Kick a caffeine habit with Barleycup – review and giveaway

Disclosure.  This post is a review of a product I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Although I will quite happily have caffeinated drinks, given a choice I always opt for decaf, so I was interested in the opportunity of trying a caffeine free drink called Barley Cup. I initially received 2 free sachets.

I think I may possibly have come across this drink once before, many many years ago. I believe I had a colleague who had a jar of it on her desk, but I don’t recall if I ever tried it. The Barleycup website doesn’t have a history page, so I can’t even check if it existed back then.

Barleycup is an instant cereal based powdered product designed to be drunk hot, as a natural, caffeine free alternative to tea or coffee. It is suitable for all the family from age 3 up, although I didn’t get enough to involve my kids in the taste test. The ingredients are barley (47%), rye and chicory, so no artificial additives. Also low calorie and a source of fibre.

Very simple to make. Put 2 teaspoons of Barleycup in your cup. Fill with hot water (250ml) and if desired, add any type of milk. I didn’t try this, but if you have a sweet tooth, add a bit of honey or maple syrup. I was amazed how similar to coffee it tasted. A very nice drink. This could certainly be the way forward for kicking that caffeine habit.

Besides the Barley Cup that I tried, there are 3 other products in the range. These are Barley Cup Organic, Barley Cup Granules and Barley Cup with Dandelion. Great to note that there is an organic variant. They come in either 200g or 100g jars depending on the variety. Barleycup can be purchased in-store at Holland and Barrett and selected independent health food shops plus various online stores.

There are several interesting recipe ideas on the Barleycup website. I didn’t get enough to try out any recipes yet, but apparently I now have a free full-size jar on the way.

Plus I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition to giveaway a 200g jar of Barleycup to 3 lucky winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear about your favourite drink.

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Cheesy Cinnamon Sausage Hotpot plus giveaway

I recently received 7 free cans of Cinnamora, a cinnamon soft drink to review, 6 sparkling and 1 still. I love cinnamon toast, so was very interested in the idea of trying a cinnamon drink. And although there are no established health claims related to cinnamon, there are many studies supporting its beneficial effects on diabetes and cholesterol.

I was slightly dismayed to see that they arrived in one of those Royal Mail “damaged in transit” wrappers. A few cans were slightly dented, but otherwise okay. I would recommend that they pack them in a box for better protection.

So onto the taste test. I’m not personally a huge fan of fizzy drinks, so as expected I preferred the still variant. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I would rate the flavour as okay, so not quite as tasty as I was hoping. However on the plus side, there is no sugar, artificial flavouring or colours in these drinks. And it was very refreshing. The rest of the family also tried the sparkling variant. My other half liked it but the kids weren’t that keen.

Now as regular readers know, I enjoy cooking, so I decided to try it out in a dish. I decided on making a hotpot with it.

Cheesy Cinnamon Sausage Hotpot

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 375g pack of 12 good quality sausages
1 250ml can of Cinnamora sparkling cinnamon soft drink
1 medium onion
1 420g can of baked beans
500g potatoes
50g cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
Choose a lidded casserole dish which is suitable for both oven and hob.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Add the olive oil to the casserole dish and heat gently on hob.
Add onion and cook for a couple of minutes until softened.
Prick the sausages and add to the dish.
Continue to cook for a further few minutes.
Meanwhile peel and slice the potatoes.
Pour the Cinnamora over the sausages.
Stir in the baked beans.
Cover with the sliced potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the top.
Cover with lid and cook in oven for 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Remove lid and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.

This time, I got a resounding thumbs up from all the family. So it would be great to see Cinnamora develop a section of recipes on their website.

Cinnamora currently retails at £1 for a 250ml can and is available to purchase online or at selected retailers in London.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition to giveaway 7 cans of Cinnamora to one lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear your favourite drinks or your idea for a recipe using Cinnamora.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Oatly Foamable – an oat drink

I have received a carton of Oatly Foamable oat drink, free to review.

Having never been a barista, I wasn’t quite sure how to foam either milk or Oatly Foamable, or how foamy it should be. However I gave it my best shot, warming the Oatly Foamable in the microwave and then hand whisking it before pouring it into my coffee. The result was delicious. I really loved the oaty flavour and the best bonus was I didn’t need to add my normal half a spoon of sugar. The usual bitterness of coffee had disappeared. I have to say I preferred it to a coffee made with cow’s milk.

I also tried making a bowl of porridge with the Oatly Foamable. And I know what you’re saying. That porridge is oats anyhow, but I thought it would be a good pairing. And yes it was nice, but not a huge taste difference from using cow’s milk.

Now let me share some facts I’ve learnt about the Oatly Foamable oat drink.

1. It is completely plant-based, so can be enjoyed by those with milk allergies as well as vegans. Also suitable for those with nut allergies.
2. Production of this drink creates 69% fewer green house gas emissions than cow’s milk and 79% less land usage and 60% less energy usage.
3. A long-life product which keeps in the refrigerator for upto 5 days after opening.

Oatly Foamable is available at Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado, Booths and independents, currently priced at an RRP of £1.79 for a 1 litre carton.

And take a look at the Oatly website, to see some of their other products. I’ve got my eye on trying the Orange Mango Oat Drink next.

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Disclosure. This post is a review of a product I was sent for free. All opinions are my own.

Mint Matcha Chocolate Raspberry Milkshake

So what do you drink in the summer? I mean to quench your thirst, rather than something alcoholic. Do you grab a can of coke or do you prefer something more healthy? I have received a free sample of matcha & mint tea from EatClean Tea and been challenged to create a delicious and healthy recipe for #SummerofMatcha. They want to help people cut down on their sugar intake by saying bye bye to fizzy drinks and sugar laden juices.

I’ve heard great things about it, but I’ve never actually tried matcha before. For those who don’t know, matcha is a green tea powder. Take a look at the EatClean Tea website, to read about all the healthy benefits of matcha. I decided to use it in a milkshake.

Mint Matcha Chocolate Raspberry Milkshake

Ingredients (serves 1)

2 scoops matcha & mint tea (approx 1/4 teasp)
200 ml skimmed milk
50g raspberries
25g milk or dark chocolate

Method

Grate the chocolate.
Put grated chocolate, raspberries, milk and matcha in a smoothie maker (or blender).
Blend well.
Pour into a glass.
Serve and enjoy.

A lovely refreshing summer drink. And I was very pleased to find it doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste of green tea. I like mine cool, but if you prefer it colder, then serve with crushed ice.

I’d love to hear your favourite summer drink? I’m planning to try the matcha & mint tea in homemade lemonade or lassi next.

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Disclosure. This post is an entry into the #SummerofMatcha competition. I received a free sample of EatCleanTea matcha.

Doddlebags review and giveaway

I recently received a selection of Doddlebags free to review. These are refillable spout pouches.

I received a mixed pack of 10 pouches and 2 individual packs. They also contain a sticker for each pack.

I tested them out on drinks for the boys. They sealed well and are easy to wash for reuse, although they do take a long time to dry fully inside if you wish to put them away empty.

They only hold a maximum of 100ml, so the boys drank them very quickly, but this would be an ideal quantity for younger children. I also noticed that they fitted perfectly in a blazer pocket, which will be a big bonus for us in a week’s time on school city visit day. It’s a smart occasion but the children have been requested to carry a small snack and drink in their pocket.

And they can be used for so much more than just drinks. I shall be using them for sauces and dressings to take to work on my next set of night shifts. The self-stand feature will be particularly useful in the fridge at work.

If you use them for baby food, you will soon be able to purchase a DoddleSpoon which attaches directly to the spout. Another plus point is that the caps are large enough to be choke-proof.

And it is not just food. They are great for your overnight bag for toiletries like shampoo. The 100ml limit comes into its own here for hand luggage liquid allowance on flights.

Another extra coming soon is the DoddleBrush, so that little hands can use them for paint or glue. Me, I think I could make use of this feature for brushing melted chocolate.

A pack of 10 currently retails at £9.99 which is good value in my opinion. They are BPA, Pthalate and PVC free. Also dishwasher and freezer safe.

Now regular readers of my blog will be aware that son1 has been undergoing chemotherapy for nearly 3 years, so I was pleased to read that DoddleBags are supporting The Joe Glover Trust, a children’s cancer charity with some of their profits.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition to giveaway a pack of 10 courtesy of Doddlebags to five lucky winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear your suggestions of what to put in a Doddlebag?

And finally I have a discount code BLOGREAD16 to share with my readers which will give you 20% off your purchase from Doddlebags.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Giveaway to win Luxury Yogi Teas

I love to relax with a cup of tea and I’m sure lots of you feel the same. So I’m pleased to be able to share my latest giveaway of 4 boxes of luxury Yogi Teas with you.

The prize includes four selected herbal teas:
Yogi Positive Energy Tea Cranberry Hibiscus: An uplifting and invigorating tea infused with Green Mate, Guarana & Assam Black
Yogi Detox Tea with Lemon: a tangy detox tea infused with the flavours of Bitter Dandelion, Sweet Liquorice & Spicy Ginger
Yogi Women’s Tea: a balancing tea with a blend of Ginger, Orange Peel, Angelica Root & Ayurvedic Spices
Yogi Bedtime Tea: a calming and organic tea infused with Chamomile, Lavender, Nutmeg & Valerian Root

Each box contains 17 teabags and the lucky winner gets a complete set of all four varieties.

Yogi Tea have been specialising in organic herbal tea since 1960! And are experts in creating flavoured healthy tea.

Prize supplied by Discount Supplements, specialists in Online Sports Supplements. They stock about 40 varieties of Yogi Tea, which currently retail at £2.29 per pack of 17 bags.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

Regular readers of my blog will know I enjoy a cup of tea from previous reviews but I’d love to hear what your favourite drink is?

Here are links to teas I have reviewed previously.
Olive Leaf Tea
Butterfly Dance Blooming Tea and Ginseng Oolong Tea Cubed

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Disclosure.  Although I am hosting this giveaway, I have not received any product.  All opinions are my own.

Peanut Hottie review

I have been sent a free new drink to try – Peanut Hottie. I received a full size 260g pot, two 20g individual sachets, a packet of vegetarian marshmallows plus a few accessories to set the scene, namely a fan, ice cubes, a bottle and straw.

I love the name Peanut Hottie, but it is even more versatile as this peanut butter flavour drink can be consumed hot like hot chocolate or cold as a milkshake. Peanut Hottie comes in two flavours – Peanut Hottie and Chocolate Peanut Hottie.

Now peanuts seem to be something you either love or hate. I’m definitely in the love camp, but the boys aren’t quite so keen. They refused to try the Peanut Hottie drinks, but I’ve seen some great recipes on the Peanut Hottie website, so I’m planning to try making some Peanut Hottie pancakes. Let’s see what they think of those.

But first I tried the Chocolate Peanut Hottie hot, for which you just need to add hot water. Tasty and only 83 calories per mug.

Secondly I made a milkshake, mixing 3 teaspoons of Chocolate Peanut Hottie with 200 ml cold semi-skimmed milk before serving with the provided straw. Slurp slurp. Even more tasty and still only 130 calories. And less than 100 calories if you use almond milk instead.

I liked the richness of the milkshake, so I then experimented on my next hot drink. This time it was one of the individual sachets of Peanut Hottie flavour and I made it with 2/3 hot water, topped up with milk. Yummy. I’m not calorie counting.

Peanut Hottie is available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Booths and Waitrose, currently with a RRP of £2.99. It is suitable for vegetarians and contains no artificial additives or colours. The Peanut Hottie flavour is caffeine free although the Chocolate Peanut Hottie flavour is not.

In summary, I really recommend both flavours of Peanut Hottie. I liked them equally.

I’d love to hear if you have an idea of something to cook using Peanut Hottie.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.