I love absolutely love making Christmas cake, it’s one of those traditions that takes me right back to childhood, bringing the recipe to life with my mother making a wish as we stirred.
The whiskey gives it flavour and helps really preserves it, but the real magic comes from time. Time to rest, time to deepen, time to become something truly memorable.
Keep an eye out for an upcoming post where I’ll show you the dish this is for, it’s one I think you’ll love☺️
It’s spooky season! These buttery Mummy Madeleines by Aisling are the perfect Halloween treat, golden, chocolate-dipped, and just a little bit spooky 👻
Bake them with the family or surprise your trick-or-treaters!
Have you tried our Flahavan’s Dark Chocolate and Orange Irish Oaty Flapjacks yet 😍!? Baked to perfection following Mary Flahavan’s original recipe and made with dark Belgian chocolate and natural orange oil, our crumbly flapjacks are great as an on-the-go snack, providing slow release energy and a source of fibre to help you power through the day. For those taking a more relaxed approach, they equally taste great paired with your 11 o’clock coffee. Treat yourself! #FlahavansOats#FlahavansFlapjacks#Snacks#energy
I don’t know about you but I love my bed! And I firmly believe that a good night’s sleep can make you feel so good! Breathing, eating and sleeping are three of the most basic and essential functions we do as humans. But can food affect our sleep or does our sleep affect our food? The reality is that it is probably a bit of both…On average we need between 7-9 hours’ sleep per night with some people managing on less and others may need more. Lack of sleep can lead to irritability, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. However chronic poor sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
In general, research has found that eating in line with the Mediterranean or DASH diet, both of which promote fruits and vegetables, fiber rich foods and healthy mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tends to be associated with better quality sleep. Magnesium is a mineral that is reported to help with sleep regulation and is found in bananas, nuts, green vegetables, tofu and dairy. Melatonin is a micronutrient present in some foods but also a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and helps control sleep patterns. Melatonin, is found in tart cherry juice, eggs, nuts and dairy. Interestingly the tradition of hot milk before bed comes from Roman times… and milk contains both magnesium, melatonin and an amino acid called tryptophan which helps produce serotonin and melatonin.
Kiwifruit is another food that has been reported to have a positive impact on sleep duration and quality. In one four-week trial of adults with sleep problems, consumption of two kiwifruits per day one hour before bedtime significantly increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency. A potential reason for this is that they are a rich source of antioxidant and contain the hormone serotonin. Either way they are also great sources of vitamin C and great for keeping bowel movements regular.
Do you ever feel like you make poorer food choices when you’re tired? There may be good reason behind this. Sleep deprivation can cause a drop in Leptin levels (a hormone that signals fullness) and increases the hormone Ghrelin (hormone that stimulates appetite). This change in hormones can explain why you might eat more when missing sleep or why you tend to eat more without feeling full when you have had minimal sleep. US research from Cedar- Sinai Medical Centre also found that lack of sleep increased insulin resistance. So, we can see that regular good night sleep helps manage hormones, appetite and possible food choices.
Caffeine and alcohol can negatively affect falling asleep and sleep quality so best to keep within healthy limits if struggling with sleep. Maybe keep the caffeine to before midday!
Say goodbye to winter blues and hello to summer hues with this mouthwatering bowl of oats🌴☀️ Take your morning porridge to the tropics with a burst of flavour that’ll transport you to paradise. 🏝️ Whether you’re lounging by the pool or starting your day with a sunny mindset, this tropical delight is sure to bring the warmth of summer to every spoonful #FlahavansOats
Serves 1|Takes 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
30g Flahavan’s oats
150mls whole milk
Papaya
Strawberries
Raspberries
Nuts
METHOD:
For the porridge:
Stir 30g of Flahavan’s Porridge Oats into 150mls of milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes stirring continuously
For the toppings:
Crushed raspberries: Tumble 100g of raspberries into a bowl.Add a teaspoon of sugar or drizzle of honey and mash together with a fork.
Porridge is one of our most popular breakfasts in the restaurant, and this recipe goes down a treat. On cold winter mornings, it gets you off to a good start and takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
100 g (4oz) porridge oats (organic if possible)
300 ml (1/2 pint) whole-fat milk (plus extra if necessary)
4 dsp clear honey
4 dsp irish mist
150 ml (1/4 pint) cream (optional)
Method
Simmer the porridge oats and milk together in a saucepan for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened, stirring all the time. It is important that the porridge has a nice soft dropping consistency so add a little more milk if you think that it needs it.
To serve, spoon the porridge into warmed bowls. Drizzle each one with some honey and Irish mist and finally, serve with cream if you wish.
Foodaware 