Ambronite Supermeal Drinks Review

We all know that to maintain a healthy diet ensuring you eat regular meals is essential. One meal that I often struggle with is breakfast. I often find that I am not hungry first thing so put it off then before I know it lunch time has arrived and I have missed the all important first meal. So when Ambronite got in touch with me to ask if I would like to try out their drinkable super meal shakes I though it would be the perfect way to start the day.

For me it was important that the shakes were not to be used for slimming purposes as I do not think shake diets for slimming work in the long run. But the shakes are an ideal way to make sure you are not missing any meals while getting a boost of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Each serving of Ambronite shakes contain:

• 10g of plant based protein
• Fibre
• 9 veggies, berries and fruits
• Omega 3
• 29 food based vitamins and minerals
• NO dairy, wheat or GMOS

Easy Salmon Salad for a Dry Summer Drinking

As soon as the sun comes out we all crave longer, colder drinks. A good refreshing beer is the perfect drink for a hot day. But we do not always want the alcohol that goes with the beers. Recently we have been trying a number of low and zero alcohol options. So when Krombacher got in touch to ask if I would like to try their new non alcoholic beers it was perfect timing!

Today I am going to tell you a bit about Krombacher non alcoholic beers, what we thought of them and share a recipe that is the perfect pairing for both beers.

Krombacher have recently released two non alcoholic beers, a pilsner larger and a wheat beer. The hubby is quite particular when it comes to beers so the Krombacher certainly had it's work cut out. The first beer that the hubby tried was the weizen beer, a wheat beer. When I gave him the beer he actually commented that he could not tell the difference between a regular alcoholic wheat beer and the Krombacher non alcoholic beer! This is definitely a beer that we will be having again. I definitely preferred the lighted pilsner beer. So for us they suited us perfectly, one being an ale connoisseur and the other, me, just liking a cold drink! More and more people are going from alcoholic beers to non alcoholic beers and drinks suppliers have noticed the consumer change and have even seen non alcoholic stores like Dry Drinker having a boom in sales! They even have alcohol free gin!

The foodie that I am I love to pair food with drinks and after doing some research I discovered that both the pilsner and the wheat beers both pair well with similar foods. So selecting the key ingredients was easy. Both beers go well with green vegetables and fish and as it is summer the green vegetables had to be salad items. This salad is not only deliciously healthy but is also so quick and easy to prepare.

This is what I did...

Weight Loss Fashion

Today I am sharing a post that is a little different to my foodie post. I have spoken in the past about my weight loss journey. I still have not reached my final target but I have reached my original target and I am finally feeling happy with how I am. Since I returned to the working world a few weeks ago I have been getting glimpses of the old Kirsty coming back and I love it!

Along with the weight loss and returning to work I definitely needed some new clothes. So when I got an email asking me if I would like to try out some summer clothes the timing was perfect. When it came to deciding what to try I knew that I would need some blouses and dresses. But I like clothes that can be multi functional, items that can be worn for work but also at the weekend.

Lemon and Lime Meringue Pie - A kMix Recipe

One of the hubby's favourite desserts has to be lemon meringue pie. He often moans that I do not make this a lot and he is right. I could not tell you the last time, before now, that I made one. So when I mentioned to him that I wanted to try out the balloon whisk attachment on the Kenwood kMix stand mixer he suggested a lemon meringue pie without hesitation. As I was baking for father's day I could not refuse.

When I made the pie it was one of the hottest days of the year so needless to say I did not want to be in the kitchen for hours so I did cheat a little. Instead of making my own pastry I did buy some pre made shortcrust pastry. Unfortunately it did not turn out as well as when I make my own. I must confess I did wonder whether or not to share this recipe simply because of the poor pastry but the pie tasted amazing and the meringue was the best I made! Plus I am only human, not every single meal or recipe I make turns out Instagram perfect, but hey that is life!

When it came to making the meringue the Kenwood kMix did a fantastic job and I was able to hold the bowl upside down in no time! The meringue has to be the best meringue that I have ever made. It was so light and fluffy and once baked had the perfect crispy topping combined with the softer centre.

This is what I did...

Sprouted Wholemeal Spelt Flour Carrot Cake

One of my all time favourite cakes has to be carrot cake. Surprisingly it is not a cake that I make very often but that makes it even more of a treat!

I was recently sent some new flours to try which gave me the perfect excuse to make a carrot cake! I was sent an email from the team over at Bite UK telling me about the new Spiffing sprouted flours. Needless to say I was curious and wanted to know more. Sprouted flours have been through a germination technique called sprouted. This process wakes up the grain, bringing it to life and acting as a catalyst for nutrients. Flours that have undergone this germination have many benefits including:

• More easily digestible. They are rapidly absorbed by the body and kinder to the stomach.
• Increased key nutrients such as Vitamins B and C, folate, fibre, essential amino acids and increased anti oxidants.
• Enhanced taste and texture.

The flours come in four varieties:

• Sprouted wheat flour
• Sprouted wholemeal spelt flour
• Sprouted buckwheat flour
• Sprouted chickpea flour

For this bake I decided to use the sprouted wholemeal spelt flour. I love the nutty flavour that spelt brings to a bake and knew that it would be perfect for this cake. I got my inspiration for this cake from Signe Johansen's beautiful book Scandilicious Baking. This is what I did... 

Life and Luck Before 40!

Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Today is my birthday.

Today I turn 39.

39, how can I be 39?

All of a sudden the years seem to have crept up. Next year I hit the big 4 0. I remember feeling dread as I went from my 20's into my 30's then once my birthday was over I realised it was not such a big deal. So why is 40 such a big deal?

People say that once you hit 40 you have hit mid life but I am going into my final year of my thirties with a different view. When I hit 40 I am going to be going into some of the best years of my life. During my thirties I have noticed a huge difference in how I feel about life. I went into my thirties as a single working mum to J. During my 30's I met, fell in love with and married my hubby. He turned my life into something that I dreamt of. He gave me the stability and completed me in a way that I always longed for. We have been blessed with our beautiful twins and have a loving family. My 30's have been the most settled, happy and stable years. Lady luck has definitely been on my side and as I go into the final year of my 30's I am actually looking forward to seeing how my life changes during my 40's.

Family Time at Prezzo

During the half term last week the children and I met up with my sister and her daughters for a lunch treat at Prezzo. The school holidays gave us the perfect opportunity to get together with the children to enjoy some food. 

Prezzo have made family dining even easier and family orientated with their new La Famiglia Feast sharing dish. We, as a family love to sit and eat together and regardless what others have everybody wants to dig in and try other meals which when you are out can be a bit difficult. But Prezzo have created the perfect feast for a family. One large bowl of pasta, side dishes, drinks and even ice cream. One bowl for everyone to share. This is ideal for families and a fantastic way to come together over some delicious food.

Calsway Snacks Review - Plus Dessert Recipe!

Eating right just got a lot easier with the new health brand Calsway. Calsway have recently announced the launch of their Eat Right® (#EatRight) range of snacks.

Like the majority of busy people finding a healthy snack for on the go can be hard. But Calsway have created a range of naturally delicious snacks that finally solve this problem. Trying to follow a healthy eating plan you are bombarded by what you can and cannot eat, the amount of calories to consume, weighing foods, following a 'diet' can be exhausting. These Calsway snacks come pre packed in resealable pouches that come in 100, 150 and 200 calorie packets with both paleo and vegan options available. When Calsway contacted me to ask if we would like to try one of their variety boxes I knew that they could solve both my snacking problems and finding healthy snacks for the children.

Date and Walnut Bread with Kenwood kMix

Last week I told you about the latest addition to my kitchen, the Kenwood kMix. I love baking and the kMix food mixers make it even easier and quicker. The first recipe that I shared was for my deliciously gooey rhubarb and ginger cake, this week I am sharing a bread recipe made with the kMix using the dough hook.

I used to have the Kenwood Prospero food mixer and when making a large batch of dough I found that it did struggle a little so I was definitely curious to see how the more sturdy and robust kMix would handle some dough. The kMix is an all round larger and stronger mixer so I was hopeful. After buying a date and walnut loaf the other week I decided to have a go at making my own.

This is what I did...

Getting Fit with DW Fitness Centre

Regular readers of Hijacked By Twins will know that I am on a weight loss journey. So far I have lost over 2 stone by following the Slimming World plan. But as the weight has come off my focus has gone to my fitness. Like most mums I have areas which need toning up and I know that there are bits that will get better but simply will not go back to how they were pre twins. Finally I am in a place where I am happy with that. I am finally feeling happy with my body and am loving the increased activity that I am doing. I recently signed up to take part in the Cancer Research Race for Life which gave me a target. When I signed up I could not run for 1 minute let alone for 5k, but now after training, I can and I am confident that I will complete the run. So when DW Fitness Clubs got in touch to ask if I would like to try out their facilities and some of their sports wear the timing was perfect.

Rhubarb and Ginger Cake with Kenwood kMix

If you follow Hijacked By Twins on Instagram you may have seen that I have got a new piece of kitchen equipment. If not, let me show you my new toy...

When I received an email a few weeks ago from Kenwood asking me if I would like to try out their legendary kMix stand mixer to say that I was excited is an understatement. I love to bake and already had a Kenwood Prospero machine which was a fantastic addition to the kitchen but as soon as I saw the kMix I knew that it was going to be even better. Since my childhood Kenwood food mixers have been a part of everyday kitchen equipment. My mum and grandmother had them when I was growing up so I always knew that I would have one too.

Kenwood have a stylish kMix range of kitchen products that come in a variety of colours so you know that they are going to fit right in. When I unpacked the kMix the first thing that I noticed was the slim design. Having a kitchen with limited worktop space, with the Prospero I did struggle and had to keep the mixer in the cupboard. But with the kMix's compact design I am able to keep it out on the worktop without losing valuable room. The first time that I used the mixer I was amazed by how powerful the motor is but also how quiet it is. This is a mixer that can be used without disturbing the peace. Another feature that I love about the kMix is the huge glass mixing bowl. The large bowl means that you can prepare even more, it really does give this machine the added edge, plus watching the ingredients come together is so therapeutic! So far I have been nothing but impressed with the design, quality and standard of this food mixer and I am looking forward to sharing with you a series of recipe posts that demonstrate how truly versatile and invaluable this item is!

National Multi Tasking Day with Nature's Finest Plus a Healthy, Quick and Easy Dessert!

Wednesday 24th May 2017 is National Multi Tasking Day. Being a busy working mum to three children, wife to the hubby and caring after animals multi tasking is something that you need to do to maintain sanity! I never truly knew what multi tasking was until the twins arrived and the hubby returned to work after his paternity leave. Having two babies needing you, often at the same time, makes you look at what you do and try to make life as easy as possible.

Nature's Finest is celebrating National Multi Tasking Day and making preparing fruit one less job to do! Their pre prepared fruit contains no added sugar and is preserved in natural juice. The fruit in Nature's Finest has been picked and packed at its peak ripeness to ensure all of the goodness is retained.

It has been identified that 24th May is the country's busiest day. People are starting to plan their summer holidays, the children are getting ready for yet another half term holiday, work that needs doing, like all families, the list goes on. So to make the busiest day a little easier I am going to share with you my top tips for multi tasking and how to survive the busy day! Plus a deliciously quick and easy recipe that is perfect for the days when you are not prepared for the question "what's for pudding mum?".

British Sandwich Week - Two Italian Toasties

Who doesn't love a good sandwich? The mighty sandwich is such a versatile meal, it can be easily adapted to suit individual taste, there really is nothing that you cannot do with a sandwich.

One of our favourite ways to have a sandwich is by toasting it. When you toast a sandwich the flavours transform into something special. So when I was asked if I would like to try the Breville DuraCeramic Sandwich Press I jumped at the chance. Toasted sandwiches are a firm favourite with everyone here so I had a feeling that it would go down well!

To celebrate British Sandwich Week I was challenged to create an international, flavours from around the world, sandwich. I decided to use Italian flavours. We all love Italian dishes and flavours and even more so after our holiday to Italy last year.

Like all families, we have different tastes. I love vegetables, while the Hubby is a big meat eater. So to satisfy all of our tastes I have created two delicious Italian deli style toasted sandwiches, one filled with vegetables and the other filled with meat.

This is what I did...

Easy School Holiday Meals with Birds Eye

When Birds Eye got in touch with me and asked me if I would like to try out some of their spring recipes I knew that the school holidays would be the ideal time to try one out. During the school holidays we all want to have meals that are quick and easy. When you have days out or have just had a busy day at home you want to be able to prepare a meal that is both nutritious and tasty.

Birds Eye do a great range of frozen fish, chicken, vegetables, potato products, pie, ready meals and even breakfast sweet treats. I decided to use some of their delicious fish products in a recipe. The Birds Eye Inspirations range allow you to feast on fish that is full of flavour and that has been paired with perfect extra ingredients. As you know I am following the Slimming World eating plan and will admit that it did play a part in what I decided to get. When I was looking at the syn value in the fish I was delighted to find that the Salmon in Lemon and Dill Sauce was syn free it went straight into my trolley!

I decided to make a meal based on the serving suggestion on the front of the box. The picture shows the salmon on a bed of pasta and peas.

This is what I did...

#ThankGoodness for Dolmio

When feeding a family it is essential that the meal is both delicious and full of goodness. As much as we would all love to be able to cook meals from scratch when you live in a busy family household it really is not always feasible. Thankfully on days when you need a helping hand you can rely on Dolmio to not only provide you with an authentic Italian sauce but one that is also full of goodness. The Dolmio bolognese sauce that I have used in this recipe is 100% natural. Check out the video below that shows you exactly what goes into each jar of Domlio Bolognese sauce.

Each jar contains at least 10 juicy tomatoes, tomato puree, half an onion, a tablespoon of sunflower oil, garlic, basil, herbs, a teaspoon of cornflour, a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, two teaspoons of beet sugar to taste, a squeeze of lemon juice and water. There are no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners so you know that when you feed your family a meal that uses the Dolmio sauce they are getting natural goodness. The sauce is so good it provides you with one of your daily recommended five a day!

Bolognese sauce is often purely associated with spaghetti or pasta. But I am going to show you that it is so much more. Bolognese sauce is such a versatile sauce that can be used to create a vast array of delicious, family friendly meals. It can be used in so many different ways there really is no fixed way to enjoy the sauce. Let your imagination and culinary creativity run free and use the Dolmio bolognese sauce as the base of so many amazing dishes.

In this post I am going to tell you how to prepare a full of vegetables bolognese base with the Dolmio original sauce. But I am also going to show you how you can transform the sauce into three different meals. All three are wholesome meals with three distinct flavours. I am going to show you that bolognese is anything but boring!

This is what I did…

Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano Review

One of our favourite meals has to be cheese, meats and wine. When we have a date night at home this is our go to treat. The kids in bed, a movie and quality cheese, meat and wine. Perfect.

So when I was asked if I would like to try some Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano cheese direct from Italy. I simply could not resist. Italian cuisine is one of our most favourite foods and trying different produce is all part of the fun.

Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano Cheese have both been recognised by the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products since 1996. In order to achieve PDO status, products must respect the strict Production Specifications. The PDO logo guarantees that the products are of the highest quality, authenticity and traceability. 

San Daniele del Friuli is a perfect place for curing prosciutto. The breezes of the Adriatic Sea combined with the fresh air from the Alps, the morainic hills curb humidity and the Tagliamento river regulates the temperature. The climate and traditional processing, which has been perfected over the years, gives this prosciutto a delicate taste that literally melts in the mouth. Its aroma grows more persistent as maturing progresses. Prosciutto di San Daniele is natural, Italian and unique as it is made only with selected thighs from Italian pigs, sea salt and the special microclimate of San Daniele del Friuli. No types of additive or preservatives are used. 

Introducing Gluten Free Flavours from Schwartz

Last night I was treated to a truly outstanding supper in central London. But this was no ordinary meal, it was a totally gluten free meal. The supper was held to introduce a brand new gluten free product that is now on the market. The herbs and spices experts, Schwartz, have released their very own range of cooking sauces that are gluten free.

We all live in a busy world and it is not always possible to cook a delicious meal from scratch. As much as we would like to, life has a habit of getting in the way. Whether it is because a child has an after school club or work has dragged on, there is many a night when we want nothing more than convenience. If either you or a family member follows a gluten free diet you will know how hard this can be. When cooking meals from scratch it is easy as you know exactly what you are putting into the meal. However when you are buying in a pre prepared packet mix or a ready meal it is essential that you check exactly what has gone into the meal. This can be such a time consuming and frustrating task. This is where the new packet mixes from Schwartz come in. Schwartz has recognised that there is a gap in the market for these type of sauces and that it is something that the consumers want. Approximately 45% of the food consumer market buy gluten free products, 30% of which is purely down to a lifestyle choice. More and more people are choosing to follow a gluten free diet and finally there are some convenient, family friendly, full of flavour options.

Schwartz have just released their brand new Gluten Free range which is made up of three pour over sauces and five complete recipe mixes. This range has been in development for two years and they have worked extremely closely with both nutritionists and Coeliac UK to obtain the certification of the Crossed Grain symbol. Having this symbol on the mixes ensures you that the product, the manufacturing processes and production sites have undertaken stringent tests to ensure that there is no chance of gluten contamination. When you see the symbol on a product you can be confident in what you are eating.

Vini and Bals Rustic Indian Curry Sauces - Review

You cannot beat a good Indian curry but if you are watching your weigh having a take away means consuming a lot of hidden calories. That is without mentioning the cost which when feeding a family can be high! So when Vini and Bal's got in touch to ask me if I would like to try some of their authentic Indian curry sauces I was curious to see whether they would be like getting one from a restaurant.

Vini and Bal's is the creation of a husband and wife team. Vini's family moved over the England in the 70's and Vini grew up cooking with her mother and grandmother, the food was made from scratch and she has treasured memories of growing up grinding spices with a pestle and mortar and making smiley faced chapattis. When Vini married Bal, Vini and Bal's was born. They both have a passion for healthy, home cooked food. After Vini had shared her families sauces with friends it became apparent that there was something special about the sauces. In 2011 they started to make the sauces commercially. Over time the recipe has evolved to cater for Vini's mother who was diagnosed with Coeliacs so the sauces needed to be healthy, clean and of course gluten free! They even paid a visit to BBC's Dragon's Den and got the backing from them!

Pressure King Pro - Review

I love getting kitchen gadgets. The unboxing, using it for the first time and getting creative with meals is one of my favourite things to do. So when I was asked if I would like to review the Pressure King Pro I jumped at the chance! Only a couple of days earlier I was telling the hubby that I needed a new slow cooker as my other one had broken so after having a look at the Pressure King Pro online I was definitely excited for it to arrive. I have never used a pressure cooker, but I do have memories of my mum using one when I was a child. Of course they have all updated since then and are even digital! Before the Pressure King Pro arrived I really was not sure what to expect but I could not wait to find out more.

Thanks to the speedy delivery from ao.com it arrived in no time. The first thing that I was surprised at was the size of the Pressure King Pro, it was bigger than I was expecting which is fantastic when you are preparing meals for a family of five. The Pressure King Pro comes with everything that you need to prepare delicious meals in even less time!

Before you can use the Pressure King Pro for the first time you need to give it a steam clean. This is to ensure that all parts are thoroughly clean before you add any food.

To really jump in at the deep end I decided that my first meal using the Pressure King Pro would be a joint of beef in a ragu sauce.

This is what I did...

St Kew Goodwill Basket

Are you still looking for a gift this Christmas? Wanting to take a gift to someone for new year? If so Suttons Seeds have some lovely ideas. From gifts for the garden to gifts for the home, for him, for her and even foodie hampers.