Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

Many decades ago, I worked as a male nurse trainee at what was, at the time,
a psychiatric hospital.

The patients, some of whom were completely out of touch with reality, were safely looked after inside.

These days, you hear the odd story of ‘mentally unstable' people out in the community, roaming free. I had forgotten the havoc such people can cause in a short amount of time, and then I heard a story that made me remember.
Someone I knew got a new flatmate who upon moving in started to exhibit very odd behaviour.

He was manically rearranging everything in sight so it had a particular look. My friend was finding fabric everywhere, new curtains, four piles of rubbish – even a live, hot glue gun on the floor.

I imagine it would be both intriguing and entertaining arriving home from work to find things upside down and out of place. But I guess every household has its quirks. Where I live, there is three men, all bachelors, living together in a botch-up with nine free range chickens, and one paranoid cat called Zephyr.

I guess for some that could sound a little nutty. It's sort of like living ‘The Good Life' combined with ‘The Young Ones' television series.

A healthy nut house somehow oddly brings me to this week's recipe – a seasonal treat you can make as a small gift, or just eat as a healthy, nutritious nut bar. Enjoy!

Santina Bar
Makes 25-30 bars
Ingredients
1st mix:
1 cup cashew nuts
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup almonds
½ cup macadamia nuts
2nd mix:
½ cup toasted sesame seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
3rd mix:
2 Tbsp of maca powder
1 Tbsp of cacao
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
Binder:
¾ cup honey
¼ cup hemp seed oil