This edition, we want to give you a chance to discover the art of treating yourself to a healthy snack. Slow living is all about getting creative with some simple pantry items; and can be extremely rewarding. We want to share a couple of easy going recipes so you can self-indulge while enjoying a grounding ritual. Share your home-made goodness with friends, or keep this moment all to yourself. That’s up to you.

No nibble says comfort like a good cookie. Easy to make and the fillings can be replaced to whatever’s in season, or in your pantry. Here’s a no-fuzz recipe by Begin Vegan Begun for delicious oat and pecan cookies that we love:

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (overripe bananas work great and ensure no food is wasted).
30g whnuts.
100g oats (if you’re making your own oat milk, use the leftover oats for this recipe).
1 ladle of all-purpose flour (try to make it whole-grain to make your cookies are extra nutritious).

Method:

Squash the banana with a fork in a large bowl. Then add the oats and nuts. If you’re using the leftover oats from the oat milk, you’ll want to add a spoonful of flour so the mixture won’t be too runny. Stir well.

Grease your oven tray with a pastry brush and preheat the oven. Make small mounds of dough onto your tray and press them lightly with the help of a dough scraper. Perfection is not needed, these cookies look beautiful just as they are. Bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes, then leave to cool down.

While the cookies are baking, prepare a refreshing jar of iced tea. Steep your favourite herbal tea blend into your regular tea pot. Make it a pretty strong brew, trust us. Allow it to cool off and, in the meantime, cool a large jar with plenty of ice. Once the tea has cooled down to room temperature, transfer to the jar. 

Add refreshing fruits or fresh herbs. One of our favourite combinations is fresh thyme and citrus fruits. Or pear and cinnamon. Berries and basil — really anything will do, it’s about creating an eye-catching display for your iced tea. Play around with flavours and textures. Just make sure you treat your tea with reverence.

‘Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.’ 

Hans Christian Andersen

While you’re waiting for the cookies to bake and the iced tea to cool, get started on a floral arrangement that will wow your guests or soothe your senses. This task might seem simple, but don’t overlook the fact that flowers are healing. We humans depend on food from flowering plants, but our relationship to flowers is also deeply rooted in emotion. Behind every known flower is a symbolic meaning, an ancient belief. To create a hand-picked bouquet is like composing a symphony of connotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: ‘The earth laughs in flowers’. And so too, these simple recipes and rituals are sure to put a smile on your face.