Stay Cool This Summer with Lollypop Men

As the days seem to get hotter one by one, we are realising that summer is officially upon us. Personally, I love having a glass of cold juice when it is warm out. And when the temperature is really rising, frozen snacks become a necessity. Luckily for me, The Kitchen Gift Company sent over the Lollypop Men Popsicle Sticks to enhance my snacking experience and 'cool off the girls' here at The Amazing Blog. Once they arrived, I couldn’t wait to fill them up and get them in the freezer. Before I could even sample my new creations, I knew I had found a summertime essential.

Each Lollypop Men set comes with four moulds allowing you to make some popsicles for yourself while also sharing them with your friends and family. Or, if you are like me, you’ll enjoy these delicious treats a little too much and simply have all four to yourself. I'm no chef, but I found these so easy to make that I was thinking up as many combinations as I could!  The possibilities truly are endless. You can be simple and strictly use juice or zest things up a bit with some fresh fruit slices. If you are craving a sweeter option, I recommend using chocolate milk or ice cream to make the perfect dessert.

In addition to the ease and simplicity of this fun utensil, Lollypop Men has also transformed the seemingly boring standard popsicle handle into fun caricatures. The package comes with four different animated figures that are sure to give your creations some life.  This factor really makes these into a fun summer party treat. Plus, they are re-useable, so you can make as many as you want.

Whether you are searching for a refreshing treat or looking for a new fun popsicle set for summer parties, the Lollypop Men Popsicle Stick Set is the perfect compliment to your summer days. For £8.00 you can purchase one of your own on the Kitchen Gift Company website and start cooling off with some home-made frozen delights.

Aduna Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder

I am a big believer in vitamin and immune supplements. I am always taking some sort of vitamin, powdered drink or supplement to help keep my immune system strong. For someone who is prone to laryngitis this is extremely important... Intrigued  by the brightly coloured packaging of the Aduna Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder come through the doors for The Amazing Blog  I made it my mission to test this out! After all with all its immune boosting supplements and antioxidants it sounded excellent. Although I was a little wary as most super fruit powders  tend to taste very chalky and are generally just overall plain unappealing. But, I decided to give the Aduna Baobab a try.

I settled on mixing a small spoonful of this powder into my morning cup of lemon and ginger tea, I was very surprised to find that the taste was not as off-putting as I was expecting it to be. I have to admit there was a slight chalky texture to it, but I completely forgot about it once I began to really taste the slightly tangy and very zesty aspects of the powder. The taste wasn’t the only thing I was impressed by. This powder is stocked full of nutrients and is an excellent source of vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium, Thiamin, Fibre and Vitamin B. It helps you to maintain energy while supporting your metabolism, immune system and skin. Not to mention this Baobab fruit (that is in this powder) has the highest concentration of antioxidants, which  they claim is more so than any other fruit - interesting!

The Aduna Baobab Fruit Powder is a unique health supplement that has capture the magic qualities of the baobab fruit. If you are to have a spoon full of this every morning, I can almost guarantee you will feel a positive difference in your daily routine. You can purchase this powder (£17.99), along with any other form of the baobab fruit, from their website.We think that is African-grown power plant will definitely help to add some much-needed natural vitality and vibrancy to your daily life!

Jules & Sharpie Hot Pepper Jellies

We here at The Amazing Blog are always trying to find something to help spice up our usual recipes, to give them a new twist. We have tried new spices, sauces, and of course jams and jellies. When we were introduced to Jules & Sharpie hot pepper jellies, we could easily imagine ourselves using these jellies as an accompaniment to meals or on our toast, croissants and other snacks.

Jules & Sharpie is owned by two long time friends, who have a love of  fine foods and cooking. These jellies are far from ordinary, they have been given the Jules & Sharpie 'treatment' - spiced with fresh chillies: creating a unique flavour and zesty taste. Each jar of jellies are handmade, using only the finest natural ingredients to create an appealing blend of heat and flavour. These jellies will surely help spice up any ordinary dish. We found that we really enjoyed the Original Hot Pepper Jelly,as well as the Hot Redcurrant Pepper Jelly (shown above). The Original Hot Pepper Jelly tasted best when paired with a selection of cheeses, whilst  the Hot Redcurrant Pepper Jelly we think probably tastes the best glazed over a leg of lamb. Usually my palate cannot handle spicy and hot foods, but these jellies were just too tasty to resist. And to my astonishment, the 'heat' wasn't too overpowering, which allowed for my weak taste buds to handle the zestiness without even shedding a tear.

If you are in search of some zest to liven up your favourite home cooked meals, look no further than The Jules & Sharpie Jellies. The added spice will surely turn an ordinary dish into an exquisite one. You can order your own pepper spiced jellies from their website for £3. 25 a jar and begin to enjoy a whole new world of flavour.

Brownie Box

 

Who can resist a nice, rich and 'chocolatey' brownie?  Well... we here at The Amazing Blog certainly can't. So when we came across the Brownie Box we knew we had hit the jackpot. This cosy family-run bakery is located right in the heart of Earl's Court off Brompton Road.  They offer brownies, cakes, muffins and cupcakes that are each baked fresh daily with a range of flavours that vary from day-to-day.  All of these delights are clearly prepared with care and detail ensuring that each tastes just as good as it looks.

The incredible Brownie Box team was ever so kind and delivered us our very own sample box. The assortment was beautiful and included just enough treats for all of us to try several varieties each. The wide array had incredible flavours such as the original brownie, the peanut butter chocolate blondie, the white chocolate chunk blondie, and the pistachio chocolate brownie as well as many others.  I think the best way to describe all these different cakes and desserts is by simply saying that we finished off every bit within 15 minutes of receiving them - no joke. They were quite literally irresistible. The textures were fabulous as each was moist and sweet without being too sugary or soggy. It was obvious that each treat was fresh. Plus, they all tasted like they were made by our own mothers, which makes sense as each recipe has been handed down by moms from generation to generation. While it's merely impossible to decide on a favourite treat, the group consensus is that the original brownie and the red velvet cupcake were two of the best. But honestly, there wasn't a single treat that was disappointing.

Being in Chelsea we are fortunate enough to be just down the road from the Brownie Box. If you are in the area, stopping by this gourmet baking boutique is a definite must. They are open Monday - Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 8pm and Sunday from 10am to 7am. There really is no excuse to pass this place up, their hours and location are far too convenient. And for those upcoming summer birthdays and celebrations, they offer luxurious fresh baked cakes as well. Get your own delicious indulgences from Brownie Box and check out their website for a complete list all treats, flavours, and cakes.

Bilton Basics Cookery Book

If there is one thing I have learned from working with the lovely ladies here at The Amazing Blog it is that women admire a man who can cook. Personally, I think cooking can be a bit overwhelming. And with all those wordy and dull recipe books out there, I have never had a desire to learn more. But with my recent discovery of Timothy Bilton’s new Bilton Basics cookery book, there is a change in the air. From the opening pages, Bilton claims that he has designed this book as a simple and straightforward guide to learning the skills of cooking. The words ‘simple’ and ‘straightforward’ grabbed my attention immediately and after thumbing through the first few recipes I couldn’t seem to put the book down.

While this book is indeed simple, Bilton takes a rather wholesome approach to the skills of cooking. Starting from the beginning, Bilton explains various cooking techniques including boiling, poaching, stewing, braising, roasting, frying, baking, and steaming. I was familiar with these terms but never fully understood them. His instructions make learning these techniques quite easy. This cook book covers a large range of foods from Baked Scallops and Scottish Salmon to Venison and Lamb. If you are not too fond of the seafood or game dishes, he has also included some sweets such as Puddings, Yorkshire Ice Cream and Rhubarb. Being a big steak fan myself, I would love to master Bilton’s Yorkshire Flat Iron Steak. It seems like a fairly simple recipe and hopefully with a few tries I should be able to make it at least somewhat appetising. And for dessert, I definitely want to experiment with Bilton’s Rhubarb creations. Although I will say, the chocolate tart looks equally delicious. With just a quick glance through this book you’ll see why all his dishes are enticing. Each recipe is complimented with a beautiful photograph courtesy of David Walker that is sure to get your taste buds tingling.

Bilton Basics captures the true cooking choreography that all recipe books should, one of delicious dishes, clear recipes, beautiful images, and a little bit of story and wit. Timothy Bilton has turned complexity into simplicity - making it easy to learn some luxurious recipes and cooking skills. For £25 you can began to surprise the women in your life with your new-found cookery. It’s a purchase you won’t regret. Available direct from Butchers Arms at 014 8468 2361 or info@thebutchersarmshepworth.co.uk and also on amazon.