Our favourite kitchenware for Opeie, the smallest Vegan- Oxo Tot !

I've been meaning to share with you my newly found love since discovering the range in Wholefoods, I say newly found love, but what I really mean is newly found obsession! People are always messaging asking who makes the plates etc, and so I decided to fill you in on the brand

which is , Oxo tot ....

" It's 'just' a plate / beaker/ spoon / bowl"  I've heard people tell me when I rave about them - but when I start to explain why they're different to all the other products on the market you can almost see the cogs turn in people's minds as if they are thinking - " Damn why didn't I think of that , it's simple yet so obvious that's what little people need" 

In Opeie's case he is  "Mr I-Can-Do-It-Myself" , which ... I'm pleased about but, if I'm honest it did make alot of mess - and it made meal times frustrating for him too I guess since the food was always falling off the rim of the Ikea plates we used to use & he's cry if it fell on the floor knowing he couldn't then eat it . ( I'm one if those Moms - yes, germ phobic , even though I'm forever vacuuming & cleaning ) 

The Oxo  Training Plate is  his fave- for such a simple design - a rubber bottomed plate , with removable green rim that's just the right size, it's perfect, especially feeding on the go like at the Magic Kingdom Disney Parade . He can sit anywhere and the plate doesn't slide around or flip up, it's been the best addition to Opeie's kit.

While the Oxo Tot Twist Top Water Bottle straw beaker comes a close 2nd . I LOVE this beaker ! It's genius !!!!! ( yes that many exclamation points needed ) no more spilling for Opeie . I love the design , you twist the top & the straw flips down inside , keeping it clean , leak free and safe . But it's also so easy for him to hold as it has a little handle too .

The Oxo Small & Large Bowl set are a set of snack / meal bowls which  are wonderful for storing his favorite pastas in when we go out, they're fuss free, don't leak , so reliable !

Probably my favourite is the Oxo  Silicone Spoon though, and a close second the Oxo Cutlery set,  we've tried pretty much every spoon on the high street , other than this . When I saw them in Wholefoods market I knew they looked like a great match for my mess eater, I was right ! Opeie feeds himself so much easier with this spoon than any other ! Weird - I keep wondering what's so different about the size / angling / material that makes it effortless for Opeie to eat like a pro , even things like his beloved Vegan ice cream - simple & so mess free!

Another fave that I must mention is the Divided Feeding dish, which is a half & half bowl - such a clever design! It was a removable lip that goes around the edge which is higher at the back so it doesn't spill over as he's eating . Excellent news for me as you should see the messes he's accidentally created in the past. We like it at breakfast so that Opeie has 2 choices, as he's always asking for multiple things, like his Brother Seth!

The thing I love most about the Oxo Tot range is that , somehow , they've worker out what simply works - sounds easy to do and obvious but no! It's not , babies & toddlers are still fine tuning there motor skills, sense of balance when using things on a table, and just learning about life . Simple things such a rubber on the bottom of all the plates & bowls, leak free cups , perfectly angled spoons which are coated in a delicate but robust silicone / rubber material ( that's BPA free may I add ) make his little world so much easier . 

Looking back , I should have known this from the start , I had an Oxo Y shaped peeler when I first left home aged 17 , I vividly remember buying it from Tesco one Friday night after I'd just been paid . It lasted 9 years until it died a death last year . 

Now I have a cheap Ikea one , which everytime I use it , I think " I really need to get an Oxo!" 

Maybe Santa will bring me some Oxo bits for my new kitchen I've been renovating myself for the last month , ill pop it on my list !

When we were in on holiday the Oxo tot range came in so handy!

Disclaimer: Oxo Tot have not paid me for any of the above, I like to share my own opinions and thoughts when I find products that I love. Oxo did send me a few items to take on holiday after discovering my love of their products. 

Opeie's Top 3 Vegan Gluten Free Snacks.

Opeie's been asking for 'snack time please' the last few weeks. It's nice that he's able to tell us when he'd like something to eat and when he's hungry or thirsty in detail. Last week I was trying to think of things whilst doing our shopping that he could eat on the go that were portable for the car journeys we do.

One of the nicest products we've found lately are the Nairns Gluten Free Oat Biscuits -  I found them in Tesco £1.60 a box.

Since Opeie's having trouble with gluten It's been hard to find things he likes , the fruit ones are Opeie and Daddy's favorites, where as I like both the fruit and the syrup. I love all of Nairns products though, I eat around 12 of their oatcakes a day as they help me stay energised being complexed carbohydrates  ( this means they don't give you a quick burst of energy, like a spike in your energy levels, then a quick slump.... they give you a steady source of energy which keeps you feeling full and energised for longer) everywhere I go I seem to take oatcakes, I have them for breakfast with hummus and guacamole or salsa before work, or nut butters and anything else I can pile on! I think Oats are also one of the keys to my weight-loss success. - this post wasn't meant to become about my love of oatcakes and oats, but it has.... ummm Nairns.

Opeie's other favorite is  Kallo Blueberry & Vanilla ricecakes, these are delicious on their own, with mashed bananas spooned on, sliced strawberries, or co-yo yoghurt ( and chia seeds for me ) I found these in Tesco £1.69

Like his Moma he also loves Nakd bars which for a small bar are packed with around 4g protein per bar. They're made soley out of nuts and fruit. The perfect portable snack! Tesco now sell them in multipacks too which is handy.

So there you have it, Opeie's top three gluten free, vegan snacks we managed to get whilst out on a shopping trip this week.

OMNIBLEND Blender Review UK with Discount Code Included

BREAKING NEWS: This week I finally got a new blender, not just any blender either! After going through 4 blenders in as many months, and being blender-less for 2 months made me realise that I really needed to do some research into blenders, you may remember the blog post I wrote about being on the search for the perfect blender. Well , now I think I've found it in the amazing OmniBlender!

It arrived on Tuesday right before I was due to go to work,  before I trotted out the front door i made a frozen banana , almond milk, blueberry smoothie which was heavenly- I took it to work, everyone was envious and said how delicious it looked. In the evening I made raw butternut squash Cashew nut soup,- Pauly my fiancee fell in love with this, and wants me to make it again tomorrow! Wednesday I made Tomato & Basil soup for lunch which was amazing, although I free styled it and added too much onion so it was very zinging and potent, Thursday was Passion fruit, Kiwi, Papaya and Mango smoothies to take to work, Thursday I made Protein balls and guacamole - All of them were sooooo quick and simple to make, made me feel like a raw chef in a fancy restaurant. 

Normally ( before I got my OmniBlend I would feel like I was preparing stuff for hours- not anymore - super fast prep! 

I really, really feel that by having the right blender such as the OmniBlend, raw food is made  quick compared to using a food processor or 'kitchen' style blender, normally it takes me 10 minutes to make guacamole, but in the OmiBlend it takes me around 2 minutes! YAY- time saving!

One of the best things I've made is almond milk, super quick and simple. Handful of almonds, no need for soaking, 2 tbsp Agave and water - around 1 litre, and blend for 30 seconds. DONE and super smooth just like the Alpro one I love! 

Compared to other High Speed Blenders:

There isn't much in the way of differences when comparing the OmniBlend compared with the Vitamix, other than the Vitamix takes around 10 seconds less to blend certain things. The other main comparison is the price! The Omni Blend is £219-259 , compared with the Vitamix ranging around £550+ 

The OmniBlend had 6 different settings, 3 speed settings and two preset settings lasting a different amout of time, 30, 60 and 90  seconds, with an option to 'pulse' your ingredients too, I've always had blenders with buttons so I'm used to this, and I  actually prefer this,  to the dial option on some blenders as I feel they're easy to knock but I think the dial version has some pro's as you can start it really slow also, and build up. 

Check out the OmniBlend website for more info! If you are interested in loosing weight or if your aiming to be more healthy,  I have a discount code: 7off to save you a little,  remember delivery is free also, click here to see more.  Just enter 7off into the code box 

I can't wait to show you what else I've been making in the OmniBlend ! Amazing machine!!!!!!