Thursday 11 February 2016

5 FAVOURITES

Hello everybody!

I wanted to start this post by letting you know I want to start doing something called '5 Favourites'. This is a regular post I'm hoping to do of my favourite little things at the moment - so without further adieu, here they are...

1. Herbal Teas | Pukka Refresh - Fennel, Rose, Peppermint

Since I've stopped drinking milk I have been drinking a lot more herbal teas. I used to only have the odd cup of tea a day anyway, but now I find I can have a few in a day - like today I have just counted 4!

I love Pukka Teas, a lot of them are organic and they have some lovely combinations. This is my latest fav and I love to combine it with some rose syrup to really bring out the 'rose' taste. This syrup is really great too, it doesn't taste like a synthetic taste either like some of them do.


2. Nut Butter | Homemade Almond & Vanilla Butter

This is so easy to make! I love nut butters, they make me feel like I'm eating a naughty treat when really it's far healthier than a biscuit or chocolate! I love it as a snack in some dates, spread on a sliced banana or used in my Hong Kong Style Eggy Bread. It also tastes great in smoothies and dolloped on top of a chia seed pudding. Nom nom nom!! 


It's so easy to make too, just roast a cup of nuts in an oven or toast them in a dry pan then set aside to cool.
Then simply blitz them in a food processor for around 10-15 minutes until its super smooth and runny - add a 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla powder half way through processing. Store in an airtight jar and use ideally within a week. You can use all sorts of nuts too, cashews are great as are brazils. You can also mix the nuts together too and make a mixed nut butter.

3. Sainsbury's Herbs | Harissa, Ras el Hanout & Smoked Paprika, Thyme and Garlic
I love spice blends in cooking but when you buy something like Harissa paste, it never lasts very well in the fridge and I find I'm throwing half (or more even) away. Then I found these blends, I love cooking with them and I can make my own 'paste' up by adding a little garlic oil or lemon juice. They last really well too and taste great!





4. Rose Gold Cookie Cutters | Angels and Squirrels
What can I say? I just love these - I can make gorgeous cookie shapes and have them decorating my kitchen too!


5. Seaweed | Welshman's Caviar Dried Toasted Seaweed
Started really liking this stuff. Sprinkled onto omelettes, on fried eggs, on salads.


Plus it's packed full of vitamins and minerals, so it's another easy way to get some nutrients into your diet! According to Self.com...

“Seaweeds typically have a wide array of vitamins and minerals,” says Rachel Berman, RD, Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com, adding that the weeds are low in calories and fat, but pack a tasty punch. Perhaps that’s why Chinese and Japanese cultures have been eating seaweed (and using it for medicinal purposes) since 300 BC!
Still not convinced? Here are Berman’s three reasons why you should eat seaweed for dinner tonight:
1. Seaweed can help control your appetite. “Seaweed is low in fat but packed with soluble fiber, which helps control blood sugar levels and keeps your bowels moving. The fiber can help you feel full on very few calories,” she says.
2. It’s chock-full of vitamins and minerals. “Seaweed is a great source of vitamins A, C, E, K and B vitamins,” Berman says. “It’s also rich in minerals, including iodine, selenium, calcium and iron.”
Studies have also shown that seaweed might help block fat absorption, Berman says, noting that more research is needed. Other studies have suggested that ingestion of seaweed may reduce the risk of breast cancer due to its anti-estrogenic effects.
3. Protein! Seaweed contains amino acids, which, as you may recall from first-period biology, are the building blocks for protein. "

So let's get sprinkling it on your eggs, salads and dinner. Just incase you're interested, it doesn't make your food taste 'fishy' or have that kind of seaweed taste as its only a little amount that your eating. I find I don't always notice it, I guess if anything it just makes my salads taste a bit greener - if that makes sense!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post

See you soon

Emmaline x




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