What exactly is Carob ???

If you are anything like me you might have thought that carob was a more raw form of cocoa or something like that. Well guess what ... we were wrong!!! 

Carob actually comes from a completely different part of the world and is from a completely different family of plants !!! In fact Carob is a form of legume and Cocoa although called a bean by us is not actually a bean or a legume. 

Carob or  ( Ceratonia siliqua ) is native to the Eastern Mediterranean even the Middle East and has been cultivated for the at least the past 4000 years !!! Pretty impressive huh!!!

Carob is also known as the "locust bean" this is due to a misunderstanding as it was once believed that these were the locusts that John the Baptist ate in the wilderness. It turns out this isn't the case as John apparently ate actual migratory locusts. You know the giant grasshopper things !!! 

Seeds were used to weight gold, hence the word "carat." Mohammed's army ate kharoub , and Arabs planted the crop in northern Africa and Spain (Moors), along with citrus and olives.

Spaniards then carried carob to Mexico and South America, and the British took carob to South Africa, India, and Australia.

Carob can be grown anywhere Citrus grows well. So if you have a lemon tree why not try growing a Carob tree too. Nothing like having a form of choccy available to you to pick straight off the tree.

So there you go that is all about Carob. There is of course loads more to learn about it and all you have to do is ask Google. 

This is a Carob Tree

These are its pods

The Angst of Cheesecake

I don't know about you guys but the moment I am told No, that's the moment my head basically gets a "screw you" attitude.

This is not a new thing for many people and it tends to be easier to get through when you are changing your lifestyle with other people. I am not. My son is happy to eat what I make but he wants to add meat to it. More about that another time.

Time to really get stuck into sorting out food to go out with though as the last few days have proven to me it is almost impossible to go out and actually have this lifestyle and fit with others as well.

Here is my vlog to go with this. I am getting used tot he camera slowly, I guess doing these vlog journals is helping me get over that so hopefully they will get better over time. It needs to I have a competition recipe/cooking video to do. Yeap I have entered a competition with Holland and Barrett so I really need to get this right.

I have the food bank this morning so I will be popping off this morning but this aternoon I will be making food and with any luck not forgetting the memory card in the camera this time !!!! *face palm*

So here it is I hope you enjoy it.... if you are going to leave a comment please be kind, please do subscribe to the YouTube channel cos that would be awesomes :D

See you laters !!!! Byeeeeee xox

Day 1 Journal ~ Yeap It's My Very First Video Diary!!!

This morning I made my first brekky vlog. Not quite sure how I managed it to be honest but I did. Maybe because no one else was there. I have to admit though after chopping off the ends of it I am a little bit shaken up.

I had no idea I had gotten quite that big. If anything I am sad for myself that it got to that stage. I have to say though NOT in a poor me way though more in a well this is as bad as it gets for you missus time to sort things out!!!

So I am

here is my very first video Journal. I have to admit I didn't say everything I wanted to but I got most of it out. Those who know me know I stutter a bit and tend to trip up on my words. Eventually I get there and no I will not be editing out those bits. I don't want to be perfect I want these videos to be from the heart and real. Which is why they are not really staged and are completely ad-libbed.

So here is my journal for today xox

If you are following my journey or coming along and joining my journey please let me know It is always good to know I am not the only weirdo out here :D :D :D

Have an amazing day xox

DAY 1 I need to start again!!!

Over the last few months I have been recovering from illness and injury and am still trying to sort myself out after injury.

After finding out that I have gained 3 stone since i broke my ankle in February I felt it was high time i did something about this wreck I appear to have become whilst relying on others to feed me. today is the start of this, not only the start of this but the start of my vlog as I find it easier to film stuff than to photo things. Probably because I keep forgetting to take photos and I can set the camera up to film and not worry.

So below is my première video. Yes it was really taken at 6.38am !!! Below I will add the recipes.

LEMON AND HONEY

INGREDIENTS

1 whole little Lemon 

OR 

1/2 a Large Lemon 

1 Tablespoon Honey

Boiling water

METHOD

1. Slice the lemon and place slices in the cup. 

2. Add the honey

3. Add boiling water from the kettle

4. Leave to steep until at a safe drinking temperature. 

5. Enjoy

POND SCUM COCKTAILS

INGREDIENTS

1 litre Fresh fruit juice, (tropical is best but a mix of orange and apple works just as well )

1 Banana

1 Tablespoon of Spirulina Powder

METHOD 

1. Place all ingredients in a drinks blender. (If you do not have a blender, use a wand type blender or a food processor works too.)

2. Blitz. 

3. Pour out and drink fairly immediately as it will separate. 

So there you go my very first vlog. I know its no Tarantino but I am quite chuffed for my first time out. 

See you next time xox