Early this week, we went to shopping in Morrisons and could not find any Fuji or Gala apples available. They are my husband’s favourite choices for red apples. So he decided to try the Pink Lady as an alternative. However, the apples were slightly too acidic for him. Mr C has sensitive teeth and cannot take any fruits that are a bit sour. So I decided to use the apples to make Honey Dried Pink Lady Apple Crisps. We were given a Pink Lady apple for our Bloggers’ Night In and I think they are crunchy, juicy and tangy. I remember I came across their recipes on their site and I think this will go down very well with the kids too!
31 Days with Ryvita Challenge
After all the festivities, I have no doubt that I have put on a few pounds as my regular exercise class has been on a break. I guess bargain hunting in the January sales does count?! We have been eating lots of chocolates, sweeties and even baking cake! Now I need to reign that back a bit and start my healthy eating plan!
Next week, it will be a nightmare with the breakfast routine as the schools reopen and Mr C goes back to work after a long break. But not too worry, as Ryvita has set me a new challenge for this January with 31 easy ways to spruce up a healthy eating plan. From spicy Cracked Black Pepper to sweet Fruit Crunch, the classic rye Ryvita® Crispbread range will give this January some crunch. I hope to be inspired with a variety of toppings, recipes and serving suggestions that will carry me through the month; completely guilt free.
Our highlights of the year
Reflecting on the year, we have been quite busy with a lot of outdoor activities like skating, climbing, visiting the zoo, Legoland etc and not forgetting Ms C starting Reception and Mr K in BBC1 Doctors. I would like to thank Pyrex for generously working with my blog by letting me co-host the Twitter party and the national baking week competition.
Winter Solstice Festival 2013 with Tangyuen
Today marks another year of the Winter Solstice Festival. I can’t believe how time passes us so quickly and it is going to be another new year in less than two weeks time. If you don’t know what the Winter Solstice Festival/Dongzhi is and why we are celebrating it, please click here to read what I had wrote in last year’s blog post.
Dorset Cereals and Total Greek Yoghurt
Dorset Cereals and Total Greek Yoghurt kindly sent us a number of their fabulous products to try on our Blogger Night In. Dorset Cereals sent us a range of their delicious breakfasts: Granolas and Porridges. All ingredients are cooked in Dorset, in traditional baking trays, using kitchen cupboard ingredients, no palm oil or anything artificial in the cereals.
What did we do today?
Yesterday, I received a very special and unique Warburtons’s advent calender. It never occurred to me that we would ever see anything other than candles (Yankee candle) or the more usual chocolate Snapajack Chocolate advent calender. Thanks to Warburtonsuk. It’s an instant hit for us as we’re big fans of Warburtons. In the calendar, there were crumpets, pancakes, Asian Fusion Turkey wrap, toasties and sandwich thins.
Ozeri Artesio Electric Pepper Grinder Review
This Ozeri Artesio Electric Pepper Grinder looks very stylish and modern and would add a WOW factor to your dining table. It has a soft textured non-slip grip and is very nice to hold. My husband always likes any gadget but I’m a particular fan of kitchen gadgets. We used to have an electric pepper grinder but it died on us a few years ago so we are no strangers to an electric grinder. We are lazy cooks!
Festive Food and Drink Round Up
Our fabulous Cotton On’s blogger Zoe Lester very kindly organised us huge goody bags! To carry all the goodies, we’re thankfully to JoJoMaman Bebe who sponsored us each a navy JoJo Buggy Bag valued at £9 RRP. This is definitely a great value practical bag. It can be worn over the shoulder or clipped onto the handles of a buggy. It is very big (H36 x W51 x D11cm) and can fill a lot of useful stuff so is perfect for shopping. I have not used it on a buggy as Ms C is able to walk everywhere now. But I imagine it would be very handy for a picnic too! The large strap is quite long and the design is unisex which can be also carried by men!
Chicken Pasta Bake and Tom Yum Soup
It is getting so cold and windy! As you may know, I come from a hot country without the usual four seasons, so when the winter turns cold, I like to cook spicy Asian food to keep me warm! My husband and the children are not used to eating very spicy food so sometimes I end up cooking two to three different meals to suit the whole family!
I always love Thai food as they can be very spicy! They are best to eat after coming back home from the cold and harsh weather as they give you a fantastic endorphins rush! I choose to cook Thai Tom Yum Soup.
OXO Good Grips Flip & Fold Omelet Turner Review
I always love kitchen gadgets that help to make cooking easier. This OXO Good Grips Flip & Fold Omelet Turner is perfect for making omelets. I always found it hard to use a flat wooden spatula to glide around the egg or turn the omelet around. The rim of the omelet tends to stick on the wooden spatula and it is hard to flip the whole omelet with a small spatula.
Mattessons Double Dippers
Sometimes it is hard to balance hectic family lives. My day starts with getting both children to have their breakfast and getting them dressed ready for school. Next I have to battle through rush hour traffic to drive them to school. Their school is 3 miles away in another town and driving through the main road can be very stressful at times! When I reach home, I will need to wash, cook and do shopping. Beside that I have to drive them to clubs or their extra curricular activities. It can be so busy that I miss my lunch and by 3 – 4 pm being the time of day I am most likely to reach for the snacks like chocolate, crisps or cake!
Frankie and Benny’s Breakfast Review
My family and I are regulars at Frankie and Benny’s as both of my children enjoyed their kids’ meals, I love their pizza dishes and Mr C loves their burgers. Occasionally, I will also meet my friends for breakfast as the dishes are only £5. What a bargain for a top breakfast!
So I decided to approach them to sponsor us for our Bloggers’ Night In breakfast as I know my blogger friends would love to try them especially as there are a few who had not tried them before.
Thomas J Fudge’s Savoury Biccies Review
Bursting with colour, flavour and the finest ingredients, a brand new seriously remarkable range of savoury biscuits is set to tempt the taste buds of food fans everywhere. Packed with a punch, the remarkable new range is made with the finest ingredients, giving a heavenly and full-flavour experience. The Thomas J Fudge’s range boasts 15 tasty treats, including colourful shards, magnificent melts, exquisite pufferies, fabulous flats and a spectacular Biscuits for Cheese selection.
Olive Fried Rice with Tenderstem
Last weekend was our bloggers night in and we had received some food samples for us to try out during and after the party. During the party, I served my guests olives straight from the tin. Personally, I have never bought tinned olives as I was always concerned that the tin may cause the olives to have a metallic smell. I would opt to buy fresh or in a jar. However, after trying these olives, I was very impressed! Both green and black olives are very tasty, not soggy and bursting with flavour.
Limited Edition Warburtons Christmas Wrapper
This morning, I received a large hamper from Warburtons which was supposed to arrive last Saturday for our Blogger Night In. Unfortunately, they arrived too late and none of the bloggers could try them or bring them home. So I have given some away to my neighbours and friends as they now have short expiry dates.