I don’t drink alcohol. No I’m not pregnant (just big boned), I haven’t previously had a problem with alcohol as some have hinted at for my reason to abstain (unless you call my late teenage years!) and no, I’m not allergic to alcohol. I just don’ Sparkling Tisane t like it to be honest.

Rolling the clock back a few years ago; back to the days of 20/20 White Lightning and other such potent yet cheap drinks I could knock ’em back like the best of them. I think that fact that a night on the town with Roy cost us jointly £40 back then (and included a visit to the pizza and kebab shop) and would cost us twice that now is one factor in my not drinking however the main one is that I don’t like the taste!

I sincerely believe that my earlier years of cheap and nasty alcohol has killed off my alcohol-apreciating taste buds as these day I’m just as happy with a cup of coffee. In short I don’t drink because I don’t want to.

Not drinking as a lifestyle choice is up to any individual however it can leave you a little limited at parties and festive occasions to say the least! Diet cola and similar drinks soon lose their novelty and to be honest it would be nice to enjoy something a little special during these special occasions.

This is where Echo Falls and their alcohol free sparkling infusion come into play. I was sent a bottle of this lovely stuff to try out and have to say it was lovely. Light, fruity and bubbly it wouldn’t look amiss amongst the fancy boozy bottles on a table and is a real treat. It also has only 26 calories in every 100ml glass (good news for me as I’m a long-term Slimming World member) and yet tastes really quite elegant if that makes sense?

Available from Tesco and Asda from around £3.49 (RRP) this is a fairly inexpensive way to have a drink so to speak when pregnant or abstaining for any reason without having to fall back on dull non-alcoholic favourites such as soda water and lime.

I would definite buy this to enjoy myself at home or at parties and to offer to guests.

*Please note that while I was sent a bottle of EchoFalls sparkling infusion to try and review the company has had no influence over my writing. My opinions are my own and have been formed from my own thoughts and experiences.

I’m a huge fan of cookery. I love playing with different recipes, switching around ingredients, coming up with new combinations all while still serving up old favourites and traditional family meals. Thankfully the kids are just as much fans of creating dishes as I am so I always have someone to help chop, peel, mix, stir and create with me.

When it comes to working out recipes I sometimes put them together myself by tweaking recipes I’ve used in the past, I let the boys think up clever concoctions (no food poisoning here yet!) or browse the internet. What I really enjoy however is a really good recipe book session. I spread my old favourites and any new cookery books out on the table, armed with a notepad and pen and scribble away. I plot, I plan, I meal plan, I write shopping lists and I have a fabulous time doing it.

I consider myself as pretty creative in the kitchen (my favourite room in the home) and consider my Rangemaster the fifth member of our family. There are times though that I find myself looking not only for something a bit different or somewhat new; I look for new techniques and ways to create everyday foods as well as special ones using other people’s methods.

Where do you get your recipe inspiration from? Are you a cookery book fiend much like myself? Do you use apps and websites? Perhaps you still ask your parents and grandparents for recipes (I still do, from Dad’s “special” rock cakes to Mum’s….well everything!). What are your favourite recipe books? I have a list of cookery books I want to add to my collection including, yet not limited to:
A Girl Called Jack (Jack Munroe – a fabulously inventive budget-focused foodie)
The Hairy Bikers/Dieters (I don’t own any of their book though love watching them on the TV
Nadia Sawalha’s latest(of whom I’ve been a fan of for years).

If you can recommend any others, especially dairy free ones, spiralizer focused onesor any for traditional dishes do shout out!

Below is one of my own concoctions (no recipe book from me). If you try it out and like it, let me know. I’m a “chuck a bit of this and that in” kind of cook so play with the quantities to suit yourself with this recipe.

Chickpea Vegetable Noodle Delights

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

2 tins of 400g chickpeas

One lime

Fresh coriander

Garlic granules (to taste)

One large courgette

One large red onion

Handful of chestnut mushrooms

Black pepper

Salt

Olive oil / Frylight

35g cheese per person

Method

1.Blend your coriander, the juice of one lime, a tablespoon of garlic granules (less if preferred), black pepper, salt and the drained tin of chickpeas with enough water until smooth.

Put half of this aside to use as hummus with carrot and cucumber or breadsticks.
Add a few extra tablespoons of water to the smooth mixture to make it slightly thinner without it being runny.
If you have a spiralizer chop your courgettes and red onion as instructed and use the blade setting for noodles. If you haven’t got a spiralizer use your vegetable peeler to make long and thin ribbons.
Stir-fry the courgette and red onion ribbons / noodles with finely chopped mushrooms until soft.
Lightly combine the chickpea mixture with the stir-fried vegetables and serve immediately topped with 35g of cheese (or lacto-free cheese in my case).

What you have is a filling and absolutely delicious lunch or even tea with hummus for later / the next day or so.

Showing all posts in Food

Alcohol Free Echo Falls Sparkling Tisane #Review

Finding and Sharing Recipe Inspiration

Chickpea Vegetable Noodle Delights