Live a Healthier Life

December-13-2019

With the festive season fast approaching, sticking to a healthy diet can be challenging. With family dinners, cocktail parties and office gatherings in abundance, most of us enjoy a much richer diet and it can seem like temptation lurks around every corner. Whilst there is nothing wrong with a little overindulgence at this time of year, there are also plenty of ways to take the guilt out of your festive feasting. 
We have compiled a list of our favourite healthier seasonal recipes that are sure to delight all the family!

Cheesy Figs

These cheesy figs make a fantastic starter for your festive feast, or a wonderful canapé for your seasonal soirees.

• 12 fresh figs 
• 110g soft goat’s cheese 
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 85g Forever Bee Honey

Preheat the oven to broil and start to trim the fig stems. Cut diagonally across the top of each fig to make an X shape, making sure that you only cut a third of the way through – you don’t want the fruit to fall apart! Place the figs upright on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper; if your figs fall over gently flatten the bottom using a sharp knife. Fill a piping bag up with the goat’s cheese, making sure that it is soft before piping equally into each fig. Lightly brush the figs with olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cover with a generous helping of cracked black pepper. Broil the figs for about four minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Gently warm Forever Bee Honey in a saucepan but do not boil or overheat. Remove figs from oven and drizzle with the Forever Bee Honey. Best served warm or at room temperature.
Find more of our canapé ideas here

Low-sugar Christmas biscuits

These low-sugar festive biscuits are not only delicious, they also make a fantastic activity to decorate with kids, or why not turn them into an edible Christmas tree decoration?

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
• 60g/2¼oz soft brown muscovado sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 275g/9¾oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp finely chopped candied peel
• halved blanched almonds, to decorate (optional)
• royal icing, to decorate (optional)

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4, and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. 
To make the dough, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat the mixture. Mix in the flour, cinnamon and candid peal until the mixture comes together to form a dough. 
Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1cm. Using biscuit cutters, carefully cut shapes out of the dough and place onto your backing tray, making sure to leave space between each biscuit. If you are using almonds to decorate, add them to the middle of the biscuit. To make Christmas decorations, cut a hole in the top of your biscuits using a straw. 
Bake in the middle of your oven for ten minutes until deep golden brown. Leave on the tray for five minutes to harden, and transfer to a wire cooling rack. If you are decorating with royal icing, make sure the biscuits are fully cool before getting creative.  

Roast parsnip and chestnut salad

Adapted from a recipe on BBC Food 
This rustic root vegetable salad is low-fat, deliciously decadent, and a great accompaniment for you Christmas dinner.  

• 500g parsnips, quartered
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200g pack cooked and peeled chestnuts
• 2 sprigs of roughly chopped 
• 1 tsp clear honey 
• 140g bag of mixed leaf salad

Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. On a baking tray, toss the parsnips with two tsp of the oil, season and roast for twenty minutes. 
Add the chestnuts to the parsnips and stir through with the rosemary. Drizzle with honey and roast for a further ten to fifteen minutes and leave to cool. 
Whilst the parsnips are cooling, toss your salad leaves with the remaining oil and some seasoning, and pile generously onto a serving plate. Top with the parsnips, chestnuts, and drizzle with the juices from the tray. 

Showstopping Christmas pavlova wreath

Adapted from a recipe on BBC Food 
This showstopping dessert is the perfect end to a festive feast, and with less sugar than normal meringue, you can tuck in after your Christmas dinner without all the guilt. 

• 5 medium free-range egg whites
• 150g/5½oz caster sugar
• 250g/9oz low-fat natural yoghurt
• 1 orange, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice
• drop of almond extract
• pinch cinnamon
• 200g/7oz raspberries
• 50g/1¾oz flaked almonds, toasted
• 1 square of dark chocolate

Preheat your oven to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½, and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a clean and dry glass bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently add the sugar a teaspoon at a time, and continue to whisk until you have stiff peaks, and the meringue looks glossy. 
On your parchment paper, arrange eight large spoonfuls of the meringue mixture into a ring shape to form your wreath. Bake at 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½, for thirty minutes, then reduce the oven to 110C/90C Fan/Gas ¼ and bake for a further hour and a half. Once baked, turn off the oven but do not remove the meringue. Leave the door ajar until the meringue is cold.
To make the topping, mix together the yoghurt, orange zest and juice, almond extract and cinnamon. Top the meringue ring with the yoghurt mixture, and generously scatter with raspberries and almonds. Finish with a garnish of finely grated chocolate and enjoy. 
These healthy alternatives are a great way to stay on the ‘nice-list’ this festive season! Let us know your favourite healthy alternatives in the comments below! 

December-06-2019

2019 has seen the world begin to make progress toward a more sustainable way of living. From reducing our use of plastic straws in bars and restaurants to shopping with companies that are more ethical and which give back, we’re starting to recognise that we all need to do our bit for the environment. 
Not only has our UK head office planted eight brand new trees instead of sending Christmas cards this year in a bid to go green, but we also wanted to share with you some ideas for more environmentally friendly gift wrapping this holiday season (and beyond!) so that we’re all producing less waste. Here are our top six tips! 
Recycled and recyclable paper
Most of us love regular wrapping paper due to how beautiful it can look and how effortless it is, but sadly it usually contains plastic, foil, sparkles and texture that make it impossible to recycle, leaving the recipient with no choice but to bin it all. If you want to go eco this season but don’t want to stray too far away from the familiar, there are plenty of beautiful wrapping papers which are made from recycled and recyclable paper, meaning that your recipient can stick it in the recycling after Christmas morning. 
The only trouble here is that this kind of paper can often be more expensive, which is why we love the next option…

Brown packing paper

You know the kind that’s super cheap and which you use to wrap up parcels? It doesn’t have to be boring! In fact, when decorated, brown packing paper has a vintage and chic look to it that’ll be the envy of everybody.
Not only is brown packing paper cheap, it presents a blank canvas. Add your own personalised stamps to jazz it up and personalise it, or keep it simple with string, lace or a ribbon and a little sprig of holly. Perfection!

Newspaper, maps and other scraps

Once you’ve finished reading the newspaper, what do you do with it? If the answer is ‘put it in the bin’ – STOP RIGHT THERE! That’s free gift wrap, don’t you know? Find sections of the newspaper featuring the more light-hearted stories and wrap your gifts up in that, finishing off the look with a red ribbon for a pop of colour. 
Maps are also great for this (hands up if you still have an old atlas lying around that you don’t use now you’ve got Google Maps on your smart phone?). This will look unusual and make your gift stand out under the Christmas tree. And why stop there? You probably have plenty of scraps of paper lying about the house just waiting to be jazzed up and repurposed.

Reusable gift bags

If you have an oddly shaped gift that you’d normally chuck into a gift bag, consider a reusable gift bag. Just like wrapping paper, normal gift bags contain plastics, foils and glitters which makes them impossible to recycle and if you write on the gift tag the recipient probably won’t re-gift it. 
A fabric reusable gift bag can be repurposed in numerous ways - you could either ask the recipient to return it to you, or you can encourage them to use it themselves the next time they’re gifting. Depending on the size they may also find it useful just for storing items throughout the year. 

Containers

Another great way to dress up gifts that are difficult to wrap is to put them in some kind of reusable container. A clay flowerpot with a ribbon around it will definitely intrigue your recipient and they will be able to use it as an actual flowerpot once they’ve opened their gift. 
You could also use a metal tin, a hamper basket or a large mason jar – or anything really, the possibilities are endless! – to house your gift, give it a personal touch and ensure it’s useful to the recipient even after they’ve opened up to see what’s inside. 

Scarves and blankets

Finally, our ultimate tip is to make the wrapping a gift in itself. Use a scarf or a blanket to wrap your gift, giving your recipient two presents in one – and one they’ll be sure to use in the cold months that follow December! 
If you’ve never wrapped a gift without using tape before, it may sound a little daunting, but fear not! Try a YouTube search for ‘Furoshiki’, the Japanese art of wrapping with cloth, and follow some of the brilliant tutorials online to make it a gift almost too beautiful to open!
Do you have any other eco-friendly wrapping tips you’d like to share with us? Drop them in the comments below!

November-29-2019

Looking for a unique gift to give friends, family and customers this festive season, or a Christmas-y craft to entertain the kids? From seasonal stocking fillers, to unique decorations; we have put together some of our favourite seasonal crafts to inspire you to get creative this Christmas.  

Sparkling Snowflake

You will need

• 6 pieces of glittery card
• String

Equipment 

• Glue
• Ruler
• Scissors

Who doesn’t love a bit of sparkle at Christmas? This beautiful paper star ornament is a great way to add some festive cheer to any room – and is so simple to make. 
Start with a sheet of glittery card in your choice of colour and fold it diagonally to make a square - cut out the excess paper. Once you have cut out your square, refold the paper so you have a triangle with one long side. From the long side of the triangle cut four lines parallel to the short edge, three centimetres apart, from one corner of the triangle towards the middle. Repeat this on the other side of the triangle’s long edge. Be sure to stop at staggered intervals so that the cuts do not meet in the middle. 
Once you have made all of your cuts; open the square back out and curl the middle section inwards so the two corners join and stick them together. Take the next section and curl in the opposite direction. Continue sticking the remaining sections, remembering to alternate as you go. Continue this pattern until all of the sections have been completed. This is then your first piece – you need to make six of these.
Once you have created all your pieces, begin to stick them together side by side forming the six points of a star. It is easier to stick three sections together first, and then repeat with the remaining three sections. Once all your sections have been stuck together, poke a small hole into one piece and thread your string through so you can hang your decoration. 

Customised Cracker

You will need

• Christmas cracker template
• Cracker snaps
• Ribbon
• Small prizes such as Aloe Lips  
• Paper hat/ joke/ contact details 

Equipment

• Scissors
• Glue

These crackers are a fantastic addition to your Christmas table, or a great way to give your customers a festive treat whilst also promoting your business!
Take your card cracker template and place it upside down on your work surface, so that the patterned side is facing down. Stick the cracker snap to the cracker, making sure you stick down both the top and bottom, but leaving the middle free. 
Once you have stuck the snap, begin to create the shape of your cracker. Starting from the middle, insert the tabs into the slots to create a cylindrical shape. Tie one end of the cracker with the ribbon. 
Now fill your cracker with your prize, hat, joke and contact card and tie up the other end. 

Let it Snow (Globe)

You will need 

• DIY snow globe (you can find these in your local craft store)
• Card
• Water

Equipment

• Scissors
• Glue
• Pipette

These cute snow globes make a fantastic decoration and are also a uniquely festive way to promote your business to you customers. 
Start by drawing your template onto your card, making sure that it fits into the slot in the snow globe. Customise your card in any way you like – add images, contact details, or holiday greetings etc. – we chose a festive image, and our Business Owner Support Contact number.
Once you have chosen the image for your snow globe, it’s time to fill it. Remove the stopper and using a pipette, carefully fill with water making sure that there is no air bubble. Insert the stopper and make sure your snow globe is fully dry. 
Carefully cut out your template and insert it into the slot in your globe. You now have a cute little business tool to spread some festive cheer to your customers. 

Brilliant Bauble

You will need 

• DIY Bauble (you can find these in your local craft store)
• Shredded paper
• Small gifts such as Aloe Lips

Equipment 

• Tape

In search of a last-minute gift that still looks like a lot of effort went into it? Why not make your own bauble to give as a gift to family and friends. Simply take your bauble casing, and fill with the shredded paper and small gift such as Aloe Lips to give your recipient the fabulous gift of soft, smooth lips all winter long.  

Aloe Angel 

You will need

• Empty Forever Aloe Vera Gel 330ml
• Ping pong ball
• String
• Glitter card
• Fabric

Equipment 

• Scissors
• Glue
• Pen

Looking for a fun activity to do with kids? Get them involved in this fabulously festive craft. It’s so easy to make, and great for recycling those empty aloe bottles too. 
Start by carefully cutting the bottom out of an empty aloe bottle, making sure that the inside is clean and dry before decorating. Cut out some wings from your glittery card and stick a ping pong ball to the neck of the bottle to form the head. 
Now that you have your basic angel shape, it is time to decorate! We added a material skirt, and string for hair, but your kids be as creative as they like with glitter, sequins and pipe cleaners. 
Once your decoration is complete don’t forget to give your angel a nice big smiley face!
These simple crafts are a fantastic activity to do with your little ones, and a great way to spread some festive cheer to your customers. Share your pictures and craft ideas with us in the comments below.