Baked Donuts and the Truth

I wanted to bake us a special treat today as we will be watching our church's bi-annual General Conference and I usually like to make it with a special treat.  I had seen a photo on Pinterest for some Baked Glazed Strawberry Donuts that looked absolutely Divine.

 

Doesn't that look good . . .  all moist and strawberry-like.  Wouldn't you just love to bit into that.  It looks so moist and delicious and pink, and well rounded also.   I decided to go for it.  I made the recipe exactly as written, with very disappointing results, and I am a very experienced baker. 

They were rubbery and tasteless.  I did add 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom, but that would not have affected the results that much. I added a crap-load of red food colour also in an attempt to get them as pink as hers look, but even after all that the most I could achieve is what you see here.  They were not as rounded as hers.  I don't think this recipe is meant to make 10 donuts at all.  At best it will only make six.  Try as I might, there is no redeeming these.   If you are looking for a good baked donut, these are not the ones.

I have to say that I am a bit miffed about this huge colossal waste of time and ingredients.  I've been blogging for about 15 years and food blogging for about 10 + in one form or another.  In all that time I have endeavored to be totally honest and transparent with my readers.  What you see here is real.  I don't doctor up my photos or present anything to you that isn't 100% doable and that doesn't work. I don't show you fake stuff mascarading as something I baked myself. Its all stuff I do myself, in my own kitchen, and whilst I am willing to allow for people's inexperience in the kitchen, or differences in taste, I like to think that if you use one of my recipes you will be pleased with the results.  I guess I just hate being disappointed, cheated or lied to.  I cook lots of things that you just don't see because it  didn't work for one reason or another,  or I wasn't happy with the results.  Maybe I am wrong, but I wish that people would just be honest.  I hate going to blogs and seeing pimped out, highly coloured, artificial photos.  I can think of one in particular that does that, not naming any names, and I used to really enjoy visiting it until it became nothing more than a traveloque filled with highly edited and artificially coloured photos.

Is it wrong of me to expect realism and truth?

Just asking because I really do want to know.

Lets talk.

Spiced Pear Tea Bread

Todd picked all of our pears last weekend and I have been rushing to try to get them all used up.  I did give a bag of them away to a friend, so that was good.  We have one pear tree, a Conference Pear Tree and it always bears a lot of fruit (Its self-propagating)

Conference pears are a European variety of pear that are good for eating, but are also very good for cooking with because they hold their shape well. They are not too sweet, and can seem somewhat hard when it comes to eating them out of hand.  I don't mind that, but Todd likes his pears to be soft.

Today I used some of them to make a delicious tea bread.  Now by tea bread I don't mean a bread that is made with tea.  I mean a bread that is meant to be enjoyed with a cup of tea, or that you might see served at a "Tea."

They are served cut into thin slices and buttered or not, as you prefer.  My boss's husband down South, loved my Banana bread and often wanted it toasted and buttered for breakfast.  Simply put, tea breads make good eating no matter when and no matter how.

This one is stogged full of grated pear, which helps to keep it moist.  In fact there is no other liquid required in the recipe with the exception of some oil and some egg.

  It also uses a mix of plain and whole wheat flours.  I have also used toasted cobnuts, which is a very autumnal and historic nut here in the UK, but you can use Hazelnuts which will also work fine.

* SpicedPear Tea Bread*

Makes one 9 X 5 inch loaf

Serving 12

Printable Recipe 

This a real autumnal treat!  Moist and spicy! 

40g cobnuts (1/3 cup) (can use hazelnuts)

210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)

70g whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 large firm pears, peeled and coarsely grated (1 cup)

145g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)

3 TBS vegetable oil

1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large free range egg, lightly beaten

1 large free range egg white, lightly beaten 

Preheat the oven to 1808C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Spray a 9 X 5 inch non-stick loaf tin really well with cooking spray.  Set aside. 

Spread the cobnuts (hazelnuts) in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Toast for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.  Invert the toasted nuts onto a clean tea towel.  Roll up and rub the tea towel vigorously to remove the skins.  Chop the nuts finely, but not too finely.  You want small bits, but not powder. 

Whisk together both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, chopped nuts and salt in  large bowl. 

Whisk together the pears, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, egg and egg white.  Add all at once to the dry mixture and fold together until just moistened.  Spoon into the prepared loaf tin. 

Bake for 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.  Let sit in the loaf tin on a wire rack for ten minutes.  Remove from the tin and cool completely.  Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped.

Tea breads are lovely breads, falling within the Quick Bread category, meaning there is no yeast used in their leavening.  There is no proofing or rising required prior to baking them.  They are usually very quick, easy and always delicious.  At least I think they are! 

 All about Cobnuts

Nuts are an ancient, natural and nutritious food which have been grown in Britain since time immemorial. During the Tudor period their cultivation on a properly managed basis was evident and formed the foundation upon which the Victorians planted a large number of cob nut orchards, called plats, resulting in some 7000 acres being grown by the turn of the century.

The predominant nut grown was the Kentish cobnut, a type of cultivated hazelnut, bred in 1830 by a Mr Lambert of Goudhurst in Kent. The Kentish cobnut is a larger nut than a hazelnut and has a different and distinctive flavour of its own.

 A Kentish cobnut is a type of hazelnut, just as a Bramley is a type of apple. Unlike most other nuts, cobnuts are sold fresh, not partially dried. They are usually in season from the end of August through to October, but stored nuts may be available from selected outlets through to Christmas.

In the photo above you can see a fresh cobnut on the left and a older seasoned/dried cobnut on the right. Each has a very distinct texture and flavour.  The fresh green ones are very crunchy and have an almost vegetable-like, fresh flavour, which makes them great for using in things like salads. You can also roast them.

At the beginning of the season the husks are green and the kernels particularly juicy. Nuts harvested later on are ripe, have brown shells and husks, and the full flavour has developed. If you would like to know more about them or buy some you can find out more at Potash Farm.

Quaker Oats to Go

 

Quaker has recently launched a new range of products!  "Quaker Oats to Go" is a range of on-the-go breakfast options that can be enjoyed whilst on the move.  You can tackle your morning activities with confidence and vigor, safe in the knowledge that your breakfast is totally taken care of.  

With these new Quaker Poridge to Go Squares and Quaker Fruit and Oat Squeeze, there is no need to compromise when it comes to your breakfast choice, because you simply don't have the time. Created from the mighty oat sunonymois with Quaker, you are guaranteed a tasty start to your day that won't slow you down.

 

Quaker Fruit & Oat Squeeze is a combination of yoghurt, fruit and oats with no added sugars.   A great source of fibre, you can choose between three flavours.  Apple & Cinnamon.  Blueberry.  Red Fruits.   

What I think:  They are not overly sweet, with a pudding like consistency.  Served chilled they weren't too bad.  I think children would love these and they would be great for that child you have a hard time getting out of bed on school  mornings.  They could grab one of these on their way out the door and eat them while on their way to school.   My favourite was the Apple & Cinnamon.

Although there are no added refined sugars, there is still an amber amount of other sources of sugar in these (carbs), so if you are a diabetic, you might want to proceed with caution.

Quaker Porridge to Go Squares are a delicious soft and chewy square containing the same amount of oats as a 27g sachet of Oat So Simple. Choose between Golden Syrup and Strawberry Raspberry Cranberry for a 100% wholegrain breakfast that is also a source of fibre and calcium for a mighty start to the day ahead.  Try warming them in the microwavable packaging for  10 seconds (cut open the end first) when the mornings start to get a bit colder.

What I think: I heated in the microwave for ten seconds, and I didn't find them overly soft, but they were chewy.  I thought they tasted better as you chewed them than when you first took a bite.  A great impetus to chew them longer and eat them slower, which is not an entirely bad thing.  They were quite tasty.  The Golden Syrup was good, but my favourite was the Strawberry, Raspberry and Cranberry one.

With amber ratings in fat, sugars and salt.

Quaker Oats to Go is available in retailers nationwide.
RRP Porridge to Go Duo Pack - 2 X 55g @ £1.39
RRP Porridge to Go Single pack - 1 X 55g @£0.75
RRP Fruit & Oat Squeeze 200g pouch @ £1.39

Note - I was sent these products for free, but was not required to write a positive review in return.  Any opinions are my own.

Neptune's Dinner

Back in the 1960's and 70's, perhaps even the 1980's the provincial newspaper back home (called The Chronical Herald) used to run recipe contests every year.   Once the winners had been picked they would publish an insert to the paper containing all of the recipes that had been sent in, along with the prize winners in each category, etc.   My mom used to collect the inserts, and I used to copy out recipes that I thought looked delicious into my binder!  (No surprise there!)

This delicious recipe was a prize winner one year in the Seafood category.  I am sorry that I cannot remember who was the author of it, or even the year that it won.  All I can say for sure is that it is  a fabulously tasty recipe that I have been pleasing my family with for many years, so it was well worth a first place prize!

A wonderfully crisp and buttery cheese and sesame crust, almost like a savoury shortbread, is topped with chopped onion and fresh fish fillets. I use Cod because that is our favourite fish, but I would think, however, that any mild flavoured fish would work well.

The cod gets sprinkled with more chopped onion and some chopped cucumber along with seasoned fine bread crumbs.  You bake it for about 20 minutes in a hot oven . . .

Then you take it out and cover it with a cheese custard sauce, which is made from sour cream, an egg, grated cheese and a packet of dry mushroom soup mix.  Just pour this on top and back into the oven it goes for a further 25 minutes.

The end result is really tasty   . . . each mouthful bringing you  the delicious flavours of that cheesy sesame shortbread crust, the onion and cucumber, that moist flakey fish, and the rich custard topping.

I hope you will try this despite how it looks. I know it isn't very visually appealing, but this is one case where you don't want to judge the book by its cover!

*Neptune's Dinner*
Serves 4

Printable Recipe 

This was a first prize winning recipe I have adapted from a recipe contest run by the Chronical Herald back home in the 1970's. Its delicious!


For the base:
201g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (divided)
3/4 tsp black pepper (divided)
60g  of grated strong cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
80g sesame seed (1/2 cup)
120g of cold butter (1/2 cup)

For the filling:
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 pound fish fillets (I use Cod or haddoc)
1/3 of an English cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 TBS fine dry bread crumbs
2 TBS olive oil

For the topping:
1 large free range egg
120g dairy sour cream (1 cup
1 packet of dry mushroom soup mix (single serving size)
60g grated strong cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Have ready a 12 by 8 inch baking dish.  Set aside for the time being.


Sift the flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper into a bowl.  Cut the butter into cubes and drop into the flour mixture.  Rub the butter in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles dry bread crumbs.  Stir in the sesame seed and grated cheese.  Press this mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.  Sprinkle over half of the chopped onion.  Top with the fish fillets.  Sprinkle the remaining onion along with the cucumber over top and season the fish and cucumber with half of the remaining salt and pepper.   Stir together the crumbs and olive oil and season with the remainder of the salt and pepper.  Sprinkle this over the fish.  Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.


Whisk together the egg, sour cream, mushroom soup mix and cheddar cheese.  Remove the casserole dish from the oven and spread this topping over top.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes.  Serve hot.

All these years later I can't help thinking that instead of the chopped cucumber, you could use chopped blanched broccoli or green beans.  The cucumber really doesn't add much in the way of flavour. In fact it has no flavour at all.  Other than to update it, I would not change a thing!  Bon Appetit!

Fresh Tomato, Garlic & Olive Sauce

As you know I am a pasta lover, the Toddster not so much, but one good thing about pasta is that you can often adjust the amounts that you are cooking to just feed one or two.  That is what I did today.  I had and enjoyed my single serving of this delicious pasta dish and Todd enjoyed a meat pie and mash.    I rather feel like I got the better end of the deal, but to each his own.

This is a really quick and easy sauce to make.  Simple ingredients cleverly put together . . .

Fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped.  Peeling fresh tomatoes is very simple to do.  Just cut an X into the bottoms with a sharp knife and immerse into a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds or so.  The edges of the cut skin should just be starting to curl.  Remove, dip in cold water and then the peels should just slip off with little or no effort.

Black olives  . . .  I like the dry cured ones with herbs.  They have a lot of flavour.  You can use whichever you prefer however.  Garlic, shallots, a bit of white wine and cream . . .  and you have one of the most delicious sauces.  I love, LOVE this.

*Fresh Tomato, Garlic & Olive Spaghetti*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

This is a quick and delicious pasta dish with fresh flavours.  Simple to make.  Sure to become a favourite! 

450g dried spaghetti (1 pound)

2 tsp fine sea salt

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

2 shallots, peeled and finely minced

130g of black pitted olives (1 cup) (I like the Crespa oil cured ones)

4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (Cut an shallow x with a sharp knife in the bottom of each tomato, and submerge in boiling water.  Leave for about 2 minutes before scooping out into cold water. The peel should then easily come off.)

110ml of dry white wine (1/2 cup)

2 TBS of tomato concentrate (tomato paste)

3 TBS butter, in little bits

110ml of cream (1/2 cup)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Remember the olives are salty)

75g of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (1 1/2 ounces)

a handful of chopped fresh parsley 

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Add the salt and pasta.  Cook, according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally. 

While the pasta is cooking make the sauce.   Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Once it is hot, turn the heat down to medium low and add the shallots and garlic.   Cook, without covering, for about a minute or so to soften.   Tip in the olives and cook for a further minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and  cook until they are softened.  Add the wine and stir over high heat, until the alcohol has evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the tomato concentrate and the butter, along with the cream.  Heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Drain the pasta well, reserving some of the cooking water.  Toss it gently in the sauce to coat.  Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if necessary.  Toss with the parmesan cheese and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.   

Quick, simple and delicious.  What more could you want?  Bon Appetit!

Skillet Aubergine Parmesan

 I love skillet type of meals . . .  one dish affairs that you can cook and bake all in one skillet.     This Aubergine (Eggplant) Parmesan is a real favourite of ours.  It's a meatless dish . . .  just the aubergines, cheese and a delicious sauce in this one.  It is also a bit lower in calories also as there is no breading and frying involved. The fact that there is no breading also makes it gluten free for those of you who are into that sort of thing.

 You start off by creating a delicious tomato sauce  . . .  using tinned chopped tomatoes, garlic, herbs, etc.   and while that is cooking down, you slice your aubergines, season them, drizzle with olive oil and roast them in the oven until they are just beginning to soften and turn golden brown on the edges. 

The roasted aubergine and tomato sauce are layered in a deep skillet, along with lots of grated cheese and then baked in the oven until the whole dish is meltingly, oozingly, deliciously melded into something quite, quite  irresistible.  I served it with some spaghetti for myself,  and the Toddster had his with potatoes.   You can lead a horse to water  . . .  but you can't always make him drink.   This really is delicious people.  I hope you will give it a go.

  

*Skillet Aubergine Parmesan*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

This is a delicious and easy version of the much beloved casserole.  There is no  frying so it is a tiny bit healthier, or at least I like to think it is. 

2 TBS olive oil

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp parsle flakes

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 tsp sugar

120ml  vegetable stock (1/2 cup)

2 (400g) tins of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (2 14-oz tins, undrained)

You will also need:

2 medium aubergines (also known as Eggplants)

olive oil

180g of grated Parmesan Cheese (1 cup)

130g of grated  four cheese mix (1 cup)

 Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.   Add the garlic.  Saute for several minutes until very fragrant.  Add all of the herbs, spices and salt.  Cook for a further minute then stir in the tomatoes, stock, vinegar, and sugar.   Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer.  Cover and allow to simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Wipe the aubergine with a damp cloth and trim both ends off.  Cut into 1/2 inch slices.   Have ready a very large baking tray (or two smaller ones)  Drizzle the aubergine on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on the baking tray (s).  Roast in the heated oven for 30 minutes, flipping them over after fifteen minutes.  Remove them from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
 

Spoon one fourth of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a medium sized oven safe skillet.  Layer on half of the aubergine slices.   Spread with another fourth of the sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 the cheese.  Top with another fourth of the sauce.  Top with the remaining aubergine slices, then the remainder of the sauce and the cheese.   Bake in the preheated oven on a centre rack for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.


If desired serve with additional cheese, and plenty of crusty bread.

This is really, really good, and if you use low fat cheese, it needn't even be that unhealthy. I always use whole wheat pasta which I love.  The Aubergine Parm and pasta together with a salad on the side make for a delicious meal!  Bon Appetit!

Three Brothers Casserole

This is a recipe that I clipped from a magazine a very long time ago and had wanted to make, but had never done so because it called for a tin of Ranch Style Beans, and that wasn't something you could get over here in the UK.  There's plenty of beans in tomato sauce . . . a multitude of brands, but that's the only baked beans you find here.  There are also lots of different types of tinned cooked beans, plain in water, but no such thing as Ranch Beans.

Not knowing what Ranch Style Beans were had always kept me from  making it.  I rediscovered this recipe in my files the other day and thought I would do a  search on Ranch Style Beans to see if maybe I could replicate them.  I found a copycat recipe for them, created my own Ranch Style Beans and then made this delicious sounding casserole. 

I was very pleased with the way it turned out.  It was quite delicious and even had the household pasta hater going back for seconds!  Having never tasted real tinned Ranch Style Beans, I can't vouch for the authenticity of flavour, but I can tell you that it was really really good. I think I might even dare to say that this version using a home-made version of the beans is much tastier than any version using a tin of ready made beans.

 It was hearty and filling and quite, quite delicious.  I served it to several hungry missionaries, who were both happened to be American, and I  had no complaints!!!  I love it when that happens. ☺

*Three Brothers Casserole*

Serves 6 to 8

Printable Recipe 

A delicious and economical casserole.   Plan ahead as the beans need to simmer for about an hour before proceeding to the rest of the recipe.  (If you are in American you may forgo that part of the recipe and just use a tin of Ranch Style Beans, undrained.) 

For the beans:

1 400g tin of cooked pinto beans, undrained (14 ounce tin)

1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (15 ounce tin)

100g of bacon lardons (about 1/4 cup) (chopped thick cut bacon pieces)

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 tsp mild chili powder or to taste

1 tsp powdered chicken stock

1 TBS soft light brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp seasoning salt 

For the remainder of the casserole:

115g of uncooked spaghetti (4 ounces)

1 pound of extra lean ground beef

1 (290g) tin of condensed cream of tomato soup (batchelors or campbells) (10 3/4 oz tin)

115g  of grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup)
salt and black pepper to taste  

First make the beans.  Add the bacon lardons to a medium sized saucepan.  Cook until the fat begins to render out and they start to brown.  Add the chopped onion.  Cook stirring until the onion has softened.  Stir in the garlic and remainder of the seasonings, along with the brown sugar.  Cook and stir until it's quite fragrant.  Add the undrained tomatoes and the undrained beans.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about an hour, til slightly thickened and well flavoured.  Set aside. 

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions and then drain well and rise.  Drain again.  Dump into a bowl.   Brown the ground beef in a skilled, stirring frequently.  Drain and then stir into the spaghette along with the tin of soup and the beans.   Mix all together well.  Season with a bit of salt and black pepper to taste.   Pour into a 9 inch square deep baking dish.   Sprinkle with the cheese.   Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbling, heated through and lightly browned.  Serve hot. 

Note:  You can make this ahead up to the baking point.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator.  IN this case cook the spaghetti until only al dente.  Bring to room temperature before baking.

I thought this was really delicious and I was really happy that I had taken the time to find a recipe so that I could make my own ranch style beans, which goes to prove that you should never let a little obstacle as not being able to get a certain ingredient prevent you from trying something.  Where there is a will, there is always a way!  Bon Appetit!

The Nutri Ninja Smoothie Maker

One of my favourite things about being a food blogger, aside from the cooking and eating aspect of it, is the opportuities I am afforded every now and again to test and try out innovative products.  I was contacted by AO a couple of weeks ago and asked if I would like to review an appliance for them.  I was really torn between the microwave (in a previous post) and the Nutri Ninja Smoothie maker.  I needed a new microwave, but I also really wanted a smoothie maker!  I couldn't choose between the two items and asked them to choose for me, and was really pleased and surprised when they told me that I could review both items!

 

Engineererd as a system, this innovative nutrient and vitamin extractor helps to produce nutrient rich beverages to support a healthier lifestyle.  

  

  

 The set includes  a Power Pod base  with a powerful 700 watt motor and patented stainless steel Ninja blade, two "single-serve" blending 470 ml Nutri Ninja cups along with two "to-go" lids.  The Ninja's extraction blades are designed to make light work of blending the chunkiest, hardest pieces of food.  Whether you are blending raw fruit for a healthy smoothie, or chopping through root vegetables to make a hearty soup, the crushing power of the Ninja's power blades can create the consistency you need in just a few seconds.

You start by adding fresh fruits or vegetables to the Ninja cup, along with  any leafy greens or herbs, seeds, powders, nut butters, juice, yogurts,  and ice or frozen ingredients, taking care not to go above the clearly marked maxium line on the Ninja cup.

 

Here you can see I have put in some fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, orange juice, half a sliced banana and a dollop of plain yogurt into the cup.  

 

You screw on the extractor blade and then invert the cup onto the power base, clicking it into place.  Once you've done this you simply press down for short intervals and let this powerful blade do its stuff, blitzing until you have the consistency you desire.   This handy pulse system gives you complete control over consistency.  Another plus. Very simple. 

 

It is rather noisy, but it does a fabulous job of grinding your ingredients down.  This only took about four 20-second pulses. 

As you can see the end result was very creamy and smooth.  Delicious actually.  I had also done a spinach one with apple and ginger, etc. earlier, but we were not overly fond of that one.It will be very much trial and error on our part and I am sure with time we will have our favourites!

I came with an in-depth owners guide and an inspiration guide with 30+ recipes to get your started on your smoothie  journey!

The "to-go" lids make it very easy to carry your smoothie with you as you go about your morning duties, sit at the computer, etc.

I prefer to drink mine from a glass, but that is just me.  The cups, lids, blade are dishwasher safe  as well, which is another plus.  Another thing I really like is the compact size which means that it is easy to store and doesn't take up a lot of storage space in our kitchen.

You can also use it to prepare frozen cocktails and frappes, iced coffees, crushed ice, etc.  It is a very powerful machine and comes with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty.

To find out more details do check out the AO site.  Delivery can be as soon as tomorrow and a finance plan is also available.

Many thanks to AO for sending me the Nutri Ninja Smoothie Maker.  I think that this is a quality machine and something which we are going to be getting a lot of use out of over these next months.  What a fab, delicious, quick and easy to way to get in some of your five a day!  I love it!

If you want to check out me using it in real time, make sure you take a peek at my You Tube Review of this brilliant machine!  I had so much fun doing it.  What you actually see is about my 10th attempt at doing the video!  I never knew it would be so hard, but I learned a lot about what you can and can't do when making a video!  I need to get a stand to hold my phone so that I can do them totally hands free in the future!  Try not to laugh too much!  Todd says its great, but he's my biggest fan! 👍

Disclaimer - Although we were sent the Nutri Ninja smoothie maker free of charge for review purposes we were not required to write a positive review. Any and all opinions are our own and honest.