Anybody that knows me well, knows how much I love celebrating - not just birthdays, but all the small wins in life.
A birthday is your one particularly special day of the year, so it is worth inviting a friend/friends over for a catch-up or suggesting a lunch date to celebrate.
People are busy and tied up in their own lives, so waiting for somebody to remember may just lead to disappointment.
Take action and suggest something fun - whether is it an anniversary, promotion at work or Christmas, try to make an occasion of it.
Traditionally, alcohol and high-calorie foods are related to celebrations, but not everybody wants to drink alcohol. I hosted a baby shower recently and noticed more people preferred the non-alcoholic punch option to bubbly.
There are plenty of mocktails - a basic, yet refreshing one includes mineral water, fresh lemon/lime, a few fresh berries, mint leaves and crushed ice. Serve that in a special glass and its feels festive. Cheers to that!
Platter foods can be high in carbohydrates and calories, so apart from offering a few carrot sticks, which may not hit the mark, seed crackers are a brilliant addition to any platter.
They are great served with some fresh pesto or enjoyed plain.
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup flax seeds (linseeds)
½ cup chia seeds
½ cup almond meal
1 tsp finely chopped oregano/ rosemary (optional)
pinch mineral salt
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1½ cups boiling water
Method
1. Place all seeds and herbs, if using, into a large mixing bowl if leaving chunky or add to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up the seeds.
2. Add coconut oil and then boiling water to activate the chia seeds and flaxseed. These two small seeds act as a binder. Leave to form a gel for 20 minutes.
3. While waiting for the seeds to gel, preheat the oven to 150degC and line a baking tray.
4. Spread the mixture on to the tray and use the back of a spoon to flatten seed mixture as thin as you prefer.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove from the oven.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut the crackers into 3cm squares, then put them back into the oven. Bake for about 15 more minutes or until the crackers are crispy and golden. Watch they don’t burn at this stage.
7. Let the crackers cool down on a rack, then store in an air airtight container.
