Festive Kitchen Time Savers You'll Want To Try

Just in case, like me, you haven't really got yourself organised for cooking one of the most important meals of the year (no pressure!), here are 10 quick time-saving tips to try in the kitchen.

You can spend the time you save doing something more important - like drinking Prosecco or perfecting your Christmas 'look'.  My Christmas 'look' usually just involves taking my apron off as once the kids are up it's chaos.

Plan ahead

I very often make a list and stick it somewhere constantly in sight. You could have a timetable for cooking Christmas lunch or a meal planner for the whole festive period.

Make sure you note down timings, quantities and temperatures.

The Husband and I usually prep the veg whilst watching TV on Christmas Eve.

Buy the trimmings

You don't have to make everything yourself.  I've bought pre-made pork & sage stuffing balls and mini sausages wrapped in bacon which can be quickly put in the oven alongside the turkey.

Whilst you're at it, why not buy some cubed pancetta which goes lovely with brussel sprouts or some flaked almonds which jazz up broccoli.  A drizzle of honey and some orange zest brightens up carrots too.

Berries and sprigs of herbs like Rosemary can add some pizzazz to warming winter drinks.

Don't forget the essentials

You know, the dull but vital stuff like matches for candles and extra bin bags.  You can find my helpful list in this post.  You really don't want to be running out to your local corner shop to hunt for stock cubes or cream either.

Make the most of your gadgets

Christmas is the time lots of kitchen gadgets come into their own.  If you have a breadmaker you can wake up to fresh bread on Christmas morning. Some of these are quite sophisticated, for example the breadmakers by Panasonic have Artisan, Rustic Sourdough and Scone modes as well as fruit and nut dispensers and a gluten free programme.

We also use a Nutri Ninja bullet blender to blend vegetables to hide in sauces (for dishes like meatballs and spaghetti sauces).  Caitlin and Ieuan have no idea how many veg they have actually eaten this year!

Cheat with desserts!

As long as you hide the packaging you can easily get away with shop bought desserts.  Just add some freshly chopped strawberries or berries (keep a bag of frozen fruit in the freezer) to decorate a shop bought cheesecake.

And you can't go wrong with good quality shop bought ice cream which you can jazz up with some warmed dulce de leche and a few toffee cubes - or even M&Ms for the kids.

Make space in the freezer

We make sure we use up some of the stuff lurking in our freezer so that there's room for desserts etc over the Christmas period.  I usually find I've been bulk buying oven chips and fish fingers!  A good defrost a couple of weeks before Christmas is a good idea too - because it's colder the food will survive a bit longer outside the freezer.

Space in your freezer will also let you quickly chill bottles of wine and beer.  Just pop them in for 20 minutes or so.

And you'll need lots of ice cubes too!

Put Individual Portions In Freezer Bags

You could speed up food prep by pre-portioning veg, berries, chicken fillets, mince beef and the like in individual freezer bags so you can just pull out what you need without weighing and measuring.

There are some more great tips on easy festive food prep from Tesco here.

Whatever you do, don't forget to rope in the family to help out where you can.  There's no reason why little ones can't help set the table or lay the crackers out.

Do you have any time-saving festive kitchen tips?  I'd love to hear them.

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One in Five Children Don't Know That Milk Comes From Cows Says Cadbury

When Caitlin and Ieuan were little, most of their picture books featured animals, the noises they made and what they produced. They knew quite early on where their food came from.  We had to explain to Ieuan, for example that there is no fish which leaves the ocean covered in breadcrumbs.

So reading that, according to research by Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons, one in five children don't know that milk comes from cows is a bit shocking, and also a bit sad.

The research was conducted with the help of 1500 UK parents and their children aged between 4 and 8.  The survey discovered that 73% of parents considered that knowing where their food comes from is important to them.  That message doesn't seem to getting through to our kids.

To help teach kids about food provenance, (particularly where the glass and a half of milk in each packet of their buttons comes from), Cadbury's has partnered with Giovanna Fletcher to produce the video below.


Not only do 20% of kids not know where milk comes from, the survey unearthed some rather worrying facts too.

Over one in ten boys (11 per cent) believe milk comes straight from the supermarket

A fifth (20 per cent) of five year olds believe that chocolate is made from eggs.

Almost a third of children (29 per cent) believe a cow’s diet consists of sandwiches and pizza

The research also revealed that children are unsure of what is used to make chocolate, with over a third (32 per cent) of the children likening the ingredients to those found in a cake.

The top 4 ingredients children believe are found in chocolate are:

Eggs (20 per cent)
Flour (12 per cent)
Plants (9 per cent of four year olds)
Wheat (6 per cent of four year olds)

As Catherine Young, Senior Brand Manager for Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons says “Whilst some of the findings from the research are amusing, it has highlighted that more needs to be done to make farming and food provenance as important to children as it is to their parents."

I couldn't agree more. Check out the video and see what you think.

You can find more information on Cadbury's Facebook and Twitter.

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Is Your Kitchen Ready For Entertaining

Is your kitchen ready for entertaining? Now that the festive season is almost upon us, you are probably thinking about hosting some of your friends and family for dinner parties. You may also be thinking of gathering everyone at yours for Christmas dinner!

Image credit: www.pexels.com

But before you send the invitations out, you need to make sure that your kitchen is all ready for entertaining and hosting guests. Do you think yours could do with a bit of improvement? Here are some useful tips that can help you get your kitchen up to scratch.

Image credt: www.pexels.com

Update Your Kitchenware

Cooking appliances and crockery can quickly become dated. Unless you are going for a vintage style in your kitchen, you should update any old-fashioned items in your kitchen. Not only will this do wonders for the look of your kitchen, but you will also find that they are a lot easier to use. And new cooking appliances will help you cut down the time you spend in your kitchen. Meaning you will have a lot more time to mingle with all your guests!

Get Rid Of Clutter

I’m sure most of us have a lot of clutter on our kitchen tops and dining table. It’s because it easily gathers on these surfaces! Especially the likes of letters, bills and important paperwork. So before you start cooking for your dinner party, make sure you quickly tidy up all of this clutter and remove it from your kitchen. It is also important to tidy your kitchen work surfaces once you have taken all the clutter away. Keep them neat, and you will have plenty of space to prepare your food. They will also look very tidy to your guests!

Image credit: www.pexels.com

Clean Your Fridge

Your fridge will be used a lot during the dinner party. Even by guests who could be going in there quite a lot to top up their glass of white wine. So it is very important that the inside of your refrigerator is looking clean and tidy. If you are placing a lot of dishes in the fridge ready for the meal, make sure that the door shuts tightly. It is also a good idea to check that none of the food is blocking any of the air vents. Otherwise, the refrigerator could quickly heat up.

Image credit: www.pexels.com

Take The Bin Out

You don’t want a nasty smell to put your diners off their meal, so remember to take the bin out before anyone arrives. It might also be worth cleaning out the bin itself with some strong disinfectant. After all, no matter how careful you are, there is always the chance that some food has escaped out the bin bag and made its way into the actual bin! Make sure you have plenty of extra bin bags as well. The rubbish will quickly pile up during a dinner party, and you might have to even take the bin out half-way through the meal!

Once you follow these tips, your kitchen will be all ready for you to entertain. And your guests will certainly be impressed!

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Tasty Family Recipes From Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Bright Horizons, one of the UK’s leading nursery networks is encouraging parents to get into the kitchen with their kids and spend some quality cooking time together.

Bright Horizons operate over 200 nurseries in the UK and Ireland, many of which are managed in partnership with employers. They also offer back-up dependant care for children and adults, and a range of work-life supports

Their nurseries aim to provide children and families with naturally inspiring, exceptional care and education for the early years - and cooking together is a brilliant way to teach kids key life skills, as well as the benefits of co-operation and teamwork!

To help with this, they have produced a Family Recipes cookery book which though short, contains a tasty range of family-friendly recipes such as Chicken Paella, Butternut Squash Risotto, Summer Fruit Muffins and, as tested by us, Seaside Carbonara.

In fact these very recipes have been thoroughly road tested in one of their nurseries which offers day care in London so it was up to Caitlin to step up to the hob with me to create a tasty Monday night tea.

We were sent a copy of the recipe book and a lovely apron by Eat Sleep Doodle that kids can colour in. This was Ieuan's favourite part of the activity!

If you'd like to try the recipe, you can find it on Bright Horizon's website, along with some other great family recipes.

Seaside Carbonara

Ingredients

400g Spaghetti
200g Courgettes
2tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Fresh Garlic
418g Pink Salmon
150ml Full Fat Yoghurt
60ml Whole Milk
1 Fresh Lemon
3tbsp Fresh Chives
Pinch of Black Pepper
1l Water

Method

1. Cook pasta in boiling water.

2. Add diced courgette 2 minutes before end of cooking time.

3. Drain and reserve water.

4. Return spaghetti and courgette to pan.

5. Meanwhile heat oil in pan and add crushed garlic.Cook for 1 minute.

6. Drain and remove bones from salmon. Add to garlic in pan.

7.Add yoghurt and milk and warm through.

8. Grate lemon and squeeze juice.

9. Add 1/2 of juice lemon juice 1 tsp of lemon rind.

10.Season.

11. Pour over pasta and add 4 tbsp of reserved cooking water and warm through over a low heat.

12. Serve.

We found this simple to prepare - Caitlin did the chopping.  Our only note of caution would be to make sure you take the pan off the heat before you add the yoghurt to avoid curdling.

You could also replace the fresh Salmon with tinned to save a few extra pennies.

So there you have it - a quick, tasty tea that the whole family can help to make.

(We did get Ieuan to lay the table).

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Mighty Little Thirsty Quenchers - It's Ribena Minis

I've been wondering for a while why Ribena, one of the UK drinks brands I grew up with hasn't produced their drinks in mini bottles rather than cartons.

I find the bottles much easier to carry and generally they contain a larger amount of drink which is important when kids are rehydrating after biking, Taekwondo or ballet!.

But now Ribena has launched Ribena Minis, made specifically for frantic family life with a specially designed 'Less Spills, Less Mess' cap on a brightly coloured plastic bottle (recyclable of course).

The caps have been developed, based on in-depth research with parents, to minimise spillage by allowing liquid to be released only when gently squeezed.

There are three flavours with real fruit juice and no-added sugar - Brilliant Blackcurrant, Oh So Yum Orange and Amazing Apple & Mango.

The drinks come in 2 sizes, 200ml and 250ml, ideal for day trips, lunches and after-school snack and if there's a little leftover, the resealable bottles mean that they can be opened and closed whenever needed.

Caitlin tried the Amazing Apple & Mango and Ieuan tried the Brilliant Blackcurrant and they were happy to accept Ribena's challenge to prove that the new caps are leak-proof by holding the bottles upside down over their heads for 5 seconds.

The flavours are what you would expect from Ribena and whilst we tested the 200ml size, Ieuan wanted a bigger bottle - he's a blackcurrant fiend - so the 250ml would have been better for him.

The caps certainly do the job and little fingers would not be able to open them.  Ribena state that the caps are not suitable for children under 3.  You do have to push the cap in and then lift it and it took my two a while to get the hang of it because the caps are quite stiff. You might find that a grown-up is needed to open the drink for a younger child.




The Ribena Minis range is available in major supermarkets and the drinks are available in multipacks of 8 (RRP £2.99), 4 (RRP £1.99) and single 250ml bottles of Apple and Mango and Blackcurrant are available at RRP 85p.

It's nice to have a new drinks option for the kids' packed lunches and day-trips.

You can find out more at @RibenaUK on Facebook and Twitter.

*PR samples were sent for the purpose of this post.

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Are You Britain's Most Fruitful Family - Share Your Life Hacks With Nature's Finest To Win £1000

We are all getting busier and busier and I find that there seems to be much fewer hours to get things done once the clocks go back (30th October at 2 am - don't forget!).

As busy parents it's good to have some tricks up your sleeve to get things done in double quick time, especially if you're juggling work commitments with the kids' social life and after school activities.

And getting things done quicker means more time to spend together as a family.

Nature's Finest, who make a variety of tasty potted fruits in juice are searching for Britain's Most Fruitful Family in a fabulous competition they are running on their Facebook page.

They recognise that family time is precious, but with parents often exhausted at the end of a working day and children focused on gadgets we forget to spend just five minutes together. So Nature’s Finest is on a mission to find and champion families who use simple solutions or life hacks to ensure time is spent together.

To enter the competition, families are being asked to send in the life hacks that help them to spend more time together as a family, encouraging others to try the same and embrace a fruit-ful lifestyle.

Inspired by the brand itself, Nature’s Finest offers a variety of tasty Potted fruit only in juice, with no added sugar. Making eating fruit on the go or at home a simple and easy task.

The competition runs from 24th October through to 28th November and the winning family with the best life hack will receive £1,000 worth of Sainsbury’s vouchers – ideal just before Christmas when food shopping bills get bigger.

Just leave your brilliant lifehack in the comments box on the Facebook competition post.

 So how do we save time in the Hobbis household?  Here's my 5 top tips.

* Invest in a slow cooker

Yes there's still a little prep time to make a warming beef stew or a veggie curry but there's nothing better than coming home to a hot meal that's just waiting to be dished up.

*Write out a weekly meal plan

If you can discipline yourself to do this you'll find you won't be hit by the 4 pm angst when you remember you're supposed to throw something together for tea.

Plus having a meal plan streamlines shopping, reduces your bills because you won't impulse buy and allows you to make better use of leftovers.

*Prepare lunchboxes the night before

You can bet the morning you're rushing to prepare a lunchbox is the time you'll discover muddy school uniform and need to get the iron out!

Make things easier by prepping the night before and sticking the whole lot in the fridge to keep cool.  A Nature's Finest Fruit Pot makes a healthier snack / pud to slip in as well.

*Delegate some chores to the kids

There's no reason why kids can't lay a table, put shopping away or (at a sensible age) help with basic chopping and food preparation. I used to peel the potatoes for mum when I got home from school.

*Agree a sensible switch off time for gadgets

We know that we are supposed to turn off our gadgets at least an hour before turning in for the night so having a set switch off time means you have a few more precious moments to read stories, talk about your day and just cuddle.

*Have a homework timetable

If you can it's good to have a designated quiet area for your kids to do their homework.  No TV, no music and no gadgets! It's also worth drawing up a basic homework timetable with the kids so that nothing gets forgotten.

This means checking their school bags when they get home on Friday afternoon because you can bet something will be remembered at 4 pm on Sunday.

You could also incentivise sticking to the timetable by offering a family treat as a reward.  Depending on your budget this could be a meal out, a trip to the cinema, a walk to the park, a movie night at home or even playing a board game altogether. The point is to ensure more quality time together as a family.

I hope I've given you a few ideas and please take a look at the Nature's Finest Competition.  I'm looking forward to learning more tips and tricks to make life just that little bit easier!

The Nature’s Finest product range includes: Peach, Tropical Fruit Salad, Mango, Pineapple and Mandarin in individual posts and sharing pots including Mango, Mandarin, Tropical Fruit Salad, Prunes, Peach, Pear, Pineapple.  There are also larger fridge packs in Peach, Pear, Pear with Peach and Pineapple, Prunes and Tropical Fruit Salad.

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Angry Birds or Pigs? Who'll Win The #FrubesMoves Challenge?

Frubes, the largest portable yogurt brand has joined forces with The Angry Birds to celebrate the must-see family film of the year - The Angry Birds Movie.

Not only is there an on-pack promotion which gives you the chance to win a whole host of Angry Bird merchandise in a weekly draw, there is a grand prize of a fabulous holiday for four to spend six nights in the Bahamas up for grabs too. The competition ends on 31st of October so you'll need to get Frubes-Moving!

And to add to the fun, there is a great on-line game which involves a dance-off between the birds and those naughty pigs.

You simply choose a character and a style of music and you can challenge your friends and family to finally settle the question of who reigns supreme - birds or pigs?

Why not have a go at angrybirds.frubes.co.uk.

Frubes challenged us to show off our best FrubesMoves and get the kids dancing.  Caitin and Ieuan love to dance and I think it's an excellent way of getting kids to exercise in a fun way and to show off their creativity. There's something about dance that unites people and lifts the spirit, even if you've got two left feet.

Caitlin has been studying ballet for the past three years and is taking her Grade 3 Royal Academy of Dance exam in November. Ieuan has his own unique set of moves too (rather reminiscent of a funky chicken in places rather than a bird or a pig).

Frubes are tasty squeezable yoghurt tubes which can also help by providing vitamin D and calcium to build strong bones. They come in strawberry, red berry, peach and banana flavours and are ideal to add to a lunchbox or to give as a snack. You can find Frubes in all leading supermarkets priced around £2.

So who would you support birds or pigs?  Do you have some funky FrubesMoves?

"This post is an entry for BritMums' #FrubesMoves Linky Challenge, sponsored by Frubes."

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Take The Flora Lunchbox Challenge & Pack A Healthier Lunch For Your Child

My two have school dinners but occasionally I am required to rustle up that nutritional challenge known as 'the lunchbox'.

If you don't prepare one regularly, and aren't a pro at assembling something Bento-style which is Instagram worthy and would find favour with Jamie Oliver, then you'll experience the heart-sinking moment when you receive the school trip form which instructs you to provide a 'packed lunch'.

I briefly consider whether jam sandwiches are actually an acceptable alternative to something involving seeds, nuts and a rather hefty boost to my Clubcard points.

Yes, you can exchange these for more pizza but that's not really the point, is it?

So for Caitlin it's usually a Ham and Tomato sarnie, a packet of crisps and something with too much sugar wrapped in too much plastic.

Ieuan will eat any sandwich as long as it's Peanut Butter and Banana.  Or Ham if there's a full moon rising in Pisces (picky, Ieuan?  Never!).

But, if you are a poor lunchbox packer, then you're not alone.  Recent research commissioned by Flora revealed that a paltry 1.6% of children's lunchboxes are meeting the school food national standards and only 1 in 5 lunchboxes, just 17%, contain any sort of vegetables or salad.

I'd add, given Ieuan's fear of anything green, that you have to wonder how many of the veggies and salads in that 17% actually get eaten.

In order to do something about the Nations below-par lunchbox packing, Flora has distributed 631,000 lunchboxes with handy recipe planners to retailers across the UK in a bid to help make packing lunches an easier task for parents, especially those with picky eaters.

We were lucky enough to receive one of these cute lunchboxes which contain some easy to make recipes to try out on the kids and a menu planner (the lunchbox builder) which shows you which items to add to vastly improve your nutritional score.

Flora suggest four combinations named after dinosaurs (who were all plant eaters apparently).  There's the T-Rex Lunchbox for monster appetites, the Florasaurus Lunchbox for herbivores, the Velociraptor Lunchbox (a beast of a lunch) and the Stegosaurus Lunchbox (the epic size lunch).

Each combination contains the best mix of carbs, protein, dairy, fruit and veg and healthy fats, in the form of Flora Spreads which are a lower saturated fat alternative to butter and provide a source of the essential Omega 3 and 6 fats that are needed to support the normal growth and development of children.

Flora comes in a range of  tasty varieties - Flora Original, Flora Lite, Flora Buttery and Flora Freedom which is dairy free.  We tried the Original and Lite varieties. 

But you don't have to go for sandwiches - sometimes it's good to think outside of the lunchbox (sorry).

Flora suggest Pasta Tossed with Tuna and Fresh Herbs, Chicken Pittas or how about an Egg, Mayo and Pepper Wrap or something more exotic such as a Moroccan Couscous Salad?  

And you could be a little more inspired with your fruit choices than just an apple - how about a small pot of fruit salad or a fruit kebab?  You could include some banana bread or flapjack which are both easy enough to make yourself.

You can find all of the recipes here along with hints and tips on how to make the most of a lunch box meal.

Here's a few extra tips:-

*Buy bread and rolls in bulk and keep some in your freezer for emergencies.

*Prepare the lunchbox the night before and place in the fridge to keep fresh.

*Buy lunchbox staples in bulk and portion them up as soon as you get home. You can pop individual portions of snacks like trail mix into separate sandwich bags ready to drop in to the lunchbox to save time.

*A healthy lunch will keep your child alert and able to focus at school so try to include a variety of food types. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients essential for optimal health, whilst proteins are the building blocks of cellular growth which also help to balance blood sugar levels and keep us feeling fuller for longer. The Flora Lunchbox Builder will help you to put together the best combination.

* The best drink to pack is water.

*Add some extra interest by packing each item separately so that the unwrapping creates a little fun, plus this helps keep food fresher.

*Use your freezer - batch cook on a Sunday so that you are ready for the rest of the week.

*In hot weather include ice packs to keep food cool and in cold weather why not add some warming soup in a thermos.

*Make sure that snack foods are as healthy as possible without relying on shop bought sugary treats. Better choices include hard boiled eggs, unsalted popcorn, a savoury scone, a granola bar, some yogurt, fruity jelly and some nuts and seeds. Be careful with granola bars as some of these contain more sugar than a chocolate bar.

Healthy doesn't have to mean boring when it comes to lunchboxes.  A little preparation and planning goes a long way when it comes to giving your child a lunchbox that tastes good, does them good and comes back empty!

“This post is an entry for the #FloraLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Flora. Check out their lunch planner and recipe ideas here ”

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Review: Say Goodbye To Boring Mealtimes With HelloFresh

Being a so-so cook, I find that deciding what to have for tea is rather difficult - despite having a collection of cookery books that would fill a library.

If I do find a recipe, there will be at least one ingredient I don't have to hand, or the ingredients will be far more exotic than our local supermarket will offer.

This means that the kids' weekday teas tend to consist of pizza, salmon, spaghetti bolognese, fish fingers and ham sandwiches.

Over the summer holidays we got into a bit of a rut with rather more of these than was good for us. Now autumn is here and it's getting colder, I find myself wanting proper, hot, nutritious food - particularly for the kids.

But I've discovered HelloFresh who offer a food box subscription service with fresh produce, all the stocks, sauces and spices you'll need and recipe cards with instructions even the most hopeless cook can follow.

We were sent the family box to try over 2 weeks.  This feeds 2 adults and 2 children for the price of £64 per week for 4 meals (that's £4 per head per meal).

These were the 8 meals we were sent:-

Week 1

Jamie's South Asian Chicken Curry with Fluffy Rice
Mushroom, Broccoli and Pancetta Gnocchi
BBQ Sausage Skewers with Cheesy Wedges
Chorizo Crusted Tilapia with Miniature Roasties

Week 2

Creamy Leek and Mustard Chicken with Stir-Fried Green Beans
Jamie's Sizzling Steak Stir-Fry with Tenderstem Broccoli & Noodles
Sweet and Sour Pork with Bulgur Wheat
Courgette, Broad Bean and Feta Orzotto with Pork Meatballs

Once you have signed up (and there are other boxes to choose from), you select your delivery day and then wait for your box to arrive.

Each box contains a variety of vegetables, a bag of all the spices and condiments you need to make the recipes, your meat and fish (carefully wrapped in wool with ice packs) and the recipe cards.

HelloFresh also offer a box for vegetarians and a classic box with more adult and spicier meals.

With the possible exception of a splash of olive oil, milk or water, there is nothing else you need to provide.

You can cook the meals in any order and the produce lasts for one week so there is no need to panic and cook them 4 days on the trot, although I did find I began to get into a routine.

Whilst the meals are easy to prepare, if you don't do much cooking I would allow yourself extra time for chopping etc.

As experienced cooks will know, a small block of time for food prep in the morning (unless your school mornings are complete chaos) or just after you've put the kids to bed will give you a useful breathing space when tea time comes around - particularly if you are taxiing the kids back and forth to various clubs and classes.

Not only are the recipe cards clearly written and easy to follow, the quality of the produce you are sent is incredibly high.

All the food is carefully packaged and clearly marked with the use-by date.  There is nothing processed and you add the seasoning yourself so there is no danger of too much salt.

The cooking time for each meal is around 25-35 minutes, designed specifically for busy mums and dads who need to get tea on the table pronto.

Caitlin is an excellent eater but Ieuan is a lot more picky. To my surprise I found that they both tested everything.

I did substitute the bulgur wheat for rice with the sweet and sour pork and Ieuan wasn't a fan of the orzo pasta.

I also managed to undercook the Gnocchi which could have been better had they been crisper - but I've learned to cook in batches rather than chuck everything in a frying pan and hope for the best!

I was really impressed with HelloFresh and we have now subscribed because

* No more bulky main meal food shopping
* No cupboard full of condiments and pickles that never get used
* No stress about thinking "what's for tea"
* Cooking is actually quite enjoyable (don't tell the Husband)
* I feel like a much better mum for feeding my kids decent meals each tea time
* We all feel quite a bit healthier due to less processed food

Of course there are still another 3 tea times to cope with but the recipe cards are punched so you can store them in a folder for a quick idea or two.  I feel far less guilty about pizza and fish fingers when the kids have already had 4 proper meals that week.

Currently, if you sign up to HelloFresh there is £40 off (£20 off each of your first 2 boxes) and if cooking is your bugbear, I heartily recommend you take a look.

In terms of value, I think the £64 is very reasonable. You could probably cook 4 meals a lot cheaper but it's the removal of the stress of planning, shopping and storing that adds value to Hello Fresh.

Their subscription plans are flexible too - you can stop your subscription when you need to or cancel it at any time (as long as you give about a week's notice).

It's going to be a much healthier, and tastier winter in the Hobbis household.

For more information visit www.hellofresh.co.uk or you can contact them on Twitter or Facebook.

*We were sent one family food box for two weeks for the purpose of this post. Our subscription is entirely independent.

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Brilliant Hacks For A Stress Free School Morning From belVita

It's not surprising to learn that over 40% of parents say back to school stress begins the week before the new term starts, threatening to send some of us over the edge!

And, as the new school term looms, a huge 80% admit to feeling stressed at the thought of having to get everyone back into the school routine after the holidays, with the dreaded morning school run amongst the most stressful things about parenthood, according to the nation’s mums and dads.

The study on parenthood stresses by belVita Breakfast Biscuits found that 5 of the 10 top parent pressure points start the moment we wake up, with 31% agreeing that getting the children ready and out of the door in time for school and settling back into the flow of the morning routine post-holiday, are key parenthood stress triggers.

And it's not just kids who bear the brunt of the ‘morning madness.’ Unfortunately for parents, 65% of mums and dads forego something to get the kids out of the front door like breakfast (36%) or end up fighting with their partner over who takes on the most in the morning (38%).

It can sometimes be a battle to get the kids to eat breakfast!

Parents don’t just feel the ‘back to school’ pressure at home…44% feel under pressure to appear to be stress-free and 'together' in front of the other parents at the school gate in the morning - with dads feeling the pressure more than mums (49% men versus 46% of women).

Dr Linda Papadopoulos, who has been working with belVita Breakfast to help advise parents, particularly in the morning where most of the pressure lies, says:

“The stress and challenges of parenting can feel overwhelming - especially when we feel under pressure to get a lot done in a short space of time- morning can be especially challenging and it’s key to develop a positive, convenient routine in the morning as it sets the rhythm for the day. And it's not just kids who bear the brunt of the ‘morning madness.’ Unfortunately for parents, 65% of mums and dads forego something to get the kids out of the front door like breakfast (36%) or end up fighting with their partner over who takes on the most in the morning (38%).

Parents don’t just feel the ‘back to school’ pressure at home…44% feel under pressure to appear to be stress-free and 'together' in front of the other parents at the school gate in the morning - with dads feeling the pressure more than mums (49% men versus 46% of women).

The research, focused on 2,000 parents, reveals that thanks to the frenetic morning routine, nearly a third (32%) forget to pack an important school item and a fifth (20%) drop the children off late for school.

1 in 10 parents even do something ridiculous before leaving the house, including sending the kids outside with socks on their hands instead of gloves or they walk at out the house in an item of nightwear!

When it’s ‘back to school time’, trying to get everything done and leaving the house on time is at its most pressurised so developing strategies that you give you and your family a sense of control is really important.”

Over a half (51%) of parents feel stress would be reduced if the kids just did what they were asked, whilst over a fifth (21%) of pray for a fairy god mother out of pure desperation!

However, others look for solutions to deal with the battle of the morning routine, with nearly a quarter (22%) wishing they tackled what was thrown at them with ease and 21% wishing to find cheats to help them out in the morning.

Here's a list of the top parenting stressors the researchers found:

*Keeping the house tidy and the chores up to date (38%)
*Getting the children ready and out of the door in time for school (31%)
*Getting back into a school/morning routine after the school holidays (31%)
*Getting children to do their homework/reading (27%)
*The bedtime routine (26%)
*Getting children to eat certain foods (26%)
*Getting children to clean their teeth (24%)
*Making sure my children are well behaved in public (23%)
*Getting children out of bed in the mornings (21%)
*Meal times (20%)
*The School run (19%)

“Parents don’t need to panic! There are ways we can relieve the morning madness, simple strategies like connecting with kids in the morning so they're more co-operative or preparing things from the night before can make a big difference to the morning mood of a family unit. Small changes and combining some short term quick wins and convenient cheats will pay off in the long term.”

belVita believe that a good morning can set you up for the day – and that means making sure neither you nor the kids miss out on a breakfast.and their breakfast biscuits are a tasty and convenient breakfast option.

And if you're looking for some great hacks to make your morning routine simpler, check out the video below.




All you can do is come up with a routine and stick to it come hell or high water in the hope that your kids will eventually do what they're asked automatically.

Either that, or just muddle through like the rest of us with coffee.  An awful lot of coffee. And I can confirm that belVita biscuits are great to dunk.

The belVita range includes belVita Breakfast Biscuits, belVita Breakfast Yogurt Crunch and Duo Crunch, belVita Breakfast Tops – three tasty breakfast biscuits with smooth topping, belVita Breakfast Soft Bakes and belVita Breakfast Crunchy – three tasty bigger breakfast biscuits - which we tried in Apricot.

A PR sample was received for the purposes of this post and very tasty it was too.

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Get Ready For School With Nadiya's Lunch Box Hacks

With back to school just around the corner, BBC Good Food Show star, Nadiya Hussain, has shared her favourite lunchbox hacks.

Nadiya says:

"In between waking and dressing my three, lively children, preparing breakfast for the family, finishing emails and doing laundry, making up pack lunches in the morning is often a rather rushed job. I’m not a fan of filling their boxes, or their stomachs with junk food. I will not lie, there have been times where I have just given the kids the easiest option, a packet of crisps, a small bar of chocolate, a biscuit (or two) and I still do every now and again but these treats are saved for the weekend.

The reason being, I noticed when at home that the kids were like yoyos. After school they would slumped, tired and exhausted from the day on the sofa. As I would rush around preparing the dinner they had a quick sweet treat and would instantly become high as kites and excitable. This excitement would last for 30 minutes or so, and be quickly followed by a huge sugar crash. It then dawned on me that the same would be happening to them whilst at school and of course I didn’t want my food choices for them to affect their concentration and behaviour at school.

To save me time, I always have a few snacks ready in the fridge that I can to pop in, ensuring that they eat well whilst away from home. I also have some great suggestions for quick and easy bites that can be made in the morning.

Here is a list of a few of our favourites:

1. Hummus Celery Sticks – cut slices of celery sticks about 2 inches long. Fill the inside with hummus and wrap with cling film.

2. Summer fruit spring rolls – take a circle of rice paper and soak for a few seconds till soft. Squeeze off any excess water and place down. Add any fruit, the more colourful the better and warp like a spring roll. Wrap in tin foil for the perfect lunch box surprise.

3. It might sounds obvious but I sometimes pop in a hardboiled egg – I like to keep boiled eggs in the fridge during the week. They are quick, simple and nutritious and very easy to eat. Wrap in kitchen roll to ensure the kids have something to peel the shell on to.

4. Turkey ham wrapped cheese sticks – take a small stick of cheese and wrap around a slice of turkey ham! Simple and delicious

5. Apple and Peanut Rings – core and horizontally slice a green apple, spread the tops with smooth peanut butter and pop into a mini Tupperware box.

Nadiya Hussein

6. Mini omelettes – whisk up some eggs and add onion, cheese, chives and chopped peppers. Grease and pour the mix into a 12 muffin cupcake tin and bake in the oven until cooked. Once cooled these be stored for a week and my kids love them!"

These are really simple and look much better alternatives than biscuits when the kids come home from school starving.  You can find more lunchbox tips here.

Nadiya will be cooking live at the BBC Good Food Show London – Olympia 11-13 November and Birmingham – NEC 24-27 November. Tickets on sale now: https://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com

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Be Good To Yourself With Begu Teas & A Giveaway Worth £125

I don't know about you but having had the kids at home for the last six weeks has seen a corresponding increase in my weight.  It's so difficult to resist joining in with snacking and so easy to say yes to that restaurant dessert or the extra glass of wine (or two!).

I also find that my exercise decreases dramatically since we usually walk back and forth to school so, come September, I'm usually feeling in need of some sort of healthy eating and exercise plan.

You may have noticed that teas are gaining in popularity as a way of supplementing your weight loss / dietary programme and they are arguably better for you than the other popular option of juice diets since they don't contain loads of sugar and are kinder to your teeth.

I was recently sent a selection of teas from Begu Tea to try.  Begu Teas are a range of speciality teas designed to help you with your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals.

There are currently six teas in the range, each formulated with carefully selected ingredients from around the World and blended by Begu's master blender.

The herbs contained in the individual teas have been used traditionally throughout centuries for their varied health and lifestyle promoting benefits and each of the 6 teas has a specific target to help you achieve your goals at specific times of the day in a completely natural way.

There is:-

Appetite - £24.99 for 28 bags

Appetite is full of herbal fillers and appetite suppressants to keep your portion size down. It contains Chinese Green Tea, Cinnamon, Fennel, Liquorice, Peppermint, Hawthorn Leaves, Psyllium seeds and apple pieces.

Crave - £24.99 for 28 bags

Crave is a blend designed to kill those pesky cravings that hit through the day (mine are usually for biscuits!).  It's a sweet blend and is strangely filling.  It contains Sri Lankan black tea, Cinnamon, Coconut, Fenugreek, Yerba Mate, Caraway, Gymnema, Stevia and Sunflower and Calendula petals.

Calm - £24.99 for 28 bags

Calm is designed to bring you inner calm and help you to resist those urges to binge.  This blend contains Rooibos, Peppermint, Chamomile, Gotu Kola, Lemon Balm, Lime Flowers, Passionflower and Calendula petals.

Morning Buzz - £19.99 for 28 bags

This blend is formulated to get your mind and body going in the morning so that you make the best choices to support your body and cut calories.  It contains Chinese Green Tea, Yerba Mate, Ginger, Siberian Ginseng, Lemongrass, Gingko Biloba and Lemon Peel.

nightea night - £19.99 for 28 bags

Nightea night is caffeine free and designed to help you get a restful night's sleep so that your body can repair itself.  This blend contains Cinnamon, Ginger, Hibiscus, Apple pieces, Rosehip, Hawthorn leaves, Orange peel, Cardamom, Valerian root and Hops.

System Cleanse - £10.99 for 14 bags

This is a naturally purifying blend which contains a natural laxative - ideal for those who have a low fibre diet. The blend contains Rooibos, Senna leaves, Dandelion leaves, Hawthorn leaves, Psyllium seeds, Lavender and Vanilla pieces.

Packaged in resealeable packs of 28 teabags, with the exception of the System Cleanse which has 14 bags, these are high quality, beautifully packaged teas which make tea-toxing a lot more glamorous than the days of those fruity herbal teas which could fill an entire office block floor with the smell of blackcurrant.

I am a big tea drinker and it was no hardship at all to substitute a Begu teabag for one of my normal tea bags (Yorkshire Tea or Glengettie, I love a strong brew).

Although the Begu teas aren't cheap, there are a variety of subscription offers available so that you can defray the cost if you buy more than one type at a time (up to 40%).  There is also 20% off your first order - details here.

You'll also find lots of helpful diet and nutrition tips.  My teas came with a selection of fact sheets which contained all sorts of useful advice - for example a structure for a healthy day's eating and exercise (there's also a fitness section on the website which contains a selection of basic exercise videos that show you exactly how they should be done.   I now know what a burpee is!)

There's a guide to identifying the triggers that make you eat (anger, boredom) and ways to manage your appetite (plan your dessert in advance, only serve what you intend to eat).

In fact, Begu teas are designed to be part of a more conscious approach to health, fitness and nutrition and on that basis I can see that their programme would be quite effective if followed diligently.

I personally enjoyed all the teas and will be continuing with the programme over the next few weeks to get my eating and exercise back on an even keel.

If you would like to give their system a try I have a giveaway of one pack of each type of the 6 Begu teabags worth over £125 in total for one lucky winner.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget and the giveaway is open to UK entrants only.  Full terms and conditions can be found on my Competitions Page.  The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 16th September.



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Tips For The Perfect Kids' Lunchbox With Hartley's

Now that the new school term is looming, many parents will be bracing themselves for the daily challenge of assembling a lunchbox for their kids that has the right balance of nutrition and excitement.

Kids are fussy eaters at the best of times and it can be too easy to stuff a lunchbox with packets of crisps and chocolate, particularly when you're short on time and haven't done the weekly shop yet.

So how do you come up with a lunchbox whose contents will be eaten with gusto whilst making the preparation as easy on yourself as possible?

Here are my top tips.

* Don't buy single loaves.  If you can, buy a spare loaf or some bread rolls for the freezer.

* Prepare the lunchbox the night before and place in the fridge to keep fresh.

* Buy lunchbox staples in bulk and portion them up as soon as you get home. You can pop individual portions of snacks like trail mix into separate sandwich bags ready to drop in to the lunchbox to save time.

* a healthy lunch will keep your child alert and able to focus at school so try to include a variety of food types, fruit and veg, starchy food (for example wholemeal or granary bread), protein (sliced ham) and dairy (cheese).  The best drink to pack is water.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients essential for optimal health, whilst proteins are the building blocks of cellular growth which also help to balance blood sugar levels and keep us feeling fuller for longer.

* you can make things a little more interesting by packing each item separately so that the unwrapping creates a little fun, plus this helps keep food fresher.

* your freezer is your friend - there are plenty of places online to find lunchbox recipes you can freeze so that you could cook in bulk on a Sunday to be ready for the rest of the week.

For example:

Lunch box ideas you can freeze from Planningwithkids.com

25 Freezer Friendly Lunch Box Ideas from Childhood101

Freezer Friendly School Lunch Foods from Super Healthy Kids

* in hot weather you may need to include a ice pack to keep the food cool and in cold weather you could put a warming soup in a thermos.

* ring the changes by making sandwiches with different types of bread or substitute the sandwich for some pasta salad or a chopped vegetable salad with extra nuts and Chia seeds to add some extra Omega 3.

* Pots of Hartley's No Added Sugar Jelly are a great standby to pop in as a healthier sweet treat and at the moment if you collect 12 individual pots with the green promotional lids, you can exchange these for a fun bright yellow lunchbox and stickers for your child to create their own lunchbox with the Hartley's Lunchbox Collector Scheme.

* make sure that snack foods are as healthy as possible without relying on shop bought sugary treats. You could include a selection of things like hard boiled eggs, unsalted popcorn, a savoury scone, a granola bar, some yogurt, fruity jelly and some nuts and seeds.

Be careful with granola bars as some of these contain more sugar than a chocolate bar.  A Hartley's No Added Sugar Jelly Pot is a better alternative with a banana or a small bunch of grapes.

The Hartley's No Added Sugar Jelly Pots come in strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, orange, apple and tropical flavours and contain just 6 calories per pot (great for those of us watching our weight too).

You may need to check that your school allows nuts to be included in case of allergies.

The key to a perfect kids' lunchbox is planning.  Why not sit down with your child and draw up a list of their favourites.  You could then create a lunchbox menu plan where your child gets to choose one item on their list each day if they also include one fruit or veggie choice. Caitlin, for example, loves olives and Ieuan loves carrot batons.

If you find that lots of food is coming back uneaten then it may be that your portion sizes are too large or you need a more interesting mix of foods (whilst still keeping to healthier choices of course).

Sometimes kids get so involved in what they are doing they simply forget to eat but if you are finding that all the snack food goes whilst the sandwiches and more filling food doesn't then it's time to reduce the snack elements until the sandwiches start to disappear.

There's no guarantee the local birds aren't being well fed of course but at least you'll be nearer to getting the balance right.

You could also involve your kids in the making of their sandwiches or snacks and get them to do it under your supervision.

You don't want to still be making their lunchboxes when they get to secondary school now, do you!

This post is an entry from BritMums #HartleysYourLunchbox Linky Challenge sponsored by Hartley's Jelly.

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Review: Nurture Fruity Water+ - A Healthier Children's Drink

There has been much publicity lately about the proposed sugar tax on kids' sugary drinks as a way of trying to halt the escalating levels of child obesity here in the UK.

You have probably heard chef Jamie Oliver talking about why this could make such a difference to our children's health.

My view?  It's really not as simple as that, however, anything we can do to reduce our kids' sugar intake is to be welcomed - by parents, doctors and dentists.

We are all guilty of turning a little too quickly sometimes to bottled fruit drinks and squashes and equally we know that it can be quite difficult to get children to consume plain old water - no matter how many themed cups, bottles and novelty straws you throw at the problem.

I was interested to read about a new children's drink which claims to be healthier because it contains lower naturally occuring sugars.

NURTURE Fruity Water+ which is targeted specifically at young children (from 1 year) also claims to support children's immunity through its added nutrients, being the "first functional drink of its kind".

These added nutrients are Vitamin B6, Folate (B9), B12, C, D and Zinc, as well as Calcium.  There is also 25mg of "Wellmune® Beta 1.3/1.6 Glucans 100% Natural Brewers Yeast".

The drinks are lactose and gluten free and are vegan friendly.

There are 2 flavours: Cherry & Strawberry and Orange & Pineapple and Nurture Fruity Water+ is made with 45% natural juice and 55% water.

Nurture Fruity Water+ contains no added sugar and less than 1 teaspoon of naturally occurring sugar per 100ml, making it exempt from the upcoming UK sugar tax relating to unhealthy sugary drinks.

It's also school approved, and comes in a mess-free pouch for on-the-go convenience.

Caitlin & Ieuan taking a break after running around our local woods

Nurture was developed by parents Lucie and Derek Sanders who, with three children of their own, wanted to find a way to reduce children's sugar consumption from an early age in order to halt the development of a sweet tooth and to encourage them to make healthier choices later on.

“Children’s immune systems are least developed and most at risk to germs and infection the younger their age”, says founder Derek Sanders.

“Nothing nurtures better than breast milk and all baby formula producers strive to replicate it. However, there is a gap in the market after children stop breast-feeding and formula, as there are currently no functional juice drinks with added nutrients available for children from 1 to 5 years. Nurture Fruity Water+ has been formulated to support children’s immunity and be part of a solution to help busy, on-the-go families stay healthy.”

We tried both flavours on a walk around our local woods and, whilst the quantity per pouch is a little small for older children (or at least children who have been running around a lot), both flavours are pleasant without having an obvious sugary taste.  I found Nurture Fruity Water+ to taste much more natural than some of its competitor products and there's no artificial after-taste.

I liked the mess-free spout which helps avoid those moments when no matter how many times you tell your kids not to squeeze the juice box because the drink will slop out, you can guarantee it will happen anyway. You have to squeeze the Nurture pouch with a bit more force than usual to get the drink to rise to the spout.

I think Nurture FruityWater+ is an interesting alternative to the usual juice and squash brands but it is not the cheapest option on the market.  For those parents who are concerned about developing their kids' immune systems and who are prepared to take a longer view in terms of developing good nutritional habits in their younger children, then the drinks are certainly worth a try.

NURTURE Fruity Water+ is available in 200ml pouches with a RRP of 99p to £1.49. Retailers include: Ocado, Whole Foods Market, and Holland & Barrett.

You can find more information at www.nurtureimmunity.com.

*PR samples were received for the purposes of this post

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Sistema Bento Boxes - Lunch All Organised For Back To School

Ah.  The packed lunch.  The daily wrestle with cling film (never sticks) or tin foil (risk of severed finger). Happily, gone are the days when Ieuan's diet consisted of peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  Last week he ate some brocolli.  And actually swallowed it.

My two have school dinners (to compensate for my somewhat lacklustre ability in the kitchen) but from time to time they do have packed lunches and these usually consist of a plain sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and something chocolatey, flapjacky or liable to receive a Paddington Stare from Jamie Oliver.

The one item that I can never fit in is their favourite yoghurt or chopped fruit.

So we were mightily impressed by these lovely Sistema Bento Boxes that we were sent to try, along with two substantial sized and sturdy Davina Water Bottles, which hold 745ml.

The newly launched Sistema Bento Box includes a yoghurt pot, a moveable divider to keep wraps and sandwiches intact without any additional packaging and two smaller compartments for smaller pieces of fruit and snacks. The boxes come in pink, blue, green and purple.

The Davina Water Bottles features a unique Twist n Sip Spout, are leak proof and come in pink, blue, melon, purple and green.

Both products are BPA and Phthalate free, plus they are dishwasher safe (top shelf only).

The Sistema Bento Box costs £12.00 (available from John Lewis) and the Davina Water Bottles retail at £3.00.

The boxes hold a surprisingly large amount of food and the bottles are equally generous.  Now the kids are bigger some of the usual fruit squash brands in disposable bottles are just too small for a lengthy school trip. The yoghurt / snack pots hold a decent amount of yoghurt although you have to chop the fruit quite small if you want to include a fruit salad.

Cleaning is easy too, although I know that some plastic products do tend to fade quite substantially even if you are careful to place them in the top rack of the dishwasher.  So I've handwashed these to preserve their lovely bright colour for a bit longer.

All of the lids, flaps and dividers can be removed for a thorough clean. (The instructions for how to safely and effectively clean the Twist n Sip Spout can be found here).

We really liked these Sistema products.  They are bright, cheerful, sturdy and well made and the Bento Box really adds a much needed novelty element to a packed lunch.

Ieuan announced that "that was one of the best lunches I've had in a long time".  And I think he even ate some carrot.

You can view the full range at www.sistemaplastics.com.

I have 2 Sistema Bento Boxes and 2 Sistema Davina Water Bottles to give away  to one lucky winner.  Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget and the usual terms and conditions apply.  UK entrants only and the giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Tuesday 23rd August.

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Whizzing Up Something Nutritious For The House of Fraser Smoothie Challenge

The House of Fraser is on a mission to get us all fitter for summer and enjoying the benefits of a healthy smoothie - one you make yourself, not a shop-bought one packed with sugar and other unhealthy things.

They threw down the gauntlet to the Hobbis Household and sent us a Kenwood Smoothie To Go Blender to create a House of Fraser themed smoothie.

Now as you know I am a complete whizz in the kitchen and resisting the urge to do something creative with strawberries and banana, my eye fell on my latest cookery tome "Eat Well For Less" from the BBC TV series of the same name.

How is this relevant you cry?  Well, if you want to get maximum value for your budget in all departments, House of Fraser is a very good place to look.  Their focus has always been on accessible quality for families.

Our Kenwood Smoothie To Go Blender is a real workhorse of a gadget.  It is sturdily built and everything assembles easily with just one click. It can grind spices and quickly create smoothies, soups and sauces with its 350W motor which has 2 blending speeds and a pulse function.

It comes with a 1 litre plastic goblet, a separate mill for spices, herbs, nuts and coffee beans and a smoothie to go goblet ideal for fresh smoothies on the go. The plastic parts are dishwasher safe and the blender comes with a 1 year guarantee.  It currently retails at £39.99.

We chose to make Gregg and Chris's Breakfast Smoothie.

Ingredients

500 ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tbsp mixed frozen fruit (just choose your favourite)
2 tbsp blanched almonds
2 tbsp rolled oats
1 tsp runny honey

Combine ingredients in the blending goblet and whizz until smooth.

Makes enough for 2 smoothies.

The Smoothie To Go Goblet comfortably took the full amount of smoothie and fits nicely in the fridge so you could just prepare the night before and grab it on your way out of the door in the morning.

House of Fraser have a wide range of blenders and kitchen gadgets to choose from but I'm sticking with my Kenwood.  Simple to use, easy to clean and even I can work out how to put it together!

Now to create my stawberry and banana special....

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