Monthly Archives: May 2011

A Passion For Collecting!

Posted on by Abi

I was watching the news recently and they were talking about how many people have a real passion for collecting. All kinds of items were mentioned from the tiny to the huge (such as collecting cars). One lady emailed in during the program to say she had 400 cheese dishes!

We are no strangers to the compulsion to horde, whoops I meant collect! I’ve talked before about Anne collecting old glass jelly moulds. I’ve been known to collect various things from Teddy Bears (as a child) to Film Memorabilia. I seem to have a fairly short attention span and regularly move onto a new collection, but isn’t that part of the joy, the ever changing interest and expanding of knowledge? Although if you choose a large item it can take over your house with ease.

Anne also collects anything tea related, luckily she has several shelves that have managed to house the collection. Ringtons and Tetley would seem to be the favourites, but perhaps they are just the most prolific producers of tea related memorabilia.

At the moment though she has been buying up old baking cutters, not to use with food. But several have been utilised in sewing projects of all things, you’d be surprised just how creative she is!

Of course that is one of the side benefits of collecting, it seems to baulk at the idea of a throw away society. When one person can love an item whatever it’s age or in some cases condition, it breathes new life where others may have seen only junk.

Here’s a few items from the Angel Eden Store made from collected bits and bobs.

 

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Nakd Bars Review

Posted on by Abi

I was recently asked if I’d like to try out some Nakd Bars. If you’ve never heard of these ingenious little snack bars then you may well be confused by the name. They are called Nakd because they are far more natural both in terms of ingredients and production. The bars are made from Raw Wholefoods with no added sugar or syrups. They are cold pressed and not baked. They are also free from Gluten, Wheat and Dairy so great for those with allergies. They provide one of your five a day and are 100% vegan. Phew that’s a lot of info! But beyond the obvious health credentials, do they taste any good?

I began with the Gingerbread bar, made from raw dates, raw almonds, raw pecans, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. I was quite surprised by the texture of the bar. It’s very soft, almost like the consistency of biscuit batter before it’s cooked. I didn’t find the flavour overwhelming, in fact I thought it could do with a little more ginger. I have to be completely honest here and say that while I enjoyed the bar, I wasn’t bowled over by it.

Next came Berry Delight, made from Raw Dates, Raw Cashews, Raw Raisins and Raw Raspberry. This bar I enjoyed much more than the Gingerbread, the flavour was more summery and fruity and much more to my personal taste.

Finally I tried the Cocoa Delight bar, made from Raw dates, raw cashews, raw raisins and cocoa. This was by far my favourite flavour, it was just like eating raw cookie dough that’s healthy! The cocoa flavour was subtle and refined. I really truly enjoyed this bar and could quite happily eat many more of them. Although I do wonder if this would be advisable considering the ingredients, it might give you a stomach ache?

Would I recommend them?

Yes, especially the Cocoa Delight (are you getting the hint that I really rather liked that one!) The idea of a raw wholefood bar, made without baking is extremely unique. Their texture may not be to everyone’s taste, but as it reminded me of sneaking unbaked cookie/biscuit dough, I really enjoyed it. They are also great for those with food allergies, vegans and anyone trying to add more healthy foods into their diet. These would be great for kids lunchboxes as well.

Can they be improved in anyway?

I imagine this is all down to personal preference, I wasn’t overly keen on the Gingerbread bar, I would have liked more ginger. But otherwise they made a very refreshing snack and I’d be happy to eat more of them.

 

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Honey & Mustard BBQ Chicken Marinade Recipe

Posted on by Abi

As Bank Holiday Monday approaches it’s a safe bet that many of us will be hoping for sunshine so we can break out the BBQ. But why settle for cooking meat straight from the packet, how about livening it up with sauces and marinades. Today I’m going to share a gorgeous Honey & Mustard Chicken Marinade that was given to me by the good folks at Rachel’s Organics.

What You’ll Need

Large bunch of flat leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1 red chill, de-seeded
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp clear honey
4 tbsp Rachel’s Greek Style Honey Bio Live Yogurt
Olive oil

1 jointed chicken 1.5kg or 800g of chicken portions

Step 1

To make the marinade place all the ingredients except the yogurt and oil into a food processor and blitz until smooth.  With the motor still running add the yogurt and a swig of olive oil and pulse briefly.

Step 2

Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and leave to marinade for at least ½ hour or overnight in the fridge.

Step 3

Pre-heat the barbeque or grill on high. Cook one side and then the other until golden. Check the chicken is cooked all the way through and then serve with lemon wedges.

Note. This recipe works very well with either Chicken Drumsticks or pieces threaded onto a kebab stick as we did here.

For more yummy recipes, make sure to visit Rachel’s Organics online.

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