ChicP - Houmous

Houmous. It’s a food that dates back to as early as the 13thcentury in Egypt and something we at The Amazing Blog have devoured since it became a trend with the likes of Whole Foods. What we adore about this food is it makes a hearty and healthy snack that leaves you satisfied for hours unlike a bag of crisps. With our tastes for houmous in mind, we were interested to try two flavours from ChicP 

The company was founded by Hannah McCollum, who worked predominantly as a private chef, on the‘passionate commitment to reducing food waste’. All of ChicP’s five colourful houmous flavours are made with raw vegetables that were discarded due to their irregular shape or size. Supermarkets reject approximately 40 per cent of produce because of these qualities and nearly 1/3 of UK produce goes to waste because people don’t eat it. McCollum wanted to combat this with ‘houmous made from imperfect veggies’ to promote better choices for your health and the environment. 

We were drawn to not only the company’s ethos, but also the delicious taste of its houmous. This houmous is much lighter than any others we’ve tried and is creamy, satisfying, and flavourful. The first flavour we tried was the Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric  The spread immediately tastes like you’ve dipped a carrot into an ordinary blend of chickpeas, saving you the extra step of doing it yourself. While the carrot taste is evident, the ginger and turmeric follow after and linger yet don’t overpower. This flavour works splendidly as a dip, but we liked putting it over baked chicken and pasta. We felt the second one we tasted would be more suitable as a midday snack or sandwich spread. Herby is true to its name and has a strong veggie taste, as 16 per cent of the recipe is spinach and parsley. However, lemon juice concentrate, vinegar, and garlic purée increase the flavour’s depth and tastiness. 

The houmous here is vegan and contains no additives or added sugars. Carrot, Ginger & Tumeric and Herby also only have 113 calories (469 kJ) and 127 calories (526 kJ) per quarter pot, respectively, and are reasonably priced at £3 for 170g. Additionally, there are three other flavours available in ChicP’s collection: Beetroot, Horseradish & Sage, Chilli Pumpkin, and Banana Chocolate. You can purchase their houmous here, or at one of the retailers listed here.

Dadima's Panjiri

We might be enticed by a good beauty product (or two) at The Amazing Blog , but we’re also equally interesting in discovering new (and delicious) foods. One thing we’ve concluded through our foodie research is that there is often a focus on new crazes and fads – and while there is no problem with this, the focus on tried, tested and traditional recipes can often be forgotten. We were therefore thrilled to discover Dadima’s, a brand sharing our desire to celebrate the wisdom of generations, providing us with their traditional and high energy Panjiri – a recipe that has well and truly stood the test of time.

Panjiri or Panjeri is a recipe and staple that originates from the Punjab and Hyderbad regions in India. It is treated as a nutritional supplement and has been used for thousands of years, by the ancient Hindus and Sikhs. It is usually eaten in the winter to ward off cold and also given to nursing mothers as it’s considered very nutritional. The story behind this brand is a lovely one. Founder, Anneeka, has taken inspiration from the wisdom and knowledge of her grandmother, creating a version of the Panjiri recipe which is full of tradition and flavour. This inspiration even draws as far as the brand name itself, taken directly from the name she uses to address her grandmother. We don’t mind admitting that we were novices in relation to Panjiri, however we are now huge lovers of this high energy snacking food. With a recipe deep rooted in Ayurvedic medicine. It boasts a plethora of health benefits, boosting energy and fibre levels simultaneously, and thanks to the handmade recipe, both artificial preservatives and added sugars are avoided.

For those wondering what this snack tastes like – we concluded that it is a cardamom and sultana infusion with a kick of almond, fennel, ginger and carom seeds. The texture is soft, making it easy to sprinkle over porridge, fruit or yoghurt. The texture comes from the use of semolina and ghee, while melon seeds, dessicated coconut and Arabic gum are all used to add flavour. We tried the no added sugar version, but for those with a sweeter tooth, the traditional version contains a little extra sweetness. Alternatively, we have added a sprinkling of Panjiri to a traditional British crumble, for a flavour kick, but also to add a little bit of goodness to a perhaps not to good pudding!

To try this family classic for yourself, then both the original and no added sugar Panjiri products can be purchased from the Dadima’s website here for £6.99. Enjoy!

Nouri Herbal Shots

You might associate Herbology with Harry Potter fandom, rather than health and wellbeing; and although we love Ms. Sprouts’ classes, the newly growing herbal community is showing us at The Amazing Blog, that it can work it’s magic even on us common muggles. Newly founded company, NOURI is proving it’s worth in this domain, taking us back to our natural roots, with a range of alcohol-free and highly concentrated herbal shots.

Founders, Lia Schmökel and Danielle Sheridan wanted to create products that help us to integrate a healthy routine into busy lifestyles. Their herbal shots make it easy to treat our bodies to some natural goodness without being dogmatic about it, allowing us busy bees to keep our bodies and minds at their optimum. The shots come in different forms, you can buy their Focus, Boost or Lust shots seperately, or you can choose from a ready-made pack. Whichever you choose, you can be sure that the contents have been designed to aid the human biorhythm.

We tried their individual shots, Focus, Boost and Lust. Focus contains energising ingredients, such as eleuthera and Siberian ginseng. These power ingredients help boost physical and psychological performance, without any side effects, while, green tea extracts help to awaken our senses. Limes, liquorice root and bitter orange create a powerful and refreshing taste that makes your mornings feel light and fresh, even if they are packed with invoices and tax returns.

Boost provided us with the will to carry on, after we had our third back-to-back meeting of the day. The use of Inca herb maca is noteworthy, a specialist ingredient when it comes to fighting against drowsiness, which creates an energetic outcome when combined with ginger, oregano, guarana and nutmeg. In addition, it also provides our aching muscles with the uplifting kick they deserve, boosting our energy levels for a sustained period of time, as opposed to the kick that we lose quickly after consuming sugary energy drinks.

Finally, we tried Lust, which contains the South African plant damiana, traditionally used as an aphrodisiac during shamanic rituals. This acts as a natural viagra for men and woman, and with additional ingredients like schisandra and cardamom, balance and stamina are notable. The use of chilli also enlightens inner fire, and rosemary, a known herb of passion, strengthens the libido naturally.

If you too would like to enlighten your senses, then visit the NOURI website here, where you can purchase your own bottles of Focus, Boost and Lust. They’re available either as a single purchase (a minimum of 6 bottles), or as part of a monthly package.

Cherokee Rose Balms

Here at The Amazing Blog, we’re always looking for natural products that boost our beauty and wellbeing at the same time. This week we present you Cherokee Rose, a brand with 100% natural healing balms made from traditional Native American Recipes. Recently launched in the UK, they bring us a solution for swollen legs, bruises and cuts, as well as sleeplessness and a lack of concentration.

Created by Caroline Biggs, whose late Great Grandmother was a Cherokee Native American, the four different balms have been formulated with love and dedication to their heritage. The Cherokee Rose Pow Wow Concentration Lip Balm gives a sleepy head a full boost of concentration in the morning, with less need for a caffeine fix. Compounded of rosemary oil, which is known for its brain clarifying properties, peppermint oil which boosts memory and Yarrow Oil which releases tension, it’s the ultimate energy source to keep your lips and mind running smoothly.

Furthermore, if you feel your legs don’t work like they used to before, the Cherokee Rose Rain Dance Aching Leg Balm is your friend in need, (alongside Ed Sheeran of course). It helps to soothe swollen, aching or varicose legs with enriched basil oil, lavender oil, yarrow oil and ginger oil. All of these ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore work anti rheumatic wonders on your legs. The balm helps to increase the blood circulation, reducing swelling. A quick run to the tube isn’t a problem anymore!

The third balm is the Cherokee Rose Dream Catcher Balm, for night owls that are in desperate need of a good night's sleep. Containing lavender, chamomile and yarrow oils, it calms body and mind, and lets you sink into a sweet dream, making you feel energised the next day. For it to work its magic, you should apply it to the temples 30 minutes before sleeping.

The fourth balm in the group, Chereokee Rose Medicine Man, helps to heal cuts and burns with healing ingredients like jojoba oil, coconut oil and arnica oil. It also contains tea tree, cypress and yarrow oil; helping to soothe the trials of athlete's foot. This product makes your sore feet smell like a rose bed, and the highly antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties make it a true medicine cabinet worthy balm.

The four balms come in a 30ml package and are 100% cruelty-free and natural. At £5.50 each, they're a bargain made by the gods. Click here to check them out!

Turmerlicious

Everyone is jumping aboard the Turmeric bandwagon, due to its amazing health benefits, and we here at The Amazing Blog think incorporating it into a latte is the perfect way. Turmerlicious has created a range of delicious instant turmeric lattes and we were lucky enough to try the Ginger, the Choco, the Vanilla and the Chilli Choc.

This wonder spice has been renowned for its healing abilities for over 4000 years. So much so, the Sanskrit translations for turmeric is ‘one that wins over diseases’. Even science says so, and in the last 30 years there have been over 6000 peer reviewed publications supporting the benefits of Turmeric. Turmeric is hailed for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is said to be beneficial in reducing heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and more. Add this goodness into a delicious drink, and you have a winning combination.

All of the powders are caffeine-free and are a combination of natural ingredients; turmeric, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. This aromatic blend of spices create a soothing and delicious hot drink, and all you need to do is add three teaspoons of the mix to hot water. This gem of a product is ideal if you are trying to cut down on your caffeine intake. Just replace one of your cups of coffee a day to Turmerlicious and you’ll be left happy and healthy!

Turmerlicious powders are free from dairy, gluten, artificial flavours and GMO’s.

Purchase Turmerlicious here for £6.95 (200g) or £1 for a single serving (20g).