Cocoa flavoured tea is becoming more popular today as more brands are creating their own versions. Take Hotel Chocolat as an example, their cocoa tea is becoming a best selling product, and the way they make it is easy.

The cocoa shells that usually get thrown away after the cocoa beans have been removed, get placed into a tea bag, bringing the real flavours of cocoa into the water, meaning it’s completely healthy. It would be a shame to waste these shells as they do carry great flavours, and one of the only things you can do with them is make tea and sell it for substantial sums of money and that’s what many of the major players are now doing. It’s so easy to make you can easily create your own at home and we’re sure you’ll be impressed with the results.

You don’t just have to stick to the traditional shop bought burgers and hot dogs when you host your next barbecue, there are plenty of other options. To really impress your friends and family members, we advise you contemplate the following ideas:

Griddled vegetables

Forget the salad that nobody touches, try frying up some veg. They’ll carry BBQ flavours if you cook them on a hob over the flames, and then simply top with crumbly feta cheese.

Goat kebabs

Goat meat tastes wonderful and it works well as a kebab. Cube the meat and add to skewers with peppers and onions, then simple rotate them over the barbecue.

Trout

Barbecuing a trout in newspapers is a cool idea and the taste will be amazing. Also add some fresh lemons and herbs for extra flavour.

For me and my family, it’s a moment we’ve all been waiting for. The sunshine has finally arrived, and it means we can now go out for a picnic. It doesn’t take much more than a picnic basket, several sandwiches, cake crisps and a few bottles of fice cold flavoured water, and it certainly keeps us happy and entertained on a sunny afternoon. I’ve always loved eating outside, and for me the location is really important. We love to go to parks, riversides and beaches as they all provide fabulous picnicking opportunities. Of course, when the eating is over, we tend to burn a few of the calories off by playing stuck in the mud, rounders or football. The kids are only 9 and 11 so they absolutely love these days out, but probably not more so than me and my husband.

If you want to hold an outdoor wedding, the best option is to go for a marquee. The marquee creates more room for your wedding, so you can be sure of inviting more guests. Also, it can be adjusted and decorated in whichever way you prefer. It can be challenging to find the right marquee for your wedding. Nonetheless, with the perfect marquee hiring company, you can get some help on how to choose a marquee that will serve you right. Here are factors to keep in mind before you choose the right wedding marquees Northampton dealer.

• Local loyalty

Before hiring a wedding marquee from the dealer, ensure that they have been operating around Northampton for a long time. This way, you can be sure to find a reliable company that understands the landscape in Northampton and can suggest some great locations for your wedding. Ideally, visit their office, which should also be in Northampton. (more…)

Finally Easter is here, so it’s time to indulge in chocolate eggs, watch television and relax with your loved ones. We’ve started the day with a chocolate and spice hot cross bun, and we’re preparing our Herb-crusted leg of lamb with red wine gravy.

To get you in the mood for Easter, we’re giving you two ideas for delicious bank holiday weekend treats.

Carrot cake

It’s one of our all time faves, a sticky and delicious sponge real carrot topping. You can find this classic recipe online. Just don’t let the Easter bunnies get to it!

Cream Egg Rocky Road

This is a big hit in our home at Easter, and it’s easy to make. You don’t bake it, you simply melt chocolate and pile in easter goodies then leave in the fridge to chill.

Sweet potato fries are actually rather trendy at the moment. They became rather popular in the states but you’ll be able to order them at various gourmet burger restaurants in the UK. They are very easy to make, but they’re also very easy to get wrong too.

If you’d like to make them as a side for your gourmet burger, here are our top tips:

1. Cut the sweet potato nice and thin, so you’re left with French fry cuts.
2. Place them in a bowl with a touch of salt, pepper, paprika and two tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Put the oven on high.
4. Lay the sweet potato fries out on a baking tray. Be sure to make sure none of them are overlapping.
5. Place them in the centre of the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes at 200°.
6. Only turn them over when the edges have started to crisp.
7. Take them out, serve with a dollop of ketchup and enjoy.