A few weeks ago a company called Prep Kitchen contacted me.  They asked if they could send out a week's meals in exchange for an honest review.  I accepted and not knowing exactly what kind of meals I was about to be sent I was a little scared of receiving ten portions of pre-prepared mush because you know, it's a rare thing indeed when a ready meal actually looks like it does in the ads.

Prep Kitchen is a British company and they believe in healthy ready meals, they offer several options from fat loss to muscle gain to performance meals for the serious pro's out there.  They sent me 10 separate meals and as soon as they arrived and I opened them I noticed that there was nothing I immediately didn't like and for me, that's actually a miracle as I can be a little fussy.

Each meal is freshly prepared, comes ready to store in the fridge and cooks at 200c in the oven for 15 minutes so again, for me who never knows what to cook myself, someone who lives like a student when Looby isn't here, the concept is brilliant.

But get this...

The food is blooming lovely, during my week of trialling the ready meals, there wasn't anything I didn't like and not only that, I also gave them to Harriet on one occasion and Looby twice after she'd come home from the stables (I gave her the high protein muscle gain ones perfect for her sporty self), now it's fair to say that Harriet will eat most things without complaint but Looby is fussier than me and she loved the meals she tried.

The price of each meal is between £5.75 and £7.75 depending on which plan you're going for and I guess, that's quite expensive in some respects but if I'm eating just that for 5 days a week I guess £57.50 isn't too bad.

For ready meals, it's quite hard usually to make them look attractive once cooked, and sometimes uncooked but these meals actually look good and that's part of the fun of eating isn't it.  There are lots of choices too from tasty things like Persian Chicken with middle eastern giant couscous and harissa spiced aubergine to Fresh herb chicken with Gnocchi and ratatouille.

They offer veggie options and the ones I tried in the selection were all great too.  Prep Kitchen also sent some of their snacks which you can use for breakfast or just when you need a lift but I honestly wasn't too fussed on them.

Honestly, I thought it was great, so great that I actually want to subscribe to the fat loss plan to see if it does work, I've felt I wanted to do something for a while but didn't want to go back to Slimming World and I just need a helping hand so doing this for 6 or so weeks until I had a good loss and didn't feel the need to cook my own things (with just a little extra this or a portion of yummy that).

To wrap up, yes, I would definitely use them, I absolutely recommend them if you need a meal plan which caters to your health needs and lead a busy life where you just want to shove something quick in the oven or microwave.  I do think the cost is high but for fresh ingredients being prepared well, I can't imagine that these meals would be cheap if you had to go and eat out.

I'm one of the 48% preppers stockpiling for a no deal Brexit, here's why...

In early December I lost my ability to watch most tv shows, now my days (much to the dismay of the teens) are spent with the BBC news channel and Sky News on in the background.  You see, I'd reached a point where I was so worried about the effects of a no deal Brexit and the consequences that are likely to happen if such a thing occurs.

Now you may laugh at me and I expected Iain to think I was over-reacting, as someone with ASD he's always very pragmatic and doesn't do drama, just the facts.  What I found though, is that he actually encouraged me to do it because he'd seen the news, he'd spoken to people and in the event of a no-deal Brexit it's quite possible that we'll end up with not only food shortages but also the possibility of rolling power-cuts and in extremes, issues with our water, given that the chemicals used to clean it all come from France.

The more you look into the facts, the scarier it gets and yes, I guess with my mental health it doesn't help as I'm anxious and paranoid about the health of my family but I also think I'd rather stock up now than have a situation where we have hyper-inflation and price rises beyond our control.

Let's think about this for a moment.  My main sources of income are photography and blogging, they're not what you would call essentials, no one is going to want their small people photographed if they can't even afford to feed their family.  I'm already seeing the effects of the continued lack of resolution in the withdrawal agreement within the businesses of The Inspire Network, naturally it's the smaller businesses which will suffer the most and currently families, like yours and mine, we don't want to make any big purchases because we still don't know what is going to happen despite knowing we're leaving on the 29th March, or are we?

I joined a great Facebook group called 48% Preppers and it's full of the most valuable information about what you should stockpile and what's likely to run out first in the supermarkets.  If you've looked around over the last few months you'll already have seen how much prices are rising and so with my own family, at least one of whom has a restricted diet I cannot afford for the food to run out.

Just after Christmas I started to reorganise our house, our cupboards and my life (although that's another story completely) and over the last few weeks I've simply been purchasing just a little extra, pasta, rice, noodles, flour, tins of vegetables and fruits, all of the things which we could potentially survive on as well as some luxuries we'll really appreciate should the shit hit the fan.

It's scary how much we rely on electricity and yet in a power cut, I'll lose wifi, light, heat even as my heating may be gas but it needs electricity for the pump and to light the boiler.  Lose the gas and it's not much better although I do have an air fryer and an electric pressure cooker plus a fan heater and a small electric fire.

If you're a parent I would go and join the 48% preppers group, yes, most are preparing for the worst case scenario but if you read all of the advice and the reasonings behind it, none of it sounds like scaremongering, it's just the facts so this year I plan to grow more fruit and vegetables in my own garden, I plan to grow my own potatoes in pots and mushrooms, well they can be grown anywhere dark like the airing cupboard.

I plan to keep buying extra with my weekly shopping, it's surprising just how much stuff you can get at Aldi or Lidl in comparison to Sainsbury's.

If the worst doesn't happen and if we actually agree on a deal then you know what, I'll donate it all to a foodbank or I'll just have it there to reabsorb into my usual grocery supplies but for me as a mum and a cat and dog owner, no way am I risking not being able to feed any of them.  Holly Bobbins should be okay, her dogs dinners are made in Devon, doesn't mean I'm not making sure I don't have a couple of months supply though just in case.

Looby will be okay, she'd quite happily survive on pot noodles and vitamin tablets, Iain, will do the same but on beans and smash if he has to, and I could eat pasta every day if I had to.  I'm lucky really, I can cook pretty well, in fact I'm well known amongst my friends for inviting anyone who'll come to my house just so I can feed them too.  We'll be okay, we still have lots of room left that I can pack stuff in if I want to, thanks to Mrs Hinch, most of my food supplies are all in stackable baskets and the Brexit cupboard has lots of space to spare.

You might think I'm crazy or insane and yes, I do carry the cloak of madness with me at all times but honestly, as a parent, would I not be foolish to think this whole thing is going to be a party at the palace?  Even the Queen has a plan to escape London I hear...

Air Fried Halloumi Fries Recipe

If you're anything like me you'll know just how amazing Halloumi Fries are, they may not be so healthy you can eat them every day but it's January, it's dark and we need some home comforts whilst still trying to be a little bit healthier.  This Halloumi fries recipe is different because it's all done in an air fryer, it uses 1 cal oil and it's perfect for our vegetarian friends, in fact, I can confirm it because I tested the recipe just this week on 2 ladies who aren't veggie and one who most definitely is.  These air fried Halloumi fries may just change your life and they only take 15 minutes to cook plus a couple of minutes of preparation.

What you'll need

• 2 tablespoons of the flour of your choice, I used plain flour but you could use spelt or even Polenta which would definitely give that crisp outside.
• Large Pinch of Salt
• Large Pinch of Paprika
• Large Pinch of Black Pepper
• 1 Cal cooking oil spray - (I used Frylight coconut but I use that for everything)
• 1 block of Halloumi sliced into 8 chubby finger-sized portions
• Dip of your choice to serve 

Method

• Combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper on a plate with a fork
• coat each of the Halloumi fingers in the dry mixture
• Switch your air fryer to 200c
• spray the basket with oil making sure it's coated all over so that the fries don't stick to the basket
• put the coated Halloumi fingers into the air fryer and program it for 15 minutes
• around halfway through turn the fries to make sure they're evenly browned on all sides
• After 15 minutes your Halloumi Fries will be ready but they will also be hot so plate up with tongs
• accompany with a handful of peppers, a green salad and add dips of your choice to the side, I love tomato and honey or sweet chilli

1 portion should quite easily feed 2 as a starter or 1 as a main course.

If you don't have an air fryer yet, they're so much cheaper than they used to be and they're incredibly versatile, especially if like me, you're often cooking in single portions, I've had a quick look on Amazon and this Tower air fryer is currently just over £30, it's not quite the same as mine but looks around the same size.

I've made a few different batches of these Halloumi fries and I definitely think that thicker works better than thinner when you're air frying and I also think you don't want to cram the basket too full of they're just going to stick, whatever you do though and however you cook them, I'd love to hear from them if you try the recipe.

Best Seafood in the North of England? Colmans Seafood Temple

I've long been a fan of seafood but there still seems to be a lack of great places in the North East of England so when Colmans asked me to try out their new Seafood Temple based in South Shields, I jumped at the chance and Looby was first to declare an interest as my plus one because she's a huge fan of mussels.

Colmans have long been a staple in the fish and chip world but now they're turning their hand to finer dining with a custom built building shaped like a boat at one end and a temple at the other, sitting right on the seafront at South Shields.  It's a risky business when you are well known in one kind of market to venture into another but like Virgin, if you can succeed in other market's keeping all kinds of customers happy then you truly can have the world!

Looby and I went down for lunch last week and we were excited, Looby commented that if only we could bring Holly Bobbins with us then it would be perfect and so we were thrilled to note that downstairs is a takeaway but with seating and dogs are welcomed with open arms, whilst they don't offer the whole seafood menu we were informed that they do sometimes have a seafood specials on their downstairs menu as well as the famous Colmans fish and chips.

Back to the upstairs though and it's a spacious light and airy building with 360 degree views, not only that but the seating is placed spaciously on the floor, whilst they could have gotten more tables in they've chosen not to, a definite sign of quality over quantity and that's always a good thing.

The menu is tantalising, you can have everything from the staples like Cod, Haddock and Scampi right through to Scallops, Oysters, prawns and there's even a steak option which I chose as it was a featured special of surf and turf.  It actually might be the first time I've ever had surf and turf, I can't quite believe that!

I started with scallops though, scallops are notoriously hard to cook and get just right, cook them for even a second too long and they taste like rubber and so if I see them on the menu I have to try them as they're a great marker for just how good a restaurant is.

No worries with Colmans Seafood Temple though, you can get them in three's and fives and although I was tempted to get the five I wanted to leave room for mains and pudding.  The three were perfect, a great appetiser and for me, I could quite happily just order a plate full of scallops from there as they were so utterly tantalising to the tastebuds.  Looby meanwhile had ordered herself a half kilo of mussels and took no time to clear out the pot of the plumptious molluscs.

For mains Looby went for scampi, she always goes for scampi, it didn't disappoint though and when my perfectly cooked steak came out with 3 large prawns on top, I did a little silent squeal, steak is my favourite and so I eat it a lot and I can tell you the difference between a good steak and a great steak.  Let me tell you that this was a great steak and those prawns?  Delish, I could have eaten a plate of them on their own!

We were quite full by this point but Looby reminded me that we have an extra stomach that's just for pudding...(yes, yes, we do, honest) so we ordered some perfection in a bowl, that's hot cherries with ice-cream, hot cherries with ice-cream probably goes into the list of my favourite five puddings of all time, it's just the ultimate combination and really as close to perfection as you can get with desserts in my opinion, as ever the simple things are the best.

So, if I had paid for our meals it would have come to somewhere around £75ish which for 3 courses and drinks is a pretty good price and if it's a special occasion then it's a bargain.  Looby gave it 10/10 and really she's the best judge as she doesn't care who's paying for lunch, she just likes what she likes and nd she's also quite fussy and particular about the things she does like so it makes me happy to say that she would definitely go again but we're really not one for leaving Holly Bobbins on her own at home so next time we'll be trying the downstairs takeaway with our favourite four pawed friend.

Thank you to Colmans Seafood Temple for inviting us down for a complimentary meal in exchange for an honest review.

What's the food like at Chaophraya?

A couple of weeks ago when the Beast from the East hit the first time (yes, I know, it's heading for us again this weekend) I was going on a date to Chaophraya, at the last minute Abigail decided she wanted to come along instead and so we had a mama/daughter Sunday lunch date.  She's since declared that she's never coming with me again to review restaurants as she hates the fact that I photograph everything before she's allowed to eat it, Abigail, if you're reading this, that's kind of the point!

Chaophraya is the high end brand to Thaikhun's street food brand, it's Thai done well in luxurious surroundings, it's not opulent and it's not The Ivy, it is after all a chain restaurant but it's situated right at the top of Eldon Square and even has an outdoor terrace with views of Grey's Monument, it's also glass on both sides so you can sit and watch the world below you as you dine from above.

I should state now that Abigail is a vegetarian so she decided that she would try three courses from the lunch menu and I would go with the a la carte with some particularly meaty choices.

The menu is actually pretty big with so much choice but as soon as I spotted the prawn and soft shell crab tempura I knew that was the one for me, Abigail started with sweetcorn fritters knowing she'd had the same kind of thing when we'd visited Thaikhun and they really are the same, they're just a little bigger.

The Tempura however was huge, I could have shared it as a starter and when I next go I'll remember not to order it unless I'm sharing as by the time I got to the main I struggled to get even half way through the delicious lamb Massoman curry.  Abigail had no problem at all with all three courses choosing the Pad Thai for mains and then sticky toffee pudding for dessert, I enviously looked on but couldn't manage even one mouthful.  

I'll be honest, the food was absolutely delicious and we paired it with some non-alcoholic cocktails which were so tasty, the only thing that bothered me was the fact that the dessert bowl was chipped in a couple of places, I know it's a minor niggle but it's not what I would expect from a high end brand.

Now the food even on the a la carte menu isn't particularly expensive and if you had a 3 course meal for two with non-alcoholic cocktails you would easily come home with change from £100, adding in cocktails at just under £10 each though and you'd need to find slightly deeper pockets if you're particularly partial to several rounds of drinks.

The staff at Chaophraya are so attentive and each time they passed the table they asked if there was anything else they could get us or did we want more food, more drinks and that's lovely but maybe they were a little too attentive, sometimes you just want to be left to enjoy conversation although it could be that they weren't particularly busy due to the heavy snow that had fallen in Newcastle in the proceeding week.

I'd definitely go for another meal at Chaophraya but next time I'll make sure it's a real date because that's the kind of place it is, it's cosy and it's intimate and you could spend the whole night there, and I think it will be especially lovely on a light summer evening if you can get a table on the terrace.

Chaophraya does get extremely busy at weekends, I know because I've tried to book a table with no chance at the last minute to book ahead and prepare to be wowed by the authentic Thai cuisine.

Abigail and I were gifted the meal and drinks in exchange for an honest review!

Sugar Free February - Easy Sugar Free Recipes

So you've started Sugar Free February but you're all ready wondering what the heck you can eat that isn't cardboard, I mean, takeaways are out of the question, cake is but a distant memory, there's no denying that sugar free living isn't easy but I've got a couple of recipes for you today which might just help.  I cut sugar out of my diet on Friday so I'm not even at the first week weigh in yet, a friend who dutifully started last Monday however has already lost 7lb at the first week weigh in and everyone else who's been doing it with me is feeling better, I haven't had a night sweat since starting and that for me is big, it also shows just how intolerant I am to sugar.

One thing I did notice on the first couple of days was how much I craved sugar, it's very much the cocaine of the food world and I know from my previous attempt that I just have to hang on in there, I also have a test I like to stick with, when I have tons of sugar in my diet I'm not all that fond of tomatoes but once I get it out of my system the tomatoes taste sweeter and better than ever before, and when I lost over 3 stone, I swapped crisps for tomatoes as my secret weapon.

Look, I'm not a nutrition expert, I've read lots of books, a whole lot of web resources and I just know it works because I've done it before, I'm a busy mum who lives on their own with my teens and coming up with recipes they like too has been the biggest challenge of all so when the lovely people at Heck got in touch to send me a food parcel, I knew I had to come up with some pretty special things.

Fake FC Chicken Escalopes Recipe

Ingredients - 

2 Heck Naked Chicken sausages

1 Crushed Weetabix

1 egg

Spelt Flour

Salt

Pepper

Method

Take 2 Heck Naked Chicken Sausages and squash them together and reshape into an escalope, coat with spelt flour, dip in a beaten egg and then cover in a crushed Weetabix, then simply grill under a medium grill taking care not to burn the outside until cooked.

Serve with a salad and healthy home made sweet potato wedges.

I tried this at the weekend after coming up with the idea and they're delicious, they taste just like a Fake FC chicken escalope but are obviously about a million times healthier.  The real test though was to see if Looby liked it, Looby is fussy at 14, I made it for lunch yesterday though and got a big thumbs up so if my fussy teen will eat it then I'm sure yours will too!

Fakekushari is an adaptation of Kushari, an Egyptian meal, it's completely veggie friendly and I think it may also be suitable for Vegans but don't quote me on that

Ingredients

Heck Supergreen Veggie Balls

Puy Lentils

Spinach, 1 bag of baby spinach

1 tin of Butterbeans

1 tin of  chopped Tomatoes

half a teaspoon of cumin

half a teaspoon of Chilli Powder

quarter of a teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

half a teaspoon of cinnamon

Salt and Pepper to season

Squeeze of honey (optional)

Method - 

Pop the veggie balls in the oven and whilst they're cooking take some prepared Puy lentils, season and pop in a wok or frying pan with no oil, if you do have to use oil, coconut oil is my chosen one, It's good for you and I like the taste. all you need to do is add some spinach a few moments from the end and you'll end up with a lovely mix.  

Next in a pan add the butterbeans, the spices and the can of chopped tomatoes and if you want to, add a squeeze of honey, this depends on how religiously you are about doing sugar free February but to me, it just enriches the beans, simmer everything down so it thickens and then plate it up.  

Now when I say that Looby is fussy, Veggie Abigail is about 15 times more fussy again and she ate everything, we also cooked up some Heck Bollywood Veggie Balls and added those and they were delicious and I've now got that perfect recipe for Mexican baked beans which I can assure you'll will go with a chilli or even nachos.

Now I want to add a caveat, Weetabix contain 1,7g of sugar in every 2 Weetabix but you'll probably use half a Weetabix so it really is a trace amount and remember, I did this a few years ago and I was religious about it and fell from grace about 4 months later as it wasn't sustainable, the way I'm approaching it this time makes much more sense and it means it's my life I'm changing rather than being "On a Diet".

I want to say a big thank you to my friends at Heck food for facilitating the ingredients for these recipes, it's always so lovely to collaborate with good companies who make healthy food and their range is amazing whether you are veggie or not, again, this was a collaboration but these are my honest opinions and I do not lie about good food!

Quick and Easy Pressure King Pro Beef and Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe

A few months ago my life was revolutionised by the Pressure King Pro, a cooker which means you can cook a good beef casserole in 30-40 minutes and achieve the exact same effect as cooking one in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours.

Here's what you'll need to make an easy beef and butternut squash casserole in the Pressure King Pro in just 40 minutes.

• 400g of Braising Steak
• 1 chopped small butternut squash
• 400 ml of beef stock
• 1 small swede
• 1 small pack of turnips
• salt, pepper and Worcester sauce, season to taste

Put all of the ingredients in the pot, switch on to the casserole setting for 40 mins and essentially that's it, this is the easiest recipe you'll ever cook. I love to serve mine with Yorkshire puddings but a good crusty granary bun or a chunk of bread and butter would also be the perfect addition to this delicious beef casserole.

You could also experiment with different veg, but if you want to include green veg then I would cook for 35 mins, then put the green veg in and do a final five minutes otherwise they will just collapse into goo! Sometimes I like to add potato as well but thought the casserole was hearty enough without it yesterday.

The Pressure King Pro (PKP) has been the biggest revelation in my life, I should say that this isn't an ad or a sponsored post, I just genuinely love it. I can cook an entire chicken in 25 minutes, you can cook a frozen chicken in an hour (I haven't tried that yet) and I cooked a gammon in 20 minutes at Christmas. We even did pasta in five minutes and although pressure cooking has been around for years, I'm pleased to say that this new way of doing it isn't as dangerous as your mum's old stove top pressure cooker which threatened to blow at any given minute. It doesn't even really make a sound other than when you open the steam valve at the end. You can even slow cook in it but I'm not sure why anyone would do that when you can have a whole hearty meal, like this amazing beef and butternut squash casserole, in around half an hour.

Obviously, if you don't have a Pressure King Pro you could use this recipe in your slow cooker but allow around 4-6 hours for the perfect beef casserole. 

Do you have a Pressure King Pro? I'd love to know if you do and if you have any recipes for it that you love do let me know about them in the comments.

While you're here, why not check out my quick and healthy lasagne recipes?

When Life Moves Too Fast - An Apology

My dear readers, those of you who've turned up for days angrily refreshing the page wondering if I'm ever going to post again, well I'm here, I'm sorry and it won't happen again.

After shooting 38 portrait sessions over 9 days, editing thousands of images and getting through 6 whole bags of chocolate coins (to give to the small people, not eat myself) I am about as up to date as I've ever been, well with photography anyway.  This here starts the catch up with blogging.

To those of you who think, "Oh well, she must be minted" yeah, I've got nearly £500 to my name, bills, business costs, general living expenses, raking it in, I am! Single parenting is something I would never have chosen but actually this life I have suits us so well and Looby has never been happier, we're back to a full home ed schedule this week and she's going to her first influencer conference this week as I'm shooting headshots at the Ellefluence Influencer summit , if you don't have your ticket yet, it's on Wednesday and if you are a digital influencer, you need to be there!

I want to wind back the clock a little because a couple of weeks ago I had the joy of spending some time with my favourites for the relaunch of Newcastle's favourite burger company (in my opinion) the Meat Stack, as an aside, every time I say that all I can hear is Duran Duran's "The Reflex" I hope you sing "The Meat Stack" for the rest of the day too!

So, big old fabulous burgers in squishy buns, fries cooked in dripping (veggie alternatives are available), the tastiest food you could ever hope to eat, oh and during the day, No 28 where the Meat Stack are residents, well it's child friendly too, I shall 100% be taking Looby to try the West Coast Classic!  My favourite is actually a veggie fave with deep fried paneer, seriously, I love meat but this baby is special!

Cocktails were also available but, sadly for me, I am more allergic to the sulphites in alcohol than I have ever been, sometimes I can drink a little alcohol but at the moment it's not even worth the risk of making myself poorly, I mean, struggling to breathe isn't exactly the most attractive look!

When I went to No 28, I was in the midst of just changing medication and had the most awful anxiety but thanks to my favourite blogging pals being there, I was completely fine, in past times I would have had Prosecco to get me through it so now it sucks sometimes that I have to be the real me which is more anxious, quieter, slightly more boring, yep, I miss the powers of a glass or two of Prosecco.

If you haven't ever been to No 28 you are missing an experience, you know they do bottomless Prosecco right?  well if I can't, you should and you should have one for me whilst you're there, oh and go grab a southern fried paneer burger or a west coast classic, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Caribbean Food Week 2017

Summer is for BBQ's, it's no secret that I cook outdoors as much as possible from spring through to late autumn or as long as the weather permits really!  Last week as has now become an annual occasion we threw our Caribbean street party BBQ for Looby and her friends and Abigail also came along so that she and her sister could do a Caribbean hot sauce challenge and if you want to see how that went, well why not have a watch?!

If you haven't heard of Caribbean food week, it's this week and there are events in London, the week is organised by Grace foods and it's designed to educate us all in the joys of home cooking.  This year I made my usual Rice and Peas and also some Jerk chicken which was scrumptious!  As is customary we had a tropical fruit salad and copious amounts of coconut water, pineapple juice and some mango and orange juice just for good measure!

For me, Caribbean food week is just a great excuse to have a themed BBQ and get dressed up for the occasion, this year I was so prepared that we even splashed out on Lei's, grass skirts and a 6 foot inflatable palm tree, yes, those of you who know me know that I don't do things by halves!

Pyracantha cat was delighted to also be involved and if you believe that, you'll believe anything!  The great thing I've found about having themed BBQ's and parties at my house is that everyone gets into the spirit, my daughters friends parents must dread the messages sent home as they have to come up with all manner of themed outfits but hey, it's about getting into the mood, having fun and celebrating tropical style!!

This summer in England, well it's not been the best but on Thursday the clouds stayed away and the weather matched our Caribbean theme, ooh and this year, I have Alexa who found me a Caribbean playlist, we truly did live a tropical life even if it was for just one day!

As Caribbean food week is running until the 28th of August you still have time to whip yourself up a Caribbean street party to delight your friends and family and for more information you can see - 

www.gracefoods.co.uk

www.facebook.com/Caribbeanfoodweek

www.twitter.com/caribbeanfoodwk

www.instagram.com/caribbeanfoodweek

Hashtag #CFW2017