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Great Tasting meals to assist body builders & anyone serious about their sport
10 August 2009
What have we been up to well we teamed up with Aktivbodz and the result is a superb range of meals to assist body builders and sportspersons in their training routines by providing a easy, tasty meal to suit their needs and this range is developing further. Check out Gary on his web site www.aktivbodz.co.uk Aktiv Bodz started life in April 1999 and has been going from strength to strength since then, owned by qualified instructors and competitive bodybuilders Gary Thornton and Tracey Abbott, ...Are you stressed!
26 May 2009
Stressed well your not alone!The credit crunch has added about half an hour to the amount of time we all spend worrying every day, with the average Briton now fretting for two hours and 15 minutes daily, according to a recent poll.
Researchers have found the cost of living and energy prices has overtook personal health as our biggest concerns this year.
Also in the top 10 worries within the survey were financial outgoings, income, debt, recession, unemployment, crime, pensions and ...
Staff being sent on customer service seminars!
15 May 2009
I was reading recently how Westminster Council is trying to reduce the number of parking tickets that get handed out each year, to make life easier for motorists and improve its parking services.To do this they are "encouraging" traffic wardens to help elderly people with their shopping, give directions, report missing manhole covers and even give motorists a second chance.
After attending customer service seminars, the wardens will be followed by undercover council staff who will ask ...
Tommys Fund raising!
20 April 2009
We have been helping Kelly Forbes from Norwich in Norfolk with her Charity fund raising event for Tommys the baby charity! I am happy to report that this event took place on Saturday 18th April 2009 at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Norwich, Norfolk and a total of £1703.89 so far collected with more to be sent in. If you would like to donate to this fantastic charity please email jacqui@kitchenmonkey.co.uk with your donation information. Well done to Kelly for a successful charity event!!!!What’s in April’s Seasonal offerings!
15 April 2009
Well as we say goodbye to the winter and the night’s stay lighter we see the arrival of blooms of spring flowers and bulbs in abundance along the hedge rows followed closely with spring lambs in the fields.Are you growing your own vegetables and fruits? Why not tell us about your gardening antics. I have planted potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, parsnips, carrots, beans, cabbages, peas and cauliflower. My Rhubarb has taken over a corner all of its own but its great in sauces and I even ...
Allergies increase blamed on the variety of foods available today!
06 April 2009
It is interesting how year on year allergies seem to be on the increase, I have children with allergies and food intolerances including asthma as well. I was shocked when the news published that over the past 4 years allergies had increased from 15% to 40%.While obviously some allergies are hereditary and some specialists are actually saying that they believe the hay fever increases seen in young adults is now being seen severely in young children, with an increase in anaphylaxis. This is ...
April Fools!
01 April 2009
What pranks have you got up to this morning? Are you a prankster who looks forward to April fools day or are you usually the victim who forgets all about it.
Every year some Media prank makes the lime light but while I am contemplating how to get my son back for his morning pranks I came across this media prank which I think is brilliant and one of those if only they could do that for all you drivers who eat in your cars, here is one for you!
Back in 2004 The Guardian Newpapers ran a BMW ...
Award & support Great Local Producers!
29 March 2009
How are you shopping recently? more and more surveys, including our own recent survey show that more and more of us are more aware of our food? We not only look to having great quality ingredients but we are looking for freshness, quality, tracability and ethically produced foods.Personally, I have always shopped at local markets, farm shops and local specialist shops like our local green grocers, butchers and bakers etc. 'Yes', we still have these fantastic local shops and they are ...
Cooks Little Black Book!
25 March 2009
A lot of cooks collect snippets over the years of cookery items. If you take a look in my kitchen, you’ll find my cooks scrapbook. It’s crammed with tips, clippings, recipe variations and other bits which I wanted to keep, all of which I have collected over the years. This book which I cherish, it is held together tied with ribbon, from years of repeated use while cooking through the seasons. Some of my cookery notes may only be referred to once a year, such as Christmas. I might simply remind ...Happy Mothers Day!
20 March 2009
Remembering Mothers Everywhere!In the UK, Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. It is believed to have originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting your mother's church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day.
Most historians actually believe that young apprentices and young women in servitude were released by their masters that weekend in order to visit their ...
Have a great Saint Patick's Day
16 March 2009
Are you up for a great Irish party to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day on Wednesday 17th March 2009? Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island apparently was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that ...Want to be a TV Celebrity & learn to cook??
06 March 2009
Kitchen Monkey NewsDo you want to learn how to cook from a 5 Star Chef??
TODAY is your lucky day! We are helping the BBC to find someone who would like to learn how to cook, would learning to cook change your life? Or is this a description of a friend, partner or relative? BBC3 are making an exciting new television series in conjunction with BBC Learning. Working with a top chef you will learn to prepare fantastic food for your family and friends. This is an amazing opportunity to receive ...
Great day out and Kids go Free
01 March 2009
Looking for a great day out for the family?Well you cannot go wrong with a family day out at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. We have got together with this fantastic conservation Zoo to offer you FREE admission for children with each adult. It really is a superb day out see Karishma the baby elephant, visit pets corner, see the penguins its a full day out. With restaurants on site or take along your picnic.
To get you vouchers please email or contact us through our contact form on our web ...
Fairtrade World record attempt are you part of it?
28 February 2009
If you were not aware from the 28th February 2009 through to the 8th March 2009 is what is known as Fair-trade Fortnight. This is an annual event which promotes fair-trade products to all of us in the UK.When purchasing foods you should be looking for the Fair-trade mark. Still today millions of the world’s poorest farmers are trapped in trade poverty. The fair-trade mark you see here is now recognised by 70% of people in the UK now and it can be found on more than 4000 food, drink and ...
Do you know where St Valentines Day comes from?
10 February 2009
I wonder how many of you know the story of St Valentine’s. This dates back to when Rome was ruled by Claudius as an emperor in the third century. The one thing Claudius wanted more than anything was a big army. However he noticed that many men didn’t want to fight wars, instead they wanted to stay at home with their wives and families, (well wouldn’t you?).He thought that if men were not married they would join his army, so he passed a law banning marriages to take place. However, one priest ...
loads of snow and no where to go!
02 February 2009
We seem to have alot on in the month of February this year. What with Bramley apple week from the 1st to 6th February, Valentines on the 14th February (as if you didn’t know), Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and we also have fair-trade fortnight from the 23rd February to 8th March. If that’s not enough and you have a rugby fan in the house I am sure you know that the rugby six nations began on 7th February 09.We seem to have been in lock down with many others over the weather. Remembering that ...
Year of the OX
26 January 2009
Well we leave the year of the RAT behind to start the year of the OX on 26th February 2009.Do you know what Chinese star sign you are?
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or "Year" in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of ...
Make sure you have breakfast for the week!
19 January 2009
Did you know that it is farm house breakfast week this week from 25th January 2009 to 31st January 2009?Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I am sure you have heard a parent or someone actually say this to you. Well there is fact behind it as a recent report found that 1 in 5 adults skip breakfast altogether. Even more concerning though is the fact that 1 in 5 children go to school on a empty stomach despite evidence that eating breakfast can improve concentration and behaviour. ...
Happy Hogmanay!
30 December 2008
Hogmanay the Scottish word for the last day of the year and in true tradition lasts through until the Scottish bank holiday of 2nd January of the New Year, what a party hey!There is a huge amount of tradition and superstition around this. For example my mother is on tender hooks during the 31st checking no one in the family has done the washing as this is supposed to wash someone out, and then again on the 1st as to wash on new year’s days washes someone in. Which is great if you are trying to ...
Turkeying Around or are you?
23 December 2008
Its seems we are all looking very closely at what we are going to be cooking this Christmas with some organic turkeys costing £80 and a fresh Turkey Crown costing anything from £25 and above alot of us are turning to what was the more traditional of Christmas roasts and that’s goose.Talking with my friend Martin who’s a butcher sales of game have rose dramatically, as game prices are lower than our usual joints. Of course alot of people can’t understand why meat has gone up so! But if you ...
Rushing around with a never ending task list!
16 December 2008
Christmas are you ready? Is the tree decorated and in pride of position? Have you made your mince pies ready for all those guests your expecting to pop in? Let alone completed your Christmas shopping!It’s this time of year when alot of us get run down, and when we least expect it while were running around trying to complete our never ending task lists the bugs and viruses strike. Everyone seems to have either the sniffs or the dreaded throat bug going around.
Experts tell us that now more ...
Deck the Halls with Mistletoe!
09 December 2008
Well have you started to decorate your home. Some people have really gone to town with their decorations, with one house near me must have a bulb for every housebrick. I’m just glad I’m not paying the electric bill.The origin of us dressing the house dates back to pagan times when they believed that everygreen plants kept evil spirits away during the long winters. So they would display Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe.
Mistletoe (Viscum album) was venerated even by the Romans for its magical powers. ...
Advent Begins!
02 December 2008
Advent, (the Coming!)Well did you fight your way in to the kitchen to be the first this morning to open the very first window, draw or box on your advent calendar what mayhem in our house as everyone and I mean everyone including my elderly mother remembered it was the 1st December and advent calendar? Who won my son of course who promptly shared the surprise with his grandmother in the true sense of Christmas!
Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") – it is a period of ...
Coal Revival you mark my words!
24 November 2008
Coal Revival what’s happened?Well back on the 10th November blog I was telling you about Roger a local farmer who was experiencing ever depleting copses due to people chopping the branches of small trees etc up for burning in their home fires.
Well is also seems that COAL is big on the agenda and back in the 80’s with the closure of many pits and allot of controversy over closing the pits with still 300 years of coals underground the government is now doing a u-turn on this which is in sight ...
Santa Arrives in Style
17 November 2008
Santa brings festive fun to Twycross ZooSanta will arrive at Twycross Zoo on Saturday 22nd November 2008. He will be meeting children in the Zoo’s Victorian Winter Wonderland Grotto every weekend before Christmas and on Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd December and Christmas Eve. Santa will bring his land train with him so you can ride the Christmas Express which travels right through the heart of the Zoo to the grotto located inside the Cockatoo restaurant.
After leaving the train, visitors ...
The beauty of Wood!
10 November 2008
The weather has turned and we start to not only close the curtains earlier as we lose the light at night but we start to put the heating on again.I know from experience that this year it is not only the elderly who are afraid to turn on their heating in fear of the ever increasing fuel bills.
Recently I was talking to a local farmer about his a copse on his land. I can remember running with my dogs through this area, which is also a country public footpath, then it was almost impossible to ...
Our own weight in waste in 7 weeks!
03 November 2008
I read an astonishing fact the other day, it simple said, ‘Every 7 weeks we threw away our own body weight in waste!’I have to say, ’not in my house!’ In fact quite the contrary with the credit crunch pulling on the purse strings in all directions I have been recycling everything as I know my friends have too. What with attending car boot sales with unwanted items and then using these funds towards Christmas for one?
I was also reading about how various arts and crafts are returning and rag ...
Jacket Potatoes
27 October 2008
Jackets potatoes the weather turns cold and we all get comfort from the simple humble jacket potato.You see them everywhere people queuing at the jacket potato stall for a healthy lunch time meal.
Are you a cheese and beans person or something more exotic?
We were discussing wacky ingredients and what people love to place in their jacket potatoes while at least 40% of us play it safe with butter and cheese or butter, cheese and beans the rest of us are always looking for something different.
...
Baking a Christmas Cake to perfection.
20 October 2008
Well it is that time of year and if you haven’t already it is time to make the Christmas cake and Christmas puddings.So without further adieu get in that kitchen and let’s get baking:
For a superb rich fruit cake you will need:
250g soft butter, 250g dark muscovado sugar, 4 eggs, 350g plain flour, pinch of salt, 1 tsp mixed spice, 900g mixed dried fruit (include raisins, sultanas, currants, figs, apricots & cherries), 100g chopped almonds, 4 tblsp brandy and 2 tblsp black treacle.
Now a ...
Soups top the menu!
13 October 2008
It’s that time of year when you reach for the soup for a refreshing filling meal or supper to keep the damp and cold out. We have some great soups on site now so do check them out. They come to you in a handy tub which you can take to work in your handbag and heat up in the microwave.I made one very special family soup at the weekend it’s one we all enjoy and brings back some great memories so here my family favourite for you to try to create some special memories!
Butternut Squash Soup with ...
laughing all the way to the gym!
06 October 2008
A study recently published by Oxford Journalists has shown that laughter can be linked to a decrease in heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure. Further research estimates that chuckling for around 10 to 15 minutes a day can actually burn up to 50 calories, (just think how long you would have to jog on the jogging machine at the gym for that!).Laughter has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal gland and is often referred to as ...
The Drive of your Life!!
29 September 2008
I was handed a book recently by a close friend entitled ‘the drive of your life’. I thought I would share some of its thought invoking scenarios with you.If you could imagine you are handed the keys for a superb brand new car this car in your eyes is perfect the one you have dreamed about owning, perfect colour, size and model just for you. You turn on the engine of your new car and start your journey knowing you can travel where ever you want too and you would obviously feel happy & content.
...
We Won another award!!
22 September 2008
We are all celebrating as we have just received our award from the UKTV food & Gary Rhodes Local Food Heroe’s Award 2008, where we received ‘HIGHLY COMMENDED’ from Gary Rhodes being placed in the Top 20 Local Food Hero’s. The team are overjoyed at winning this award.Run away with yourself!
15 September 2008
Run away with yourself!Well, we have eaten the pasta, cereal, potatoes, rice and bread to bulk up on the carbohydrates and we have undertaken the training, building our stamina etc over the past few months.
Yesterday, my son Ed & daughter Emma & I ran the Nottinghamshire Robin Hood Marathon. What an experience for all of us and we were successful too.
It makes you realise how committed our athletes are with their diets and training. Trying to fit all this around everyday life making sure ...
Sunshine makes all of us HIGH!
02 September 2008
August has gone down on record as being one of the gloomiest Augusts on record, with September starting with rain and more rain. August 2008 was the dullest ever with only 15.5 hours of sunshine in total which is down by an average of 61 hours.
Our love of sunshine stems back to being told in Victorian times that it was healthy to take in some sun if you were poorly, when now we are told to cover up.
Apparently when an amount of sunshine enters the retina it will result in serotonin being ...
We Have all gone bananas!
27 August 2008
We have all gone Bananas !!Here is an outstanding fact for you in the UK alone we eat an astonishing 10 million bananas aday!
The banana is now the 4th most consumed product and the most popular fruit of today.
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium (over 450 mg per one banana serving) and also rich in magnesium & vitamin C. On top of this they also contain antacid in a natural form to reduce heart burn, and carbohydrates to build up depleted sugar stores.
So to cure a hangover, eat a ...
But I was only joking when I said Gun!
20 August 2008
But I was only joking sir, when I said Gun !!We live in a time when security is paramount in all areas. When our identities are stolen with banks and government agencies loosing huge amounts of personal data ready for criminals to pick up and use. Where our airports and cities are patrolled by armed police because of the threats of terrorists. Gone are the days when you could leave your house doors open now we lock, triple lock and alarm everything.
How I felt for the joker at Heathrow ...
What's in a number!
13 August 2008
What’s in a number!I had an extremely interesting conversation the other day where we were discussing measurements.
We were talking about pounds & ounces and decimalisation. There are quite a few of us who will remember starting school and learning feet and inches, miles and yards, pounds and ounces etc. We also had old money then too and then we changed.
The interesting fact is that so many things were in 12’s and if you knew your 12 times table your were well away. Just start to list them ...
Uninsured Millions!!
06 August 2008
I was shocked to hear on the news as well as read in our daily nationals that there are 1.4 million uninsured drivers out there on our roads.I have myself been a victim shall I say of an accident involving an uninsured driver. This guy had borrowed his friend’s car then while on his mobile phone, had failed to stop at a set of traffic lights in the middle of a city centre, before ploughing into the back of me and not at 30 mile an hour I might add. The whole experience was a nightmare as your ...
Award Winning!
30 July 2008
We are celebrating; it was fantastic to be nominated for an award asKitchenmonkey.co.uk Ltd was nominated for the UKTVfood local hero award.
This award is voted and nominated by the general public which made this award even more special.
UKTVfood contacted us to say we had been nominated and were receiving votes from the public we received one of the largest amounts of votes for one of the youngest companies to be nominated for a food award with them before.
There was a short listing which ...
Muscle Crunching!
23 July 2008
Muscle CrunchingMy son’s hard in training and trying to pack on the muscle along with his pals. While trying to cook and talk to 3 very lively teenagers who were trying to decide how best to pack on the weight I I decided needed to hit them with some facts.
To maximise muscle growth, you need to make sure you eat enough protein; this amount also has to cover the amount of training which you are doing. For instance, take my son, he manages to eat correctly loving his kitchenmonkey meals and ...
A new dimension on Water Wheels!
16 July 2008
How remarkable is it that in this day and age we can undertake some phenomenal things.Take the fact we can go to the moon, (of course it is entirely up to you if you believe in the conspiracy or not). We can develop cures for many fatal diseases. We can fly and develop many transportation devices to get all of us around the world and in such short time periods.
I can remember a marvellous conversation I had with my grandmother. How she remembers the first car coming to the village and how ...
Slice, Dice & Chop to the beat!
08 July 2008
Listening to music can be relaxing, inspiring, thoughtful and even productive. Iknow that in many factory environments a radio for instance would usually be playing. Some comment that this is to help pass the day away but others would find a rhythm with their work from the music, as hosiery workers did.While enjoying some more creative moments in our kitchens I was listening to the cool, rhythm of blues and jazz, of one of my own personal favourites Jools Holland and it got me thinking.
...
Every Sporting angle covered in a week!
02 July 2008
Every sporting angle covered in a week !I was fascinated to read that this week over 3 million senior students have volunteered to assist in primary schools up and down the UK this week from 30th June to the 4th July 2008 in order to bring sports day to millions of primary school children.
The slogan worn by these students volunteering is most apt reading ‘1 in 3 million’ across their back and I believe that this is a splendid example of some of the fantastic good some of the youth of ...
Credit Crunch Bar-B-Q!
24 June 2008
Credit crunch Bar-b-q !The aroma of freshly lit bar-b-q’s fills the air as we all head outside to eat alfresco.
Trying to find something to feed some hungry guests but still have time to mingle the bar-b always manages to suit as long as the weather plays its part.
For a quick and simple bar-b-q idea try our favourite (that is besides kitchenmonkey’s fantastic finger food selections ideal for any party)
Sardines in a peppercorn crust:
8 large sardines, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, a ...
Jamtastic!
17 June 2008
Jamtastic for afternoon Tea!With the onset of summer and abit of sunshine and we all head out for a day trip and find one of those marvellous little tea rooms for a traditional cream tea.
I have many a memory of some fabulous tea houses sitting in the sunshine with a full china service being brought to the table with clotted cream, scones and fresh strawberry jam and twinning’s earl grey tea in a china tea pot.
Well to share this with you it made me think about jams and preserves so ...
Berry Nice!!
10 June 2008
Berry Nice!Here come the berries June is here and over this month and next we overload on those luscious berries be them red or black.
What am I talking about well strawberries, raspberries, black currants and red currants. Together these make some fantastic mouth watering desserts of which some are my favourite including summer crumbles & cobblers and of course the signature dish of the Summer Pudding. These desserts along with the numerous varieties of cheesecakes & pavlova's you can ...
Seaside Car Boot is crammed!!
06 June 2008
Seaside Car Boot is crammed!Well the weather was scorching the summer had arrived and we were on our way to sunny Brighton for Baby Expo 2008 show as kitchenmonkey hit the road.
Fully laden the car was packed and I did think at one stage that I might have to place Edward on the roof rack. I am sure many of you have had that feeling when packing the car.
I am sure you know some one who even if you are going for just one night or a weekend they have to bring their entire wardrobe with ...
What great competitions & winners!
28 May 2008
Out and About!!!All the team have been out and about of late attending various events, shows and exhibitions. After having a fantastic response at the NEC baby show lately we went on to attend the finale of the Heart FM Lifestyle competition on Saturday 7th June 08. This was a fantastic competition to win a FREE lifestyle for a year where the winner actually got a house for a year, beauty treatments, gym memberships, various evenings out and food from kitchenmonkey etc a complete lifestyle ...
Chips Away!!!
22 May 2008
Chips away!!!Having a discussion with my old friend Claire (she would hate it if she heard me say that) we were talking about chips. How children have a love for the long skinny French frie and how the chip varies from this slither of a chip to a chunky thick chip served in restaurants and all of our differing preferences.
Claire was saying how she can never get her chips just right, when I started telling Claire about varieties of potato and how some potatoes are better for certain menu ...
Babies see double at surprise birthday celebrations at Birminghams NEC Show
19 May 2008
Birmingham’s NEC opened its doors this weekend for ‘The Baby Show’; little did its organisers know that double birthday celebrations would unfold at the show itself.Midlands fine food company ‘kitchenmonkey.co.uk’, kick started the celebrations by blowing out a candle on their birthday cake to celebrate being one year old, followed by midlands company ‘mumsclub.co.uk’ who were also celebrating one year of trading. However the parties really started when, both companies who were sharing a ...
Advancement has it's price in all of our Kitchens!!!
15 May 2008
Advancement has its price in all of our Kitchens!!!Will the re-establishment of cookery classes in schools be too late??
Have we developed so far in technology yet have turned a full circle in time to take all of us back to 1940 in everyday life???
This may be some of the questions crossing you mind if you have been reading some of the headlines in the national newspapers over the past two days. I was only blogging about the issues they are discussing today, back in February of this year....
Unused Gadget kept in the dark for 15 years seeks compensation!
09 May 2008
Unused Gadget kept in the dark for 15 years seeks compensation!!!Gadgets and gismos we all have them. Some we use, some we don’t and some just come out once in their lifetime before being manoeuvred to the back of some cupboard to be unearthed years later for a car boot.
We were discussing the wonders of modern living and the gadgets we have in our kitchen’s today. We were not referring to the large appliances like the America fridge freezers which everyone seems to have and all for the ...
A plant with more value than you think to add to your cooking!
06 May 2008
Add a flower with more value than you think to your cooking!Something which is growing in abundance at the moment everywhere you look but it is overlooked by the majority of us, with some astonishing powers within both its leaves, flowers and root.
Gardeners hate them, the flower actually fertilizes itself which is where it foils the gardener by dispersing its seeds as early as the day after the flower opens up, and basically the faster you try to get rid of them the faster they grow as ...
Court number 1 is left strawberry less!!
29 April 2008
Court number 1 left strawberry less!Can you just imagine the height of the Tennis calendar and Wimbledon not only famous for the tennis and celebrities, and of course the odd sing song from certain famous artists to entertain all of us during the great British summertime weather without the symbol of decades, of course it is Wimbledon’s famous strawberries & cream.
It was recently announced that due to a shortage of EU workers Wimbledon may well be without its famous strawberries this ...
Being tied may not be down to your bed but your food!
21 April 2008
Feeling tied it may not be down to your bed but your food!Something which is close to my heart is food, eating well, but in the sense of a good varied well balanced diet suited for everyone’s well being.
I do have family members with allergies and intolerance’s myself, but my friend Claire who thought she was suffering from intolerance, actually turned out to be an allergy.
Food intolerances are increasingly common, around 45% of the UK population have some kind of food intolerance and ...
Lost in space with my sat nav but my shopping trolley can ring home!!
15 April 2008
Lost in a Sat Nav, but my shopping trolley can phone home!Well I gave in to all the fuss and picked myself up a satellite navigation system or sat nav for short. Thinking I was missing out on something and also having a few mishaps with my faithful old map in the car I thought this new gadget would be great. But read on for latest views on this device and advance in technology to affect even our shopping trolleys which will amuse you.
Did you know that ‘Sat Nav’ sales have increased ...
Hang on to your holiday money!!
11 April 2008
Euro eats away our holiday funds:This week saw the pound fall to its lowest against the Euro falling to 120 to the pound, if you are lucky.
What has this got to do with me you might well ask? It’s one of those hidden costs again that affect all of us in our daily lives.
If you export from the UK, it is good news. As your goods become slightly cheaper abroad. If you are a holiday maker however, things are not so good, put bluntly your 10% worse off.
If you holiday within the euro ...
Huge Growth in Hobby Farmers (watch out for the hedgehog though!
07 April 2008
Huge Growth Market in Hobby Farmers, (watch out for the hedgehog though!):There is a growing new trend which is excelling throughout the UK it is in the field of ‘Hobby Farming’.
This is a growing group of professional people who are either looking at a second career in farming, or they exchange their city fast paced business lifestyles for a new life in the country, working for themselves.
Half of the farms sold in the UK in the last year were brought by ‘Hobby Farmers’. These small ...
Are we guilty of taking away our children's childhood?
04 April 2008
Are we guilty of taking away our children’s childhood?Catching up on the newspapers this week I was reading an article about children and their social skill development through play. Some of the figures really make you think.
Basically what they are saying is that, our children today are not playing out alone thus they are not developing through independent play, as we would of done in our childhood’s.
Having a large gap between my own children, I know there is a difference from my ...
Mr Brown please keep all of us safe!
01 April 2008
Make our roads safe!!!Road safety is something we teach our children from a very early age, along with the do not speak to or go with strangers safety rule.
‘Killer Lorries’, a message for Mr Brown, from me, perhaps we should be making a new law that these foreign Lorries drop their loads at our ports for British lorry drivers to transport throughout the UK safely and to keep our lorry drivers employed!!! What do you think let me know your comments?
I actually found myself sitting down ...
First signs of Spring
26 March 2008
I hope you all had a good Easter. I have just returned from a little break with my 2 little monkies and i can safely say i need another break. We travelled up by car on the saturday morning and my oldest at 7 is at the age where she asks if we are there yet. The stereo only goes so loud!!!!.Anyway it seems that Spring is almost upon us and my wife already has a great list of things she wants me to do around the house and outside. I suppose thats not a bad thing considering how many of my ...
Monkey Teasers are EGGTASTIC!!!
21 March 2008
Monkey Teasers are eggtastic!!!Can we all at kitchenmonkey.co.uk start by wishing you all a great EASTER Bank Holiday whatever you are doing, we hope you have fun!
How about some brain teasers to keep you going throughout the weather which we are expecting this Easter. It’s a fact that women and men are wired differently shall I say, and that each of us can do certain things better, because of this. For instance men are supposed to be the better map readers; women can multi task and its ...
Cooking up a storm with Tommy's the baby charity!
18 March 2008
COOKING UP A STORMTommy’s, the baby charity is delighted to announce a new fundraising partnership with www.kitchenmonkey.co.uk, the luxury online ready meal service.
Offering a wide range of individually prepared starters, main courses and desserts, Kitchen Monkey will donate 5p (+VAT) from every product sold, to Tommy’s, the baby charity.
Tommy’s funds vital research into finding the causes of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. Right now in the UK, 1 in 4 women will lose a ...
Life in the Fast Lane!!!
14 March 2008
Life in the Fast Lane!!!Eating well and cooking for yourself may feel like the last thing you want to do after a long day at work or college. But eating healthily doesn’t have to take loads of time or cost loads of money which is our philosophy at www.kitchenmonkey.co.uk
Eating a healthy diet will give your body what it needs to help you keep up with your hectic lifestyle while helping to keep you fit & healthy both inside and out.
It is recommended that we eat at least 5 portions of ...
Up Up & Away!!!!
11 March 2008
Up up and away literally!Have you been holding on to your umbrella and imitating Mary poppins over the past couple of days with the rest of us at all.
Windy or what, I was trying to drive yesterday and the gusts were so strong they were literally blowing the car across the road. At one point a land rover discovery came flying past me on the motorway only to hit a severe gust of wind and with the speed he was going he totally lost control of his car. It was frightening watching it in slow ...
The Spice of Life!!!
07 March 2008
The Spice of life!!!Here is one for you, recently while listening to a BBC broadcasting they threw out one of those listener trivia questions as they do, the question was:
What’s the difference between a herb and a spice??
You know what, I knew the answer. But I have to say I was amazed by the numerous calls to the radio station and what the listeners actually thought the answer was. One caller even stated that this was a question on trivial pursuit the board game.
So guess what, ...
Keep reading this Bun with a prize at the end!!
04 March 2008
Keep reading here’s a BUN with a Prize at the end!!!Can you believe that Easter is just around the corner??
Yes, lent will soon be over and Good Friday and Easter Sunday are a matter of weeks away. We have had so many events in such a short period of time this year with Easter being early.
You cannot go anywhere without seeing a hot cross bun, as my friend tells me they have been on sale in some establishments since January! And we were discussing how next we will be having Christmas ...
Did the earth move for you too Darling!!!
29 February 2008
Did The Earth Move for You too Darling!Well everyone’s been talking about it; you can’t go anywhere without hearing people shopping, standing in queues, on public transport, the radio, everywhere. We are all talking about it!
Guessed it yet, I’m sure you have, the Earthquake of course!
There we were in the very early hours of Wednesday 27th February 2008 when most of us were woken from our sleep by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hitting the UK.
I remember going to bed around 00.30am and ...
Valuable Mealtimes!!!
26 February 2008
Valuable mealtimes & what happened to the Sunday roast!I wondered how many of you realised that this week is actually eating disorder week.
This is something still now we really do not speak a great deal about amongst family members. I was reading in the papers that this promotional week to discuss and support the issues of ‘eating disorders’ actually coincides with Paris fashion week which starts today 26th February 2008.
I do not know any woman who has not at some stage dieted for ...
A Mini & a monkey!!
22 February 2008
A mini and a monkey!I have had my fair share of cars, but I have to say that I really have only changed my car when the need was there.
My first car was a beautiful fun filled little mini 1000 which I loved to bits as everyone does their very first car. I had saved up for months to buy it, literally paying my board to my parents and then putting aside the rest. I remember paying just over £100 for it which I have to say was a lot of money then. A lovely white mini 1000 D registration (the ...
Its Child's play monkeying around at the Nursery!
19 February 2008
Its Childs Play Monkeying around at the Nursery!I continued to work after having children I didn’t have the luxury of being able to stay at home and so my children attended nursery from the age of 3 months when I had to return to work. This can be a very traumatic time for mums and their babies, nothing seems to be simple, from if your breast feeding do you continue, every time you leave the house you have to take everything including the kitchen sink and the guilt on leaving them behind ...
AhOyThere!!!!
15 February 2008
AhOy there, have you done this before!!Have the roads been quite this week did you notice??
Well if you didn’t know it has been half term for the schools, colleges and universities this week.
Have they driven you made yet with’ I’m bored’, or the fact that they have sat in front of the play station for hours without a word, only game speak. Or the loud music from the bedroom as Emily try’s to master the latest dance routine with her friends and Tommy try’s out his half learnt guns & ...
Monkey scores a try at rugby six nations 2008!!
12 February 2008
Monkey scores a try at rugby six nations 2008!!With the Rugby six nations in full swing, our kitchenmonkey.co.uk guide can help you explain some of those mysterious phrases and positions you hear mentioned:
Rugby a game played by 15 men with odd shape balls (well I had to start by breaking the ice didn’t I?)
The pack or forwards are 8 hansom burly guys who you would want your daughters to marry
The front row consists of 2 props & a hooker:
Props are strapping men who support the hooker (...
Laughter is the best medicine!
08 February 2008
Laughter is the best medicine!!!Firstly can we congratulate The Leicester Comedy Festival http://www.comedy-festival.co.uk on their 15th Birthday? Running from the 8th to 17th February 2008 in Leicestershire it is said that 60,000 people will attend the 60 separate venues which are covering 230 events and alot of laughs later! Well done you have the UK’s longest running comedy festival.
In light of all this laughter I was listening to BBC radio Leicester http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/...
Monkey Smell, Monkey see and Monkey Eat!!!
05 February 2008
Monkey Smell, Monkey See and Monkey Eat!!!Talking with friends recently we enjoyed one of those terrific evenings over a glass of wine and great food from our range, we were recalling our funny past memories and moments. It’s on occasions like this that you truly appreciate how lucky you are to have such terrific family, friends, and colleagues around you!
We were talking about how a smell, a particular food dish, a place or even a tune for example can make you recall a magic moment!
...
Early Morning Monkey Business
01 February 2008
Early morning monkey business!!!!Well have you ever had that feeling when you’re woken by your alarm clock only to feel like you had literally just got in to your bed? Well I had this only last week literally when I was woken at 2.00am (yes I did say 2.00am) to get up to go to work.
The house was pitch black and cold, the heating doesn’t come on until 5.30am and I had forgotten to change it. It really felt like I had just gone to bed ,as I had been up the previous night with my son revising ...
Going Green!
25 January 2008
Recycling, Eco-Friendly, or Going Green as we call it!We are all concerned about these issues and everyday when you open up the newspaper there is always something to cover one of these areas staring you in the face.
I have been recycling at home for many years now. My children have grown up with me making this a fun thing to do. We sort the paper, glass, tins, plastic & cardboard out. My son would love feeding the plastic bottles into the recycling banks and of course the smash of the ...
Welcome & Well Done!
18 January 2008
Welcome to our new visitors!May I firstly start by giving a warm welcome to our visitors from the mumsclub.co.uk http://www.mumsclub.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=501&hilit= it’s a pleasure to have you busy working mums visiting our site? I am sure you will find a meal to suit every single member of your families no matter what the age differences. This will then allow you some quality time to relax and enjoy those special times with your family members more, or just time for you to read ...
Not All Ready Meals are the Same??
11 January 2008
Did you see the Channel 4 program, The Truth about your food as shown on Thursday 10th January 2008:I bet all of you have been talking about this program, as my colleagues and I have been.
This programme on Channel 4 showed reporter Jane Moore investigating the ready meal trade and other common food brands. Her investigation was shocking to say the least. She tore shreds off the supermarkets for their inaccurate ingredients breakdowns, labelling and food nasties, along with some very well ...
For everyday, For everymeal, for every occassion - www.kitchenmonkey.co.uk
08 January 2008
Whether you’re a chef or a cook, (which on its own can start a debate) http://www.kitchenmonkey.co.uk has it, our chef’s special everyday just for you, so branch out with our chef and let your taste buds blossom.It’s been so cold but we were lucky enough to avoid the snow although it was snowing as I drove home on Thursday evening. We are receiving some great feedback back from everyone so keep up the good work. Let us know what you think of our dishes, if you have any suggestions them let ...
You deserve an Easy Life!
02 January 2008
We are here to make your life in this New Year as easy as we can for you?Well things have really started to kick off here this New Year. We have not only joined forces with the local dairy to bring our range to your door step through the milkmen/ladies as I mentioned previously, but soon you’ll be able to collect our marvellous food offerings from your local nursery aswell, as you collect your wonderful children. Watch this space for more great partnerships coming your way. We do all this ...
What Superb Customers we Have!
22 December 2007
Hearing from our customers is a real pleasure!I recently had the pleasure of delivering a parcel myself to a lovely gentleman. This elderly gentleman, who I have to say looked 15 years younger than he told me he was, lived alone and was blind. He had made an order for a selection of 16 meals to take him through the holiday period. He welcomed me into his home and his memories that evening, as I unpacked his superb selection of meals and desserts into his freezer for him and explained the ...
Things 'Hot Up' in the Kitchen with the Milkmen/ladies
20 December 2007
Wow! What have we been up to?Well things have really started to ‘hot up’ in our kitchens, with the addition of the Milkman/lady.
That’s got you interested.
Well we are very pleased to announce that we have teamed up with local dairy Kirby & West in this exciting partnership. kitchenmonkey.co.uk’s extensive range of superb food offerings can now be delivered with your daily pinta!
Kirby & West's excellent milkmen/ladies will be taking orders on your door step from our range of frozen ...
WWW.KITCHENMONKEY.CO.UK RECEIVES SAFE SHOPPING AWARD.
17 December 2007
Awarded Safe Shopping Award!You will all be very pleased to know that http://www.shopsafe.co.uk have approved our web site www.kitchenmonkey.co.uk as a secure on-line shopping web site.
We have found out from Shopsafe themselves that around only 25% of the web sites recommended for this award, actually receive it. We are now recommended upon their web site for secure on-line shopping. So we are extremely pleased to be given this award which we will now be displaying on-line.
The ...
Latest Lucky Competition Winner
06 December 2007
A big congratulations go out to Miriam Cheeseman, the lucky winner of an exclusive Kitchen Monkey apron.We're sure this will come in handy at this time of year, with so much cooking to be done!!
Miriam chose a moment from I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! as her favourite reality tv moment of the year, "My favourite moment has to be Christopher Biggins sleeping with the rat on him, completely unaware and mistaking it for his water bottle. His reaction when he finally realises it's a rat ...
Nicol's Email Newsletter
07 September 2007
You've heard a lot from Jake, our M.D and Marcus, our Head Chef recently, so I thought I'd steal this chance to have my say (and they say it's the women that talk too much!)I don't like to blow my own trumpet (ok then, maybe I do...just a little bit) but I'm the one that spends a lot of time working on the website to try and make it as interesting as possible for you guys.
In fact, I'm so passionate about our products and website that I'm constantly dying to tell people about them, and once ...
Welsh Dragons
10 August 2007
The other day I was catching up with Marcus, our very, very, very great Head Chef and we were discussing new dishes for Kitchen Monkey. I asked him to come up with some classic British dishes, that were easily recongisable, but had a twist to them.To my astonishment he went of wittering something about dragons and the Welsh, or Welsh dragon's or something similar.
I was quite scared as to what bizarre concoction he was going to come up with, but didn't question him, as these creative types ...
Quality Time
02 August 2007
At last...summer is finally here! Doesn't a bit of sunshine lift everyone's spirits? I have to say I'm not sad at all to see the end of the rain. This week has been fantastic here at Kitchen Monkey. Marcus has been working on some great new products, and I've been filling the role of chief taster. I tried his wonderful Stout battered Talapia fish with hand-cut King Edward and Sweet Potato Chips. For a moment, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven...it almost felt like a traversty putting salt ...A Day in the Life of...
06 July 2007
Well, what a week this has been! You know I often read in the Telegraph's "Stella" magazine about famous people's diets. It tells you what they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also what kind of work they do. I would say the majority of people demonstrate a healthy diet with functional food, that in my mind, would take a balanced lifestyle to be able to incorporate. I mean, is it realistic for your average Joe to cook 3 meals a day, AND work, AND look after a family?! I suppose if it was ...BBC Good Food Show 2007
22 June 2007
As I write this I'm struggling to keep my eyes open, as I'm still feeling the effects of 5 long days spent at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham (along with the effects of a teething 9 month old!)Despite the tiredness we had a great time and it was lovely to meet so many of you there.
We were giving out samples of some of our best selling dishes throughout the week, and had some really positive feedback, which in turn has led to more Kitchen Monkey converts and customers.
A lot of ...
Sunday Times Style Magazine
10 June 2007
I can't believe the last time I posted anything on here was the 4th of May.In my defence we have been extremely busy! I don't think any of us realised just how much work was involved in launching a new internet business, but I'm pleased to say the launch has been very successful.
Some of you may have seen us recently in the Sunday Times Style Magazine. We sent Lydia Slater, some of our products to try, and were rewarded with a lovely review. She said:
"Not all ready meals are equal. If ...
New Website
04 May 2007
I know, I know, I have been promising to bring some of the fine food that we have made for Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Selfrdges and some of the top hotels in the country, to the general market... well here it is.Having started the idea of selling online way back in December, Marcus and I have been working tirelessly on researching the dishes that we would like to eat everyday as well as finding some of the finest ingredients. I can't pretend it's all been hard work, tasting ...