the compote, I am such a condiment and sauce fan. 

Bacon is well bacon and who doesn't like that!! 

The brunch was finished with a chocolatey brownie. The brownie was the perfect balance of chew and goo which is hard to achieve. The brownie contained ground almonds and hazelnuts (I think) and this is great for flavour and texture. 

The best way to spend a Sunday morning. Thank you Sarah! 

Experiment 1- Vanilla Cashew Butter

So last week I carried out an experiment for the cause of nut butter lovers out there. 

I love nut butters. I would class them as a stable food group in my diet. They aren't cheap and I spend a lot of money on them per week. So can I make my own for less money and does it taste as good as my favourite brand Keen Nutrition?

Lots of health food bloggers urge us to make our own nut butters because they will be "more nutritious", "no additives", "cheaper" etc etc. All well and good. But who has time to make their own? I certainly am not twiddling my thumbs on a weekend thinking- oh I must make some almond butter. With the amount I eat my house would need to be turned into a factory to meet my appetite for nut butter goodness! 

I do have some past experience of making my own almond butter. I can tell you my previous attempts were not very successful and didn't compare on flavour or texture to Keen. Way back in 2008 , hereby know as "pre Keen", when alternative nut butters were in short supply (requiring pre ordering from my local healthfood shop I might add). I had an attempt at making some almond butter that resulted in a burnt out blender and an angry mumma Kirk. The final product wasn't even worth it! 

The first issue with making your own nut butter is the food processor. You will need a high powered one with a motor strong enough to turn the Nuts into a smooth delicious paste. These include brands such as magimix and vitamix which usually cost between £300 and £500. Forking out that large sum for a food processor seems like madness to me. Hard to say making your own nut butter is a cheaper alternative. 

The second issue is the time involved. The nuts do not magically become a paste after a minute. It can take over 20 minutes to achieve the right consistency. At one stage my other half was concerned and started shouting that it had formed a ball... This is perfectly normal. The time issue is also associated with your food processor because the longer it takes to release the oil from the nuts the more work the processor is having to do. 

Another issue is extra ingredients. I am most definitely an almond butter purist. Hence why Keen nut butters are my go to brand. They contain nothing else except some delicious ingredients for flavouring like vanilla, coconut and cinnamon to name a few. When making my own I have found the consistency wasn't quite right and had to resort to adding coconut oil to make it more spreadable. 

I did a bit of recipe research and settled on a cashew butter with some vanilla seeds thrown in for good measure. Adding vanilla is like magic! It makes foods taste sweet because of the sweet aroma that vanilla produces which is great if you are trying to reduce sugar consumption. When I'm going to make something for the first time I will look at about 10 different recipes and then make up my own based on a combination of these. My recipe was largely based on a cashew butter that can be found on the Deliciously Ella App. Although to be honest there isn't really a recipe to follow just a method which means it's really flexible! I will let you in to a nut butter secret... The darker the roast of the nuts the better the flavour. I have a confession... When I am buying nut butters I always turn them over and look at the base of the jar to choose the darker coloured jars. What can I say, I'm quite particular about my nut butter! That's what I love about Keen they definitely spend more time making their products and this means the flavour is far superior than mass produced nut butters (ahem... Meridian). So I suppose one advantage of making your own nut butter is that you can control the flavour and get exactly what you want. 

    [ Yummy dark roast on my cashew                                   

                            butter.]

I chose cashews because they are slightly softer than the likes of almonds, Brazil or hazelnuts and might put less pressure on my average food processor. I also tried to minimise burnt out processor risk by giving it a rest every 5 minutes or so. 

I was so pleased with my vanilla cashew butter. Even though I cook and bake a lot it still amazes me that the ingredient you start with is very different to the final product. I got such delight from making my own nut butter- but that might just be me! 

     [My jar of cashew butter in recycled           

                  Keen nutrition jar.]

I worked out how much the batch cost me to make. I used a pretty bog standard  200g bag of Sainsbury's cashews that cost £2.50. I also bought some vanilla pods , for the amount I used it worked out at 75p for half a vanilla pod. The amount This made didn't fill a standard Keen nut butter jar which I recycled for the occasion (if anyone wants some I am coming down with empty nut butter jars!!). In total my homemade vanilla cashew butter cost £3.25 for just the raw ingredients. Of course this doesn't include the electricity, jars or equipment. Keen normal flavours usually cost £3.50. So yes homemade may be slightly cheaper but for the sake of 25p and lots of time and effort saved I will continue to buy my locally made nut butter.  

Not only will you be buying a tasty product but you will also be supporting a local company that employs local people and if that isn't a good reason to spend an extra 25p I don't know what is! 

METHOD/RECIPE- Dark roast vanilla cashew butter 

Ingredients- 

200g unsalted cashew nuts 

1/2 vanilla pod 

Method- 

1. Preheat oven to 180•C. 

2. Place cashews on baking tray and place in oven for 15 minutes or so depending on how rich a flavour you want. Shake the nuts every 5 minutes to brown evenly. 

3. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

4. Throw in food processor. 

5. Cut vanilla pod in half horizontally and Keep half for next time. Slice pod in half length way, expose inside and scrape out seeds with the back of a knife. 

6. Add vanilla seeds to nuts in food processor. 

7. Turn processor on full for 5 minutes , scrape down sides with spatula and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

8. Repeat step 7 until nuts have been processed for approximately 20 minutes. 

9. First the nuts will be broken up to crumbs, then to a dust. You will start to see some "sticking" at the base of the bowl as oil is released from the nuts. 

10. The nuts may form a ball at some stage but don't worry just continue processing. 

11. When it starts to look creamy and liquidity I urge you to keep processing for an extra 5 minutes. Those 5 minutes are worth it to make the butter runnier and even more delicious. 

12. Spoon carefully into a sterilised jar (look up how to on Google- I usually don't sterilise properly. Just dishwasher then fill with boiling water from kettle and allow to sit for few mins then pour out water and air dry upside down. This is enough to kill the bugs don't worry.) 

13. Will keep for way longer than it will last. If you are really paranoid you can store in the fridge but I am a bit of a rebel and keep all my nut butters in the cupboard (Cold almond butter is weird!!). 

What to do with your cashew butter- 

It tastes like cake mixture so a finger or spoon is preferable. 

- eat with a spoon (generally my method of choice) 

- spoon onto sliced apple for tasty protein rich snack 

- stir into hot porridge 

- drizzle over yoghurt and fruit for breakfast 

- spread on toast 

- make my previous recipe of cashew energy balls 

- smoosh open a medjool date and fill with cashew butter- actual heaven 

- go back with the spoon for a third time that day... Yep that's me. 

If you come up with some exciting ways of using your cashew butter let me know and I will post some of your suggestions! 

[Cashew butter with some apple. Great       

                     wee snack.] 

UPDATE 

Really enjoyed doing a sports nutrition talk for Queen's University Belfast widening participation programme. The programme is focused on secondary school boys exploring how sport and leadership can be used to access university and higher education. They will come back for a week every year and do sport, education and leadership workshops. The theme of this particular year was American football and the boys were really enjoying exploring a new sport. I focused mainly on general healthy eating and introduced the concept of fuel and recovery. 

Next week I will be doing something similar for a group of first year boys from the same schools and I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully I can improve my presentation and make it more interactive. 

     [As usual lots of hand action when 

      talking! Hopefully I don't bore the 

              poor boys too much!]

I am taking a leave of absence from university for a year to focus on athletics and would love to continue to provide nutrition talks and information for schools, sports and youth groups. If you or anyone you know is interested please do not hesitate to contact me. 

I am also looking forward to the Queen's Sport Blues awards dinner tonight. It's a great night to get glam and have a laugh with some of the athletics team. 

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful rest of the week,

Katie. 

Keen Nutrition nut butters can be purchased throughout Ireland and the UK. Check out their website for stockists. http://keennutbutter.com

You can purchase the Deliciously Ella app from iTunes App Store. http://deliciouslyella.com