Category Archives: food

Matcha May with Teapigs

23rd May 2015
As I’ve got older I’ve moved away from my habit of chain drinking cups of coffee and gravitate towards tea most of the time (although pre-8am during the week I’ll be three coffees in and bouncing off the walls). My favourite tea is good old English Breakfast but I do enjoy herbal teas more exotic blends from time to time, one of my favourites of which is green tea, particularly with Jasmine or Ginger.

Teapigs got in touch back in April to tell me about their “Matcha May”, bascially an excuse to shout about all the wonderful benefits that Matcha green tea boasts. Ever looking to find a new brew and to improve my health and wellbeing I was keen to know more!

Essentially Matcha is a green powdered tea that packs a powerful punch. Chock-full of antioxidants, great for boosting the metabolism and to beat sluggish feelings as well as working wonders for hair, skin and nails this was one product I couldn’t wait to meet.

I’m going to be honest, straight up Matcha isn’t ever going to become my brew of choice, not straight up anyway. A splash of almond milk goes a long way to improve the taste, removing the undertones of plant that put me off slightly. I couldn’t face it straight up as a shot, but whisked in to warm milk or served quite simply with a splash of milk and sugar and this is something you’ll find by my side on a daily basis. I’m not quite sure that drinking it like that preserves all of the health benefits but you can’t win them all! The beauty of Matcha is that it’s incredibly versatile, I added it in to my morning porridge and it would work equally well as a power boost to a smoothie for breakfast on the go. In true Laura style I also managed to make a “superfood” in to something as supremely unhealthy as possible, in the form of cupcakes slathered with vanilla buttercream icing.
These couldn’t be easier to make, just whip up a basic sponge mixture (I used a basic 4oz butter, flour and sugar recipe with 2 eggs) and stir in Matcha powder to taste, I used 1tsp and made 12 cupcakes and the flavours and colour were spot on.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 160*c then allow to cool before taking the biggest bowl (or in the case of me, pre-made tub, oops!) of vanilla butter cream and slather it on top before chucking on whatever sugary embellishments you can find!

The overall effect was simple but a big hit! The green colour of the cakes envoked intrigue among my colleagues and the Matcha combined with traditional sweet and spongey goodness was the perfect compliment to the mound of icing. I’ve still got about half of my Matcha left and have plans to experiment more in the baking department- let me know if you’d like me to share recipes.

What’s your favourite way to enjoy Matcha? Never tried it before? Stock up here.

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Teapigs kindly sent me this kit to enable this post to happen. Even Mae was impressed.

Posted in baking, food, life, life stuff, review

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Tastes of the British Isles with Marks and Spencer

20th May 2015
You can count on Marks and Spencer for some truly tasty food and when I first heard of their Tastes of the British Isles collection a couple of months ago I knew we were in for something special. I’m a true fan of British food, from the fabulous fruits to the earthy flavours there’s something so satisfying and wholesome about it all. Less wholesome were the sweet treats that Marks and Spencer kindly arranged for me to sample- but sweets are yet another thing that Britain does best!
I was super-duper excited when I saw liquorice catherine wheels in my bag of goodies as they always have been and probably always will be a favourite of mine. The manager in my nearest M&S said he preferred these to the original barratt’s ones and I would be tempted to agree- perfection! Also erring on the traditional side the fruity swirl lollipop put a smile on my face- who can resist the bright and beautiful lure of pure sugar?

On the less traditional side there were some new and exciting discoveries to be made. Strawberries and clotted cream fudge took me straight back to childhood holidays in Devon and the Rhubarb & Custard (made with freeze dried rhubarb, wheat crispies and custard flavoured white chocolate) might just be the greatest thing I’ve tasted this year. The Elderflower Raspberries were almost too pretty to eat but the sweet white chocolate and the sharpness of the freeze dried raspberries balanced beautifully with the delicate Elderflower flavour. The British Pudding sweets also deserve a special mention- lemon meringue and cherry bakewell flavoured sweets encase a cracknell centre that bring about all sorts of retro fabulous feelings.

I admit to being skeptical when I heard that Marks and Spencer had launched a rival to my beloved Marmite. Long time readers will know how devoted I am to the brown goo. Thankfully they end up being two entirely different products thanks to M&S’s addition of fruity notes to balance out the savoury overload so I can happily announce I love this product (created in collaboration with London Based Greenwich Meantime Brewery) without being disloyal to my first love.
Have you tried any of these products, what else do I need from the Tastes of the British Isles range? There’s so much more to it than what I’ve featured and I have no idea where to start…

Also, are you a lover or a hater? I’m not sure we can be friends if you can’t stand Marmite.

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Posted in food, M&S, review

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Degusta Box- the April Edition

06th May 2015
Here we are with the fourth Degustabox of 2015 and the April edition took on an international theme. As ever there was a great selection of products in the box, although this time not suited to my own tastes- no matter though, my Dad stepped in to test things out and still love the monthly excitement.

I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.

The first product out of the box was some crisps from the folks at Nandos. I only first visited a Nandos about 6 months ago (I know, I know) but I’m 100% a fan of their chicken-y goodness. I’m not the world’s biggest crisp eater but even I enjoyed the Peri-Salted variety and my Dad’s eyes lit up when he spied the spicier flavours in the range. Each pack has a RRP of 69p.

Chopped tomatoes are a store cupboard essential and I don’t care what anyone says, I do think branded ones often taste better than their value counterparts. Cirio have long been the tomato of choice for me so it was nice to see two new to me products in the box. The tomato fillets are perfect for using as a base for a chunky pasta sauce, or simply heated up and served on buttered toast. Yum!

The drinks section of the April box didn’t really appeal to me and I can’t claim to have tried the selection yet. The Idrinq can claims to make you think smarter, aiding creativity and idea generation. I think this is probably a placebo effect but if I try it out and discover a miracle I’ll be sure to let you know! (£1.49 per can). The Scheckters organic energy drink (£1.35) is something I will be trying in the near future, probably when I’m on a long day at work. It’s full of natural ingredients and delicate flavours which will probably benefit me far more than the additive loaded monster energy drinks I sometimes indulge in!

I’m not a beer fan so the Kingfisher Indian beer, which is India’s best selling brand has gone straight to Dad who is a fan. There’s a reason it’s so popular apparently, and I am sure that if I was a beer drinker I would find it excellent myself. (£2.00 a bottle).

Are you ever too old for Kinder chocolate? I think not! The April box included two bags of new bite sized treats. The chocolate with cereals is lovely, there’s a bit of an odd contrast in tastes and textures at first, but these are light and more-ish (and long gone!). Ben had the other bag, the original choco-bons and there barely lasted five minutes. I used to love these until I became allergic to the hazelnuts (which thankfully aren’t in the cereal variety) so I was really quite envious. (£1.55 a bag but I have seen them on offer at £1).

Barry’s Tea is an Irish favourite and I wish it was more widely available as this is just lovely. My love of coffee has switched to a love of tea over the last couple of years and this is the perfect everyday blend for enjoying with a biscuit on the side. The cookies in the box, by USA brand Debeukelaer Cookies Bakery looked like the perfect accompaniment, the pack I received had a soft and creamy nougat centre which was very much enjoyed by those who tried them. At £2.00 for a packet of four (rather large) cookies these are a luxury treat but I think well worth it, I’ll be seeking out some of the other varieties to try for myself.

Last but not least there were some microwave rice trays from Veetee. These are a staple in our house and the new flavours are really appealing. The peri-peri was excellent in a chicken stir-fry and I think the mexican rice has been earmarked for a fajitas night. These cost £1.49 each and I always stock up when I see them on offer!

If you had the April box too, what were your thoughts? As I said before, this wasn’t a box I could personally enjoy as much, but other people benefitted hugely and I still think the concept of Degustabox is a brilliant one and something I always look forward to arriving at my door.

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Experiments in baking: Protein Muffins

22nd April 2015
Not only have I not done a baking post in forever, it has been ages since I last did any baking in general let alone try anything new. My work/life balance hasn’t been in my favour when it comes to getting time in the kitchen, so when myprotein got in touch I was determined to take advantage of the chance to try out some new ingredients.
Protein has become a bit of a buzz word in the baking world with it cropping up in all manner of recipes. It’s perfect as high energy boost for those with an active lifestyle and surprisingly makes for a versatile ingredient. I was sent a package of goodies which included coconut oil, a muffin mix, a pancake mix, a bag of whey powder and a bag of buckwheat flour. I wasn’t quite sure where to start but in the end I stayed semi-close to what I knew and went for the protein muffin mix for my first foray.
The mix I had was the 200g unflavoured pouch which yields enough to make 8 muffins, although I made mine smaller and got 12 from the mixture. To the powder I added 200ml milk, 4 tbsp coconut oil (something I had read ALL about yet never used), 3 tbsp cocoa powder and a bag of white chocolate chunks- not brilliant for a health food and I could have gone all out with fruit and nuts but a girl needs her chocolate fix from time to time (or all the time!). If you didn’t want or need 8/12 muffins you could just use half of the mixture as the pouch seals up easily to keep the mix fresh.

After a quick mix up in a bowl the muffins took only 12 minutes in the oven at 190*c before they were ready to go. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, and mine were a little burnt on top thanks to our temperamental oven but these came out so soft and fluffy inside with a lovely texture. I won’t lie, you can taste that there is something “different” about these but if you are already used to protein enriched products you probably won’t notice it and I certainly had no issue with it- neither did the other people in and around the house who I asked to sample these, they aren’t an every day snack, but if you know you’ve got a jam packed few days coming up or have some lovely long hikes/cycles/runs coming up with Spring sunshine then these would make a perfect portable snack or recovery food once home.

For me they are a quick and easy way to get some calories and nutrition in, and whilst it’s an expensive way to bake I can see myself purchasing a mix or two every now and again just to keep in.

Stay tuned for the next instalment in my baking adventures; which ingredient would you like to see me use next and do you have any recipe suggestions?

Have you ever tried baking with protein powders and mixes? How did you find it?

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Posted in baking, fitness, food, recipes, review

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Degusta Box- the March Edition

02nd April 2015
Well, here we are flying through the year and flying through the monthly arrivals of Degustabox. The March box has created ripples of excitement among those reviewing it, and I have to say it has hands down been the best box ever (to date, for they do keep surpassing themselves!) I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.
With the imminent arrival of Easter is was fitting that this box should be in conjunction with Lindt and include 2 bags of their Lindor assorted mini eggs (£2 per bag) which make for the perfect little indulgence at this time of year. As much as I love “real” chocolate, when it comes to these the white chocolate are my favourites, it’s been known for me to empty the bag of those before dividing the rest out among whoever is around to share the rest.
I was really excited by the savoury inclusions in this month’s box, both were new to me and right up my street. The first of these was a tub of noodles from Kent’s Kitchen (£1.75) which were delicious as a work lunch and made a refreshing change from my usual soup or sandwich. They are so quick and easy to prepare and tasted great! I’ll be keeping an eye out for these in the shops and treating myself every now and again.
The second item was a very chic looking bottle of sauce from BBQUE (£3.99). Second to ketchup, BBQ is my favourite sauce to add to food and this one is amazing. Perfect in a little dish at the side of your plate or smothered all over chicken. A luxury item but well worth it.
Even the drinks front of the March box had be interested and this is usually the part I’m not so fussed about as I’m a creature of habit with my liquid intake. Soft drink wise I’ve very much been enjoying the JuiceBurst bottles (£1.25 each) which were really tasty and refreshing and the Crabbie’s Fruits (£1.50 each) in Black Cherry and Raspberry and Rhubarb have been ear marked for a weekend treat despite my usual aversion to alcohol.
Being a granola fiend (but somewhat funny about food still) it was lovely to see a lighter addition in the box from Jordans (£3.69) with 30% less fat and plenty of fibre. I’ve been enjoying this stirred in with some greek or natural yoghurt and fresh fruit for a healthier but substantial afternoon snack. There were also some new items from Nativa and Brioche Pasquier which I am yet to try. The sweetener will probably get taken to work as I’m not a fan of Stevia personally, although I could use it as a sugar alternative in baking. The baked bread bites from Brioche Pasquier look tasty, although Bacon isn’t one of my favourite flavours, they do appear to be a tasty sounding alternative to crisps though and no doubt I will try them soon!
Anyone who knows me will know that you can win me over with sweeties, so the inclusion of Bassetts Jelly Babies in Berry mix flavour (£1.48) and Sour Patch Kids (£1.00) was instant approval of the March box as far as I am concerned. Both have long since disappeared and were very much enjoyed, I had forgotten how much I love jelly babies!
So there we have my thoughts on this month’s box. Those who have received it, what did you think? If this post has swayed any of you to sign up then I have a £3.00 discount when you register using the code BQXK9. Let me know if you sign up and what you think!

You can find out more about Degusta by visiting their Twitter or Facebook pages.

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