Health Lab Plant-Based Beauty & Wellness Balls Review*

Summer is on its way and it won’t be long now until we have a new arrival in the house when our baby decides to make an appearance. I don’t know about you, but I always feel like I want to get out of the house more and make the most of the days when the summer is here, but it can be hard to muster up the energy for such activities! And I have no idea how I will feel with a newborn thrown into the mix.

I was recently sent some Health Lab Plant-Based Protein Balls which I thought would be perfect for me. As well as offering a much needed energy boost, these balls are also made to promote happy skin and positive gut health made from the finest plant based ingredients across the globe.

Some of the flavours include chocolate, salted caramel, peanut butter and berry. The protein, probiotics, and hemp balls are all vegan friendly and the entire range is also gluten free. There really is something for everyone. The 8 flavours and their unique health benefits include:

Thrive: Choc Brownie Protein Balls
Game Changer: Salted Caramel Protein Balls
Power: Peanut Butter Choc Hemp Energy Balls
Pick-me-up: Espresso Hemp Energy Balls
Happy Skin: Choc Sea Salt Collagen Balls
Skin Hero: Choc Cherry Collagen Balls
Gutsy: Mixed Berry Gut Health Balls
Glow: Choc Matcha Gut Health Balls

I have found that the balls have been great to take the edge off my hunger or between meals, during pregnancy I often need a bit of a boost and want to choose a healthy snack and these energy balls have been the perfect addition to my diet. I think they would also be great if you were breast-feeding and needed a healthy way to get in those extra calories. These would also be ideal for people with busy lifestyles or as a pre/post gym snack.

I have tried many varieties of ‘energy ball’ and these have to be the nicest ones I have had, often the flavours can be bland and boring but these felt like a real treat and kept me away from eating an alternative unhealthy sugary snack.

Available now in Wholefoods and in Waitrose and Holland and Barrett, RRP from £2 for a 40g ball.

*I received these items free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

BRAND NEW - TGI Fridays Cocktails*

I absolutely love cocktails and as the festive season starts to near, I love the thought of going out on a cold crisp evening after work and having a cocktail or two in a warm bar or restaurant. After all, it’s all about having that Friday feeling. Now you can have that Friday feeling all day with the new range of TGI Fridays’ brand new bottled cocktails.

The bottles come in 500ml sizes and contain 10% alcohol content. 

I was lucky enough to receive all three and had great pleasure in testing them all out for you. First up was the Long Island Iced Tea, this was blended wit fruit alcohol and vodka and had a nice tangy lemon flavour to it, like most previous Iced teas I have had in the past. I am not usually a fan of iced tea but this cocktail was sweet and had a really nice flavour.

The next cocktail I received was probably my favourite, the Pink Punk Mojito. I loved the vibrant colour of the cocktail too, perfect for a girls night in. The cocktail contains pineapple juice, cranberry juice, lime juice blended with fruit alcohol and vodka.It has a slight minty flavour which makes this the perfect festive drink, you could even serve it with a candy cane.

Finally, I received the Passion Fruit Martini, which was also equally delicious. Serve with a side of prosecco for that extra special feel. Bring TGI's into your own home and feel like an amazing host this Christmas. Your guests will be spoiled for choice.

With these cocktails it always feels like Friday. Find TGIF Cocktails at the following social links: @TGIFCocktailsUK and @TGIF Cocktails UK

*I received these items free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

The Perfect Breakfast - Feat. Clonakilty*

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and one of my favourites. I am never 100% sure on what to have, but I like to start the day with a decent sized breakfast. I was recently contacted and introduced to a brand called Clonakilty who specialise in Ireland's favourite black pudding.

Clonakilty are traditionally known for their black pudding however have recently launched their new Ispini sausages in the UK, perfect for breakfast, dinners and in the warmer months, BBQs. Made using 100% Irish pork, I imagined these would have the same flavours that you get from the butchers and I couldn’t wait to try them.

I rustled up an Irish feast with some of the products I was kindly sent including Irish eggs and bread. I couldn’t miss the chance to have some potatoes on my plate too!

The Clonakilty black pudding is made using a recipe that originated in the town of Clonakilty in the 1880’s. The popularity of the black pudding has spread around the world. With such a great reputation, I couldn’t wait to try the sausages. The brand also have white pudding in their collection of fine foods.

The sausages can be grilled or fried in a shallow pan, I find it easier to fry them as I can constantly move them around. They browned off really well and served with the rest of the breakfast they were an absolute treat. Having never heard about this brand before, I am definitely converted.

What are your breakfast essentials?

*I received these items free of charge. I was not asked to write a review as such, but I genuinely enjoyed the product and wanted to share them. Please see my disclaimer for more information

Alphabet Dating - A

Alphabet dating is something I came across on Instagram recently (I wish I knew who to credit!) and decided to do a bit of research into it. When looking for answers on google, I discovered that is was quite a common thing and something that I thought was a fantastic idea. I broached the idea to James and he was also up for it and thought it sounded like a great thing to do once a month.

Alphabet dating is where as a couple or even a new person you are just starting to date, you choose a ‘date’ beginning with a particular letter. We decided that one month I would choose and arrange a surprise date and then the month after James would choose one. When March began, we decided to start with A and as it was my idea I offered to go first. You could of course do this every other week, bi-monthly or whatever suits your dating pattern.

‘A’ was a really convenient letter for me as I had already pre-planned an Alton Towers trip for James’ birthday. After recently attending Scarefest with Kim and telling James about it, he mentioned he had never been and would love to go. I really wanted to take him for his birthday weekend but found out that it only opened a few days before and I didn’t want it to be insanely busy. I forgot about the whole idea when an email landed in my inbox telling me about the service day, 2 weeks before the official opening. The service day is open to all emergency services and armed forces at a heavily discounted rate and with free parking. Perfect! I booked the tickets there and then. Unfortunately this then got cancelled due to the weather we had so I had to come up with another idea!

I decided to plan something for a couple of weeks later. We couldn’t make it to Alton Towers the replacement weekend as James had work so I thought I would plan our date more locally. The first thing that came to mind was Afternoon Tea, and to stick with the ‘A’ theme I thought we could have it in Aylsham. It was between here and The Assembly House but due to having been to The Assembly House before, I went for Aylsham and booked us into Biddies.

We both had Afternoon Tea and were stuffed by the end of it. I had to take my brownie home with me as the sandwiches and scone had filled me up. It was really nice just to get away and chill out and enjoy our meals.

We did also attend Alton Towers at a rearranged date and had a really nice time so I am incorporating that into the A date too.

The idea of alphabet dating is to encourage you to think outside the box and have fun and try new things with your partner. There are so many options that could suit so many budgets and I am already plotting things for date ‘C’, it could be anything to a coffee and cake to a curry or even a cinema trip! In the meantime I will await next months ‘B’ date which James will be planning. Let me know if you want me to continue sharing these! Do you have any ideas for ‘C’?

Buy Wholefoods Online - Review*

I love using wholefoods and healthy foods but it can be hard to find them in regular supermarkets. When I was contacted by family run & independent wholefoods company called Buy Wholefoods Online I thought it was a fantastic way to get healthy foods delivered directly to your door.

I received some really great products which I have been told are some of the most popular available, each with their own benefits.



When I saw the Maca Powder, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it so had a look online. It has been tipped as the top superfood for 2018 and can be added to smoothies, porridge, granola, shakes and baking. It's such a versatile product and the recommended dose is 1-2 teaspoons a day. It's rich in antioxidants and can boost male fertility. It's excellent value on Buy Wholefoods Online compared to other leading brands.

Alongside the Maca, I received Raw Cacao Powder. This is something I have used before and is becoming increasingly popular. It has an intense deep chocolate flavour, similar to cocoa powder however it has not gone through the same process so retains all of its goodness and flavour. Again this can be added to porridge, smoothies and whatever takes your fancy. I like using it for raw energy bars.

Raw Honey is something that has been growing in popularity and I see it more and more popping up in shops and in healthy recipes. Raw honey can be hard to find but is said to have a much better taste than normal honey which I completely agree with. Raw honey is unfiltered and unpasturised which enables it to keep all of the great health benefits that honey is meant to have. It can also help to counter pollen allergies so I am going to let my fiancé have some of this to see if it helps with his hayfever this year. Another interesting fact is that honey is said to be a natural antibacterial with wound healing effects and has been used to treat burns and wounds! Who'd have thought it.

I love pumpkin seeds and was very happy to see a whole 500g bag of them! They're ideal as a snack as they are rich in protein and full of healthy fats. I like them on top of some nut butter on toast. You can use them in homemade granola and cereal bar recipes too as well as in salads which can add some texture. They are loaded with health benefits and are also said to improve sleep! I can't wait to make a start on these.

Last but not least I received some Spirulina Tablets. I have previously tried the powdered version of this and didn't really like the taste as it has a slight algae flavour so I was pleased that I was sent the tablet form as it's a lot easier to swallow. This has been a famous super-food for a while now and is something that can be taken daily. It has so many benefits including speeding up weight loss. I will let you know how I get on with these.

Overall, I am really happy with my bundle of wholefoods and can't wait to incorporate these into my diet and lifestyle. To purchase these items yourself and many more amazing foods, head to Buy Wholefoods Online.

*I received these products free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Chinese New Year Teriyaki Salmon Recipe Feat Very Lazy*

Chinese New Year is fast approaching on Friday 16th February and in the run up I have thought about recreating my favourite Chinese dishes at home. The only problem I have had in the past is that there are so many ingredients that come together to create delicious flavours and it can sometimes be

Very Lazy very kindly provided me with some ingredients as well as the following recipe which I give them credit for.

Instead of ordering a takeaway, why not recreate your favourite Chinese dish in just a few minutes? Whether you’re making a sizzling stir fry or moist and tender Salmon Teriyaki, cooking with Very Lazy is the ultimate hassle-free experience. No need for dicing, slicing, washing, chopping and prepping – just pick up a jar or two and let Very Lazy do the hard work for you.

TERIYAKI SALMON WITH GARLIC NOODLES
   
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
For Teriyaki Salmon:
2 Salmon fillets
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce,
1 teaspoons Very Lazy chopped garlic
1 teaspoons Very Lazy Chopped ginger,
4-5 tablespoons dark soy sauce,
1 tablespoons clear honey

For garlic noodles:
150g dried egg noodles,
1 teaspoons Very Lazy chopped garlic,
1teaspoons Very Lazy lemongrass Paste
Sesame oil to taste
Sesame seeds (optional)

Photo provided by Very Lazy - Salmon centred.

Method:
1. Pre heat oven to 220c.
2. Combine garlic, ginger, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and honey in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce until thickened slightly.
3. Coat the salmon with the cooled sauce from above and place in the oven for 10 minutes, basting with more sauce half way through.
4. Whilst the salmon is in the oven cook the noodles according to pack instructions, drain and set aside.
5. Gently fry Very Lazy Chopped Garlic and lemongrass paste in a little oil before stirring in the cooked and drained noodles. Add few drops of sesame oil.
6. Serve salmon on top of noodles and garnish with a few sprinkle of sesame seeds.

For more tasty Very Lazy recipes and inspiration visit www.verylazy.com and to find out more about Very Lazy follow on Twitter @VeryLazyFood, Instagram @VeryLazyFoodUK or Facebook @VeryLazyFood.

*I received some of these items free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Nutribuddy Breakfast 14 Day Trial Results*

A couple of weeks ago you may have seen my Nutribuddy Breakfast First Impressions post when I was a few days into my 14 day trial of this product.

Just to recap, a 14 day supply costs £14.99 and comes in a glass clip top jar however you can save £1.99 by getting a refill pack. I also received a shaker which you have the option of adding to your order for just £7.99.

The breakfast mix is made with only organic and genuinely healthy ingredients meaning it is free from pesticides and artificial fertilisers. It’s great that this is chemical free. It is also sweetened by the natural sweetener stevia as opposed to Aspartame which many people choose to avoid. I think this product is great and appeals to many for the following further reasons.

• It’s suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
• It’s gluten free.
• It’s soy free.
• It’s sugar free.
• Contains only 121 calories per serving.
• High in fibre.
• Contains no allergens.

It’s such a versatile product. I really noticed how this kept me fuller for longer compared to my usual breakfast and I felt like it gave me an energy boost throughout the morning. After the 14 day trial, I lost 5lbs. I also maintained a healthy diet throughout the rest of the day and I did also exercise which may have helped with this. The shakes really did kick-start my day, especially before taking part in Parkrun and I even smashed a new PB on week 2.

If you want to know more or purchase your own two week trial, head over to Nutribuddy.

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Turtle Bay Norwich Christmas Menu Review*

As much as I love having a Christmas dinner, sometimes it can get a bit boring seeing the same menu in every restaurant over the festive season. When I found out that Turtle Bay had launched their very own festive menu, I couldn’t wait to try it out. I thought it was great that they were taking bookings for an alternative Caribbean Christmas experience.

I was offered the chance to come in and review the menu so of course I said yes. This would be my third time at Turtle Bay and it gets better and better with each visit. The dishes on the menu have been inspired by the island life and Caribbean sunshine.

The festive platters menu is perfect if you want that chilled out vibe and make your Christmas do more of a social experience and it costs just £9 per head. The platters consist of Turtle Bay’s most popular dishes alongside a delicious range of sides. Team this with a cocktail or two and you are good to go! Turtle Bay now allow you to pre-order drinks packages so your drinks could be ready and waiting as you arrive.

We arrived at 6pm - we like to go at this time not only because the cocktails are 2 for 1, but it means we can go straight from work. We were seated straight away and it was the first time we got to sit inside the well-known campervan area! It was great sitting here, really added to the atmosphere. We were given the All Day Christmas menu which consists at 4 courses for £24 per head. To start, we were offered some sharing dishes, firstly Garlic n Herb Flatbread which was topped with fresh rocket, crushed chilli and garlic butter. It was amazing, it was a lot bigger than I expected and the garlic butter was melted in to perfection. We also had Spicy Pork Rinds, the menu said these were served with a BBQ jerk but we didn’t seem to get this. These were a bit like pork scratchings but easier to eat. They made a nice dish for a little nibble. If you come here as a group, you will also get Trini Chickpeas which are baked spicy chickpeas dusted with thyme. I like that 2 of these dishes are vegetarian and the other 2 cater for coeliacs so it is handy if you have people in your group with various dietary requirements.

After eating our arrival nibbles we went onto starters. James decided to have the Crispy Chilli Squid which he has had previously and loves. He said they were cooked to perfection and piping hot. I decided to try something different and went for the Duck Rolls. I received 3 flatbread rolls filled with slow roasted shredded duck, sweet onion, soy sauce and chilli and it was served alongside an orange chutney. The portion size was ideal and the duck was delicious. It fell apart in my mouth, although they were rather messy to eat! The rolls had a good amount of filling to them so you didn’t feel like you’d missed out on any flavours.

Our main courses then arrived promptly after our starters. The timings were great I found, the staff really kept an eye on you and made sure plates and glasses were cleared away quickly and were always very attentive to us. For main course, James had the Half Jerk Chicken which looked like a pretty decent sized portion. His 24 hour jerk marinated chicken came with coconut rice ‘n’ peas and a Caribbean slaw. The chicken fell away from the bone and the flavours of the rice really complimented the chicken. He was absolutely stuffed after eating this. I went for the Pit Salmon, something I have never tried before and went for the original jerk glaze. The salmon was very flavoursome and had a delicious crispy skin. It was served with a grain salad, sweet onion chutney and green seasoning. The salad was really light so I didn’t feel overly full afterwards and the cooling flavours complimented the spicy marinade on the salmon. All in all it was very tasty.

When it came to choosing a dessert, we were both full! But as it is part of the £24 per head price, we needed to have one! After a bit of a breather, I decided I wanted to try the Sticky Black Treacle Pudding. I saw the words ‘salted caramel’ on the menu and knew this had to be my choice. The only one thing I would say about this is that it isn’t served warm, I think I would have preferred it to be heated up but it was still very good. I also would say if you’re full – maybe choose something a bit lighter as this was a heavy dessert, no fault of my own there! James went for the dark chocolate brownie which was served warm with vanilla ice cream and I am guessing he liked it as he ate every last drop.

When it came to drinks we also stuck to what we knew and I had my favourite cocktail, a Goombay Smash. James had a non-alcoholic Watermelon drink. Overall we had a really good meal and the atmosphere was great. As the night went on it got busier but this didn’t affect the quality of service we received. Head over to the Turtle Bay Facebook or Website for more information and to find out where your closest restaurant is.

Check out the Turtle Bay Christmas Menu and let me know what your choices would be? They also do a lunch menu so it’s worth a look whatever time of day you fancy getting festive!

*I received this meal free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Homemade Jelly Sweets Recipe - feat. Titch & Cable*

I love sweet treats and chocolate and this time of the year it is hard to avoid the temptation. With Christmas right around the corner I have been looking at healthier alternative ways to get my sugar fix in and this is where my homemade jelly sweets came into play. I have been making these ‘sweets’ for a while now and they are fantastic if you want to save some calories (and your teeth!). Being on slimming world, this is a recipe that I have discovered over the years and tweaked to make delicious chewy sweets, keep reading to find out more.

I recently found out about a new company called Titch & Cable and I was surprised at the wonderful range of items available on their website. I found this mini jelly baby mould for just £7.95 and I knew it would be absolutely perfect for my homemade sweets, as well as lots of other things such as homemade chocolates and funky ice cubes that I know will be loved by people of all ages. The mould is made from a high grade silicone and is oven, freezer and microwave safe. My order arrived via DPD which is great for me as they text you when your parcel is going to be delivered so if you’re not going to be there you can then choose to have it delivered to a neighbour or DPD pickup point. Spend over £60 and next working day delivery is free if you’re in the UK.

Ingredients:
2 Sachets of Sugar Free Jelly Powder
2 Sachets of Powdered Gelatin (Vegetarian alternative can also be used)
1 Muller Light Yoghurt
½ Pint of Boiling Water
Silicone Mould

Method
Firstly add the gelatin powder and the jelly crystals to the boiling water and stir well. Pour half of this mixture into your silicone mould and pop in the fridge to set until firm. I usually give it an hour.

Once the first part has set, mix the remaining jelly/gelatin mix with your muller light and then pour this into your mould on top of the jelly. Pop back in the fridge to completely set. Once set you can then take these out of the mould. As the mould is silicone, the sweets are really easy to remove without altering them in any way. I couldn’t believe how perfect they came out. I used to put the mixture into a pyrex dish and then cut into squares which was so messy, however my new mould has been amazing and there was a lot less cleaning to do.

This whole serving made a total of 24 sweets and works out at just 3 syns for a batch (if following slimming world) or less than 250 calories for the lot. They last in the fridge for up to a week if you haven’t eaten them all by then of course.



Titch & Cable are passionate about providing their customers with a good experience and choose the suppliers that they partner with carefully to ensure products are ethically sourced. I thought the prices of the products were very reasonable and if you’re looking for a great Christmas gift there is something for everyone from kitchenware, tableware, linen and gifts. I think another amazing thing about this company is that they have partnered with Compassion, a Christian child development organisation. A portion of their profits are helping to build kitchens in Sri Lanka, ensuring children have safe, nutritious meals.

Overall, these sweets went down a storm with everyone who tried them and I cannot wait to whip up another batch. I am going to try chocolates next so keep an eye out for a future post on those. If you’d like to find out more about the products available from Titch & Cable, head over to their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.