G'NOSH Gourment Dips

While most of us at The Amazing Blog have our own favourite topics we love to blog about - from pets to pampering - when it comes to food, our passion is unanimous. Whether we're drooling over the latest cook book on offer or sampling the cuisine at a Scandanavian Supper Club, food is, quite literally, always on our mind.

Unfortunately I don't happen to possess the most natural flair in the kitchen. And thanks to my foody housemate I frequently suffer from severe food envy when he knocks up one of his specialities - from barbecued seabass to home made hummus - my dishes pale in comparison. And I certainly have neither the time nor the energy to create all the home made sauces that he concocts after work which temptingly lace the fridge doors.

Having recently been alerted to G'NOSH Gourmet Dips, however, I no longer have to sit petulantly with a soggy jacket potato wishing I had the know-how to put together a decent meal. Forget the pre-packed greasy pots of supermarket guacamole, G'NOSH Gourment Dips are made using the finest of ingredients meaning that they taste as fresh as if you made them at home. And while they can be used in the classic way - with tortilla chips and vegetable crudites - they're also brilliant as a fuss-free addition to any meal and can be stirred into soups or pasta, used to marinade meat or even spread onto a pizza base - the possibilities are endless.

With five mouth-watering flavours: Sun Dried Tomato & Basil, Spicy Red Pepper Muhumarra, Sweet Black Bean, Smoky Roasted Aubergine Babaghanoush and Beetroot & Mint there's a dip to tantalise every taste-bud! Our favourites were the Babaghanoush and Sweet Black Bean - both full of flavour with an added kick - which we spent one very enjoyable afternoon dipping a mammoth pack of Kettle Chips into!

To get your hands on these delicious dips, head to Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Wholefoods or Waitrose, or for a full list of stockists check out their website.

Scandilicious!

Living in London, there's always a plethora of outings on offer when stuck for something to do, however, the dismal downpour we've been experiencing recently, has certainly been limiting our options.  And as regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know we're always on the look out for new and exciting things to do in the capital, so when a friend of mind recommended Scandilicious Brunches, I booked myself in immediately.

Scandilious Brunches are run by Scandinavian Signe Johansen, a London-based food anthropologist, writer and cook who grew up in Norway.  Having published her first cookbook - Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking... Scandilicious - in May 2011, Signe decided to offer Londoners the chance to sample some of her delicious delicacies in an informal and friendly setting. Not wanting to miss the bandwagon, or indeed any of the yummy food on offer, I attended one of the brunches last Saturday.

I was welcomed with a Bloody Mary of the slutty variety which instantly perked me up despite a somewhat heavy night the night before. And what followed was even better: Smoothies, Jarlsberg and Fennel Muffins, Home-Cured Gravadlax served with Rye Bread, Cinnamon Buns, Waffles with Blueberry and Rasperry Compote, Cardomom Doughnuts and the most delicious Hazlenut Brownie I've ever tasted, served with Fresh Coffee from Square Mile and a selection of Teas.

The food is every bit as delicious as it sounds, and the ambient setting of someone's house made for a unique and cosy experience. As well as offering brunches, Signe also offers suppers and has some fabulous cooking classes coming up, should you wish to learn the art of Scandinavian Cooking. And if you fancy a bit of DIY in the comfort of your own home, in her forthcoming book Scandilicious Baking, Signe Johansen shares with us a mouth watering selection of traditional and baked treats. So whether you're a foodie in search of a new food adventure, or simply fancy trying something new, check out Scandilicious's forthcoming events - but make sure you arrive on an empty stomach to make the most of all the fabulous food!

Juiceology

How many times have you tried to experiment with a new type of healthy drink only to come away disappointed? You attempt to be healthy and try fruit and vegetable juices but they end up tasting awful.  Having been through a plethora of allegedly healthy juices, I almost gave up hope on finding a  drink that was good for me as well as delicious. That was until a box of Juiceology arrived at The Amazing Blog  - yes and we all agree that each of the four flavours is everybit as good as the last!

The juices created by Juiceology are all natural and don't contain any artificial sugars or preservatives. The taste of these juices comes from the blend of juice, purees, herbs, natural botanical extracts, and spring water. For additional health benefits, Juiceology has included a multitude of antioxidants as well as milk thistle to all of their drinks.  I tried the apple, lime, and mint which was absolutely delicious. The flavour of apple combined with the citrus taste of the lime blended perfectly with the subtle hint of mint at the end.  Their other flavours are mandarin, ginger, and cardamom, lychee, berry, and basil, and coconut water and white guava and the gang at The Amazing Blog are certainly looking forward to drinking our way through them - in fact we think that with a quick dash of vodka they'd be rather nice too...  So, if you, too, are in need of a healthy thirst-quencher more exciting than water, give Juiceology a try, available online priced at £14.99 for 12 bottles.

Bob Carlos Clarke at The Imperial Arms

It’s always nice to find a new ‘local’ watering hole near us in Chelsea. So we were thrilled to hear about the launch of The Bob Carlos Clarke Bar at The Imperial Arms - it’s so nice to find somewhere that will offer more than just a drinking venue. This is inspired by Ghislain Pascal and Tamara Beckworth’s Little Black Gallery in Park Walk who have branched out into the restaurant world by collaborating with The Imperial Arms and are going into partnership with the pub’s current owners Iain and Amelia Heggie. This bar will contain a little bit of everything that will curtail to the interests of a multitude of people. In its simplest form, this is a London Victoria pub in which you can order your favourite drinks and enjoy the company of your friends.

However, there is much more to The Imperial Arms than just that; also on offer is some of the best street food in the capital. On top of all of this, the Bob Carlos Clarke Bar will include wall to wall photography from the Little Black Gallery – injecting a bit of culture into a round of drinks. The launch exhibition: 'Best of The Little Black Gallery' includes photographs by Terry O'Neill, Gered Mankowitz, Mike Figgis, Lisa Creagh and Luke Foreman, and all of these photographs are available to buy. This will be a bit like going down memory lane for The Amazing Blog Exec Ed as she remembers only too well working with some of these snappers in her past incarnation as a stylist in the heady 90’s! The Little Black Gallery was voted the number 1 top emerging art gallery in London by the Downtown Traveller Magazine USA and it was also voted as one of the top venues in Chelsea by Absolutely Chelsea Magazine. The Bob Carlos Clarke Bar proves that is has a little something for everyone to enjoy.

The Bob Carlos Clarke Bar opens on 17^th April and is located in The Imperial Arms. It will definitely be worth attending, whether you’re looking for a different type of bar to venture to in the near future or to simply enjoy photography. Personally we can’t wait to try out this bar to not only enjoy some drinks and food, but also to admire the photos on show by such legendary photographers.

Roses are red, violets are blue...

Alas, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and with it comes the influx of the biggest advertising push of the year so far, with flowers, romantic meals and bubble baths-a-plenty on every platform going. From heart-shaped cupcakes, to pink champagne and a dozen red roses, it’s hard to avoid the overload of clichés that the most romantic day of the year brings.

Thus, as always, we at The Amazing Blog set ourselves the challenge of finding an alternative way to celebrate Valentine’s Day – particularly for those single gals among us! Not wanting to gate-crash a candle-lit restaurant, nor being thrilled at the prospect of a one-off special Valentine's Day viewing of Baz Lurman’s Romeo & Juliet - bound to be chock-full with canoodling couples - we decided to look further afield.

Happily, it wasn't long before we stumbled across the London Jewellery School, the UK's largest independent jewellery training centre based in london's most famous jewellery quarter - Hatton Garden. They have a huge spectrum of classes to chose from including both day workshops and evening classes, and with over 20 world-class jewellery tutors and two fully-equipped jewellery studios, there's something for everyone at London Jewellery School.

And getting in the mood for all things love-themed, the London Jewellery School is putting on a three hour-long workshop this Sunday, perfect for anyone wanting to make their loved-one, or indeed, themselves, a timeless trinket. For just £45 + VAT participants will be guided by a professional jeweller in how to make a solid silver 'Love Heart' style charm using a fantastic material called metal clay. At the end of the session all those taking part will receive a finished silver charm to take away in a lovely gift bag all ready to present to your Valentine. or, in the case of a singleton, yourself!

For full details and booking please visit their website.