Warburtons Hi Taste Lo Fat

Many of you know I have lost lots of weight dropped three dress sizes and in October will have been maintaining for a year at my new weight. While losing weight, oh, I did this with Slimming World if you are new to my blog,

 The Irish girl in me, demands bread, potatoes and cheese, so these are prepared in a more healthy manner, SW encourages you to eat bread, obviously not piles of it, but it is a good source of fibre. The spreads and fillings on toast or in a sandwich can be the foods that are high in fat or sugar. The toppings are what I avoided while on a healthy eating plan. 

Now I am at my ideal weight, have a healthy BMI and feel good, I have started to eat normally, not over indulging on a day to day basis!

So when Warburtons asked if I would like to take a look at their  '2 week' low fat eating plan and make some of the recipes, using breads and baked products, I said yes!

I have followed most of the plan and as I am still weighing in at SW so can track my gains or losses. I am still in my target weight and have been eating crumpets, crispy chicken and wedges, fruit loaf  made into a delicious dessert and a few more I will be sharing with you. The plan has lots of useful tips, and lovely meals, combined with some great recipes using Warburtons. So stick around for some nice foodie posts!

Warburtons has teamed up with Amanda Grant, celebrity chef and mum of three Amanda Grant, also one of the country's leading food educators, to create a delicious, low fat eating plan full of simple recipes and quick and tasty snacks. 

Many people cut out carbs (such as bread) in order to lose weight, which can lead people to wrongly believe that bread is high in fat, when the opposite is true. Most bread is low in fat – it’s the toppings that people choose that can add fat to bread and bakery. For example, a slice of Warburtons Farmhouse White contains just 1.1g fat.

The Hi-Taste, Lo-Fat eating plan has been designed to provide a fortnight of nutritious, low in fat meals that won't leave you feeling like you're missing out.

The Hi-Tast, Lo- Fat plan is on Warburtons facebook page, on one of the tabs 

https://www.facebook.com/Warburtons

Next Autumn/Winter 2012

I hate mentioning Autumn and Winter when the Summer seems to have passed us by. However the summer sales have started and the Autumn/Winter 2012 ranges are creeping onto the rails and into the press.

I have been invited to attend a blogging event with Next and I have been so impressed with the agenda for the day, how they have arranged transport and pamper sessions for the ladies. For the children who are on their first week of the summer holidays there will be activities to keep them occupied,  balloon modelling, face painting and magic shows!

To attend the event I was also offered a gift card to choose something to wear for the day. Its been great fun, looking through the range and here are a few items I love for myself and a few children's wear items too.

Now here is my dilemma, I will be meeting other bloggers and I want to look right. What shall I wear.

Comments and suggestions gratefully received.

I was pleased to see the military coats are still on trend. I am often accused of being a bit of a Sergeant Major at home, maybe I should get the outfit to complement the title!! But to meet hopefully new friends maybe a bit severe!

How about friendly country charm, casual jeans, sporty or tailored chic?


Well what do we think?
Would love some suggestions. 




The real focus of the day will be to look at the Autumn/Winter  range for children.

Aren't the above just so adorable. 
We will be actually seeing some key pieces from the A/W children's range, so I will back with photos later next week.


http://www.next.co.uk/women#LID=01_03_01_01

FADE OUT WHITE PROTECTING DAY CREAM GIVEAWAY Ends 11th August

 FADE OUT WHITE PROTECTING DAY CREAM  SPF15, 50ML £8.99

My skin is now getting to the age where I jump at the chance to try a good product, while I have been lifting, plumping and toning, I have noticed the skin tone is possibly my most noticeable change, or should I say the one that irks me the most.

I have been using Fade Out Day cream, its a great addition to the eye cream and the anti wrinkle cream I reviewed and had giveaways for recently. 

Fade Out say  that it will protect, care and brighten your skin and I have definitely noticed the brightening, so I trust it to be caring too.

It is filled with natural mulberry and liquorice and an ingredient I was not aware of Niacinamide, and as it has been so good at making my skin look lighter I wanted to investigate it.

The darkening on my skin I know is caused by melanin the brown pigment . The transfer of melanin into the upper layers of the skin is accelerated when exposed to the sun or certain hormones.

Niacinamide is known as Vitamin B3, is in many foods, it works in the Fade Out form by preventing melanin entering the upper layers of the skin

To be really technical it works by inhibiting melanosome (melanin storage granules) transfer from melanocytes (cells that produce melanin) to keratinocytes (upper layer skin cells)

Phew, that was wordy!!!

I will keep it simpler and tell also absorbs into the skin well, its not heavy or greasy and

 The fade out cream is clinically proven to brighten and even skin tone in 4 weeks, it will help men and women solve and prevent pigmentation problems, these include freckles, age spots and sun spots, it also offers SPF protection.

Its available in Boots for £8.99 and it certainly is a real bargain compared to some of the premium creams I browse!

 I am just coming to the end of my pot, I actually want to enter my own giveaway as it has worked for me. Alas I am not allowed to enter, but you can and five of you will win a pot of this fab cream.

Remember to leave your name on anonymous comments,  the comment is your required entry and I won't know who to match it with on the rafflecopter form, believe me I get dozens of anon posts and you do want to try and win I'm sure!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure I was given a free product or sample because I'm a blogger. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

Alpro Fruity and Creamy

Alpro were at the Cornbury festival I attended as a guest blogger for Ecover, I was so busy the most I managed to do was have a quick chat with one the Alpro guys who were handing out their  Fruity and Creamy yogurts to festival goers.  I never even managed to try one of those, not very good for a die hard sample fiend! Alpro kindly sent me some to try.

I can't believe that I did not pop in as they had a breakfast bar serving yogurt, milk and cereal, yum!

I wish I had gone in their tent as it looks really tasty.

The Alpro company are the pioneers  of plant-based food, drinks, margarine, soya desserts and soya alternatives to yogurt, nuts and milk, their mission statement reads

 “We create delicious, naturally healthy plant-based foods for the maximum wellbeing of everyone and with the utmost respect for our planet"

The products are not just for vegans, vegetarians and people with dietary concerns, they are for people just wanting to make a healthier choice maybe for weight loss, wanting just to eat a more balanced diet, or looking to make the world a more sustainable place to live in.

The power of plant-based eating is a fast-growing trend. In fact,more people than ever are starting to cut down on meat and dairy foods and make healthier, plant-based swaps.

In fact, four out of 10 of us are eating more vegetables, fruits and plant-based foods than we were a year ago. And six out of 10 of us are eating more of these types of foods than we were five years ago.

People of all age groups are fuelling this trend, although it is  younger consumers – those aged between 18 and 30 – who are looking to change their diets and turn to alternative eating regimes in the greatest numbers.

An independent survey* commissioned by Alpro revealed that more than half of 18 to 30 year
olds have added more vegetables, fruits and plant based foods to their diets in the last year.

All very well, but the proof is in the pudding don't you know, so what do the Fruity and Creamy taste like.

Well very good, I struggled to believe they are plant based, the texture, look and most importantly taste is creamy, the fruit pieces, particularly for me the cherry flavour were fresh tasting. Chris described it as being like a luxury dessert, creamy tasting, he also tried to differentiate between other yogurts and said if anything they were nicer.
Conor the true yogurt consumer, had one without asking ( a common complaint for a blogger is the family polish off products for review before I can try them!!) I asked him what he thought and he said the fruity bits were the best, I asked could he tell it was a plant based product, "Really, no, it was better than some you usually buy".

So to make a change to eating alternatives to dairy, is made easier by the fact it tastes so good. These will be going in my basket!

http://www.alpro.com/uk

Silent Sunday

Paprika Beef Slow Cooker Sunday

Well its still persistently raining and all thoughts of salad and barbecues are put aside, so my trusty slow cooker has been put to use a lot. I love finding slimming world beef recipes or adapting ones I google.

One reason is that despite the wet weather its still too hot for the oven to be on, another reason has been our family eating patterns have changed recently by college and different working hours.

Its handy just to throw the dinner into to slow cook and then put on warming for all the different meal times.

This slow cooked Paprika beef is simple, I choose to fry the beef first to give a bit of colour, some people just put all the ingredients in and cook. For me its a visual preference. I also tend to throw in a lot more paprika.

I add Creme Fraiche right at the end and slowly to prevent curdling, Slimming World followers or those wanting a low fat paprika beef recipe  use half fat Creme Fraiche, 1 1/2 syns a tablepoon, feel free to add quark or fat free yogurt.

The end result is a deep red almost tomato soup looking sauce and its warm spicy taste is comforting in winter and well wet summers!

Frylight or 1 tbsp olive oil to fry if browning meat.

800g of braising steak.

2 onions sliced

2 Red peppers roughly chopped

1 tin of tomato puree

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons of paprika

1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

300 ml beef stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsp Creme Fraiche

Brown beef if desired, add all ingredients except creme fraiche to the slow cooker, cook on low for 7 hours and serve with  your choice of carbs, as we were all in at different times, I had rice, Conor cooked pasta. Chris and Paige had baked potatoes.

This will be added to #scsunday, click on the picture to find more recipes!

 

Blue Harbour Spa Acupuncture Introductory Offer

Blue Harbour Spa Acupuncture Introductory Offer

The Blue Harbour Spa in London’s Chelsea Harbour has recently added Acupuncture to its treatment list and is offering an introductory deal of £60 for your first session, until the end of July. Sessions last up to an hour and require a short consultation prior to the appointment. Available every Thursday from 11am-7pm.

Olympic Spa Treatment Deals  

With the London Olympics just around the corner, the spa has some very special offers to keep you relaxed and ready for the world’s biggest sporting occasion:

Gold Medal Offer £75

Includes Aching Foot Relaxer or De-Stress Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage (30mins)

PLUS:

•30-minute personal training session with a fully qualified and experienced personal trainer.

•15% discount on Aromatherapy Associates products.

•A full day’s use of the extensive spa facilities, including a 17-metre indoor swimming pool with swan neck waterfalls and body jets, fitness suite, sauna and steam rooms, as well as the Spa Café.

Silver Medal Package £90

Includes VOYA Muslin Bag Massage (80mins)

A real sensory treat. Warm soaked bags of organic herbs and seaweed are massaged into the body to release precious seaweed oils which gently exfoliate and nourish your skin. Completely indulgent!

PLUS:

•A full day’s use of the extensive spa facilities.

Bronze Medal Package £75

Includes De-Stress Muscle Massage (60mins)

A full body massage incorporating the powerful properties of aromatherapy oils,with stretching and deep tissue work. The ultimate in relaxation!

PLUS:

•A half day’s use of the extensive spa facilities.

For more information or to book any of the above deals please call 020 73005011. Offers valid until 31 August 2012.