Chunky Root Veg and Bean Soup

At this time of year I love a good warming bowl of soup. I find it so comforting, on a cold day to sit inside, snug and warm with a big bowl of soup. Not only is it a great comfort food but it is also a great way to get plenty of goodness into our diets.

While shopping the other day I spotted a stew vegetables bundle reduced down to just 25p and I knew it would be ideal for a soup so popped it into my basket! The vegetables that are in this super chunky soup are cheap roots and full of flavour.

This is what I did...

Christmas Desserts from Aldi

Now that we are getting closer to Christmas I have started to get stocked up with as many foods for Christmas day as possible. This definitely helps the budget and makes the Christmas shopping trip quicker and easier.

During my shopping trip last week my focus was on desserts for Christmas day! It is the perfect time to allow yourself to indulge in some sweet treats. In true Aldi style they have a wide variety of desserts that are perfect for Christmas and are at a fantastic price.

Before I tell you about the desserts that I will be serving on Christmas day I have to show you the latest addition to our household!

Finally I have managed to get a Kevin the Carrot! Kevin the Carrot is the star of Aldi's Christmas adverts and also their fundraising star. This soft, plush carrot toy is being sold both in store and online and 100% of the profits are going to Barnardo's to help vulnerable and disadvantaged children across the UK. So if you do see one while out shopping, pop one in your trolley!

Now onto desserts!

#CookBlogShare - Round-up and Week 50 Linky

Hello and welcome to week 50 of CookBlogShare. I cannot believe that we have almost had another year of CookBlogShare! As this is my last CookBlogShare of 2016 be prepared for me to get sentimental!

Thank you so much for supporting the linky over the last year it has been a pleasure to host and read all of your delicious recipes. Next year the linky will continue with Mandy from Sneaky Veg, Eb from Easy Peasy Foodie and myself and we look forward to continuing this lovely foodie blogger community.

This weeks round up is all about chocolate. I simply could not resist the four chocolate delights that I have chosen as my favourite recipes. They are all irresistible, some are even healthy but all four will want you wanting more!

Here are my four favourite recipes from week 49 of CookBlogShare...

Christmas with Warninks Advocaat

This time of year is certainly one for reminiscing. Remembering childhood Christmases, remembering loved ones and remembering Christmas traditions and passing them on to the next generation.

When Warninks Advocaat contacted me about our favourite Christmas moments my mind immediately drifted back to my teenage years, standing in my grandparents conservatory, behind their bar, taking orders and making snowballs. I loved the moment that the lemonade hits the Advocaat and froths up. No Christmas is complete without a trusty snowball. Before I tell you about some easy snowball recipes I thought that I would share with you our Christmas traditions and how they are being passed down from generation to generation.

Once December arrives all of our attention goes to Christmas. One tradition that we have started since the twins were two is going to buy a real Christmas tree. This was something that I had always wanted so when we decided that it was going to be a memory for our children to treasure I was excited. The whole experience of going out to select the tree, watching it get wrapped up in the net, trying to get it in the car to bringing it inside and decorating has become a much loved occasion. Once the tree is ready for decorating the Christmas music goes on and the kids get busy. Before, I used to be so particular about how the tree was decorated. But seeing how excited the children get when they are adding the decorations that they have made is so much more important. Gone are the days of colour coordination. They have now been replaced with sentimental ornaments. This year our tree is full of memories from baubles that were my grandparents to home made ornaments, from decorations that Santa has left in the children's stockings to keepsakes that the hubby has bought for me over the years.

Clean Eating with MuscleFood's Live Clean Meals

You may have read that I am currently on a weight loss journey with Slimming World. But this time I am not seeing it as a diet, it is a lifestyle change that is for good. Starting my journey has made me evaluate what I eat, how I prepare food and ensuring that my meals are full of goodness. As much as I love to cook all of our meals from scratch sometimes life takes over and all I want is a healthy meal that is already prepared for me. This leads me to the next problem, finding a ready meal that is nutritious and wholesome. This is where MuscleFood's Live Clean meals come in!

If you have not heard of MuscleFood before let me tell you a little about them.

MuscleFood is an online food and nutrition supplier. They specialise in foods that are not only a high quality but also contain the necessary nutrients and proteins that you need whether you are a keen sports and fitness person or if you, like me, want to eat as healthily as possible with the aim to get to a healthy weight and maintain it. All of their meats are of the highest quality and all carry quality stamps such as the red tractor, RSPCA assured, free range, Organic Association to name but a few. So you know that you are getting exactly what you want. MuscleFood is tried and trusted by professional athletes, they are suppliers to some of the top British restaurants and deliver straight to your door without adding any water or salt to their products. Their meat has never been frozen and is even classically butchered on the day that it is dispatched to you.

With this ethos in mind MuscleFood have developed their new range of meals, Live Clean. The meals are nutritionally balanced, full of clean ingredients and will never contain added sugars or anything artificial! The Live Clean meals have been hand cooked by a Michelin star trained chef and are ready in minutes!

Tabl Recipe Competition! WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Would you like to win a £100 voucher just in time for Christmas?

Of course, who wouldn't!

Tabl are offering one Hijacked By Twins reader the chance to win a £100 voucher to spend on anything on their site.

If you haven't heard about Tabl let me tell you a bit about them.

Tabl are real people who have a real passion for food. They are on a mission to create incredible foodie experiences that range from secret supper clubs to pop-up restaurants. Basically anything foodie that you can imagine. They are constantly sourcing independent and craft producers that can guarantee downright delicious food, from wagyu beef to green tea, granola to gin, and gluten-free to gluttonous. As well as the events that they host they also provide an amazing gift range that is ideal for this time of year. Their hampers range in prices from up to £25 to the indulgent hampers that retail over £100 but they cater for all tastes. My favourite hamper has to be their Ultimate Gin Hamper!