Sweet Freedom - Choc Shot Coconut review

Recently I was sent the Sweet Freedom Choc shot in Coconut to try.

These are predominantly advertised as a chocolate fluid to make hot chocolate with, however turn over the bottle and there are some really great suggestions for other uses.

What I will say about this product is that it's not ridiculously chocolatey, but having learned afterwards that it contains only 14 calories per teaspoon I have to say it's a pretty delicious substitute.

I chose coconut because I really love bounties and coconut macaroons and I just think chocolate and coconut is a damn good combination. But that's just me, there is a plain chocolate flavour and a chocolate and orange spice which has a nice ring to it!

My boyfriend has also helped himself to this, he has mainly been eating this neat from the bottle. I have been concocting more exciting uses for it however.

Image from http://www.sweetfreedom.co.uk/

This chocolate liquid is so versatile, yes it does make hot chocolate but it also makes great porridge too.

 

Why stop at porridge, this works great on pancakes, you can even add it to your pancake batter for a colourful alternative to pale and pasty pancakes.

Want to make fruit a little more interesting for the kids, or maybe your other half?

Got some plain yogurt that needs jazzing up? This stuff is lovely on plain yogurt.

I have added desiccated coconut to most of these things before and its really gritty, the great thing about the choc shot is its lovely silky texture which makes it a really versatile store cupboard ingredient.

There are a whole host of great uses for this product if you put your mind to it, if you're not adventurous Choc shot have done the work for you and have put together a comprehensive recipe list which can be found here.

Don't feel you need to take my word for it, go and try it for yourself. These are sold in all the major supermarkets, a list can be found here.

Already tried this product? I'd love to hear your thoughts, please comment below.

Cookie x

Upbeat Protein Drinks

Hi all,

A little while ago Upbeat kindly sent me some vouchers so I could try their product and share my thoughts with you.

Firstly, I think that it's a great idea incorporating protein in a drink as it's not always easy to eat the daily recommended amount of protein unless you are eating a very high concentration of meat, eggs, pulses etc.

Protein drinks are not new, I know that, but these are ideal because they require no effort and are ready made for your convenience and enjoyment. They have  shelf life of up to 2 weeks I believe so this is ideal if say you only do a weekly shop, you can stock up for the week without the worry that your stock will go off!

They contain 20g of protein, are low in sugar and fat and contain less than 150 calories each, so already they are in my good books.

Also as below the drink comes in 4 flavours, so you have the gift of choice, out of the 4 I would have to say Mango & Passionfruit appeals to me the most, closely followed by Chocolate & Orange.

Image taken from http://www.feelingupbeat.com/#Info

So I went to my local Tesco armed with my vouchers, ready to make my flavour selections and to my dismay there was only 1 bottle of upbeat left on the shelf and it happened to be Strawberry flavour. (I haven't seen these in my local boots or WH Smiths either).

Strawberry wasn't my first choice, to be honest it's not usually my first choice but it did actually taste quite nice. More importantly I had some of this at breakfast and I didn't feel hungry afterwards, I am usually really hungry up until lunch. I had my lunch as usual and thought I'm bound to be my usual hungry self come 3 O clock, nothing, no cravings.. How odd! This actually works at making me feel fuller and therefore the need to pick is eliminated.

I went back to Tesco the following week and the week after and I'm sure you get the picture. I have to say these must be really popular in my local Tesco or they just aren't ordering enough. Unfortunately they don't appear to stock any other flavours so I have so far been unable to try the others.

I'll definitely keep an eye out though because I am intrigued and want to give the other flavours a go!

Cookie x