Tag Archives: food and drink

Counting down to cake week

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bake off

Just a few hours to go until it’s time to get ready, set, bake!

Twelve new contestants will be donning their aprons, rolling up their sleeves and doing their best to impress the judges as The Great British Bake Off 2016 gets underway.

And with the focus on cakes tonight, it’s no surprise that June, Tina and Sue will be joining millions of viewers across the country glued to the TV to find out what this year’s amateur bakers will be facing.

Whose buns will come out on top? Will there be any soggy bottoms? And above all, will there be chocolate?!

Rumour has it that things don’t go too well for some of the contestants, with four of them forced to ditch their cakes and start their recipes from scratch in the showstopper challenge. It sounds as though there may be a few tears and tantrums in the Bake Off tent tonight…

On their own show this Sunday, the Girls Around Town will be turning the spotlight on the phenomenon that is GBBO. They’ll be making some early predictions about favourites for this year’s title and looking at some of the reasons why a massive 15 million viewers tuned in to see Nadiya Hussain take the 2015 title last October. What’s the betting Mr Hollywood features on their list?!

Join them on air or listen online between 10am and 12 noon – and why not take part in the debate by adding your own thoughts and comments to the GAT Facebook page?

Green for go!

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green for go smoothie

Here’s the super smoothie recipe Sue Mcfarlane shared with the Girls Around Town on yesterday’s show.

It’s packed full of green goodness, quick and easy to make and perfect for a healthy breakfast that will set you up for the day ahead. Oh and it tastes pretty good too, as June, Tina and Fiona can confirm!

Scroll down the page for recipe – before you do, if you’re interested in the ‘science bit’ behind the ingredients, here it is…

Avocado – High in monounsaturated fats (second only to olives) which may help lower unhealthy LDL whilst raising healthy HDL cholesterol levels: potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins (great for energy) and fibre

Banana – Source of Vitamin C and B vitamins (great for energy), soluble/gentle fibre, potassium (may help with blood pressure levels), magnesium, calcium and carbohydrates (sugars = fructose, glucose and sucrose)

Kiwi Fruit – Great for Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, copper, Vitamins A and E (all fab antioxidants) and fibre

Nuts – Depending on which you use, the nutrition content varies but nuts are an excellent source of protein, B vitamins, magnesium, healthful fats, protein and fibre; the oilier the nut = less protein

Spinach – Great source of Vitamin K (excellent support for blood and bone health), antioxidants including Vitamin C and E and folic acid as well as fibre, magnesium, manganese, iron and other B vitamins

Live Yoghurt – Adds more protein as well as healthful bacteria to the mix

Milk – Depends on which you choose but should provide protein and healthy fats; may also be a mix of B vitamins, zinc, iron etc

Lime – Source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium, folic acid & other antioxidants

Sue's Green for Go Smoothie

  • Servings: Serves 2 adults
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado, deskinned, pipped and chopped roughly
  • 2 bananas, deskinned and chopped
  • 2 kiwi fruit, deskinned and quartered
  • 30g (2tbs) smooth unsweetened nut butter (peanut/almond/hazelnut, etc or tahini)
  • ½ pack (125g) spinach, washed and drained
  • 125g natural, live yoghurt (cow/sheep/goat, soy or coconut to your preference)
  • 250ml chilled filtered water or milk of choice (Note: cow’s milk may curdle!)
  • 125ml cloudy apple juice
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Sea salt (omit if using salted nut butter)
  • Chilli powder  (optional)

Directions

  1. Roll the lime around on the kitchen table so that the juice is more easily released.
  2. Put the milk and yoghurt in a blender, add the spinach and blend together.
  3. Add the avocado, banana, kiwi, apple juice and nut butter, then blend again.
  4. Add a pinch of sea salt and the lime juice – taste and, if using, add a pinch of chilli before blitzing again.
  5. Drink straight away or put in an airtight container, in the fridge or in a Thermos and use within three hours.

A feast of festive cheer

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christmas shoppingFrom jewellery and jam to cakes and crafts, you’ll find a feast of festive cheer on offer at the Beaumond House Christmas Market next month.

Open from 11am till 7pm on Monday 7 December in the Cedric Ford Pavilion at Newark Showground, it’s the ideal opportunity to stock up on tasty treats and perfect presents for Christmas.

With refreshments available throughout the day, there’ll be cards, cheese, wine and gifts on sale too – everything you need to get ready for the festive season, while helping to raise money for a worthy cause…

Tickets are £5 on the door or buy in advance for £4 (plus 50p p&p if bought online), with under 16s admitted free.

Come with your friends and take advantage of a special group price – 10 tickets or more for just £3 each – for details, call 01636 610556.

Tickets are on sale now from reception at Beaumond House on London Road or click here for online purchases.