Blueberry & Raspberry Double Fruit Twists by Gregory's Tree

At The Amazing Blog, we call it how we see it, and January is a hangover month. You’re still recovering from all the food and booze you consumed a few weeks ago, and you're looking ahead to see how long you’ve got until it’s acceptable to drop your 'new year new you diet'. If you’re like us and think that the health kick still has a while to go but are suffering from some serious mid-afternoon munchies, then you need to try Gregory’s Tree and their Blueberry and Raspberry Double Fruit Twists.

These are great tasting, organic, fruit snacks that no one will raise an eyebrow at. With only 60 calories this little treat counts as one of your five a day. You must not be fooled by their size; these snacks are packed full of flavour and are actually very filling. Full of natural energy and with no added sugar they will give you a lasting boost until your next meal.  They are made from pure organic fruit, which is gently heated, pulped and twisted.

If you are looking for a snack free from nuts, GMO’s, gluten that will show the world you haven’t given up, even if you have a little, then this is the one. You can purchase a box of 24 double fruit twists here for £14 or can pick up one from any of these stockists around the country.

Clear Coffee

If you, like us at The Amazing Blog, need coffee to get through the day but you worry about the inevitable teeth staining, you need to know about the first colourless coffee drink in the world; Clear Coffee. It’s a great option for that much-needed caffeine kick we crave. Forget having your coffee black or white, venture out and give clear a go!

Don’t let appearances deceive you though. It certainly doesn’t taste like water. You get the reviving boost of a double espresso, alongside a refreshing taste. Clear Coffee is made from simple ingredients, including water, coffee beans and natural caffeine, and that’s all. There are not any preservative, added aromas, sugar or sweetener. The coffee beans are high quality, freshly roasted Arabica beans. The unique taste and aroma is the result of a coffee processing method that had never been used before. Owing to the lack of artificial sweeteners, the drink is unusually sour and tangy, but it’s a moreish taste that we’re intrigued by. Our favourite way to have it is ice cold straight from the fridge, or in a cheeky little cocktail.

In short, you get a natural, refreshing coffee drink with few calories that won’t stain your teeth!

If you fancy trying out this unusual drink, you can purchase them from their Amazon page for £8.49 for a pack of 2 here or £15.99 for 4 here.

Veggie Desserts and Cakes by Kate Hackworthy

At The Amazing Blog, we are always looking for inventive ways to introduce more veg into our diets. We never thought we would be able to do this while satisfying our sweet teeth. This is the outcome with food writer Kate Hackworthy’s new cookbook “Veggie Desserts and Cakes: Carrot Cakes and Beyond.” The book is a collection of unusual but delicious desserts that will help you increase your daily dose of vegetables. 

The writer of the award-winning blog Veggie Desserts, Kate has combined her passion for veg with her love of baking, and we couldn’t thank her enough. With 60 original recipes, the book isn’t about sneaking vegetables into your diet, as perhaps you would expect, but it instead celebrates them as hero ingredients. Our top three desserts from the book were the Courgette and Poppy Seed Loaf with Lavender Glaze, the Chocolate Mashed Potato Cupcakes with Espresso Icing and the Parsnip and Apple Tarte Tatin. Each recipe explains a little about why she chose the vegetables in it and what they add. For example, although mashed potato sounds like an odd thing to add to a cupcake, potatoes have actually been used in cake for decades. The ingredient adds bulk and moisture and helps the cakes keep for longer without drying out.  Veggies tend to bring moisture, natural sweetness and extra nutrients to baking. What’s more is that less refined sugar and fat is required making that you have some unbelievably tasty treats that are a lot less naughty. 
 

The book has really helped open our eyes and appreciate vegetables far more than we already do. If you feel inspired to try something new then you can purchase the book here from £13.78 Trust us, it will be the best decision you make all day. 
 

Vegetable Crisps by Leighton Brown

We at The Amazing Blog have something rather ground-breaking to report; we actually prefer Leighton Brown vegetable crisps to any old potato crisps! The texture is super-crunchy and the flavours are bold. Move over Walkers!

These treats for the taste buds come in three flavours; Parsnip crisps with Manuka Honey, Sweet Potato Crisps with Cheese & Jalapeno, and Beetroot Crisps with Horseradish & Dill. Leighton Brown is an artisan brand, whose products are vegetarian, gluten-free and made with only natural ingredients; but this goodness doesn’t take away from the vibrant flavours. With these crisps, they have a unique combination of tastes with their piquancy and seasoning, in our view they're pure stimulation for the taste buds. We’re obviously not the only ones to think this, as Leighton Brown crisps have won several Great Taste Awards by the Guild of Fine Food not just for one but for every single flavour!

The heat from the Jalapeno peppers pairs perfectly with the cheese, the Manuka honey brings a gorgeous sweetness, and the dill and horseradish make a delightfully tangy pairing. The echo around the office is 'please pass me another packet'. We’re now fully on board with these yummy and appetising vegetable crisps. You too can purchase Leighton Brown crisps online here for around £16 for 12 packs, or around £30 for 24 packs; or they're available individually in store nationwide at Holland & Barrett.

Christmas Gifts for Men

Let’s face it we all know how difficult it is to find that perfect man gift. Every year struggle offering the same things: Aftershave, watches, ties or even socks! This year at The Amazing Blog we've had enough of the mundane and have a few more unusual gifts ideas to suggest...

Question: Who loves a well-groomed man with a smooth and perfectly shaved face? Answer: We do!  That's why we think that the Cornerstone personalised gift set is the perfect gift for those who like to step up their shaving game. The £30 Shaving Gift Set includes a face scrub, a shave gel, a personalised razor with engraved initials (an added bonus) and a post-shave balm.

Before shaving, the Face Scrub gently exfoliates the skin removing dirt and impurities which helps for a smoother shaving. Enriched with eucalyptus oil and ginger extracts the Sensitive Shave Gel is formulated to protect sensitive skin from irritation and shaving cuts. Eucalyptus works as a highly protecting ingredient with its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. The gel enables a smooth and comfortable shaving experience. The Aluminium Razor is made with five high-quality fine blades. Each blade is made from Japanese chromium steel and designed to reduce the risk of burns and clogging. The razor has an Aloe Vera strip that helps the blades glide smoothly. Finish the shaving in apotheosis with the Sensitive Cooling Post-Shave Balm. Infused with mint and honey, this refreshing balm instantly replenishes, hydrates and cools the skin. This set also comes with a £10 gift card - bonus! Purchase the Cornerstone gift set here for £30. They also have a Cornerstone subscription club - see website for details.

Christmas means gifts, wine and good food. It’s the time of the year when we do our best to be an aspiring 'Nigella' cooking gourmet meals for our loved ones, made with delicious, rich and luxurious ingredients. When January comes its time for a slowdown generally with a detox and rather boring food. However, this year why not make the whole year feel like Christmas with the L’Atelier Des Chefs Cooking Classes.

L’Atelier Des Chefs is one of UK’s best cookery schools it offers classes from a quick 30 minutes to an intense 4 hours tuition for anyone wanting to learn more about creating great food. The school provides a great and diverse range of class themes including French, Thai and Asian cuisine. They offer a diverse selection of Seasonal and Healthy Eating, Pastry and Sweet Things, Greek, Moroccan, Burger Making, Street Food and of course British food.

The classes are run by professional chefs that are passionate about sharing their expert tips. These classes are the opportunity to expand your recipe repertoire and learn new techniques in a fun environment. These culinary courses are the ideal gift offering the opportunity for your man to don his chefs hat and become the latest cooking maestro! For a  90 minutes cooking classes, a gift card is available here for £58.

This year we have found the perfect gift for gin lovers. It is the Gin Tasting Experience for Two, at Brennen & Brown distillery. This unique olfactory experience will take you through a voyage of sensorial discovery guaranteed to tantalise the taste buds. There will be demonstrations of their innovative distilling techniques where you will also glean more about the history of Gin. During the tasting class, you will not only drink and taste fabulous gins but also learn more about the different botanicals which create the individual gin flavours. It is a an experience for two, which always makes it more fun to share. The experiences starts at 5.30pm and run on a Thursday and Friday with occasional Saturday. You can buy a Gin Tasting Gift Card here for £35.

Interflora’s Gentleman's Indulgent Mini Hamper is a real treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. This luxurious gourmet hamper has everything your man could need for a quick snack. The basket includes Cartwright & Butler Chocolate Peanut Cookies, Bespoke Pickle by Blue Writing, and Thomas J.Fudge's Tangy Stilton Wafers. In fact, there are a plethora of treats including Cambrook Brilliantly Baked Salted Mixed Nuts, Copperpot Caramel & Sea Salt Butter Fudge, Yorkshire Popcorn Salted, Fair & Square Milk Chocolate, Haribo Jelly Beans with Blue Ribbon and Green & Pleasant Natural Cider. All very tempting, not only that but Interflora also includes two bottles of refreshing artisan cider to boot! Perfect for your chap, we're sure he'll bless you as he sits back, relaxes and enjoys these in front of the TV. You can purchase the hamper here for £35.

Wallets are a Christmas gifts classic, and so last but not least, we thought we'd include our favourite one.  We love this beautiful Gentlemen’s Hardware Bi-Fold Leather Wallet. Made with hard-wearing tan leather this stylish and sophisticated wallet is a must-have man accessory. Designed with multiple compartments and card slots this wallet enables the owner to have a well-organised wallet that is fast and easy to use. It has an advanced RFID lining that blocks any unwanted contactless payments. The wallet comes in an elegant, smart branded tin box. Apart from its great quality what we particularly like is the embossed words on the inside seam: “Fortune Favours the Brave”. What a great motto for that special man in your life. The wallet can be purchased here for £40.