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Beautiful woollies from Wool Overs

Although in the blink of an eye summer seems almost over, there’s something rather special about this time of year. The air is beginning to feel slightly fresher and the wonderful hues that come with Autumn are within our grasp. Even better, it’s the perfect time to treat ourselves to cosy woollies we can wear when we’re admiring the great outdoors.

Wool Overs is a world class knitwear retailer with a range that consists of 160 classic styles in 180 different colour combinations. Their ethos over the past 26 years is very much focused on bringing excellent value to lovers of wool, cotton and cashmere knitwear. Working in association with the British Wool Board and Woolmark, they offer yarns of the highest quality which are made from 100% natural fibres and fully machine washable. A huge bonus for us time short parents who don’t need the faff of hand washing or a trip to the dry cleaners.

The Wool Overs range includes cardigans, jumpers, tops, shirts and scarves for both men and women. There are also unisex options available. What I love about their website is that you can select the styles that you really want. From the fabric, the colour and the style to the neckline, the sleeve and the length. The POD Father is a huge fan of the men’s jumpers, particularly the merino and cashmere blend.

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The V neck jumper is a personal favourite of his as its great for layering, luxuriously soft and more cost effective than the 100% cashmere alternative. He’s spoilt for choice with 23 colours to choose from, not just in the v neck but also the crew neck variant too. From staple black, charcoal and navy to sea green, turquoise and kingfisher or at the other end of the spectrum red, rose and royal blue.

Wool Overs offers many different styles including Aran, Cable, Guernsey, Jersey and Nordic as well as tops, shirts, tunics and scarves. If a V or crew neck isn’t to your taste, there are a wide range of other styles including polo/turtle necks and zipped options. As well as selecting the wool, style and neck, you can also choose the gauge (extra fine, fine, medium or heavy) and the type of front (buttoned, closed front or zipped).

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Wool Overs makes shopping for quality knitwear so much easier. They has the best selection of mens jumpers I’ve seen in quite some time whether for the great outdoors or wandering round a golf course. They also have an wonderful collection of quality knitwear for women too including cashmere jumpers, silk cardigans and ballet wraps plus of course the day-to-day essentials.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and we were compensated for our time. Opinions as always are our own. Photographs courtesy of Wool Overs. 

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Back to school with Marks and Spencer

It really doesn’t seem that long ago since we took POD to nursery for the first time aged 11 months. Yet here we are with just a few weeks to go until she starts school. It will be a big change having spent over three years at the same place but one I’m sure it will be good for her. POD has been ready for school for some months now and she’s desperate to learn how to read.

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Matcha Green Tea Powder | Tasty cocktails

The health benefits of green tea have been widely reported from weight loss and stress relief to improved brain function. Matcha is a super-charged version of green tea made from Camellia Sinensis but in fine powder form. People that ingest matcha are consuming the entire leaf rather than brewed water – one glass of matcha tea is the equivalent to 10 glasses of regular green tea!

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Not only that a study from 2003 published in the Journal of Chromatography found matcha has 137 times more of the powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) than other types of green tea. EGCG has been proven effective in the fight against many forms of cancer, HIV, heart disease and a host of other illnesses and diseases.

As matcha is a powder, you can reap the health benefits in all kinds of ways too – from lattes, smoothies and cocktails to poultry, beef and seafood to puddings, bread and dips. With this being our first dabble with matcha green tea powder, making cocktails seemed as good a place as any to put it to the test.

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There are three matcha green tea powder cocktails on the menu today – the matcha orange cocktail, the sparkling matcha cocktail and a minty macha mojito. As you’d expect the latter does include rum while the other two alcohol free. All recipes are super easy and make one cocktail.

Matcha Orange Cocktail 

1 teaspoon matcha
2½ teaspoons sugar
4 ice cubes
¼ cup hot water
½ cup 100% orange juice (cold)

Place the ice cubes in a tall glass and set aside. In a small bowl combine the matcha and then sugar then add hot water and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the matcha over the ice and let it sit for a minute. Top with orange juice.

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I wasn’t sure if I’d got this one right initially but you just have to wait for it to settle to get the stripey orange/green effect. There should be a little more orange showing here although I think I was quite generous with my teaspoon of matcha.

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Sparkling Matcha Cocktail 

1 teaspoon matcha
4 ice cubes
2 teaspoons warm water
¾ cup sparkling water
1 lime wedge

In a tall glass stir the warm water and matcha until they’re blended. Add the ice cubes to the glass and slowly add the sparkling water. Stir until blended then squeeze the lime wedge on top.

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This cocktail was the quickest to make and I was pleasantly surprised at how light and refreshing it was. A real thirst quencher. In case you’re wondering, matcha doesn’t taste like the green tea you’d normally have at all. This is a great alternative to sparkling water and so good for you!

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Minty Matcha Mojito 

1 lime (juiced)
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 teaspoon matcha
5 fresh mint leaves
Crushed ice
2oz sparkling soda water
1½ oz rum

Add the matcha, mint leaves, sugar and lime juice to the bottom of a glass and use a muddler to mix if you have one. Muddle until the sugar is dissolved and you can smell the mint. Add the crushed ice to the glass then top with soda and rum. Garnish with additional mint leaves if desired. The recipe doesn’t include strawberries but we improvised slightly!

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I slipped a little with the matcha on this one as it shouldn’t be this dark. That said I did the same with the rum so there was a good balance! A great tasting and nutritious mojito. In fact all three cocktails were delicious and as someone that’s never used Matcha Green Tea Powder before, I was thrilled. The POD Father is already asking me to make him a matcha latte with warm milk for breakfast too.

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Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder is available exclusively on Amazon. Its 100% organic, tested for purity, and contains more than 137 times the antioxidants found in a cup of brewed tea. You can also create all kinds of culinary delights with it – watch this space as we’ll be cooking with matcha next!

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Disclaimer: We were sent a 113g packet of Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder for the purpose of this review. Opinions are our own.

Toyz World | BeBop Bouncy Castle review

As POD’s birthday is on Christmas Day, last Summer we had an ‘un-birthday’ party for her. We were treated to glorious sunshine and blue skies, perfect for a BBQ and lots of fun in the garden. Everyone had a great time and it meant POD could have a entire day that was just about her.

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Pre-school graduation | The end of an era

It seems so long ago since POD started at her local nursery. Aged 11 months, she joined with very little hair – just a moustache-like strip at the back of her head. Although a tough choice at the time, she has thrived there over the past few years. Now an independent and sociable four-year-old, she’s very much looking forward to school. She’s more than ready too, even if we’re not quite there yet.

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The Great British Tennis Weekend

In August there will be another fantastic opportunity to get involved in the wonderful sport of tennis. As part of the LTA’s Great British Tennis Weekend there’ll be free sessions available for all, at participating local clubs, gyms and sports centres, to be reacquainted with or get a first taste of the sport that ignites every British summer.

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Watersports at San Lucianu Beach Resort

Mark Warner makes everything so easy. From checking in, the BA chartered flight and the transfer the other end to the array of activities available on resort and of course the childcare.

Earlier this year, we had our first family holiday with Mark Warner at the Levante Beach Resort in Rhodes, Greece. We’d never put POD in childcare on holiday before but a few hours each morning meant we could finally dust down the rackets. The POD Father even dilly dallied with sailing although it was short-lived – simply because we ran out of time.

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Tennis at San Lucianu Beach Resort

Our recent trip to the beautiful island of Corsica staying at the San Lucianu Beach Resort was our fourth holiday with Mark Warner and the fourth time we’ve taken advantage of their tennis set-up.

The POD Father and I signed up for the classic course, which gives 4 x 1 hour mornings of tennis tuition for £80, with in this case a single coach, Blake. Previously we’d played tennis at San Agostino, Lakitira and Levante where there are more courts and three coaches respectively.

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Trespass 3-in-1 jacket review

Five years ago we made the decision to leave the big smoke and upped sticks to Surrey. Although in Guildford we’re still within easy reach of London, it’s one of the best decisions we ever made.

The Surrey Hills is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which provides us with endless opportunities to explore with daughter POD. It’s the best feeling seeing the World through a child’s eyes and she absolutely loves the outdoors.

After the rain at Newlands Corner (by Charly Dove) x

As you’d expect with a four-year-old in tow, our adventures are a leisurely affair. And we’re certainly not dictated to by the weather, we just dress appropriately. Walking boots are the staple with wellies and waterproofs the welcome addition if its raining.

I never get it right. I’m the owner of many coats but until recently, none have been fit for purpose. This Trespass 3-in-1 jacket however is just brilliant and already I love it.

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Made from Tres-tex, the waterproof and breathable fabric, this jacket is superb for outdoor pursuits. It has a 260gsm detachable inner microfleece which keeps me gloriously warm. This can be removed with the outer jacket worn on its own when it’s mild.

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As well as being waterproof to 200mm and breathable to 300mvp, there are taped seams to shield me from the weather. A clever layering system enables me to control my temperature and draw moisture away from my body.

It also has adjustable cuffs, an adjustable concealed hood and a drawcord on the hem so you adapt the jacket to suit. The front has two zip pockets for keeping essential items safe. Or warming your hands if you forget your gloves!

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The versatility of this Trespass jacket means it can be worn all year round whether you’re hiking, out with the kids or walking the dog. Its high performance ranking (TP75) highlights comfort and protection for those of us that demand a little more.

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For me, it provides a genius layering system that didn’t exist in my wardrobe of many coats. Being warm is hugely important to me but staying dry and regulating my temperature is too. This Trespass jacket offers all of that plus it’s really comfortable and looks great too.

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Trespass caters for men, women, boys and girls – you can check out the full range, which also includes equipment, on their website. There is up to 60% off in their Summer sale.

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The jacket featured in this post has an RRP of £149.99 but is currently in the Trespass sale for only £33.99 (77% off).

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Disclaimer: We received a Trespass Women’s Melony 3-in-1 waterproof jacket for the purpose of this review. Opinions are our own. 

Courgette Chocolate Brownies

The Happy Egg Co has partnered with award-winning nutritional therapist Christine Bailey with a challenge to create a healthy and nutritious recipe. As Christine is a well-renowned chef, author and broadcaster with 18 years experience transforming people’s health, we thought we’d give one of her recipes a go. The prize for the winner is an amazing Nutribullet and with a Dove health kick on the horizon, we just had to join in. Apart from anything else, we love brownies.

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Christine Bailey’s Courgette Chocolate Brownies are made with almond nut butter instead of butter and xylitol instead of sugar so they’re better for you than conventional brownies. Given I’ve never cooked with either of these ingredients before, this recipe was a bit of an experiment for me. Thankfully the recipe is great and the brownies tasted just as good as they smelt in the oven! All the ingredients were in our local supermarket with the exception of xylitol which I substituted for another sweetener on this occasion. Almond nut butter, if you’re not familiar with it, can normally be found in the jams and spreads aisle.

Christine Bailey’s Courgette Chocolate Brownies 

This recipe is grain free, gluten free and packed full of natural protein and healthy fats thanks to the eggs, nut butter and almonds. Eggs are one of the highest quality protein rich foods and you’d never guess courgettes were in these brownies. They add natural sweetness and moisture plus they’re a great source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre. What a fabulous low in fat treat!

The preparation time for this recipe is 10 minutes with the cooking time 25 minutes. You can expect to make around 16 brownies.

Ingredients 

200g almond nut butter 
200g dark chocolate (can be dairy free)
100g sweet xylitol 
3 medium Happy Eggs 
1tsp vanilla extract 
60g ground almonds 
1tsp ground cinnamon 
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 courgette, about 125g finely grated 

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Method 

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC or gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper. Place the almond nut butter,

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dark chocolate and xylitol in a pan and warm gently to melt the chocolate. Keep it on a low heat and make sure you stir regularly. With the texture different to using butter, I kept a close eye on it!

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Place these ingredients in a food processor along with the eggs, vanilla extract, ground almond, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Process to combine, once done add the courgette plus the pecans if you’re using them. I decided not to on this occasion but we did have them at the ready.

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Spoon the mixture into a square 20cm/8 inch baking tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting into bars and eating. If you’re anything like me, you may feel obliged to have a sneaky taste while the brownies are still warm.

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The smell coming from the oven while the brownies was cooking is divine and they tasted delicious. I was quite surprised having only eaten the higher fat variety so I was really impressed. I’ll no doubt be on the hunt for more of Christine’s recipes in a quest to eat better and get fit. This was such a great challenge for me and it was great to eat something tasty that’s also nutritious.

Nutritional information 

Calories per serving: 225kcal 
Protein: 5.2g 
Carbohydrates: 15.9g 
Sugar: 14.1g 
Total fat: 17.5g 
Saturates: 3.5g 

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Top tips for creating deliciously healthy recipes

Christine Bailey has a number of top tips for creating healthy and delicious recipes. I found these rather encouraging, particularly in terms of cutting the sugar, using fruit and cutting out the fat.

Cut the sugar – reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half and it’s unlikely to make any difference. Add spices such as cinnamon, cloves or mixed spice or flavourings such as vanilla extract or almond flavouring to boost sweetness.

Use fruit or dried fruit – sugar can also be replaced by apple puree or dried fruits like dates. These will add natural sweetness as well as soluble fibre to support digestive health.

Going dairy free – instead of butter, try using coconut oil. To replace milk, try almond milk or coconut milk.

Add in extra fibre – grounded flaxseed or chia seed is delicious in baked recipes and provides valuable soluble fibre to help stablise blood sugar levels. Flax-seed also provides omega 3 fats and protein.

Want to cut the fat? – replace some of the butter in a recipe with mashed banana or stewed apple. Instead of cream, try thick greek yoghurt – it’s tasty and full of beneficial bacteria too.

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The Taste 100 Healthy Eating Recipe Challenge is in partnership with The Happy Egg Company and Christine Bailey #happyeggtastemakers