Silent Sunday

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Week 46

Wow we are at week 46! This year has certainly flown by!

This week I am going to show you how our garden has grown now that November has arrived.  After a mild month we were amazed to find a beautiful pink flower on one of our clematis! We still have flowers on the Penstemon and the winter Jasmine is blooming. It is lovely to see some colour in the garden again, however they will get a shock if we get a frost.

This is how our garden has grown this week....

As always I am sharing my post with the lovely Annie from  Mammasaurus.

Word of the Week - 21st November 2014

This week my word of the week has to be...

Deliveries

This week has been quite uneventful as we have been waiting for various deliveries everyday.

Monday I had to wait in for a courier to collect some Ugg boots that I needed to change and some Christmas presents delivered. 

Tuesday I waited in for the hubby's new garden shed to be delivered to only get a call in the afternoon to tell me that it wouldn't arrive until Wednesday.

So Wednesday became the shed day.

Thursday was Ocado delivery day.

Friday is Riverford's delivery day and a parcel from Fat Face!

The twins are both full of cold at the moment so thankfully they haven't wanted to go far. We did go to Tesco quickly before the deliveries arrived and I treated them both to new DVDs including Frozen, which has been a huge hit! We have been having a lot of days having cuddles on the settee watching films. I will admit to loving cuddle times and doing nothing but relaxing with my babies.

What word would sum up your week?

As always I am sharing my word of the week with the lovely Jocelyn at The Reading Residence.

Food Discovery Box - Review

We love artisan foods and always enjoy visiting food and drink festivals and trying new produce. However, unfortunately, there are not many held in our area. We have tried foods that we have loved and then never seen them again.

This is where Food Discovery Box comes in. They are suppliers for some of the best artisan food companies in the country. Unlike other subscription boxes you are able to select the items that you would like to receive in your box. Each month you are given a menu of up to 30 different items from various suppliers. From this list you can select the products which you would like to be included in your box.

I was sent a Pimp My Plate Foodie Gift Box. The boxes come carefully packed with plenty of padding to prevent any of the goods getting damaged.

In my box I received:

• Jacc's Gourmet Vanilla Flavoured Ground Coffee
• Flavour Magic Rosemary Rock Salt
• Chiltern Natural Foods Apple and Cinnamon Crunch
• The Chef's Table Garlic and Rosemary Infused Oil
• Spicentice Tandoori Spice Rub
• Truly Simple Foods Red Chilli Pepper Puree

Within each box you receive a "Welcome to your Food Discovery Box" card which give you information on each product, it's producer and ideas for how to use the items.

Food Discovery Box offer various different box options. You can select from:

• Subscribe to a monthly Food Discovery Box
• Gourmet Chocolate Gift Box
• Gourmet Food Hamper
• Just Add Cheese Foodie Gift Box
• Love Chilli Gift Box
• Love Coffee Gift Box
• Love Curry Gift Box
• Pimp My Plate Foodie Gift Box

With so many options there really is a box to please all tastes!

I was delighted with the contents and could not wait to start using the items. The first product that I used was the Garlic and Rosemary Infused Oil and the Rosemary Rock salt to create a delicious dish of Rosemary and Garlic Chicken. These two ingredients complimented each other perfectly. The Apple and Cinnamon Crunch makes a flavoursome topping for Greek yogurt. I am looking forward to creating more recipes with the other ingredients provided.

Food Discovery Box is a delivery which I would certainly look forward to each month. They offer foodie treats which are not found in the regular supermarkets and help to create exciting meals.

If you would like to try Food Discovery Box for yourself I have been given a discount code for Hijacked By Twins readers. Simply add the code "hijackedbytwins" to receive a 50% discount. They are also offering the chance to win a Food Discovery Box during the run up to Christmas. To be in the chance of winning subscribe to Food Discovery Box, for more information visit Food Discovery Box.

Disclosure: I was sent a Food Discovery Box for the purpose of this post. No payment was received. All views and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

I am sharing my review with My Family Fever and We're Going On An Adventure

Ginger, Lime and Chilli Mackerel - Family Favourites

This week I am sharing a simple way to add extra flavour to mackerel fillets. Mackerel is a cheaper fish which isn't used enough. It is quick and easy to cook can be served in numerous ways. This week I am sharing a delicious dish that is both tasty and healthy.

Here is this weeks Family Favourites recipe...

Ginger, Lime and Chilli Mackerel

Ingredients

4 mackerel fillets

2 limes, zest and juice

1 red chilli, chopped

Root ginger, a piece approx 1cm grated

1 cup of brown rice per person

1 red pepper, chopped

1 red onion chopped

250g portabello mushrooms, chopped

1lg carrot, chopped

Method

1 - Place the lime juice, zest, chilli and ginger in a deep plate and add the mackerel fillets. Marinade for at least 2 hours.

2 - Cook the rice as per instructions.

3 - Gently fry the onion, red pepper, carrots and mushrooms in 1tbsp olive oil until they are all softening.

4 - Place the mackerel fillets under a high grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side.

5 - Once the rice is cooked, drain and return to the pan. Add the cooked vegetables and mix with the rice.

6 - Serve the mackerel on top of the bed of rice.

The lime, ginger and chilli make the mackerel fillets something special, the flavours go together perfectly. What is even better is that it is a healthy meal that all the family will enjoy.

If you are following the Slimming World diet this is a syn free meal. If you are following the Juice Plus plan this meal is made with free foods!

Enjoy x

I am sharing this weeks Family Favourites recipe with A Mummy Too - Recipe of the Week

Easy Homemade Raw Fruit and Nut Bars

I have recently discovered Nakd bars. They are a delicious way to have something sweet and healthy. After looking at the ingredients list I realised that they would be simple to make. They only contain fruit, nuts and natural flavours, so I knew that I could make my own for a fraction of the price.

The beauty with this recipe is that you can add any dried fruit that you like with various different nuts. They are also quick and simple to make.

This is what I did...

Easy Homemade Raw Fruit and Nut Bars

Ingredients (makes 14 bars)

300g dried dates
100g dried cranberries
100g dried mixed fruit with candied peel
100g walnut pieces
Desiccated coconut

Method

1 - Place the dates, cranberries, dried fruit and walnuts into a food processor and blitz until all of the ingredients become a sticky ball.

2 - Weight out each portion out at 35g roll into either bars or balls.

3 - Cover a plate with desiccated coconut, this will make the bars more manageable as they are quite sticky.

4 - Place in the fridge for an hour before serving. This will just harden the bars a little. I used coconut however if you prefer you could also coat in flaked almonds.

These will also make great Christmas treats, to make them more of a treat you could sprinkle in a little cocoa powder or some festive spices. Simply store them in the fridge until you want them.

These little treats are made with free foods if you are following the Juice Plus plan.

Enjoy x

I am sharing this recipe with Honest Mum - Tasty Tuesday.