The best thing about Julian Graves is that they always have lots of items on offer, so if you go regularly you never need to pay full price for anything.

Yesterday Miranda and I were supposed to be clothes shopping but we couldn’t resist the pull of Julian Graves and came out laden down with dried apricots, dried figs, mixed nuts, linseed, crushed chillies, pine nuts and Italian seasoning! Well how could we resist, most of these items were half price!

After struggling home with the heavy goods I looked into ordering my Julian Graves products online. A lovely website with ‘grapevine’ magazine articles and allergen advice on all products. The range is better than in the shops and all the offers are there but to qualify for free delivery you need to spend £50 – that’s a hell of a lot of dates and apricots!!

Any other Julian Graves fans out there? What are your favourite products?

Pumpkin Seeds

I must eat a lot of Pumpkin seeds; toasted, roasted, in cereal, in salads, straight from the pack, over soya yoghurt – lets hope they don’t start sprouting.

So what goodness does a pumpkin seeds contain?

The pumpkin seed sits on halloed ground alongside other described “Super Foods”, with a rich source of protein, zinc, and other vitamins – the pumpkin seed is even said to lower cholesterol:

• Zinc is needed for the formation of protein and great for male and female general fertility
• Iron is essential for the generation of new blood cells
• Good source of magnesium, manganese,phosphorus and phytosterols, which can benefit the liver and can increase immune response (the darker green a Pumpkin Seed shows a sign of higher magnesium content).
• Contain a good amount of vitamin K – great for bone health and blood clotting
• Source of omega 3 and 6 essential fats for hormone balance, brain power, great skin and great for pregnant women.
• Contain beta-sitosterol – said to lower cholesterol, anti-fungal, boost immunity and have anti cancer effects.
• Contains amino acid tryptophan known to have anti-depressant properties, so a few Pumpkin seeds a day can even help your mood

So it seems these little seeds of goodness are serious packed with nutrients I am going to make sure I include even more Pumpkin Seeds in my daily diet.

One tasty treat I enjoy is toasted seeds.  They’re good for you, quick to make and can be made in batches then decanted into a smaller pot to carry round with you - perfect for that mid morning tummy rumble!

Making toasted seeds is easy…

Take a handful of any number of your favourite seeds and dry roast them in a frying pan on the hob.  Ensure you toss the seeds regularly so the seeds don’t burn and within 3 – 5 minutes of roasting they’re ready!  Simple as that!  Just leave them to cool to get the best taste out of them and you’re ready to go – happy monching!

More Toasting Tips

To liven up  your toasted seedseven more, try roasting them sprinkled with dried cumin powder or splashed with tamari sauce.  For a slightly sweeter taste, sprinkle in some dessicated coconut or add some of your favourite nuts.

Seeds, Seeds & more Seeds!

With the increased awareness of the health benefits of seeds over the past few years, there is now a whole host of different varieties available in most supermarkets and health food stores so be adventurous and give different combinations a try.  My favourites right now are pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds & poppy seeds.  Pine nuts and sesame seeds are also a tasty addition.

There are so many ways you can include seeds in your everyday life.  As well as being a great snack on their own, you could sprinkle them on top of your morning cereal, shake them over a lunchtime salad and use them as an ingredient in a whole host of recipes, look out for a few of these on the Latest Fussy Features over the next few weeks!