All is revealed…

…My mystery package:

Yep! The wonderful delightful people at Natural Balance Foods sent me a box of goodies to review for the blog! Check out the haul:

There’s some of everything in there; raisins, Trek bars, protein flapjacks, Nakd bars…and there was even extra Banana Bread flavour Nakd bars:

I’d said that Banana Bread was my ultimate flavour When my mum bought me a box for Christmas though, there was only ONE Banana Bread bar in it…gutted! So yes, I’m prapper pleased I have three more now

Well, actually I have two left – my afternoon snack was one :p It just had to be didn’t it!?

It tasted just as I remembered And check out the amazing ingredients list:

• raw dates
• raw bananas
• oats
• raw walnuts
• raw raisins
• apple juice
• cinnamon
• a hint of natural flavour

To top it all off, not only was it cold-pressed (ie never baked), but it counted as a fruit portion too! Gosh it made me smile to eat that.

I really needed a pick-me-up after panel, and it hit the spot perfectly. Which reminds me! Panel!! I said I’d explain – it’s all about youth offenders. In England, if a youth commits a crime they go to court (obvs..), and the ‘lowest’ level punishmenent that can get is to get a Referral Order; which is where I now come on. The youth has to go to a panel meeting, which would be two panellists (I am now a trained one ) and a Youth Offending Team worker, and we all discuss the young person’s crime, talk about the victim, how everyone felt, do they understand what they did, how they can make it right etc, and we write a contract which they have to sign, which includes reparations (ie voluntary work or something), as well as sending them to rehab-type courses (anger managment for example), if they need it. They then have to complete all this stuff drawn up, or we breach them, and they have to go back to court and will keep getting harsher sentences (eventually if they’re really naughty, they’ll go to Little People Prison – a youth prison basically :p). It’s pretty cool!

I was just observing today, but next time I can actually lead a panel. I watched two panels- the first guy seemed really nice and talkative – the 2nd girl, a 12yr old, was horrible! The panel members told me she was one of the worst ones they’d ever had…I obviously can’t go into detail cos of confidentiality agreements, but BAH! It was nice to get back outside and tuck into my Banana Bread bar

Oh yeah! I’d almost forgotten this part – my sat nav told me it’d take 15 minutes to get to the venue, where I was due at 3.30. So, I left at 2.50 – and sat nav took me to completly the wrong side of town!! A few panicked phone calls later and many, many miles driven round a town I do not know my way around – with no map – I eventually made it. At 3.45!! Thankfully, that first boy was also late, so I didn’t miss anything….and then after panel had finished, the car park machine wouldn’t accept my cash, so I had to call for help…then on the way back I hit huge amounts of traffic..oh, everything was so rushed!!

I just made it back in time to cook dinner – smoked fish (I’m not sure what sort…haddock maybe :p) with PEANUT BUTTER smeared on top (it works really well!!), roasted squash and parsnip (& garlic & cinnamon) and this three-grain mix I’d been waiting for ages to try out:

Italian rice, spelt and barley. I seasoned it all with a heck of a lot of cinnamon, and boiled it up with a shallot (anyone else LOVE boiled onion!!?? I first tried it at Christmas when my mum was making stock – it was soooo good, almost gooey!). Dinner was served!

It was all so good – I think cooking intensifies the peanut butter flavour

I ate it all while watching Everybody Loves Raymond - still not sure about this show…I’m yet to LOL at it!

Dessert was my old favourite – 2% Greek, 2 pieces of chocolate and a hot chocolate. I feel like it’s been ages since I had that combo, and I missed it so! What can I say, I’m a creature of habit

Anyway, I think this post has been long enough Enjoy the rest of the evening!