The Cockney'tivity – A Very Cockney Christmas Story

We love Christmas at The Amazing Blog. It is a beautiful and loving time spent with all the people you love most in the world, especially family. But before the big day, we like to have a special dinner with our best friends where we exchange gifts, play games, laugh and drink a bit too much. As fun as this is though, it can be a bit tiring, especially if you are the one cooking and even worse if you are cooking again a few weeks later! So we were positively giddy when we came across the Cockney'tivity – A Very Cockney Christmas Story.

This event is utterly unique, it will make you a Christmas hero, and everyone will remember it for years to come. The Cockney’tivity is a Christmas dining experience that features three short acts of hilarious festive drama surrounding a delicious three-course meal in an authentic east end pub. As you enter The North Star, you’ll take a seat at the Christmas dinner table and enjoy your meal as the drama unfolds around you, ending with a hilarious and raucous finale that will have you dancing on your chairs.

The menu sounds brilliantly festive. Starting with roasted vegetable soup with herb oil and garlic croutons Or Smoked Salmon, Pickled Radish Salad with Horseradish Cream. There are two mains; the first is Herb buttered roasted Supreme of Chichen, Roast Spuds, Glazed Carrots, Maple Roast Parsnips, Gloucester Old Spot Pigs in Blankets, Gloucester Pork and Apple Stuffing, Buttered Greens with Nanny Bill’s Gravy. The second is a vegetarian option, titled Nanny Bill’s Nut Roast with Cauliflower Cheese pots, Veggie Stuffing and all the trimmings. Dessert features the classics, Handmade Mince Pies with Brandy Cream and Christmas Budding with Lemon Sorbet. 

The event runs from the 1st – 22nd of December and tickets cost £55 a person. Private bookings are also available here for up to 60 guests.  Get your tickets here and make a Christmas memory no one will forget. 

Friday Favourites - Winterville

As we may have mentioned before, at The Amazing Blog we absolutely LOVE this festive period! Mulled wine, fairy lights and layers are among some of the best things, so being able to enjoy all three in one event is certainly an evening we won't be missing! This year one of our favourite festive events, Winterville, is taking place in South London at Clapham Common. 

What we like about Winterville is that the event offers Londoner’s an alternative festive experience that’s accessible and enjoyable for all. Go ice-skating on the outdoor ice rink, take the kids to the fairground or head to the roller rink with some friends for an active and fast-paced day.  If you would rather relax and be entertained then head to their famous Spiegeltent which is hosting one-off events such as comedy, cabaret and family Christmas shows.  What’s more, the event is the part-time home to some of London’s best street food at the Feastopia, full of option and delight. 

Entry is free, but attractions and events are priced individually. Winterville is open from November 23rd until January 5th, so there is plenty of time for you to go and no excuse for you not to. NB:  Due to weekend popularity for all these individual events, Friday and Saturday night you will need to book your tickets here.

Christmas at Kew

Deck the halls, hang up the mistletoe and string up those lights. Christmas season is here everybody, and we here at The Amazing Blog, clearly, couldn’t be more excited. More excitingly, Christmas is coming early to Kew, running from 22 November to 1 January.

The Kew Christmas festivities take place after dark, once the gardens have closed. The magical after dark experience brings you fairy-tale and fantasy. Wander down the one-mile long trail that winds through the gardens, as you are surrounded by illuminating and singing trees, giant baubles, buildings that boast over one million twinkling lights, a flickering Fire Garden. The Palm House lights up with a dazzling show of laser beams, jets of light and kaleidoscopic projections. It really is a sight to behold!

In addition to the mystical outdoor trail, there is festive food and drink on offer. Sipping some mulled wine, hot chocolate or spiced cider, and toasting marshmallows around the fire is the perfect way to warm your cockles in the winter chill. Fancy picking up some Christmas gifts? There is a wonderful selection of gifts and stocking fillers in Kew’s shops. The children even get a chance to meet Father Christmas and his elves next to the magical vintage fairground. It is the perfect event for all ages, to get you into the Christmas spirit and we can’t wait to bask in the festivities.

Book tickets here for £16, or £10 for children.

Protein Bites By Nibble

Unfortunately, a lot of so-called ‘healthy’ snacks are full of sugar, and Nibble just couldn’t stomach this anymore (pardon the pun). When Nibble created their Protein Bites, which are delicious, healthy and high in protein, our appetites here at The Amazing Blog were wetted.

Protein Bites are high in protein (obviously), a great source of fibre, low GI and low in sugar. In layman terms, this all means that you stay fuller for longer, so you won’t be tempted to snack on empty-nutritious foods, and you also won’t get that dreaded sugar crash later. In fact, Nibble are lower in sugar than almost all other brands, and by a lot. For those with dietary restrictions, they are also dairy free, gluten free, date free, and vegan – hoorah!

You might think this all sounds a bit, well, bland. Think again! Protein Bites are packed with flavour, and come in some very tempting flavours, including Sour Cherry, Choc Chip Cookie, Lemon with Coconut, and Mocha. These are simply the perfect healthy snacks for on-the-go, a little energy boost when you’re feeling low or can’t quite get through the seemingly endless gap between lunch and dinner. The bites are made of antioxidant-rich dried plum puree, instead of the over-used and strange-tasting dates, and a blend of toasted pumpkin/sunflower seeds (for nutty flavour and texture) and pea protein (for that much-needed high protein content).

Purchase the pack of 8 Protein Bites  here for £18.00, Nibble Protein Bites are also available at Ocado for £2.39 each.

Organic and Fair Trade Wholefood Snack Bars by Geobar.

The Amazing Blog are big believers in supporting fair trade farmers and we all jump at any opportunity to try a new fair trade snack whenever we can. So discovering Geobars fair trade wholefood snack bars has made our week. Their bars are filled with organic ingredients farmed from all over the world including Cocoa from Ghana, Raisins from South Africa, Cashews from India and Walnuts from Pakistan. The Amazing Blog tried the Carrot and Ginger, Apple and Kale and Cocoa and Beetroot bars.

These delicious fruit, oat and nut bars use ingredients from trusted suppliers to ensure they stay fair trade, they're also high in fibre and contain no added sugar. The Carrot and Ginger bar is made mainly from oats, raisins and dates, with the flavours of carrot and ginger to add a hint of spice. The Apple and Kale bar contains dried apple, dates and cashew nuts, with the kale balancing out the zesty apple flavour. The Cocoa and Beetroot bar is made with a similar combination of oats, raisins and dates, but includes both cocoa powder and nibs. We think these bars make for a delicious snack choice while maintaining a healthy diet and supporting fair trade. All the bars are suitable for vegan diets.

They are available to purchase from Ethicalsuperstore.com and Traidcraft for £1.40 per bar (40g) or £26 for a pack of 20.