Category Archives: food

Perfect Pancakes (with a little help from M&S)

09th February 2013

Pancake day arrives early this year, it’s in fact on Tuesday meaning all intentions of healthy eating will once again be abandoned. If you want to make the perfect batch to amaze friends and family I highly suggest a trip to your nearest M&S for any essential kit you may be lacking.

Stainless steel turner, £5 because chucking pancakes towards the ceiling NEVER ends well in my personal experience.

24cm non-stick pan, £6– to help your pancake stay pancake shaped on to the plate. Scrambled heap may taste good but isn’t so visually stunning.

Get the perfect proportions with these cute little measuring cups, £5

I love this traditional large mixing bowl (£19.50). Not cheap but it will last for years and years of pancakes and cake baking.

Measure it out with this retro fabulous 5kg Mechanical Scale (£19.50) So much more satisfying than digital.

Mix it up with this Silicone Whisk, £7.50

No more Jif lemon with this Stainless Steel Juicer, £9.50

A basic pancake batter recipe couldn’t be simpler, to make around 12 traditional pancakes you’ll need:

110g/4oz sifted plain flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml/7floz milk mixed with 75ml/3floz water
50g/2oz butter.

Give it a good mix up until it’s super smooth and well combined. I’ve heard that leaving the batter to stand in the fridge overnight/during the day whilst your at work helps create the ultimate pancakes.

If you’re short of time or just a culinary disaster then M&S have the solution for that, too…

Fresh Pancake Batter- £1.99
I’d like to say my pancakes are always made from scratch but sometimes needs must.

For something a little bit different why not try waffles? This Pancake and Waffle mix is £4.49 and is good for all occasions…breakfast in bed anyone?

Will you be frying up a feast on Tuesday? What is your ultimate pancake topping? I’ll go out on a limb here and say I DO NOT LIKE LEMON AND SUGAR!
Cinnamon and sugar however…
(or peanut butter and banana, nutella, sugar and sugar, spiced cooked apple and raisins, vanilla ice cream…)

xxx

Not a sponsored post. I do love Pancakes though.

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Review: Frankie & Benny’s new Cocktail Menu

14th November 2012

What seems like forever ago now I was invited along to review the new cocktail menu at Frankie & Benny’s, famed more for it’s American-Italian food than extensive drinks menu.

I put it off and put if off (I wanted to do it, but meals out are still a big deal to me) and eventually go together a small group of my girl-friends booked a table and prepared to enjoy!

As with the best laid plans it didn’t quite happen. The date we booked ended up being the week I was housebound with my foot, thankfully my lovely friends Trudi and Louise were willing to go along without me and enjoy some dinner and drinks and report back!

The choice of venue was the Cribbs Causeway F&B who were brilliant from the word go, super helpful and friendly when I phoned them to book and they accepted the vouchers I was sent with no fuss at all. Trudi commented that although the restaurant was busy there was a nice atmosphere and the staff were incredibly friendly.

The cocktail menu really was extensive with a few non-alcoholic versions for drivers/children/those who don’t drink.
The new cocktail menu includes firm classics such as the Cosmopolitan and Mojito, along with new favourites such as Espresso Martinis and Appletinis so hopefully there is something for everyone!

Prices were reasonable, £2.95 for the non-alcoholic drinks, £5.95 for most of the alcohol containing cocktails and there was the option of 2 or 4 person pitchers too.

The first drinks my girls tried were the Strawberry Daquari and Strawberry Shortcake from the frozen range, as pictured above. Apparently the Strawberry Shortcake was like an alcoholic, slightly nutty milkshake which sounds pretty damn awesome to me!
The second round of drinks was a non-alcoholic fruit punch which had a hint of almond in it too. Ever the traveller, Louise said this reminded her of the fruit punch she had in St Lucia! The Bramble which I believe they chose in my honour as it’s right up my street contained gin, lemon, sugar and chambord. I’m amazed they didn’t sneak me some home!

All in all the girls were really impressed. It should be noted that they both commented on how the food exceeded expectations too and each had a delicious looking main course and dessert to help soak up those drinks.

Thank you to Trudi and Louise for doing this review for me,
and thank you for Frankie & Benny’s for the awesome time. I think we’ll be going back, when I can safely drink again without fear of further accidents!

xxx

P.S. for something fun:

What does your cocktail choice say about you?

Mojito
Ladies who can’t resist a bit of spice will love this cool Cuban cocktail.  Made with fresh lime, mint and sugar, plus a generous splash of Bacardi rum, a mojito drinker is sure to be the first on the dance floor, ready to spice up any night.
Appletini
This fun and flirty drink is perfect for ladies who just want to have fun.  Packed with Eristoff vodka, pressed apple juice and gingerbread syrup, this delightful drink is sure to get the party started. 
Cosmopolitan
A sexy and sassy cosmopolitan is a great choice for those who like to keep it classic.  This zingy and zesty drink comprises vodka, triple sec and cranberry juice creating a cool and crisp taste.  Cosmo ladies love a bit of city glamour and always paint the town pink.
Classic Sour
For ladies who like to be adventurous, this quirky cocktail is available with Jack Daniels, Amaretto or Midori. Finished with fresh lemon juice and egg whites for added smoothness, the drink is topped off with sugar to taste.  It’s the ideal choice for someone who likes to stand out from the crowd.
Espresso Martini
This rich and sumptuous drink is ideal for ladies looking for a classic cocktail with a twist.  Fresh espresso teamed with vodka and a coffee liqueur offers an instant caffeine hit, a brilliant blend for any modern lady in need of a pick-me-up!
Gentle Breeze
A delicious non-alcoholic cocktail for those who like to behave rather than rave!  This drink combines a delicious blend of apple juice, cranberry and citrus juices and is served over ice, offering the designated driver something delightful to sip on.
Bramble
For ladies with a mysterious edge, this deliciously dark cocktail is a tasty mix of Bombay Sapphire gin and black raspberry liqueur.  An added kick of fresh lemon means this drink really packs a punch.

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Snacking Saturday: The Simply Bar

20th October 2012
Now, I’m no athlete (or even remotely sporty) but I do find protein filled snack bars have an importance place in my diet; long day travelling or a crazy shift at work? These make a powerful dent in my appetite and provide energy and nutrition to last me until I can get a proper meal. When Simply Bar got in touch to announce that their bars had finally made it to UK shores and offered me a sample I was keen to try them out, swung by the short ingredients list and fabulous sounding flavours.

Here’s what they have to say:

“Our product is like no other snack bar on the market. The Simply Bar­­ is a high protein, low sugar, low fat, low glycemic bar with only a handful of natural ingredients. Founder Cathy Richards created the Simply Bars after experiencing difficulties finding snacks that didn’t upset her stomach. She has Crohn’s Disease.

Each bar contains 16 g protein, paired with 2-4g of fat, under 3 g of sugar, 4 g of fiber, and 160 calories or less. Each bar is based on Non GMO soy crisps along organic brown rice syrup. All the cocoa bars are made with organic cocoa mass (we promise this is easy to digest). Check out how The Simply Bar compares to other bars on the market. http://www.thesimplybar.co.uk/compare.html

Loved by many, The Simple Bar makes a great snack for athletes (pre and post workout), vegans, health conscience individuals and those suffering from Celiac, Crohn’s and  IBS.  In addition to it being a great snack, The Simply Bar is gluten free, low GI, dairy free, Kosher and easy-to-digest”

As you can see from the photo at the top of the post the packaging is neat, clean and simple clearly stating what the bar promises and what it delivers. I was sent three of the four flavours available and my thoughts are as follows:

Lemon Coconut: I expected to hate this bar to be honest. I’m not a fan of lemon flavoured anything but in the spirt of fairness I gave this a go whilst travelling up to London on Tuesday knowing I’d need something to hold me over until we could grab a late dinner. The verdict? I loved it! Sometimes I surprise myself, honestly. The lemon flavour was delicate and didn’t overshadow the sweet distinct flavour of the coconut. The bar didn’t leave my mouth dry like some protein bars have done and I would go as far as to say this was my favourite of the bunch. 5/5

Chocolate Peanut Butter: Anyone who knows me by now would expect me to have loved this bar. I didn’t dislike it but it wasn’t my favourite. The peanut butter flavour wasn’t very strong and there was a slight drying edge to the bar. I may have just had one that had been stored too long (these arrived a couple of weeks ago) so I wouldn’t rule it out in the future. It was perfectly edible and still enjoyable, I think I had allowed the flavours to set my expectations too high. This bar saw me through a horrible afternoon at work keeping my blood sugar steady and my energy flowing. 3/5

Cinnamon Pecan: One word, YUM! This could almost replace the Lemon Coconut as my top bar, I love cinnamon, and combined with the pecans this was wonderfully autumnal and really enjoyable. I don’t really know what else I can add to that except try it! 4/5

Most importantly for me, these bars lived up to their promise of being suitable for those with IBS as often new to me foods can trigger that off. Vegans, Coeliacs and low GI folk can enjoy these too which has to be a good thing. At no more than 160 calories per bar these are great if you are on a weight loss diet, or if like me your on a weight gain plan then they make a good addition to another snack (bananas are a good pairing, as is popcorn and biscuits; I’ve tried all three combos!).

You can buy the bars online and I’ve heard on the grapevine that they are looking to launch in to UK retailers soon.

These aren’t cheap, a sample box of 8 bars will cost almost £15 but that’s comparable to other protein bars on the market and the list of ingredients I can pronounce plus the fact you probably wouldn’t eat these every day makes it worth it to me!

Have you tried the Simply Bar yet? Got any other protein packed snacks to share?

xxx

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Fashionable Fuel; 9 bars

22nd September 2012

9 bars aren’t a new product, they’ve been around for a while and enjoyed many a time by myself and thousands of others.
They’ve recently had a bit of a makeover, and a taste of the high life as they fuelled back-stage at the Erdem fashion show during LFW.

“Taking place in a futuristic fashion iglu in Manchester Square the collection showed a departure from the floral prints so synonymous with previous seasons and saw an introduction of python, whilst holding on to the feminine silhouettes for which the designer has become famous. Backstage the models, crew and hair and makeup teams were fuelled through the spectacular show by the latest must have for fashion week – 9bars. These delicious, seed based snack bars are chock full of slow release energy to keep the fashionistas fuelled throughout the busy morning of prep and the tension of the show itself, and being full of seeds they even help keep the models looking their best thanks to the high levels of omega oils which keep skin, hair and nails healthy – a real must have during a frantic fashion week!

The 9bar range is available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison’s, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores nationwide. All varieties are available in 4 x 40g multi packs, RRP £1.89, and in 50g singles, RRP 70p”
The folk at 9 bar were kind enough to send me a few samples to try too, although my endorsement can’t compare to high flying fashionistas!
My personal favourites are the Pumpkin bar (the sweeter, lighter bar in the range with no carob topping, these make a great breakfast on the run), and the Original, jam packed full of seeds and goodness with a great contrasting texture thanks to the smooth carob topping.

The bars are handmade in Wales and so good for you it’s unreal. The bars are all gluten, dairy and wheat free so perfect for pretty much everyone and brilliant for stashing in your handbag for a hectic day!

Have you tried 9bars before? Which is your favourite?

xxx

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Jordans Cereals; a bite of luxury

15th September 2012

Breakfast is hands down the best meal of the day (if you don’t agree then we can’t be friends). I shake my head in disbelief when I think back to when I refused to eat a morning meal, now I wouldn’t be able to leave the house without it and although I mostly favour porridge for it’s slow release energy, the latest releases from Jordans have me converted.

My love of Country Crisp breakfast cereal was instant, some years ago when I was given a box of the strawberry variety. It became dangerous to have around as it’s just so more-ish and the second I set eyes on the new Super Berry variety I knew the box was doomed. Crispy, crunchy golden clusters of oats mixed up with blackcurrants, cranberries and blueberries with no added salt, a high fibre content and no GM ingredients the creamy and sweet taste of the oats is contrasted perfectly with the tartness of the berries. Forget milk, I think this is best eaten by the handful from the box (although if youi do want to eat it in a more traditional way, hot milk makes the perfect Autumn morning treat). Oh granola, so addictive!

For those who don’t have time for a sit down breakfast or like me, have a snacking addiction then the Absolute Nut luxury bars are for you. Jam packed with almonds, hazelnuts and pecan pieces these are irresistable and pack a powerful punch. Substatinal enough for a morning meal and easily portable I’ll be keeping one of these in my work bag for days when I’m running late or get mid-morning/afternoon/any time munchies. Again with no added salt, lots of fibre and nothing artifical you could do far worse in a cereal bar!

You’ll find both products stocked in Tesco and Waitrose and whilst they may seem more expensive than other products on the market, they are SO good and so luxurious (and a heck of a lot cheaper than a hastily grabbed latte and muffin en route…better for you, too!)

Are you a breakfast fan? What’s your favourite way to start the day?

xxx

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