to leave or not to leave

Greek heatwave is officially here from this weekend but up in the UK debates get heated for an entirely different reason, EU referendum & a potential Brexit is upon us. Although living in Greece, where political debates seem to be second nature to the degree I feel entirely desensitised by politics, this one referendum had me thinking. Cheer up though, there are some delicious chocolate energy bars to give you all the energy you need, be it on the beach or thinking about polling stations.

Head straight to the recipe.

So the referendum is going to be open this Thursday the 23rd and there has been a lot of campaigning for Britain to leave or remain in the European Union. I have been following from afar all the information flooding the online press and I am surprised by this one thing: How misinformed people actually are on what the EU does offer and not.

Many strong words have been heard throughout the debates. From the pathetic motto ‘immigrants are stealing our jobs’ to ‘maintaining the UK sovereignty’ argument, as if someone has taken it away, the Norwegian solution and the very alarming and deeply saddening murder of British MP Jo Cox which forces me to think where has sanity gone?

My personal opinion? This blog is normally steering away from politics as I greatly fear it will bring people indigestion. However, I cannot defy the fact that I belong to the privileged young generation that has fully benefited from the European Union agreements. It is not just about free trade and my many options in what I buy as a consumer, taking advantage of the free trade within the union but the invaluable opportunity of unhindered travel and work within the EU. Also, the opportunity I have had to further my education in more than one European countries. It is such opportunities given freely to everyone that help us become a little better in who we are and what we do.  I have learned to keep my mind open, love and embrace other cultures and see for myself that there is more that unite us, no matter where we come from. In such serious matters, I cannot help myself and seriously suggest you have a look on a couple of links I found very informative.

For US and Australian friends that are a little further away from EU reality BBC covers the basics of the referendum here.
For those eager to dig a little deeper Professor Michael Dougan from University of Liverpool Law School’s has given a talk that is available to all here. Because, if there is something I really love about the UK, other than the weather, is their free thinkers and that the UK has some brilliantly sharp minds.

Let’s go have some super energising chocolate oat bars because we will certainly need the energy this coming week, be it on a sandy beach or following the UK referendum as it unfolds. For these energy bars I was inspired by my good friend Evi from the blog the healthy cook who makes delicious and very healthy savoury and sweet treats. I loved her chocolate oat bars, they are very nicely balanced although I might have made minor tweaks to the recipe simply to suit the contents of my pantry.

Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

• 310 gr tahini,
• 400 gr honey
• 100 gr unsalted pistachios
• 100 gr flaked almonds
• 100 gr pumpkin seeds
• 100 gr dried cranberries
• 100 gr raisins
• 200 gr rolled oats
• 200 gr dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

How to make them:

1. In a saucepan, add honey and tahini and heat over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, cranberries , raisins, oats, chocolate, and mix well.
3. Pour the warm tahini-honey mixture in the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hand.
4. Preheat the oven to 170 ºC.
5. Lightly dampen a piece of parchment paper with water, crinkle it to drain well and lay on a 40x32cm baking sheet (this way the paper softens and fits better in the baking sheet).
6. Spread the mixture into the pan and lay very well. Bake for about 20 minutes.
7. Allow to cool completely and cut into bars.

I hope you enjoy the chocolate oat bars, I have been munching on them for quite a while. No matter where you are folks, remember people are better working together than not.

From Athens with love,
Eugenia

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