Just after I finished university I went to live in Japan which was a very fun, hectic and significant period of time for me. I taught English as that was the only thing that I was qualified to do. I taught at juku schools (after school school), in companies to corporate executives and at Japan Airlines. The Japanese flight attendants that I taught were wonderful and I still have cards and gifts that they gave me when I left.
I adored many of my fellow English teachers and we made quite a team. We’d pass the time by playing games on each other. One day, Krystyna, my closest friend and a lovely Brit, was marking papers and another teacher Peter, a Canadian and I slipped a fake test paper that we had filled in into her pile. In the test, the flight attendants were supposed to match words to sounds from the phonetic alphabet. Peter and I had filled in a rather X rated version of a paper and after a few minutes Krystyna let out a puzzled murmur.
“Mule?” she said to herself “How very odd for a “ju” sound.”
It was followed by more surprised murmurs from Krystyna and then clucks of disapproval under her breath. And then a moment later she exploded with shock and consternation.
“Fornication! Orgasm! What are these girls learning here?!” she said causing Peter and I to burst into hysterics.
Another day we played a little trick on Peter. He had OCD of his desk drawer and his pens were always neatly lined up and colour coded. One afternoon Krystyna and I were hungry and bored so we bought a sausage from the vending machine. This was no ordinary sausage. These things have to live in a vending machine and this particular breed was made out of fish. We peeled off the flesh colour outer to reveal a distinctly grey interior. I took a bite and couldn’t finish it. Then Krystyna took a bite and had the same reaction. Looking down at it it looked most obscene – like a skinned, greying penis (not that I’ve skinned a penis to know). So we knew instantly that it had to go in Peter’s desk drawer.
His outrage could be heard several classrooms away.
What does this have to do with carrot cake muesli bars? Well the first time I fed my cousin carrot cake he thought I was having a joke with him. You see he is from Singapore where radish cake and turnip cake are distinctly savoury items (you may have seen these at yum cha as pan fried slices) and when I served him the carrot cake he was thoroughly confused and thought we were playing a trick on him.
Mr NQN asked me to make him some muesli bars for when he goes cycling with his friends. He likes moist foods and I wondered how to make muesli bars more moist and that’s when I thought of the wonderful softness and moistness that you get in vegetables cakes using grated vegetables and oil. So it stood to reason that a hybrid of the carrot cake and muesli bar would work similarly well. I adapted my recipe for carrot cake and it worked out to be a soft, muesli bar ideal for lunch or for when you need a bit of energy. And of course you could use cream cheese frosting if you wanted to but that might get squished in the back of a cycling shirt 
So tell me Dear Reader, do you like playing tricks on people? And have you ever lived overseas in another country for a period of time? Where was it and what did you think of it? Do you miss it?
Oh and a little shoutout to the fantastic Paula from Lifestyled! I featured on her blog yesterday and for a lil’ peek into our place and pantry, have a look at her post here.
Carrot Cake Muesli Bars
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup plain all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup moist shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup sultanas or other dried fruit (I’d avoid the fruit mixes with peel though as that detracts from the carrot cake taste)
- 1 cup carrot, grated
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon bi carbonate of soda
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained very well
- A little honey to glaze on top
1. Line a lamington pan (20x30cms or 8×12 inch) with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 175C/347F. In a large bow, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut, nuts, sultanas, dried fruit, carrot, cinnamon, nutmeg and bi carb.
2. In a jug, whisk the eggs and then add the oil and whisk to emulsify. Add the egg and oil mix to the bowl of flour and other items and mix and then add the crushed pineapple. Spread out onto prepared tray and smooth the top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing. Brush with honey to give a bit of a glaze if desired.
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80 Comments | Add your own
A delicious cake! I love it’s texture.
Cheers,
Rosa
I love muesli and these look wonderful. You know, I seriously considered teaching English overseas for awhile. I’ve always wanted to spend some time living in a foreign country (not just a vacation). I think my time has passed so I’ll just have to deal with vacations
Japan is the most amazing country I’ve ever visited.
I had to pop over to Paula’s blog and check out your interview – I love all the photos, although I felt a bit like a voyeur peeking through windows (not that I’ve ever done that, but still)!
I’m not very good at playing jokes on others, I’m afraid. Occasionally I try and it all ends up back-firing. Someone get’s really sad or upset, I overact, and it’s all very NOT funny
I think one has to have a certain personality to be able to pull off the practical jokes 
Yum!!! funny story
What a lovely recipe, I love muesli and carrot cake!
Here in North America, we have April Fool’s Day on April 1st (not sure if it exists anywhere else in the world), but on this day you can play practical jokes on anyone (generally until noon! Not sure why there is a time limit!) My friend Kim lives on our street and parks in her drive way. Kim has a tendency to get a lot of parking tickets. A lot. So for April Fool’s day I photocopied about a hundred parking tickets and stuck them to her windshield. She couldn’t figure out who did it, and I had a good laugh over it. She actually thought it was the parking authority making a statement with her!
this looks like a lovely recipe, thanks Lorraine. I love a soft, chewy muesli bar, too!
Great idea for the muesli bars. I lived in Sweden for a while, it was a great opportunity to get to know my relatives better. I loved Christmas time with real thick snow and wonderful outdoor candles lighting up the frozen pathways. Oh and Semlor. cross between a roll and a cake eaten with hot milk. GG
Your time in Japan sounded so fun! I have been looking for a recipe for a snack to take to work, I am going to give these a try!
Mmm they sound goood!!! Might have to whip up a batch, freeze and take to hospital with me when I go in to have baby. Sounds like good energy food!!
The bars look fantastic, just to refill the energy after cycling right? or just because we want to eat something when we are at bed watching tv…that could be my case.
I always live in Peru, and can’t imagine what could be living in another country.
Ha ha ha! Practical jokes can be so funny if you play them on the right people! I am the worst at playing them though because I alway end up bursting out laughing before the person being targetted works it out…my giggle then totally give it away!
Carrot cake anything is good in my books, these sound delicious!
Yummmm. I have been looking for something to make for morning tea. Thank you! I have lived I’m both the US and the UK. Miss the US the most.
No I’m not much of a trickster but those carrot muesli bars look very good indeed. I can not even fathom what you were thinking when you picked that fish sausage from the vending machine, I can’t imagine any scenario where it would have ended well. The kids thought it was funny a few months ago when we were in China and they had chicken feet in the vending machine
I’ve never really lived anywhere else
But i was in HK for over months this year and I go back 2 to 3 times a year so it feels like I’ve kinda lived there ~
I would LOVE to travel and work and live somewhere else though~ Mr Bao and I are always arguing lol I wanna go to London while he wants to go to New York hehe
Thanks for sharing this recipe Lorraine! It’s exactly what I feel like can’t wait to try it
MOIST MUESLI BAR yum!
I would not want to get on your bad side haha your pranks sound hilarious!!! I bet you were a huge target for revenge
Maybe you can soften it up by promising these delicious looking muesli bars
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I have tears in my eyes laughing. I can only imagine the mirth it must have caused. You seemed to have such a lovely time
)
—Lorraine,
I adore your stories, especially when they’re about Fornication! Orgasm! The Penis!
just kidding.
I LOVE your adventures & humor. Have I told you that you’re my fave. blogger lately?
Anyhow,
These bars look quite healthy…can I add some chocolate on top?
Xx
I love the way you have wrapped the slices – very Japanese!
Words fail me … this is fantastic!
Oh wow, “skinned, greying penis” – haha gross! :p
I played an April Fool’s trick just once. I was so nervous my heart was thumping insanely!
Another awesome looking recipe! And a great idea I could make for Paul’s snacks
Love what you’ve done with the muesli bar. I dont think I’ve heard of a carrot cake muesli bar before but it looks quite a treat! Love love howww you’ve wrapped them up individually. Super cute
What a deliciously great idea.
I love playing tricks on people! My mum is the best though. She and dad made a rubber cake for her friend’s Birthday one year. Iced a big piece of rubber. The poor woman sawed and sawed at it but was too polite to give up! They had to let her in on it eventually!
Yummy looking muesli bars. And the way you have wrapped them, its looking wonderful!
Hhehehehe I’m glad I read your blog this morning, your funny story made me laugh out loud. Too bad for your friends though! ;P
I adore carrot cake, what perfect bars! (And yes please to your cream cheese frosting suggestion
)
OMG hahaha!
Love this! this has definitely made my week from bad to good! ;DD thanks!!!
Very cute story and great-looking muesli bars, which my husband would adore.
I’m a permanent expat, I suppose, as I have lived over half of my life abroad. Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Paris, London, and Mexico–plus years on the road. Although the US is my country in which I pay taxes and vote, and perhaps the lens through which I view the world, I could never live there. Or so I think.
How well do they hold together and do they squash easily?
Hi Gareth! They are a bit softer and more moist so they are a little less hardy than really hard and chewy muesli bars. They hold together well though.
I love museli desserts! It’s so funny, isn’t it, the way different cultures think certain foods are “weird.”
sounds like great snack food – I love oats and vegies in bakes. Your time in Japan sounds interesting – I have never been there (apart from their airports) but would love to.
These gorgeous bars look a tad better than those chewed by the guys in the Tour de France!! Can’t you send some posthaste to the BMC team: Cadel Evans and his wonderful team could do with a bit of extra healthy energy
!
What a great looking muesli bar. It cuts so well and your squares are perfect – mine rows normally need a little straightening! Ah yes, I suppose I am guilty of playing a few tricks. xx
Dear Lorraine,
These lovely bars would be something I would chew on before a run in this cold weather.
I think I’d have to split it and put the cream cheese frosting in the middle as a filling mmmm
This post makes me laugh. Years ago when we were making a lot of money, John and I traveled to the US frequently for business and to see my family and would use the JAL partner deal they had. We flew business class and then after a few of those we had enough points to always fly first class.
The JAL first class “cabeen attendants” would literally get on their knees in front of us and “fank you for frying Japan Airrines Mistuh Shaw,” to John. Then they would look at me and look at my name and say in the softest voice possible, “fank you for frying Japan arrines, Missuh rihusn.” It was so muffled, we had to laugh. They could not say Richardson at all.
Obviously YOU never taught them to speak English. sad for them.
Love these bars! I adore carrot cake and I love muesli bars. win win
That looks delicious!!! What s great idea to combine carrot cake and muesli bars
these look awesome!!!
That’s such a cute presentation, with the brown paper and ribbon! I definitely vote for cream cheese icing!!
I love the sound of these. You can have your cake and eat it
All the best flavours without being too over the top. Will have to try for sure.
Never lived abroad, but wouldn’t say no if the right oppertunity arose
I’m trying really, really hard to forget about the image of a skinned greying penis so that I can want to eat something. Aaaaaaaaaaaah!
Okay. Carrot cake, carrot cake muesli bars. I think I’m okay.
Oh, what a great idea!
I’m not particularly creative when it comes to coming up with jokes (prank calls were pretty much the only thing I did as a kid) and my workplace is too PC for that sort of thing, dammit.
Haven’t lived overseas for an extended period of time but I’m hoping to go on exchange in semester 2 next year, and looking to go to a uni in New Jersey which will be really interesting
Yum! These sound great! I’m always on the lookout for home made muesli bar recipes for my hungry boys and partner.
Thanks again!
I must admit, I don’t usually eat muesli bars, they just don’t appeal to me. But carrot cake ones somehow sounds delicious!
I love the idea of a moister muesli bar and including grated carrot. And as for your practical jokes? Made me laugh out loud
These bars look absolutely delicious! I’m always looking for tasty & healthy museli bar recipes, and these look like they’ll fit the bill!
I don’t like playing tricks on people.
These look tasty and definitely healthy. I’m seriously going to try making these for a fun post-workout nosh.
Looks delicious. Can’t do the dried fruit whilst eating low FODMAP but a girl can dream.
I lived in Japan as an exchange student after year 12 exactly 30 years ago next year. It was a challenging experience as a 17 year old, 172cm tall and white blonde hair. Strangers were touching me in unwelcome ways every time I went to school in my black sailor suit school uniform. I did, however, get handy with an umbrella. The standout fun times included chasing Dire Straits in Osaka in a taxi, meeting Men at Work and Air Supply, and eating spectacular food. Okonomiyaki remains one of my favorite foods. My first meal was, however, KFC, as my host family thought it would make me feel at home. I hated KFC!
These carrot cake squares are so cute! I am not much one for playing tricks – I am boring like that.
This past April Fools Day I created a faux text account and proceeded to send unwanted “1001 Cat Facts” to my friend, ignoring all her requests to stop. It was inner active too. “To stop receiving texts answer the following question? What’s your favorite animal?”
“Dog”
“Wrong, you love cats.”
“Okay, cats”
“Since you love cats you’ll continue to receive 1001 Cat Facts! Thank you for subscribing!”
I gave it up 24 hours later, when she called her cell carrier to see what she could do to stop it.
Best. prank. ever.
This recipe looks amazing!! I’m only new to your blog but I love the fact that you’re Australian – I lived there for 2 years and I miss it everyday! It’s the place that awakened my love for food (great for the imagination – BAD for the waistline) but I would go back in a heartbeat!So thank you for cooking amazing food and reminding me of the best time of my life!!
These sound wonderful and look yummy! Love how you have them wrapped~CUTE!
These look delicious!
You must have been so much fun to work with! I’m still laughing about that skinned sausage — poor Peter, lol! I love carrot cake in any form, and I think your muesli hybrid is inspired and delicious-looking!
Great post, I loved those stories! The bars look delicious, too. What a great idea!
these look great, i love having recipes for snacks like this! definitely bookmarked!
A delicious recipe – I’ve been looking for a yummy afternoon snack – this would hit the spot. Thanks for sharing another great post!
My dear Lorraine, this looks just so delectable! No need for cream cheese frosting! The glaze itself looks amazing! haha.. To answer your question, I’m still living overseas right now! In lovely Vancouver!
A cup of oil seems a lot. I’m forever on a diet and trying to cook healthy for the kids so love the sound if the carrot muesli bars. Any suggestions for reducing the oil here? Could I substitute with some apple purée or dates?
Yum! Another great recipe, Lorraine! Loved the sneak peek into your place and pantry too – so TIDY!!
I also taught English in Japan back in 1996. I was in Osaka for 6 months but could gladly have stayed longer. great people and food! 
I love the idea of Carrot Cake Muesli bars I had to add it to my friday favourites! http://southerninlaw.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/friday-favourites-13-july-2012.html
How cool you got to teach in Japan! I’ve actually been an English teacher in China now for 7 years, with no intention of heading back to Oz in the near future. I’m living in Shenzhen & on my days off sniffing around for new & interesting places for food- this is foodie heaven! Found a terrific place for macaroons (Adriano eatcha heart out) & the best tapas place I could find in the same vicinity (well, best I could find)!
How cute and delicious! I’ve never tried Muesli before but today I saw recipes using this at least 3 times. I’m very curious… it’s new ingredient for me.
Holy moly! Carrot cake bars?! Now I could send you my address for a box of these! I’m going to try this recipe soon!
this is such a good idea, lorraine. the flavors of carrot cake are welcome in any form.
We played some terrible tricks when I worked as a chef and had many a prank played on me being the only girl in the kitchen. We had planned to go out one Friday after work so the boys put me in a big wheelie bin and filled it with water so I was soaked and would have to go out that evening without any underwear on! What fun days! I love your muesli bar, sometimes they can be just too dry
these sound delicious, isn’t it funny how radish cakes are ok but other ones like carrot is so unusual, what would he think of pumpkin pie?
I have sympathy for OCD, I like everything colour coded and placed ‘just so’ and would probably explode if my drawer was invaded by that particular sausage too
I also lived and worked in Japan and worked as an English teacher at JAL Academy some time around 2002. When were you there? I moved back to oz at the end of 2009 and miss Tokyo like crazy. In my opinion it’s one of the best cities in the world!
I am not a clever prankster -not that I don’t aspire to be one though. I am slightly gluten intolerant these days but this yummy recipe is so wickedly tempting I think I will have to succumb to temptation and make this recipe a priority – (my son is a cyclist too – that’s a good coincidence!)
I was living and working in Singapore last year (Teaching english) in Novena and lived in Little India. It was a culture shock indeed but after a few months I began to feel at home and now miss the place and the lifestyle so much. (My daughter is still studying there too -miss her so much) I am determined to return.
Yummo, so easy and great for kids lunch boxes
Thanks Lorraine, these were great as snacks this week for the whole family. My twist – used dates and sultanas, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar. Worked well!
Hi LKO! I’m so glad that you liked them adn I really like your twists on it. I will try that next time!
Just lifted this slice out of the oven (11pm Friday) looks and smells delicious! Thanks Lorraine for sharing your lovely recipes.
Hi Dirtgirl! You’re very welcome and I hope you guys enjoy them!!
Have a lovely weekend!
I lived in Ireland for a year on a working visa and my gosh how I loved it. The people really are genuinely warm and very happy to befriend you and you know you have a friend for life – They are beautiful people. I miss Ireland like you would not believe. I truly believe it is my spiritual second home and one day, I plan to go back. Please go there L, it’s a stunningly, gorgeous country to travel in and you won’t be disappointed.
Looks delicious and a great idea Lorraine
This is delicious!
I just tried it this morning. Thanks
Hi Tisa! Thanks so much for letting me know and I’m so glad that you liked these
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