It's Spring - It's Easter - It's Aldi

If it's Spring then it must be Easter and that means a trip to my local Aldi to feed the family for Easter weekend.

It's all well and good having a lovely roast lamb on Easter Sunday with all the roast trimmings but what about Good Friday or Easter Saturday?  Aldi have a fresh casserole pack of chicken pieces and ready chopped vegetables for £2.99 and along with a pack of baby button mushrooms for £0.79 I will be making a large chicken casserole, using two packs of each which will result in enough food for those at home at supper time on Easter Saturday and anyone who comes in later.  Any left overs can be frozen for up to 3 months as well.

Of course Easter wouldn't be Easter without Hot Cross Buns.  I have made them from scratch before but that is surely a labour of love.  Sometimes you need a Hot Cross Bun now!  Aldi offer a pack of 4 with mixed fruit or chocolate pieces for £0.99 per pack.  They are moist and tasty and instant happiness!

I am not a great fan of Easter eggs however I do love to give Mr R one - I got this lovely chocolate egg with little truffles inside for £2.99.  This will look lovely on the breakfast table with Hot Cross Buns and a pot of tea for Easter breakfast!

And of course I couldn't leave the shop without a chocolate bunny (or three).  I couldn't decide if I wanted the white chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate so I bought all three!! They will satisfy my evening chocolate craving for a while!

Many thanks to Aldi for the vouchers to purchase the above products.  I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions and photos are my own.

Book Review: Hungry Happy Healthy

Hungry Healthy Happy is a book by award winning blogger Dannii Martin. Although I have not personally met Dannii we belong to the same food blogger support groups and offer each other encouragement and support in the often cut-throat life of food blogging.  Danni’s journey has been epic and the results of her journey are here now for everyone to read and benefit from.

Overweight and unfit with an increasing number of health worries Dannii set out to change her life one bite at a time. Dannii says it is basically eat less-count your calories and exercise and throughout the book gives you loads and loads of helpful ways to do exactly this.

You can still have all the food you love but where possible make substitutions for healthier and lower fat items.

There are comforting recipes such as Sausage Casserole and Shepherd's Pie and indulgent ones including Mango and Raspberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Avocado Mousse.

Each recipe has a nutritional breakdown and there are loads of little tips to make life a bit easier too.

Losing weight and getting fit doesn't have to feel like a diet but a new way of eating - making smart choices however you don't have to give up on the food you love and the little treats.  Dannii's story is heart warming and inspiring so please take the time to read through the beginning of the book and not just jump straight to the mouth watering recipes however tempting they look!

Thanks to Dannii's publisher Jacqui Small, I was sent a copy of Hungry Healthy Happy to review. I was not expected to provide a positive review. All photos are my own.

Cook Book Giveaway - Benito's Hat

I love Mexican Food. When I visited Mexico City last year I loved trying all the sauces, cactus fruits, spices, beans and so many products made with sweet corn.

One of the things I like about the Mexican Restaurant - Benito's Hat, in London is how close to real authentic Mexican food it is.  There is always a little lost in the translation to another country but this is really the real deal!

Benito's Hat founders Felipe Fuentes Cruz and Ben Fordham have produced a beautiful cook book full of rich colours, images, recipes all taking you to the centre of Mexican cuisine.

The photos really bring you a sense of being in a Mexican kitchen.

I have a copy of the book to giveaway on the blog.  If you would like to be in with a chance to win a copy just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.  (this giveaway is only open to residents of the UK and USA) Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Travel Tip 3 - travel light cosmetics

I am sure you are like me and want to stay clean when you are travelling but also want to travel light.  Here are a few of my tips, especially for making things do more than one job.

There is no need to take full size products with you when you are only going away for a short time - up to two weeks. My main intention is to throw things away to make room for the goodies I will be buying and bringing home.  Although I rarely leave home with the full weight allowance each kilo is sacred when I travel home.

Toothpaste - I wait until the tube is almost empty and put them aside for travelling.  When you think you will not get any more out of the tube cut off the seam at the top and inside will be 5-7 days worth of toothpaste that you would ordinarily throw away!  If you do this to every tube you use throughout the year you will save a couple of tubes of toothpaste per year anyway.  Of course I always take my toothbrush with me!

I don't like shower gels. I am a soap person. You may get a bar of soap in a hotel or nowadays you tend to get shower gel.  When my current bar of soap gets to the really thin stage I let it dry and put it with a couple of others in a plastic bag.  These are perfect for travelling because I don't mind leaving them behind whereas a full bar of soap would be too much for me to leave and although doesn't weigh much on its own adds to the total coming home luggage weight!

A few years ago I realised that I was allergic to conventional deodorants and started using coconut oil as a deodorant. This is one item I take with me in it's original jar because changes in temperature can make it melt somewhat and some containers may leak.  However it must be prepared to do more than one job and it does.  (I will be writing a post just about the uses of coconut oil in this series).

I take a small baby powder with me to dust under my arms after using the coconut oil as a fine talc/powder helps to keep you dry and cooler.  It can also be used for any chafing areas or to keep shoes dry and smelling nicer.

Again with shampoo - I will wait until there is only a small amount left in the bottle and put it aside for travelling.  As each bottle is finished it can be thrown away or recycled and doesn't need to come back with me.

That is really all my essentials because they do more than one job but a few others I will take when there is space are:-

Little sample sizes of facial and bath products I get when I buy full size (I like Clarins products and usually get the smaller sizes with a purchase).

Or cleansing wipes that can clean your face as well as take off any eye makeup and can be used for a quick clean on any part of your body.

Even Mr R will take the small samples from his Clarins for Men purchases with him. 

I don't like buying small travel sizes because they work out much more expensive but occasionally it is more practical like the travel shaving foam that Mr R takes - there is enough to last the fortnight's holiday.

It may not seem like a big deal taking all the cosmetics etc that I want but I really do like to keep my luggage as lean as possible on the outward journey and as full as possible on the way home!

What is your favourite travel tip for keeping clean and cool?

Surprise with Bake Box

There seem to be so many subscription services out there these days but one that has really caught my attention is Bake Box.  Bake Box will be a bi-monthly delivery of recipes and equipment to make six really up to the minute goodies.

Bake Box comes with beautifully illustrated recipe cards, the baking equipment you will need to complete these six projects along with other important items such as the coloured icing for the cookies, silicon bundt-type baking mould to make the cake and loads more.

The boxes will be suitable for beginner bakers and more experienced as well.  The subscription will make a great gift for a new mother with limited time to think of the ideas to bake but will guide her along.  Also a newly retired mum or grandmother would love the time to get their hands on this subscription as well.

The subscription will cost £14.99 per month and will include more than £40.00 worth of equipment to help you build a fantastic collection plus you get membership to Bake Club.

Although I was excited to review this box, my daughter came to stay for the weekend and hijacked my first box. I said I didn't mind as long as she provided the review for you and here is what she had to say 

" I was so excited to try out the Bake Box! I had no idea what would be inside it so it was like getting an impromptu Birthday gift. I couldn't wait to get it open and have a look at what I had got to play with!

The Bake Box arrived in a really nice box and the contents were hidden inside some tissue paper. It was like a mini adventure! 

My first impression was I couldn't believe how much was in the box! I had all the equipment to make 6 different projects. 

There was also an envelope with the 6 recipes and pictures so you see what they should look like.

I decided to start off with a small project of the dress shaped biscuits. They looked so cute and intricate. I was a little bit worried that I wouldn't be able to do them justice. But I had no reason to worry! The instructions were so easy to follow and included a list of all the ingredients I would need.

 

Instead of red, I decided to use less food colouring and make my biscuits pink. I like to be a little bit different and pink is my favourite colour!

I'm happy with how they have turned out. They look great and are super tasty! I'm looking forward to trying out another recipe from in the box!

I used to bake and cook a lot but that was pre children when I had a lot more time to get creative. This was exactly the project I needed to get my creative juices flowing again and it was so much fun! I even got the little people to help with the decorating and they loved it too! "

I was sent a Bake Box surprise box to review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are our own and so are the photos.

Film Review - Norm of the North, Little Miss guest reviews

I was invited to the film premier of Norm of the North an animated film which will be released in the UK on 18 March 2016.  It was a great opportunity to take my granddaughter with me and treat her to a day out in London.

The cast of the film includes James Corden as the 'polar bear impersonator, Laurence. It also features the voices of Rob Scnhneider as Norm, Heather Graham, Bill Nighy and Colm Meaney.

I was going to tell you all about it but instead here is an account through the eyes of an 8 year old.......

"Hello I'm Little Miss, and recently I went to a film premiere in London! I got to see Norm of the North three weeks before anybody else! And while we where waiting to see Norm of the North there where some activities, and that's where I got Lilly the Octopus! There where some people making balloons for the children and I asked my Nanny and my granddad, Mr R if I could have a balloon and they said yes. I wanted a Octopus balloon and a lady who was making balloons for children made a red Octopus for me while she was making it she asked me some names for my Octopus and I said Lilly.

Now, let's get on to the movie Norm of the North is a polar bear that can speak to humans! He only found that out when he just became 13, but he's not the only polar bear that can speak human, his Grandpa can also speak to humans. There is a bad thing about this movie which Norm fixes the bad thing is that an evil villain who is the boss of Green Homes wants to build houses in the Arctic. but Norm wants to save his arctic and go to New York with his lemmings before he goes he finds a house in his Grandpa's land but then the house is going to New York again but, that's good for Norm and his lemmings. what they do is the lemmings jump on Norm and then Norm jumps on the house and then. When they see green house and. Then Norm signs up to act out being The King Polar bear and he got in probably because he is an actual polar bear and he can speak to humans.

Later Norm and the Lemmings find a passage way and there was a lift. Norm was about to go on to the lift. But, the lemmings wouldn't let him on and then suddenly Norm actually thought that it was a good idea because he would be to obvious but the lemmings are so small that they wouldn't be noticed. and they saw found Grandpa Polar Bear.

I don't want to spoil the rest of the movie for you so if you want to find out if Norm saves his homeland go to your local cinema and see Norm of the North.  Keep an eye out at your local retailer for the CD.

Thanks Nanny and Granddad for a lovely day out, let's do it again!!" ................................
                                                                                                                     
And there you have it, Little Miss's account of her day at the cinema.  

We were guests and were not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are our own and photos as well.

Dancin to the Beat and Making Soup with OXO and a SOUPER Giveaway

I love making soup and am known at home as The Soup Queen - if it has a bone I will make soup out of it!  Mr R often takes my soups for his lunch since he doesn't often get to sit down for a long lunch break a mug of homemade soup is just the thing!

Making soup is quick and easy and even if you make your own stock (as I usually do) the addition of a stock cube lifts the final soup up a flavour level.  OXO (most people in the UK have a packet of OXO beef stock cubes in the cupboard) have released their new 'wet' stock cube, handy little pots of stock and herbs to add that missing 'beat' to your soup.

People in the UK throw away 4.2 million tons of avoidable food each year which ends up in land fills but which some of could have been used to make a delicious and nourishing soup for the family.

A recent idea that has caught on from the States (some of my best friends are American!!) is 'disco soup' a rather strange sounding activity.  In reality it means just to put on some of your favourite music (disco works really well) and move to the beat whilst you make some soup, using of course the new OXO stock pots.  Just loose yourself and get cooking really, you can always make more than you need for that meal and freeze homemade soup for up to 3 months.

In the states organisations have started donating soup to homeless shelters and some are even driving around the cities to hand out hot soup to homeless and less fortunate people who could not get to the soup kitchens.

At a recent 'disco soup' event sponsored by OXO and held at Cactus Kitchens in South London any of the soup we made that we didn't finish or take home along with fresh bread was going to a local homeless shelter that offers a soup kitchen on Fridays.

We were led in our soup making by Chef Dean Edwards (Masterchef finalist) who swayed a bit to the beat of the disco music going on in the background.

We made three soups at the event from fresh ingredients, all very different but all equally tasty and simple and all three recipes can be found in the new OXO cookbook.

My freezer is suitably full of these easy, delicious soups made with really simple ingredients and OXO stock pots.

If you would like the chance to win a copy of the OXO Cookbook and a selection of the new OXO Stock Pots along with other items worth around £40 - follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.

There is only one prize - Entries from the UK only will be entered into the prize draw.

I was a guest of OXO and was not required to write a positive review of the event.  As usual all opinions and photos are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway