Quinoa & Sprouted Snack Bars - PERK!ER

Here at The Amazing Blog, we can get a little greedy and hungry at times. But with summer fast approaching we need to think about keeping our bodies in shape! So you can imagine how happy we were when we came across the new British brand, PERK!ER, and their delicious healthy snacks!

We had the chance to taste their new plant-based Quinoa & Sprouted Snack Bars. All created with a blend of nutritious ingredients and based on the well-known superfoods Quinoa: a natural source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, Cacao: known for its antioxidants properties, Chia: to help to get that a glow and boost the brain and Goji Berries: a source of Vitamin A perfect to get healthy-looking skin & immune system. The bars are also rich in antioxidants and omega 3 to save us from our morning or afternoon lull! The range includes four different bars: the Quinoa Bar Cashew, Chia & Pumpkin Seed; Quinoa Bar Cacao & Cashew; Quinoa Bar Goji & Cranberry and the Sprouted Oaty Cranberry & Cashew Bar. Our favourite is the Cacao & Cashew bar (probably due to our addiction to anything chocolatey) but there are all very tasty and will give you a shot of energy to keep you going until the next meal! Suitable for vegetarians & vegans, free from gluten, dairy and wheat, you can now enjoy a snack without guilt. A special mention for the lovely colourful packaging that comes just in time for summer, the perfect addition to our beach bag!

Grab the PERK!ER Bars here from £16.20 the pack of 18 bars, you can also purchase these from your local supermarkets such as Asda and Sainsburys.

Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

Here at The Amazing Blog we love to cook. Experimenting in the kitchen, trying out new recipes and creating delicious meals is one of our favourite pastimes. Although the internet is awash with recipes aplenty nowadays, there’s something quite special about discovering your favourite cookbook, dipping into it again and again. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of our favourites, which will hopefully inspire a few stints in your own kitchen.

First on our list is the work of national treasure and Great British Bake Off veteran, Mary Berry. To coincide with Mary’s latest TV series, her new book, ‘Absolute Favourites’, is packed full of delicious meal ideas for any occasion.  With over 100 recipes, there’s bound to be something that tickles your fancy, and the recipes are so simple, that even a cooking novice could follow them. We tried out the Fish Pie with Souffle Crouton Topping and found it delicious and super simple to prepare. An interesting twist on the classic fish pie recipe, it’s perfect for a family dinner. Pick up the new book from our ‘absolute favourite’ homecook here for £8.99.

If you’re looking to venture into the daunting world of Superfoods, we think that Julie Montagu’s ‘Superfoods’ cookbook is a wonderful place to start. Full of healthy, nutritious yet delectable meal ideas, you’ll have no excuse for raiding the biscuit tin. Julie understands that, when it comes to eating healthily, food is certainly not a ‘one size fits all’ deal. Nutritional needs and lifestyle effect what and how people eat, so we were happy to see that this tome suits everyone! With a range of amazing plant-based recipes to pick from, you’ll be feeling like a superhero in no time!  Naturally, we had to check out the ‘Sweet Treats’ section, and stumbled across her ‘Black Bean Brownies with Chia Seeds’ recipe. Perfectly gooey and wonderfully chocolatey, they’re the perfect guilt-free alternative to our favourite baked good. Grab your own ‘Superfoods’ book here for £12.91

If you’re stuck in a teatime rut then the ‘The Five O’Clock Apron’ is here to help you to cook with creativity and ease. Written by chef and mum of three, Claire Thomson, the book is full of nutritionally inspired, relatively easy recipes that your little ones will love! Full of fresh, exciting and versatile meals, the recipes are also flavourful enough to please everyone around the table including the Lamb & Quince tagine and the delicious Arancini. Our favourite recipe has to be the wonderful ‘Snail Bread’ - an interpretation of the delicious Chelsea Bun – which will have everyone coming back for more! Get stuck into Claire’s inspiring book here for £20.

For those who love rich, exotic flavours, we can’t think of anything more suitable than the delicious recipes in Vanessa Bolosier’s ‘Creole Kitchen’. Inspired by Vanessa’s French Caribbean roots and drawing inspiration from her very own childhood kitchen, the pages are filled with 100 mouthwatering Caribbean Creole recipes that just scream sunshine to us! We cooked up the Sweet Potato and Ginger Cream Soup, and loved the creamy concoction that also packed a really good punch – a hearty, warming dish perfect for a rainy day. Treat yourself to a little taste of sunshine and buy the book here for £25.

For those hardcore foodies out there, we can’t quite get enough of the ‘Scook: Complete Cookery Course’ by Anne-Sophie Pic. Overflowing with exquisite French dishes, Anne-Sophie’s main aim is to teach and share her love of cooking. We’re certainly eager to learn, and found that her book is filled with 40 step-by-step guides to overcome even the trickiest of techniques, all fully photographed so that you can see how each method is performed - perfect for impressing people at dinner parties. One recipe that really caught our eye was the White Chocolate Fondant with Passionfruit and Chocolate Coulis. Easier than we expected, these are great for preparing ahead of time, as they need to freeze for 4 hours before baking, making then an ideal finishing touch when entertaining. Teach yourself how to cook the French way, and pick up a copy here for £40.