Smoke gets in your eyes

As the smell of freshly baked muesli wafts through my kitchen, I am reminded of something. Did you know some funeral homes use the scent of freshly baked cookies as a way to soothe and calm guests at the funeral home? It is said the waft of freshly baked cookies are a way to mask the grief and uplift the spirit as guests pay the final respect to the dearly departed.

I am reminded of this as the perfume of freshly baked muesli fills my house and I stand pondering about this and that. About where my life is heading towards. About death.

It is no wonder that death shall be the great equaliser. An end that the meastro and the political refugee will meet. An end that the scientist and the nun will meet. For you are dust and to dust you shall return. It is a rather sobering thought and to think that it was muesli that set this chain of thoughts moving.

But, it is what we do with our living moments that matter more. That which distinguishes the ordinary from the extraordinary. The kind from the impatient. The father from the man. The living from the dead. I am reminded that what I do every living moment has to be purposeful. It must be driven from a deep sense of purpose, of want, of need and of passion. I used to think passion was for the rich. The rich in time. The rich in money. The rich in relationships. And the rich in intelligence. But I think now that; passion makes you rich.

As I think about what drives my soul and spirit, I get up to toss my muesli in the oven to ensure that it is baked evenly. And I smile to myself as the smell calms my spirit and gently coaxes my mind to think clearly.

Well I suppose, before I lose that clarity, let me share with you my recipe for a Nutty super food muesli treat.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup walnuts (broken into small pieces)

1 cup sunflower seeds

half cup chia seeds

half cup coconut flakes

half cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Wet ingredients

15 small dates

2 ripe bananas

2 tablespoons raw cacao

What do I do?

1. Preheat oven to 180deg and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Place the wet ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend till it is well combined.

3. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Add the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Give it a great toss and get in with your hands and mix well.

5. Bake the mixture in a oven for 30 minutes. Make sure you give the mixture a toss about after 15 minutes.

6. Enjoy muesli in cold milk (leave it to soak for 10 minutes to allow the it to soften a little) or enjoy sprinkled on top of yoghurt! Or just eat it plain for a quick snack!