Hampstead Iced Teas, Low Calorie Refreshment

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Five years ago asking someone in Northern Ireland for iced tea would be met with a blank look, but now we are all slugging coconut water, ice cold coffees, and the European mainland staple, fruit iced tea. Try as I might I just can't get into coconut water, even the local brands I sadly can't truthfully rave about as I don't have the refined taste, or health kick persistence to drink it. Iced tea is another story. Hampstead premixed teas aren't wishy washy, they are punchy and refreshing.  

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They come in four flavours, three of which Michael and I tried and loved. I simply didn't ask to try the elderflower variety as I for some reason just don't like the flavour in any drink or food, but I'm sure if you do like it the Hampstead tea will probably be delicious, as the other three certainly are. They retail in Tesco for £1.39, or you can bulk buy on the http://www.hampsteadtea.com/ site. If we get another heat wave I'll be stocking up, as they really are far more refreshing than fizzy drinks.

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http://www.hampsteadtea.com/ site. If we get another heat wave I'll be stocking up, as they really are far more refreshing than fizzy drinks.

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Catch the Second Half of the Great Ulster a pub Week

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The greatest celebration of Northern Ireland’s pub culture is taking place in a pub near you this week.  The Great kicked off on Thursday 1stMay 2014 and runs until Friday 9th May 2014.

The Great Ulster Pub Week is the biggest pub centric multi-venue event seen in Northern Ireland and will showcase all that’s ‘Great’ about the Ulster pub.  Over 160 pubs from right across Northern Ireland taking part in the exciting pub celebration, with hundreds of unique events showcasing great food, great entertainment and great craic taking place.

From live music, magic, theatre productions, poetry readings and pub quizzes to arts & crafts workshops, film screenings, special menus and charity challenges, The Great Ulster Pub Week offers a diverse array of events that’s sure to surprise and delight pubgoers across Northern Ireland.

For further information and for full event listings, visit www.greatulsterpubweek.com or find The Great Ulster Pub Week on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram using the hashtag, #UlsterPubWeek

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Go Splash! Pocket-sized Water Flavours on the Go.

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Go Splash are handbag sized, low calorie water flavourings. Basically juice dilute for on the go. I don't really do 'bad' reviews, but to tell you the truth I'm stuck trying to get my head round why you would need to carry dilute. If you are buying a bottle of water out and about, you can just as easily buy a low calorie juice. Likewise, ordering free tap water in a restaurant and whipping out the Go Splash! isn't going to endear you to the staff. The only thing I could come up with would be if you were somewhere like a theme park. You could carry a bottle to fill at water fountains, then add your squirt of Go Splash! to encourage your child to drink if they aren't keen on plain water. I suppose it might also be good for glasses of water in the office, without having to store a giant 1 litre bottle of dilute in your drawer.
But at £2.45 for a tiny bottle, it's expensive compared to larger bottles of dilute available for at home. Maybe I'm missing something really obvious, but its not something I would use. Available at supermarkets.

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Sodastream Grows Up, Cocktails All Round

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I have very fond memories of my parents' old, beige Sodastream. Lots of you shared similar happy memories of ruining milk & infuriating your Mums.

Sodastream is a more grown up affair these days. Whilst the children's low sugar flavours are still available, alongside dozens of variations of classic flavours, there's a whole new range for us grown up 80s' kids.

You can now use the sleeker Sodastream machines to make energy drinks at a fraction of the price. There are isotonic flavours, green tea mixers, fruit iced tea syrups, basically anything you can buy in the store, Sodastream has a version for your machine.

The machines themselves look like your espresso machine's taller brother, something you'd be proud to have on display in a modern kitchen. There are coloured versions too for us with quirkier decor tastes, or a penchant for Cath Kidstonesque style design.

Sodastream sent me the new, limited edition Night Spirit machine in sparkly black. It's customised to use in the evenings for make at home cocktails. Sodastream have launched mixers of the classic cocktail flavours, Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Margarita and more. So you can make your own virgin versions, or add a little kick to them if you want.

I made my son a non-alcoholic Cosmopolitan in honour of the upcoming Cosmo Blog Awards. He gave it a thumbs up.

Looking forward to buying more flavours for my machine, I've a list already. Diet Cream Soda, Cherry, and their version of Mountain Dew. I'll be saving myself a fortune making them all at home.
They don't recommend you fizz anything except still water, and for disclaimers sake I have to say the same, but just so you know- apple juice + water + fizz = Appletiser for about 1/5 of the price you'd pay for a can. Also looking forward to making my own fizzy Ribena. Have you any ideas? Let me know on Twitter, I'm @rudedoodle and Sodastream are @sodastreamUK You could suggest new flavours to them, but you'd be hard pushed to find a flavour they haven't got covered this time around.

www.sodastream.co.uk

Tea Tasting at Belfast's Suki Tea

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I'm a standard teabag, two sugars & milk kinda girl, but thanks to today's visit to the Suki Tea HQ in Belfast, I'm ready to open up my larder to all sorts of leaves & herbs.

My son & I along with Twitter friend Rosemary joined our Tea Expert host & company founder Oscar to try out a literal world of tastes.

Oscar explained the correct preparations of the various tea types (all available on Suki Tea packaging so you can brew the leaves the way they are intended) and shared with us the journey Suki tea blends take, from Fair Trade tea farms to the teapot.

We tried liquorice infused tea, which doesn't taste at all as I imagined, you must try some for yourself when you visit www.Suki-Tea.com

Suki is sold all over the world, but one of the top sellers is good, old Belfast Brew. A strong breakfast tea that hallions like me can dunk their sugars into & swig with buttered toast.

Oscar gave me some lovely tea samples to try at home, and a very cool Suki Teapot, perfect for preparing their drinks properly. You can also buy these on www.Suki-Tea.com if you're a tea lover.