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You’ll find honest kitchen tool reviews, cooking science summaries, chef’s tips, favourite recipes, time creating & money saving guides, the low down on ingredients, and of course, life and people inspirations. All of this feeds our daily mantra to eat well, cook better, and most importantly … live more.
Our daily work is doing all the laborious research and testing for you… so you can get to the living more part FASTER !
What’s different about our in-depth equipment reviews.
We’re out to conquer all that mis-information online, and cut through the luring sales chat that keeps you going round in circles. You’ll find a lot of genuine and complete detail here, and we’ll show you the simple and expert tools that will take you a long way on your cooking journey.
3 quick links… then all the blog posts.
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Free coffee masterclass… top service
A brilliant masterclass on how to make a perfect cappuccino. It’s free, so I checked it out for you… the pleasure was all mine ! I’ll pass on a few tips on which milks to use to get the perfect results… and link you to your own free class too.
Watermelon gazpacho
This was part of a summer journey putting fruit in soups, salads, and tray bakes. The best thing about it is you just blend the ingredients together and its done !
Spanish Fish recipe
A simple, delicious fish stew, using simple typical ingredients. Looks like you’ve toiled for hours !
Tomato anchovy salad
A simple, delicious dish – 3 main ingredients. Inspired by a set of tapas starters for lunch, by the sea in Mallorca, Spain.
In-depth review of the best home pizza oven
Super powerful. Super portable. Super clean. Koda or Koda16 – you choose. Best design, best results, best value for money. Read everything you need to know here.
Which Braun MultiQuick hand blender should you buy ?
Explaining the Braun MultiQuick hand blender range, and the LATEST NEWS – which pleases us no end ! The research has taken forever- we’ve started writing so we can share the secrets with you !
15 Best hand blenders to buy – 2020 update !
Revealed ! The best, most tested, reviewed, and awarded hand blenders worldwide ( from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Which one did we buy ?
Need help choosing the best Bamix to buy today ?
The complete low down on the Bamix range. Product overview and key features explained. We’ll tell you the important criteria to consider… which model would we would buy today, and why !
In-depth review of Bamix SwissLine hand blender
Small, power-packed, and in a league of its own. The Bamix SwissLine gets our ´best commercial hand blender’ award.
Cheaper than chips (famous chefs cookbook flash sale)
I came across this incredible ( almost giveaway) deal when looking for traybake ideas. Have to share. Too good to miss ! (Don’t know how long a flash sale lasts)
In-depth review of Kenwood Triblade HDP406WH hand blender
Voted the best value mid range hand blender, for home cooks. The Kenwood Triblade Blender – the HDP406WH. In depth review.
Perfect Spanish tomato bread (just 5 simple ingredients)
Such a simple, historical food idea, but how hard can it be to make the perfect tomato paste then put it together with the perfect bread ! Here’s what you need to know …
Fennel seed marinade and dip
Such a simple food idea, and a great way to use fennel seeds. From the Simple book by Otto Lenghi. A three part salad that we break up into parts and have in different ways… again and again and again !
Shakshuka – our spicy tomato Shakshuka low calorie lunch
We never tire of this lunch… so filling, and satisfying, and makes us look forward to ‘diet day’. Includes loads of variations if you want to add more calories.
How to fix burnt rice : the smell, the taste, the burnt pan.
Agh, you got distracted and now look… the rice has boiled over and burned. We’ve all done it, know all the hacks to save your dinner, and maybe even improve the taste of it. (and how to NEVER do it again ).
Mango Salmorejo
Finally – the best, and simplest summer soup. The journey feels almost over… but thankfully we’re having an Indian summer so I just have to still try and taste that green apple, and beetroot & cumin version before Autumn falls !
Can you work, and be on holiday at the same time ?
What we are doing, you ask…and why ? Certainly not the norm, is it ! But boldness has a magic, says Goethe.
Grab a bargain… you’re welcome.
Braun, Bamix, Cordless – all for you.
UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain & Italy, USA, Canada, Netherlands and Australia now linked in too, where there’s a bargain to be had… there’s a link now!
Courgette, Zucchini low calorie lunch
No oil lunch, ready in 10 minutes if you don’t dilly dally ! Zucchinis or Courgettes as we call them, make a great salad or side dish, raw or cooked.
Do you need a holiday from your life ?
Maybe a 6 month holiday… twice a year ! is that what you’re thinking ?
How to get the life you want to live, now.
Makes sense to us, and it’s all part of the journey that brought us to our own best life.
Is it a Spanish Percolator, Mokapot, Cafeteria, or Greca !
It’s a challenge. From manual espresso makers, to best Nespresso takers. Now we’re out of capsules. Time to get creative. Digging deep, we find an old vintage
Easy, fast, red onion pickle
An unbelievably easy to make, pretty pickle. A no oil salad maker, a great topping for burgers, salads, cheese… anything. I could just eat it out of the jar !
Live simply so that others may simply live
Living a simpler life, and putting the WE before the ME during the pandemic is easier for some. But we’re lucky. We actually love to follow the rules… as well as breaking the norms of course.
In-depth review of the best semi-automatic espresso machine
The best home espresso machine for busy coffee lovers and wanna be baristas. That’s the beauty of it – perfect for both Paul… and Aoibheann.
Top 10 tips to make your food to last longer
Top 10 tips to make your food last longer. PLUS, an a-z food list with tips on how they like to be stored
Asian Slaw & Smoked Salmon
Fabulous recipe. Easy and very filling lunch too. Asian sauce with cabbage, carrot and onion slaw. Also brilliant as a marinade with smoked salmon.
Slow down Sunday
and look after yourself
85 calorie lunch !
Yes really. I’m not a calorie counter like Paul, but this still WOWs me !
A foodie’s wish list
Little and big kitchen gifts for everyone. The kind of gifts that keep on giving back. Things we like, use, or would love to have. Just saying !
What a difference a day makes
Take advantage when the sun shines, even if you have loads of work to do.
Get your griddle out !
Easy griddled veggie lunch. Healthy, filling, and pretty !
Living the magic …
The beauty and the benefit of waking in the night ! You know what I’m talking about..
Warm orange breakfast bowl
Start, or end the day feeling good with this as a breakfast, dessert or supper. Get what you need, to feel healthy, and full ( No overnight oats involved ! )
Missing ingredient…
What would you add to this dish to make it complete ?
Worry less, Wish more
and don’t forget to work hard (in an inspired way of course)
Everything will be ok…
and every cloud has a silver lining. That’s the way we look at it, and then it’s easier to spot, when it finally comes.
International Women’s Day 2020
A reminder to celebrate and be strong. As women, we have to know our inner and outer strengths every day, not just today.
How to stop food sticking to the pan
Does your food stick to the pan when you don’t want it to ? We have the solution in 3 easy steps. It’s a thing ! And it’s called…
Golden milk (version 2)
Without coconut oil. Sometimes you have to be limited to get creative, and it usually leads to the best results !
Success is simple
When you know what to do, and when, and how of course. Discover how to make sure your food never sticks to the pan ! It’s a simple, scientific, 3 step method.
How to spatchcock a chicken in 1 minute
Finally caught Paul on video. ( I had to be fast ). So easy, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it like this before. ( No scissors involved ! )
A hearty breakfast
Filling, warming, nutritious, very tasty. This oat based breakfast is perfect to set you up for the day, or, in my case to line my stomach ready for meds !
Take care of your body
What are you doing this January? Listening to your own body… or following the same diet as your friends ?
A vintage Christmas
Our simple Christmas… with our shoe box of treasures from the past.
Red pepper dip and sauce
I found a brilliant vegan red pepper sauce recipe, but even though I didn’t follow it fully, it still makes a perfect dip or pasta sauce or potato topping.
Making magic beans !
Don’t you just love how beans and peas magically grow when you soak them in water overnight ! ( Jack & the Beanstalk memories !)
Easy home-made decoration
home made salt dough idea – a Christmas decoration for foodies !
Red onion marmalade made easy
Discover how easy it is to make this savoury, sweet red onion marmalade with a sous vide machine. A great replacement for butter or sauces with meat or cheese.
Simple is harder to do, than complex
Such a clever quote – you can apply it to almost any task you have to perform. Thinking, Cooking, Writing… anything !
What is this… 70’s kitchen gadget
What on earth is this little kitchen tool used for ? Seriously, we’re asking for your help… we haven’t a clue ! We found it in our Spanish rental kitchen.
A true story… from cook to chef
This journey really resonates ! A round of applause for this chef and his inspiring story – beautifully interviewed and written for thriveglobal.
Easy Sausage and beans recipe
Seems to be sausage season at the moment – this is such an easy recipe you can adapt. Can be a tapas, a starter, or a whole meal.
Make Monday Matter
New day, New week, New month, We love new beginnings. Let’s mark it !
Sunday Pieday !
Somewhere between Black Friday and Cyber Monday lies our final shortlist. Let’s call it Sunday Pie day.
Black Fryday !
Black Friday has arrived. Whoop dee whoop. It will be gone soon too. More whoops. Don’t get overwhelmed – Cut out the stress and check our short list of top bargains here now.
Happy Mother’s Day
Spreading the love through 200 tulips from Amsterdam.
Black Pug day !
What has Black Friday started !!! Now there’s White Monday, Green Tuesday and now Orange Wednesday ! See what our Black Pug has to say about it, and the 6 bargains we’ve found on Amazon right now.
Who likes to eat sunflowers !
What are these critters bedding into my sunflower ! The word is spreading and more are bedding in. Are they sleeping or eating… and what are they ?
How to make your food smell and taste better
Learn the secret to creating and maximising those distinctive smells and umami tastes when you fry onions or sear meat. What makes the crusty breads, golden roast potatoes and toasted marshmallows all so very tempting!
Simplicity delivers…
From sophisticated Surrey, to simplifying everything, we find we can afford a luxury of living that never seemed to be so available before. What richness !
Take some time off and live more.
Taking an hour off to learn salsa – in a great location. The food and cocktails try to steal the show !
How to make a real Spanish Tortilla
Finally, we found the secret to making the most scrumptuous Spanish tortilla. And so Tortilla Tuesday is born in our house ! Want to know the how it’s done ?
Authenticity
and neither can a business ! So what does it mean – to be authentic? ( Think it, feel it, act it, be it ). And, how can you check if you are being authentic or not ?
Why everyone should own a hand blender
Tell the people…you heard it here!!! Instant, healthy, easy, no waste food AND save money at the same time. So many beautiful reasons why you should have one of these magic wands!
Is this the easiest, fastest, tastiest soup in the world ?
Delicious, fast. Only 5 ingredients ( 2 are ‘water’ and ‘a stock cube’). The bonus is that you probably have the other ingredients in the cupboard ! ( Thanks Nigella 🙂
Adult Spaghetti … easy, quick, and so tasty.
Delicious, old recipe with variations. Hopefully you have these ingredients in the cupboard so can knock this one up any time you fancy.
Living the dream – plato’s cave
Living the dream life… or Plato’s allegory of the cave ! Which is it, and why are we much happier. Is Instagram the cave ?
Top 10 best bean-to-cup espresso coffee machines to buy in 2020 )
We all need this café quality coffee at home – now, more than ever, in lockdown times, when we can’t get to our favourite coffee shops for a top up.
Bamix accessories and attachments
The tiny Bamix blades with the power of a jet engine ! Amazing Bamix quality – lasts a lifetime. The choice of the professionals.
The best POD espresso coffee machines to buy now ( Apr. 2020 )
A review of the top POD and CAPSULE espresso machines. From best budget level, to best barista quality.Also pointing out best PAD machines. – what’s the difference?
Best manual espresso machines to buy now ( April 2020 )
La Pavoni, Sage, Breville, Rocket, Rancilio… which ones did WE buy?
Our TOP Filter coffee machine buys for 2020
Whether you’re a busy commuter needing a pick-me-up on the go, or need to feed the crowd all day with the black stuff. Get your best filter coffee solution here.
In-depth review of Bamix Gastro 350 hand blender
UK Chefs Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver love Bamix. The Bamix Gastro 350 is a winner for our ´best commercial hand blender´ award 2019.
Choosing a cordless hand blender
Is the KitchenAid Artisan cordless hand blender the only choice of cordless blender in the UK?.. Not any more !
In-depth review of Braun MultiQuick 9 series (MQ9087X / MQ9097) hand blender
AWARD WINNER 2020 best all-in-one home blender. More than a hand blender – more like a hand held food processor. Built with families in mind.
The best hand blender for seniors, arthritic hands, and easy baby food making.
In depth review of the Masha hand blender by Dash. All the reasons why it’s our no. 1 choice for mashing vegetables and blending baby food, best for seniors, or those with little hands or arthritis. We love a specialist, and simplicity equally. This product is a winner on both counts.
In-depth review of Sage Control Grip ( Breville All In One ) hand blender
Designed by Heston Blumengthal for foodies, to produce restaurant quality food. Could this hand blender really be a Jack AND Master of all trades! N.B. Same product as Breville All in One (Sage is the UK wing of Breville.)
shortcut shopping links
A visual listing with buying links to the equipment that we recommend, for various reasons, in our reviews. A work in progress !
In-depth review of Russell Hobbs 22241 hand blender
Our ´best basic hand blender´ award goes to the Russell Hobbs 22241 hand blender. A perfect, affordable gift for university students, pensioners, start-up cooks.
Best Coffee Machine Brands
The top 20 coffee machine brands you should know… and they aren’t all Italian !
Cuisinart vs KitchenAid
The two big giants kitchen gadget companies compete again. Let’s compare their hand blender offerings and see the most popular and why !
Coloured hand blenders – red, white, black, or pink ?
or a mint green, a baby blue, an anthracite grey… or how about a gold plated one. The choices are endless. Cuisinart and Bamix have the best colour ranges.
What exactly is a hand blender anyway ?
START HERE: Hand blender, Immersion Blender, Stick Blender, Handheld blender. A short definition, the history, how it works, and how do they all differ from one another.
Detailed hand blender buying guide
Which one should you choose when they all look the same ! This detailed guide shows you how to find the hand blender to suit you. It gives a checklist of the main criteria to look at – including power, speeds, quality, design, use, price, functionality.
How to use a hand blender
10 tips on how to use a hand blender… all the jobs a hand blender can do… and over 20 yummy foods it can make for you.
Hand blender FAQs
Enough of the hand blender tests and trials. Here are all the silly, (and frequently asked), questions about hand blenders. Answered here by our in house expert !
The 10 things you need to make your perfect espresso coffee
All the elements explained. So you can understand what makes a perfect espresso. Good to know before buying any coffee making equipment !
Healthy e-book offer to kick start your healthy habits !
Get this e-book ( and learn how to get other ebooks free ) to learn some really good habits. We really like this lady and what she stands for. We downloaded the digital version ourselves.
Protected: Email member private post: How to get FREE Food & Drink eBooks
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How to clean a hand blender
Which parts can be washed by hand, or dishwasher. Maintenance tips to keep your hand blender as good as new.
The Cayenne Chili Pepper
The Cayenne Pepper – for some it’s hot, others it’s not ! Why we love it, and how we use it ? What’s in it and how can it affect our bodies !
Raw chocolate
Raw chocolate (cacao, cocoa) – probably the most nutrient dense ingredient on the planet. Find out what it is, where to get it, and how to get a free mini cookbook so you can start creating your own pure chocolate heaven.
Almonds
The Almond seed… a handful a day keeps the doctor at bay ! One of the best sources of Vitamin E, and great for magnesium which is so good for controlling blood sugar and blood pressure.
Banana Bag (stay fresh)
We love this because…
it does what it says. keeps bananas fresh for much longer… up to 2 weeks!
& you can store them in the fridge
Celebrity hand blenders
Celebrities and top chefs love their kitchen gadgets. They are happy to blend along with the rest of us. So which hand blender brands do they like?
Great deal !
A bargain price for the stylish Kmix sister to the Kenwood HDP406WH. If you like KitchenAid, you’ll love this.
How to make blanched (i.e. make white) almonds
Never have to buy expensive white almonds again. Super easy guide to how to blanche almonds yourself.
Vegan tomato avocado salad – caprese style
Makes a perfect starter, light lunch or side salad. Lovely with a home made pesto… all made in a jiffy in my Bamix hand blender of course !
Dusting Wand
perfect for sprinkling surfaces for rolling dough, for evenly flouring baking pans.
great for precise dusting on buns and cakes… cinnamon, icing sugar, cocoa
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