My Matcha Challenge

Hey all!

Have any of you tried matcha before?

Matcha is a type of green tea that is ground down to a fine powder. Originating from Japan, it is well known for it's amazing health benefits and its energising effects. There are too many benefits to list down, so make sure you check out this link and read all about it.

Now I am a big fan of matcha. I still remember the first time I tried it. My friend was raving about it and, as a coffee drinker and one who is suspicious of bright green milky drinks, I was rather sceptical at first. I decided to be adventurous and gave it a try. It was one of the best decisions I made in my life (no kiddin'!). It tasted so great and it made me feel incredibly awake and refreshed. I didn't crash afterwards either.

Unfortunately, I can't get a nice matcha drink close to my home. So a refreshing cup of matcha in the morning wasn't an option for me. But thankfully, you can buy matcha online to make drinks at home at a fraction of the cost. teapigs matcha is 100% organic and comes in an cute little tin to keep it fresh.

Cute :')

You can drink it however you like, whether you prefer to whisk it into hot water, whip up an ice-cold matcha frappe or knock back a matcha shot. Personally, I prefer a hot matcha latte, which is very suited to this weather and it really warms me up in the morning.

You can also add it to food such as stirring it into yogurt with some honey and nuts to make a very nutritious breakfast.

I recently took part in teapigs's matcha challenge where I drink matcha for two weeks and report back on how it made me feel. I have been drinking it mostly as a matcha latte in the mornings. I normally drink regular black tea and have to buy a coffee afterwards to keep me going. But with a matcha latte I find that it keeps me feeling awake for hours and it also makes me more focussed in class. Plus, it tastes yummy!

I haven't experienced any long-term effects. Although, I have been awfully inactive the past few weeks, just sitting down and typing away at my dissertation for hours each day. So I didn't expect any weight loss miracles. But the short-term benefits of feeling refreshed, awake and relaxed during these stressful days have been amazing.

So if you're looking for an alternative to coffee, I seriously recommend you give this a try. I seriously recommend you get yourself a frother as it can be difficult to blend into your drink.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

xx

P.S. Excuse the funky photography. I got a little carried away playing with my phone ;)

A Natural Low-Calorie Sugar Alternative

Hello! I hope you've all been well. As promised, here's my review on Total Sweet Xylitol.

As I have a big sweet tooth, I find it difficult to cut down on sugar even when I'm trying to lose weight. And I've heard too many nasty things about synthetic sweeteners so I decided to try a natural alternative.

Xylitol is a supposedly a great substitute as not only is it low in calories, it doesn't contain any sugars.  So it's much better for your health.

The first thing I noticed about this product when I picked it off the shelf is that it does contain calories. But only a little so I didn't mind taking it home with me. Also, comparing it to regular granulated sugar, it contains the same amount of carbs (it doesn't contain any sugars though). As I just wanted to cut down on calories and sugar, I didn't mind all of this at all.

Trying the xylitol in a cup of tea, I didn't like it at first as it didn't sweeten at all. All it did was reduce the bitterness of my cup of tea tea. But over time, I did get used to it. And I did prefer it at times as my taste was too adjusted to very sweet things.

I did find, however, that I was scooping in more sweetener than I usually do with sugar as it wasn't sweetening at all. This meant that I was consuming more carbs in my tea than I usually do.

So I'm in two minds about this product. I'm not too fussed about the calories as I'm not on a strict regime but I do love a sweet cup of tea on a cold, grey morning. Also, the price isn't helping as it was just under £3 for 225g, which does add up with the amount of tea I drink.

I really wish I could say I love it as I'd love a healthier alternative to sugar. But my hunt for a natural sweetener must go on.

Got any suggestions for healthy sweeteners for me to try?

xx

How to make chocolate truffles

Mmmmmmmm.... what do you think of the truffles I made? They taste delicious!

I would normally pay a lot of money for a box of truffles that look and taste as good as these. But why buy them when you can make them yourself for a fraction of the price and have fun with it too! Plus you'd know exactly what goes in them. These would make a lovely handmade gift or simply to enjoy for dessert.

To make 10 pieces all you need is:

• 100 grams of chocolate
• 100ml double cream
• a teeny weeny bit of butter.

1. If you're not using chocolate chips, grate the chocolate yourself. It might take a while but you'll be toning your arms while you're at it ;)
2. Heat the double cream over medium heat.
3. Once bubbles appear, add the butter. You only need a small amount - about a quarter of a teaspoon.
4. Stir in the butter really quick so that it completely melts before the cream starts to boil then remove from the stove immediately.
5. Stir this mixture bit by bit into the chocolate until it is nice and creamy. Leave it in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

6. Take the chocolate mixture out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for half an hour.
7. After half an hour, take out any ingredients you want to use to coat your truffles. I used the Caramel Kiss Mix hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (it's grated chocolate with little white chocolate hearts), cocoa, icing sugar and ground almonds. You can also use chocolate chips, desiccated coconut, melted chocolate or whatever you like.
8. Roll the truffles into small balls and roll into the toppings.
9. If the rolling melts the chocolate, return to the fridge for a few minutes to set.

Now they're ready to eat!

Enjoy!

xx

Winter warming Coconut Custard

I'm not a big fan of winter but it is a good excuse to indulge in warm desserts and cover up in baggy clothes, whilst watching Desperate Housewives. A perfect night in.

I recently made a beautiful coconut custard, using Thai Taste Coconut Milk, which you can find the recipe for here.

It's very simple but I way overcooked it :( It still tasted lovely though and I will definitely be getting some more Thai Taste Coconut Milk to try it again.

Overcooked custard, siiigh :(

I'd have to try some of the other recipes on their website too like the Chicken and Coconut Soup and the Thai Green Chicken Curry. They sound like delicious and warming dishes!

Will you be trying the coconut custard recipe soon? You can find Thai Taste Coconut Milk, as well as the rest of their range, at major UK supermarkets.

xx

GoGo Guarana Breeze drink review

A few days ago, I reviewed the GoGo Guarana vegicaps, which I quite liked. So I was happy to find the GoGo Guarana Breeze drink at Holland and Barrett as I find that energy drinks have some scary ingredients in them and I stay way clear of them.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. Do you know that 'dentist smell'? That strange smell of dental surgeries? That! That mixed with something very foul. Not tempting at all.

If you think that's bad, you haven't heard the rest of it. The taste is worse than the smell. I can't describe it because as much as I've tasted some pretty horrid things in my life, this is a new one. Yuck! I had to force it down me as I was so tired but I couldn't force myself to drink enough of it to feel the effects. The only effect I felt was that of disgust and fatigue. That's not a good combo.

I wonder if the makers of this drink trialled it as I can't imagine anyone enjoying it at all. But if you do like it, I would love to know!

xx

How to cook less, use leftovers AND save money

I've grown up being literally force fed. I wasn't allowed to be fussy with my food or not finish my dinner. But luckily I've grown up to like pretty much anything and I love trying new food. I've also learned to not be wasteful and to always finish what I'm eating or to put it away for another time. I can't count the number of times my mother told me that there are hungry people in the world who would do anything for a bite to eat. So putting perfectly good food in the bin is not an option for me. I'd feel too guilty.

However, one thing that I am guilty of is buying too much food (I really need to stop shopping when I'm hungry) and then it never gets eaten quickly enough before it expires. So I have to throw it away.

Thankfully, there is a campaign, which you may or may not have heard about, called Love Food Hate Waste. It is full of resources that shows you how much food to cook depending on how many you are cooking for and also how to store food to keep it fresh. My favourite part of the website is how to use up leftovers.

So check out the website and tell your friends. Let's all minimise waste together.

xx

Benjoy Pot Snacks review by Mama Angel

Hello Angels,

My son Maxwell, has been accustomed to the organix goodies food range since weaning began at 6 months but after receiving the free samples of Benjoy Munchcups, I discovered that Max is very fond of them so they will be a new addition to our shopping list. I am very interested to see what other snacks are available in the range.

The content of 100% natural ingredients was very pleasing for myself as a mother who is very cautious of unhealthy food products aimed at children.

The nutrition breakdown of both the vegetable mini crisps and the crunchy grape slices left me very satisfied indeed and was happy for my son to munch away.

It is a relief to see new brands promoting and providing healthy snacks for babies, toddlers and children. This new range has a very unique and different approach in terms of the adventurous variations.

Whilst observing Max, I found the snack pots were easy for his small hands to grasp. The anti-spill layer worked really well as Max avoided dropping any and the pot allowed enough room for my son’s fingers to reach inside. The aesthetics were very interesting, Max liked looking at the colourful designs.

Benjoy Grape Slices

We found these to be suitable as a mid morning snack. Max enjoyed the crunchy texture and was able to manage the easy bite size pieces. I tried one and found them deliciously sweet. It is good to acknowledge that when the water is removed from the grape, the nutrition is still high and it is counted as one of the 5 a day recommendations. The absence of unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients was very good to see.

Max ate all the contents of one pot per day over four days and I am pleased to his stools were normal. Max seemed full until dinnertime. The after effects in terms of mess were not too bad although he did need to wash his hand and have his face wiped but there was no major clearing up. The empty pots and cardboard were recyclable which as an environmentalist, I approve of very much.

Benjoy Vegetable Mini Crisps

Max enjoyed these very much and being high in Vitamin A and fibre, I enjoyed watching him eating them. However, it was a shame that they were not to be considered as one portion of fruit & veg but the nutritional value did keep Max happy and full up before his evening meal.

After trying one, I found their taste had a lot of flavours, without salt and no artificial ingredients too was very pleasing. The crisps left crumbs, more so than the grape slices but nothing damaging to clothes. Maxwell did have sticky fingers and a messy face after consuming the crisps.

Overall, Maxwell 'benjoyed' the snacks very much and they make a filling and healthy snack.

Find Benjoy snacks at Morrisons and Waitrose starting at 79p a pot or £2.49 for a pack of 4. See the list of stockists here.

Love Mama Anna xx

Trek Review

Hello Angels!

Remember those tasty raw fruit snack bars by Nakd that I reviewed a little while ago? Well they also have a similar product range called Trek. Trek are a range of energy bars made of only raw fruit, grains, nuts, soya crispies, ginseng extract, ginko extract and some products also contain cocoa. They are full of energy and protein so they're great and very convenient for long hikes, weight training, running or any physical activity really.

I'll be honest.. I'm not the most active person. However, I did find these bars so convenient when I have a long day ahead of me but no time for breakfast. A much wiser choice than picking up a latte and doughnut on my way to university, I'll tell you that!

Trek bars have about twice the amount of calories than Nakd bars so I wouldn't advice to have these as a snack unless you are very active. They make a healthy meal replacement bar if you have no time to eat. They are almost twice the size of the Nakd bars so they're quite filling.

I was sent the Cocoa Brownie and Peanut & Oat to try.

The taste and texture of both bars are a little similar to the Nakd bars. I found them a little drier, less sweet and less tasty though to be honest. But that's not to say that I didn't like them. Just like the Nakd bars, I love the combination of fruit and nuts which give them a lovely flavour and texture. I also like the little soya crispies which are like tiny puffs of rice.

Cocoa Brownie

Ingredients:

Dates (40%),Soya Crispies (15%), Raisins (13%), Peanuts (8%), Cocoa (4%), Oats, Apple Juice,

Ginseng Extract, Ginko Extract.

Calories (per 56g bar): 216

Protein (per 56g bar): 11g

I was excited to try this as I thought it would be nice and chocolately, just like an actual brownie. I couldn't taste the cocoa in the Cocoa Brownie at all :( But I still enjoyed it as it's very similar to Nakd bars in that it's full of yummy dates and raisins. If you don't like raisins, just like I said in my Nakd review, the raisins are minced up so you get the lovely flavour without the raisin texture.

Peanut & Oats

Ingredients:

Dates (38%), Raisins (12%), Peanuts (12%), Soya Crispies (10%), Peanut butter (7%), Apple Juice, Oats,

Ginseng Extract, Ginko Extract.

Calories (per 56g bar): 239 kcal

Protein (per 56g bar): 11g

This has to be my favourite out of the two bars. It's a little drier than Cocoa Brownie, probably due to the oats, but it has a lot more flavour and texture because of the peanuts and I love peanuts! Just like the Cocoa Brownie, it is full of dates and raisins, which give it lots of flavour and takes away some of the dryness.

Overall, I quite like these bars. My only disappointment is that they are a little dry and lack any interesting flavours but they still taste very nice. However, as an energy/ protein bar and not necessarily something to 'indulge' in, they are quite satisfying and very healthy too.

I would recommend Trek to anyone active looking for a natural alternative to all the energy and protein bars out there and also if you are always busy and have little time for breakfast or lunch.

Find Trek bars at Naturalbalancefoods.co.uk.

xx

Thai Taste Easy Pad Thai Meal Kit Review

If you're ever too lazy or too tired to cook what ever you do, don't reach for the ever so convenient but unhealthy noodles in a pot. You know which one I'm talking about. Because I've found a meal kit that takes very little time to prepare plus it's healthy and tastes SO good!

Thai Taste have meal kits that let you prepare a delicious noodle dish in no time. There are three to choose from:

• Easy Thai Green Curry Kit
• Easy Thai Red Curry Kit
• Easy Pad Thai Meal Kit

I was kindly sent the Easy Pad Thai Meal Kit to try and let me tell ya, it taste delicious. Unlike ready meals or semi-prepared meals, it tastes fresh (you could fool someone into thinking you cooked it from scratch!) and you probably won't believe me but it's as good as Wagamama at a fraction of the price. So why eat out when you can eat in!

The kit contains noodles, Pad Thai sauce and a peanut mix. That's everything you'll need, unlike many kits out there that give you half of the ingredients and you have to fork out and buy some many other things. But you are free to add anything else to the dish. The peanut mix has some dried onion and carrots in there but not much so I recommend adding chopped vegetables to your dish.

It's all very simple. Just boil the noodles and stir fry with the rest of the ingredients and anything else you want to add. I could only find prawns but you can add chicken or veggies. Then relax and enjoy the meal.

I ate so much of this and there was still enough for the rest of the family to eat and they enjoyed it very much too. I think this would be enough to serve a small family or a group of friends especially if you add more ingredients to it.

I think this meal kit is convenient and super tasty. It's also affordable at £1.99 (prices vary) per kit which supposedly makes two servings though I'd say you can get more servings out of it. The only thing I don't like is that it contains a lot of sugar so I wouldn't eat this regularly but then again why would I eat the same thing regularly no matter how good it tastes. It makes a nice occasional treat. I also don't like all the plastic packaging but the outer plastic case and card sleeve are recyclable.

If you wanna give this a try, see the list of stockists here.

Enjoy!

xx

Nakd Infused Raisins

I try to eat healthily but one thing I really need to change about my diet is to eat more fruit. I just don't enjoy the stuff. I love raisins but they do get boring after a while. I have a huge bag of raisins in the cupboard that I bought intending to eat them more often but that never happens. So I was excited to try Nakd infused raisins, especially as they come in such interesting flavours like Crazy Cola and Tangy Lime, to name a few.

Crazy Cola tastes exactly like... cola. I know that's obvious but how many times do you find a healthy product claiming to taste like something not-so-healthy but it actually tastes completely wrong? I didn't think I would like these because raisins and cola are quite a combination! But I enjoyed them A LOT!

Tangy Lime is my favourite out of the two. They taste like sweets. Kind of like Lime flavoured Starburst. Very fruity! Just like Crazy Cola and the rest of the Nakd range, they're 100% natural. So no dodgy additives in these babies.

I enjoyed both of these flavours and can't wait to try the rest like Cherry infused raisins and Pineapple infused raisins. Definitely something to stock up on. They're great to keep in the handbag for when I'm out and get a bit peckish or for long journeys.

So if you're trying to get your kids to eat more fruit, or even if trying to get yourself to eat more fruit, I recommend these raisins 100%.

Get them from Naturalbalancefoods.co.uk.

xx

What's Green, Black and yummy all over?

We've all heard of Organic chocolate and we've all heard of Fair Trade chocolate. But not very often do you find chocolate that is both Fairtrade and organic, so you can truly indulge guilt-free.

I'm talking about Green & Black's, which I'm sure you've already guessed. ok the title probably gave it away too.

Although they have been bought by Cadbury's which were then acquired by Kraft, Green & Black's still sticks to its principles of providing excellent quality chocolate produced ethically from bean to bar, which is the reason why after a moment of distress thinking I would have to break up with one of my favourite chocolate brands, we still remain in love.

I was kindly sent some of their chocolates to try and review.

My favourite has to be Butterscotch, which wasn't sent to me but I have to share how delicious this is. It is the first Green & Black's chocolate I've ever tasted and I fell in love from first bite. It's rich in cocoa (34%) but satisfies your sweet tooth at the same time with the pieces of crunchy toffee. It's the perfect balance between cocoa, milk and sugar. A combination made in heaven. Just a few squares of this and I'm satisfied. So if you ever have the need to gorge down a huge bar of milk chocolate (we all feel like like that sometimes don't we), a few squares of this will sure hit the spot.

Almond is another one of my absolute favourites. This one contains 37% cocoa and lots of roasted almonds that taste so fresh and give the bar a lovely crunch. The almonds have their skins left, on which gives the chocolate a slight bitter taste but this is complemented with the sweetness of the bar.

If I can't tempt you to try either as you simply prefer less cocoa, Creamy Milk is another fave. What I love about this is how the different layers of flavour.. the creamy milk, the rich cocoa, the sweetness... build up in my mouth and I can feel the different parts of my tongue getting more and more excited. Compare this to most milk chocolates that have a 'flat' one layer taste, if that makes any sense. So don't let the innocent name fool you. This is no ordinary milk chocolate.

Caramel and Mint sounded extremely tempting at first. I am a huge fan of caramel filled chocolates (naughty, I know) and I love minty chocolates occasionally such as After Eight. I am not, however, a fan of chocolates containing alcohol and the taste of the alcohol in both of these bars ruined the taste for me. There's no hint on the packaging that it contains alcohol except in the ingredients list. But if you love alcohol chocolates, which there aren't many options out there on the market, then you might be tempted to try out these flavours.

White Chocolate is like the more mature version of Milkybar - because grown ups like white chocolate too. It is very creamy without being too milky or too sweet. It supposedly contains Madagascan vanilla in there but it's difficult to distinguish between the vanilla and creamy white chocolate flavours as they're very similar. The packaging is a little confusing. It does state 30% cocoa but looking at the ingredients list I assume by that they mean 30% cocoa butter.

Now we all have our own particular tastes when it comes to most things; chocolate being one of them. I prefer milk chocolates but occasionally prefer extra rich cocoa but not as far as craving plain or dark chocolate. So I will have to warn you that I'm going to be biased.

I've only gotten as far as trying a few bites of two of the dark chocolates as I know that the rest will be strong for my taste buds. I normally love coffee flavoured chocolates but the Espresso bar (70% cocoa) was too strong for me. Then again this is espresso and not a milky latte so expect a strong one! Maya Gold, 55% cocoa infused with orange and delicate spices, has a truly unique taste. It reminds me of Christmas cakes with the fruity and sweet spice flavours. This isn't too dark for my own personal taste though I still prefer milkier chocolates. I can see myself melting this and pouring it over a sponge cake. Yum! There are also Hazelnut and Currant, Dark and Cherry in the dark category.

I think I'll be reserving the dark chocolates to try out one of their recipes. Would that be something you'd like to see on Eden Angels?

Do you have a favourite Green & Black's flavour? Maybe one you haven't tasted yet but are tempted to try?

xx

Bottlepink Review

A few days ago, I showed you the glamorous limited edition Bottlepink drink by Bottlegreen. It comes in their Pomegranate & Elderflower sparkling presse and cordial and 10% of the sales are donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. I also promised you a review. So here it is!

So a little info on Bottlegreen first. Bottlegreen drinks are a range of still and sparkling drinks as well as cordials made completely from natural ingredients. So no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. They have very unique flavours such as Green Tea & Elderflower and Lemon & Lime Leaf. A much more grown up and posh version of orange squash.

I have always been curious about their drinks so I was happy to receive their Bottlepink cordial to try.

I'm not usually a fan of cordials mostly because I can never make them properly but also because many of them aren't very healthy and taste too sweet. I experimented with different concentrations of the Bottlepink cordial. The first attempts were either way too sweet and strong or too bland and dry but I eventually found the concentration I like. I add just enough of the cordial to cool water to give it a nice pomegranate flavour and a little sweetness. It also gives the water a pinky peach colour and a lovely light floral smell. It reminds me of water flavoured with flowers like rose or orange blossom, which I love.

Light but oh so yummy!

I love water and drink lots of it but the taste of tap water puts me off so flavouring water with the Pomegranate & Elderflower cordial should get me to drink lots more of the tapped stuff.

So overall, I quite like this cordial. It is a great drink that makes a change from the usual flavours and you can dilute it to suit your taste. I wouldn't drink it at the concentration recommended on the bottle as it is not to my own personal taste and is too strong and sweet for me but at my own preferred concentration it tastes very refreshing. It's also very versatile and can be used in cocktails (or mocktails if, like me, you don't drink) or in homemade ice lollies or pretty much anything you like. I would love to dilute it using sparkling water and pour it in a long glass over vanilla ice cream before the weather gets any colder. Yum!

Would I buy this? Yes! But I would use it to make flavoured water instead.

Bottlepink, as well as the rest of the Bottlegreen range, costs £2.99 (500ml) at most major supermarkets. A great price considering you can make lots out of just one bottle.

xx

Nakd Bars Review

I was sent some Nakd bars recently* to try out. Nakd is a snack bar made entirely from raw fruit, nut and natural flavouring. In addition to the Nudie range, the Oatie range also contains oats. They contain no added sugar or preservatives; they're not processed; they do not contain gluten, wheat or dairy; they're 100% vegan and one of your 5 a day too! Phew!

When I first came across these at Holland & Barrett and read the ingredients (mostly dates with some nuts and raisins) I imagined that it would be like date paste with the added ingredients mixed in... not very interesting. But they are not like that at all...

The bar is a blend of all the contained ingredients rather than a gummy and chewy date paste with chopped fruit and nuts. So the blend of all the ingredients gives it a very lovely soft yet firm texture. I don't normally like raisins in snacks but as the pieces are so tiny, it gives the bar a natural sweetness without the gummy raisin texture.

It's hard to choose but I think my favourite would have to be the Cocoa Orange. The orange taste is very mild but enough to give it a tasty flavour. I just wish there was more cocoa in there. In fact, I wish all the cocoa ones had more cocoa. But overall it is still very delicious.

My least favourite is the Cocoa Mint. I felt that the peppermint taste was a little too overpowering for me that I couldn't taste anything else. If there was a little less mint and a little more cocoa then I might have loved it.

I didn't expect to like Banana Bread since I don't like banana desserts (I love bananas though) and I didn't like the first bite at all. It was certainly a powerful flavour. But I was surprised how much I loved it after that. Definitely one of my favourites!

I also wasn't too sure about Ginger Bread at first as I normally hate ginger but I love it in biscuits and cakes. But I couldn't really taste the ginger in this one. I could probably taste the cinnamon more. It reminded me of the smell of Starbucks at Christmas and yummy sweet spicey cakes.

If you love sweet fruity tastes, then I'm sure you'll love Berry Delight and Apple Pie. Apple Pie tastes just like apple pie and, as it comes from the Oatie range, it's great for breakfast on the go.

I was really surprised how great these bars taste and I would definitely buy Nakd the next time I need a quick pick me up. Dates have a high GI so they're a great alternative to a biscuit or a chocolate bar if you need a quick burst of energy. I get energy slumps during the autumn and winter so these bars are just perfect for me.

So if you get energy slumps or are looking for a healthy or vegan alternative to chocolate or cereal bars, I'd suggest that you try one of these bars. You'd be surprised how yummy they taste.

xx

*100% honest review as always :)

Bottlegreen turns pink for charity

How cute is this bottle, right?

Bottlepink is Bottlegreen turned pink! Bottlegreen have teamed up with Breakthrough Breast Cancer and are donating 10% of the sales of bottlepink during Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October. Bottlepink is available in pomegranate & elderflower cordial and pomegranate & elderflower sparkling presse.

So whether you're holding a pink party or have any excuse to party, this limited edition bottle will impress your friends and you'll be contributing to helping Breakthrough Breast Cancer change lives through researching, educating and campaigning.

The fancy bottle

Glass by Cristal d'Arques
Perfect for a pink party!

So keep any eye out for these glam bottles in major supermarkets from £2.39.

I will be reviewing the cordial very soon so keep an eye out for that.

xx

Matcha morning!

I LOVE the matcha chiller from Eat. Have you tried it?

xx

Tasty courgette soup

This has got to be my favourite soup ever. I can eat bowlfuls of this stuff. My family love it too. I first had it when I had dinner at Radisson but why eat at a fancy hotel when you can make it at home for a fraction of the price. And, yes, it tastes just the same. Very easy too when you use Kallo organic stock. I have tried it with their Vegetable stock and their Garlic and Herbs stock so far and they came out tasting great.

(Serves 4)

You will need:

• 1 kg courgettes
• 225g potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic (omit if using Kallo garlic and herbs stock)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp oregano (omit is using Kallo garlic and herbs stock)

1. Wash and chop the courgettes and potatoes. It is best to leave the courgettes unpeeled but I prefer to peel them if they're not organic
2. Slice the onion and crush the garlic
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Fry for about 5 mins whilst stirring occasionally
4. Add the potatoes and cover with half of the stock
5. Bring to a boil then leave to simmer for 15 mins
6. Add the courgettes, salt and pepper, oregano and the remainder of the stock
7. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until cooked
8. Puree in a blender. You may need to add more water depending on the texture preferred. Reheat if you need to

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

xx

Know your food labels and help reduce waste

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has claimed that they will be working with the food industry to make food labels easier to understand. It is believed that chucking out food that is past its Best Before date but not its Use By date is costing Britain billions of pound. This is because consumers may not be aware that food may still be safe to eat after the Best Before date so they throw it into the bin. Bread, for example, may not taste fresh after its Best Before date but up until its Use By date it can be used to make breadcrumbs, croutons or puddings.

There won't be any changes to the laws and regulations but simply guidance for food manufacturers and retailers to help their customers understand the labelling more clearly. Read more about it here.

What do you think about this? Will it help reduce waste? Do you use up food past their Best Before dates?

xx

Rachel's review

Rachel's is one of my favourite food brands. Not only are their products very tasty but as they are organic I trust that their ingredients are natural and that the cows that produce the milk and well looked after and fed well.

Rachel's kindly sent me a HUGE box of goodies a while back for a competition I won and this is what was inside. (Click on the pic to enlarge)

As you can see it's a variety of their desserts which included 8 pots of yogurt and 2 pots of rice pudding.

The Greek Style yogurts are very rich and creamy. I've never tasted Greek style yogurt this creamy before. In fact it's so rich that I woudn't recommend swallowing lots of it in one go.

I like to try different ways with the plain Greek Style yogurt. It works well with a combination of fresh fruit, chopped nuts and honey.

The honey flavoured one tastes exactly like the plain one mixed entirely with honey. I love greek style yogurt with honey but I much prefer topping plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey rather than stirring it in completely. Nonetheless it tastes absolutely gorgeous and makes a great dessert.

I love how the texture of the coconut in the coconut yogurt was like fresh coconuts rather than desiccated. I think that one would have to be my favourite out of the three Greek Style yogurts.

The fruit yogurts are all very tasty. The fat-free blackcurrant one has a vibrant purple colour and has pips in it. It has the slightly dry texture of real blackcurrants but the fruity flavour is mouthwatering. It's limited edition so get it while you can!

The mango, pineapple and passion fruit one is my favourite out of the fruit yogurts. As the low-fat yogurts are much thinner than the Greek Style yogurts, the fresh and juicy fruit pieces give it some extra texture.

I was curious about the rhubarb and the gooseberry yogurts as I assumed that they'd be very sour but they only had a little sour kick and tasted yummy.

I've saved the best till last. Let me tell you, Rachel's make the best rice pudding I have ever had. The texture is rich and creamy and the flavour is perfect. The only problem with their rice pudding is that everyone at home loves them so they don't last very long in the fridge!

I can't wait to try more of their products!

Have you tried any of their range? If so, what do you think of it?

xx

French Onion Soup

I absolutely love soup. It is cheap and easy to make and very good for you. I never buy any of the canned or powered varieties because of the strange ingredients they contain. I only rarely purchase New Covent Garden soup and the rest of the time I make it instead.

One of my favourites is French Onion soup. It tastes soooo good, it's warming and it's souper easy to make (see what I did there? ;) )

Cooking time 90 mins      Calories 95 per serving (approx. Not including optional ingredients)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 450g onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 beef or vegetable stock cubes (I use Kallo stock cubes because they're all natural and organic)
• Half tsp sugar
• Quarter tsp salt
• Half tsp black pepper
• 4-8 slices of garlic bread or buttered French stick (optional)
• Grated cheese (as much as you like) (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat
2. Add the onions, crushed garlic and sugar then lower the gas to a low heat
3. Leave for 30 mins, stirring occasionally
4. Add the stock cubes and 900ml hot water and stir until the stock cubes are dissolved
5. Add the salt and pepper
6. Increase the heat to high until it boils then cover and leave to simmer over a low heat for 1 hour

Optional...

1. Preheat the oven at gas mark 5
2. Ladle the soup into bowls
3. Top with garlic bread or buttered bread
4. Sprinkle with cheese
5. Leave in the oven for about 2 mins or until the cheese begins to bubble

Enjoy!

xx

Simple and delicious grilled chicken

Grilling food is one of the healthiest ways to cook as you need very little oil. A great thing about grilling chicken is that you can also flavour it as you wish. Add whatever you like plus a little olive oil and shove it into the grill.

This is the chicken I made today. I know some of the onion is burned lol. I made the recipe as I went along. It's very simple.

1) Preheat the grill. My grill only has one setting so if you are using an electric grill make sure the temperature is medium. You don't want the temperature too high otherwise the outside would be golden but the inside wouldn't be completely cooked.

2) After washing the chicken (I used chicken thighs but you can use whatever) place them into a roasting tray and using a sharp knife, make small slits into the chicken so that it will absorb the flavours.

3) Add: salt, pepper, malt vinegar, juice of half a lemon, about a tablespoon of rosemary and half an onion.

4) Flip the chicken over and make sure that it is completely coated in the dressing.

5) Place the pan into the grill or if you are using an electric oven simply place each chicken and the onion onto the grill.

6) After 10 mins, turn the chicken over.

7) After another 10 mins the chicken should be golden and the onion should have browned. If not, leave it to cook for at least 5 mins.

8) Serve and enjoy

You can serve this in wholegrain pitta with hummus and plenty of salad but since I used chicken thighs I had rice instead. Wholegrain rice is much better but my mother cooked white rice :( It had spices and tomato in it and tasted lovely. I'll ask her for the recipe and share it with you sometime.

I made a juicy tomato salad to serve with it. Just salt, a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and dried mint.

A good diet tip is to put your food into a small plate or bowl to give the illusion that it is really full of food so that's what I did. It looks a lot but it really wasn't. It was filling though.

Bon appetit!

xx