Get in the Christmas Spirit!

Tis the season to be jolly, and as always with Christmas approaching, never is there a more appropriate occasion to enjoy a (responsible) tipple or two with friends and family. And whether you need a stiff drink (or several) to get through the unwanted influx of family members and squabbling siblings or will be nursing a post-Christmas Eve hangover with further alcohol consumption the last thing on your mind, The Amazing Blog has sourced some of the best drinks around so you can celebrate in style - hangover optional!

First up, and perfect for popping at midnight on New Year's Eve or sipping slowly at a Christmas dinner, is Pommery's Wintertime Champagne (Blancs de Noirs). Created to accompany traditional food with its special winter flavours, the champagne is produced from over a dozen Pinot Noir and Meunier grape varieties, and with its round and fleshy notes and just the right amount of bubbles it's ideal for festive shindigs. And in addition to the standard sized bottles are these fabulous mini versions which come in a range of stylish designs including both a gold and union jack finish, perfect for adding a bit of decadence or patriotism to a party! Pommerry Pop Champagne: prices from £15, available at John Lewis and other leading retailers.

If, however, Champagne doesn't tickle your fancy, try Oliver's Cider & Perry, a fun, fruity take on the traditional bubbly drinks for celebrating. We love Oliver's bottled conditioned Dry Perry with its taste of pear and honey and its light and refreshing bubbles. Using skills crafted and refined through the centuries, this fine perry is made with unsprayed perry pears from local and traditional orchards and the fresh pressed juice is fermented by wild yeasts, with the result giving a true reflection of the perrymakers art. So popular has this drinks brand become that the small, family-run company has just received an 'Outstanding Achievement Award' from Flavours of Hertfordshire. Sit back and enjoy! Oliver's Conditioned Dry Perry: £6.50.

For those after something somewhat on the stronger side of things, Sipsmith - an independent spirits company that specializes in small batch artisan spirits (500 bottles per batch), has released its Sloe Gin.  The gin is made in London’s first copper distillery in 200 years, after which it rests on sloe berries, giving it its fruitiness and hints of cherry and making it a perfect Christmas treat. Sipsmith Sloe Gin: £23.50 for 50cl, available at Waitrose and Majestic stores nationwide.

And while Christmas is a time for some serious over-indulging, if you're on the verge of liver failure and are looking for a light and yummy alternative to wine, Bottlegreen's range of cordials are perfect. At Bottlegreen, they strive to capture the essence of the countryside in a range of exquisitely flavoured soft drinks. Using their wine-making skills, they blend a medley of carefully selected natural ingredients and Cotswold spring water to produce truly delicious cordials and presses - our fave is the Cox's Apple & Plum and they can be enjoyed both hot and cold. Bottlegreen cordials are available from all major supermarkets, priced from £2.99.

Another alcohol-free alternative comes from Sussex's award-winning drinks creator Gran Stead with their new alcohol free tipple - the Light and Fiery Ginger Wine. Turning up the heat this winter with this hearty Christmas drink, it was created in response to calls for an even deeper-spiced sister to Grand Stead's best-selling Dark and Mellow Ginger Wine. Big on flavour, the Ginger Wines are a satisfying choice for both designated drivers and anyone wanting to avoid alcohol, and even better they come hangover-free guaranteed!

Finally is the Triple Tipple from Godminster Vintage in Somerset. Famed for their organic cheddar, Godminster also offers a fabulous range of cheese boards and hampers as well as their infused vodka spirits that are stylishly packaged and come in a variety of refreshing flavours. But rather than having to chose your favourite, why not go for the Triple Tipple, a lovely gift set that comes with three different flavours - elderflower, horseradish and bullace (wild plum). Triple Tipple: priced approx £15 from selected independent retailers.

Bottoms up!

Please note, The Amazing Blog does not accept any responsibility for hangovers that may result as a consequence of reading this feature.

Perfekt Start...

We all know the importance of a good breakfast and while it can often be tempting to hit the snooze button and grab a skinny latte and blueberry muffin to go, the resulting caffeine buzz and sugar high will do little to stave off mid-morning cravings. Equally, the empty calories found a-plenty in sugary cereals often leave you feeling anything but full; thus by eleven you’ll be reaching for the biscuit tin. Such choices have a negative effect on not only our waistlines, but also our energy levels, and are the perfect way to start the day off on a seriously bad foot.

Ideally, a healthy, nutritionally balanced breakfast will consist of protein, fibre and complex carbs – the combination of which will keep you fuller for longer and kick start your day with a high dose of energy. However, unless you’re a real life domestic goddess or have a live-in chef able to whip you up an egg white and spinach omelette before you’re coffee has even brewed, it’s unlikely you’ll have the time, or indeed the inclination to prepare yourself a protein rich meal before hop, skip and jumping out the door.

Thankfully, we recently came across Perfekt Cereals – a revolutionary nutrient rich granola that provides the ideal combination of protein, carbohydrates and essential fats. Specifically designed to offer a nutritional balance of protein and complex carbs, the lack of refined sugar keeps blood sugar levels steady meaning you’ll stay satisfied until lunch.

The granolas are gently toasted with agave nectar – a natural alternative to sugar, with just a third of the calories. With five flavours to choose from – Ultimate Organic Granola, Organic Quinoa, Three Nut Granola, Mango and Passion Fruit Granola and Berry and Seed Granola – there’s an option for every taste bud. The Quinoa version is suitable for anyone who follows a gluten- free diet, and all Perfekt cereals are wheat free with no added salt.

So for the perfect start to the day, look no further than Perfekt Cereals. Available from Waitrose, Goodnessdirect.co.uk and a number of independent retailers.

Oh What a Bean Feast!

  Now the clocks have gone back and the evenings are drawing in, winter is officially upon us. And if you’re anything like me the dark nights and dismal days leave me craving all things cosy; endless mugs of tea, buttery toast, open fires and copious amounts of comfort food. Thus the season of over-indulging in stodge is here, leaving our waist-lines with little choice but to expand. While balmy summer days leave me wanting salads and great hunks of fruit, winter is most definitely a time for real, hearty, satisfying foods.

Thankfully, help is at hand from the lovely people at Easy Bean – creators of the delicious and healthy One-Pot Bean Meals. Inspired by authentic recipes from around the world, many of which use beans as the foundation, Easy Bean are committed to providing healthy, nutritious and filling meals that can be enjoyed alone or as a filling to a fluffy jacket potato or a spicy tortilla wrap. Combining a range pulses with a whole host of natural and wholesome ingredients, each pot is high in fibre, low in fat and both gluten and dairy free – so perfect for anyone with food intolerances. In addition each meal will count as at least two portions of veg and have no hidden nasties – so absolutely no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives.

And as a socially responsible business, you can enjoy the One-Pot Bean Meals, knowing that Easy Bean endeavour to use local suppliers and continually work with the Fairtrade Foundation.

Each pot is infused with exotic ingredients and there are both meat and vegetarian varieties. The Moroccan Tagine is a delicious option for herbivores – with chickpea, aubergine and butternut squash, slow cooked with apricot and aromatic spices, there’s a real taste of Moroccan Medina’s in every pot. But my personal favourite is The African Pavlava – a tasty combination of Fairtrade brown bean with free range chicken, sweet potato and spinach in a spicy peanut sauce. So if you’re stuck for dinner ideas, and want something both hearty and healthy, look no further than Easy Bean One- Pot Meals.

Available from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and a number of independent retailers.

Sweetcorn Bites

Here at Amazing PR we are constantly on the lookout for tasty, healthy snacks that aren’t going to leave us feeling guilty nor fill us up too much between meals and this week we have been curbing our hunger pangs thanks to Sweetcorn Bites.

Sweetcorn Bites are not only a healthy, tasty and extremely convenient snack, they are made from 100% natural and fresh sweetcorn harvested straight from the farm with no artificial ingredients or GMO’s. Perfect as a quick fix snack or last minute vegetable side-dish when in need, each pack contains eight bitesize cobettes which can be easily cooked in the microwave, steamed, boiled or wrapped in foil and put on the barbeque. Naturally high in vitamins, fibre, protein and folic acid, sweetcorn is a great healthy snack and generally considered sweet enough to be loved by kids as well as adults. Our preferred way of enjoying sweetcorn is usually laden with melted butter however these bites are sweet and crunchy enough that they are just as tasty on their own.

As an added incentive, Sweetcorn Bites are harvested from Barfoots Farm in West Sussex who practice sustainable farming and reuse, recycle and reduce waste wherever possible. All their vegetables have the LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) logo and they support ethical trading initiatives across their global farming network to ensure workers are given fair pay and get good healthcare and schooling. They have also started generating biogas from their sweetcorn waste products which is converted into renewabale heat and power as well as irrigable water and natural fertiliser…talk about green energy!

Sweetcorn Bites are available from Waitrose and Ocado.

Munch on this...

With it being National Chocolate Week, us girls at Amazing HQ are doing our patriotic duty by indulging in all things chocolate. However, fearing both our waistlines and our health in general, we thought we’d try and be adventurous and see if we could find everyone’s favourite ingredient in any less sinful alternatives.

So the snack experts at Munchy Seeds, creators of the delicious Choccy Seeds, have a definite thumbs up from everyone in the office. Developed through a passion for mindful munching, they have taken the nutritional benefit of Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds along with the taste benefits of luxurious Belgium Chocolate, and what a happy marriage it makes. Add in fruity dried apricot pieces, and voila – a tasty treat with lots of goodness.

Pumpkin seeds are known for a host of healthy benefits; not only are they rich in amino acids, iron and protein, they are also a rich source of fatty acid which help to maintain healthy blood vessels. Equally, Sunflower Seeds are choc-a-block full of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Such is the goodness of the seeds that Choccy Seeds really are the ultimate in guilt-free chocolate indulgence – hurrah!

Munchy Seeds have a huge range of tasty snacks on offer to suit all appetites – from Munchy Granola to Vanilla Pumpkin Mix - all with bucketfuls of goodness thrown in for good measure.

Prices start at £1.50 and Munchy Seeds are available to buy from Lakeland, Ocado, Waitrose, Tescos and Booths.