Time to get nostalgic and eat some breakfast cereal for dinner!

Every Tuesday, Izelle Hoffman joins us on Zoom to chat about all things Mindful Living; the eating, the cooking, the drinking, the watching, and the thinking. This week she's taking us back to a childhood favourite! 

With the weather turning, the crisp in the air is reminding me of winter Sunday mornings when I would creep out of bed while my parents slept, make some breakfast, and binge watch 'Barney' and 'Farthing Woods' until they emerged! Obviously, I couldn't make a bang up breakfast, so it was trusty old chocolate covered rice pops - you know the ones! 

This week, in our mindful living segment, Izelle Hoffman is letting us have our cereal and eat it - even for dinner, because this cereal is not only yummy, but its really good for you! 

Listen here:

Homemade Chocolate Puffed Rice

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Servings: 8–10

4 cups  puffed brown rice 

4 cups puffed white rice 

1 Tbsp caramel essence

1 Tbsp vanilla essence

1/4 cup almond butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup raw honey

3 heaped Tbsp raw cacao powder

2 tsp Oryx desert salt

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Mix the brown and white puffed rice in a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl until the almond butter is properly mixed with the olive oil and honey.
4. Pour over the puffed rice and mix well.
5. Transfer the mixture to the lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, then give it a stir and bake for another 7 minutes. 
7. Allow to cool properly for about 45 minutes and then store in an airtight container. It will keep for 1–2 weeks in the pantry or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

NOTE: One can use 8 cups of either white or brown rice, but i prefer it 50/50. White for the crunch and brown for the fibre.

This recipe is an all-time favorite! I prefer serving it with unsweetened almond milk and a pinch of love. Now you can enjoy it guilt-free with a healthy smile on your face xxx

Why do we make use of these ingredients:

Raw Cacao

Raw cacao contains very high amounts of antioxidants, reduces appetite and helps with weight loss. It alleviates stress, helps manage depression and regulates blood pressure. It is a fantastic source of calcium too. I always keep a slab of locally made Gayleen’s Decadence in my pantry, because it’s preservative free, dairy free and sweetened with raw honey

Oryx Desert Salt

What is the purpose of adding salt during cooking? It’s to enhance flavour, right? So why not start by using a good-quality salt to do the job? Sundried and unrefined with no additives will bring out the best in your food in the healthiest way possible.

Raw Honey

Salt needs sweet and vice versa to enhance taste and flavour. So when you add sweetness, choose a sweetness that has a healing effect on your body and health. Raw honey is antiviral and antifungal, and contains powerful antioxidants. Its helps ward off allergies, stabilise blood pressure and balance blood sugar levels. It also boosts the immune system and promotes digestive health.

Olive Oil

We all have our reasons why we prefer certain oils, but without a doubt my oil base of choice is olive oil, specifically for its amazing health benefits. Olive oil helps reduce inflammation and prevent osteoporosis, and is essential for bone health because it assists in the absorption of calcium and the mineralisation of bones, all of which are qualities I look for in a product, given my hip dysplasia and related joint pain.

Almonds

Whether in the form of milk, flour, butter or flakes, almonds are packed with nutritional benefits. They boost the immune system, help repair damaged skin, help prevent cancer, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and have alkalising properties. They are also a source of vitamin E, magnesium and high-quality protein.

You can get last week's podcast and recipe here: How lack of sleep can make you drunk!

You can also buy your copy of the award-winning 'Mindful Eating' cookbook here!

Catch up with Danny's brand new JacPod channel and all of her podcasts here: