A health kick with The Organic Juicery

We all want glowing skin, higher energy levels and a strong immune system but when you lead a busy life it can be difficult to find the time to eat a healthy and balanced diet. As a food writer, I am fortunate enough to enjoy eating out regularly. This means that I enjoy more than my fair share of delicious desserts and rich foods...so sometimes I feel the need to have a little detox. When I am rushing here and there for meetings, I tend to eat sandwiches and wraps and Starbucks coffee practically runs through my veins! I have been feeling very tired and run-down lately, so I was delighted when I got the chance to try a box of delicious juices from The Organic Juicery* Using cold pressed technology which preserves all the goodness in the ingredients, The Organic Juicery makes delicious juices and nut milks using solely organic ingredients. Made with fruits, vegetables and superfoods, their juices are so full of good stuff, that they are certified by The Soil Association.  The juices only contain raw ingredients, meaning that the nutrients are preserved. I was excited to get started with the juices, having heard all about their powers to boost your energy levels, give you healthy skin and to strengthen your immune system.  

A huge box of juices arrived last week and I was so excited to get started on the plan. The Organic Juicery was founded by qualified nutritional consultant Hayley Fahy who ran a successful complementary health business for over 15 years. Hayley told me I could either drink the juices one of two ways. I could either do a three day cleanse, during which I would live on the juices alone or I could drink the juices over a period of more days alongside healthy meals. Needless to say I opted for the second option, since I have to eat out all the time living on nothing but juices for three days simply wasn’t possible for me. Nevertheless,  I can certainly see how much a three day cleanse would be beneficial if you can do it. On this occasion, I decided to drink the juices alongside or instead of my usual meals. I opened the box to find a selection of 15 delicious cold pressed juices within. So here is a bit more about each of the juices:

The feel good one: Beetroot, apple, cucumber, lemon, star anise with Acai Berry.

The morning one: Carrot, apple, lemon, ginger with Baobab.

The glorious green one: Kale, pear, cucumber, romaine, lemon with wheatgrass. 

The quick refresher one: Lemon, chia seed, filtered water, coconut nectar and Himalayan pink salt.

The fill me up one: Almonds, dates, filtered water, coconut nectar and Himalayan pink salt.

Just the appearance of the juices is enough to make you want to drink them, the packaging is so stylish and the ingredients are mouth-watering. Cold-pressed juicing is the premium way of producing juices so that all the goodness within is preserved. The juices are delivered by courier, in special temperature controlled packaging, with a foil lined box and ice packs to keep them cool. There were even cute stripy straws included!
The next day I got started with ‘the morning one’ which I sipped whilst sitting in the garden answering my morning emails, this was a delightful start to the day. The carrot flavour was offset by delicious apple, lemon, ginger and Baobab and I felt so energised, refreshed and surprisingly full. I had toast with honey on standby, but I did not even feel the need to eat it!

I headed off for a busy day, taking with me ‘the feel good one’, ‘the quick refresher one’ and the ‘fill me up one’.  By the middle of the morning I was feeling tired after a long journey, so I had ‘the quick refresher one’ which is sharp, citrusy and refreshing. I found this juice to be the perfect pick-me-up for when I felt worn out and the zingy citrus and delicious chia seeds put a spring in my step and woke me up! 
By lunchtime I felt full of energy and I had ‘the feel good one’ for lunch with a wholegrain chicken and avocado sandwich. I am not normally a fan of beetroot, but the flavour was delicious and the Acai berry added a fruity sweetness. I found it easy to concentrate on work all afternoon, which was lucky as I had plenty of writing to do! I felt as though the juices had already started to have a positive effect on my energy levels and my ability to concentrate. Another positive effect was that my mood was lifted and I felt very happy. Result! By late afternoon I felt slightly hungry and I knew that I would not be having dinner until 8pm so I reached for ‘the fill me up one’ instead of giving way to the temptations of having a biscuit! Words cannot describe how delicious ‘the fill me up one’ is. It is like having a milkshake and best of all it is completely dairy free because it is made from nut milk. The flavour of almonds, dates and coconut is simply delicious and the Himalayan pink salt gives it an added tang. I reached for 'the fill me up one' whenever I needed a treat and the sweetness made me feel so satisfied that I gave up chocolate and biscuits for the entire duration of the juice plan. 

 I went out for dinner the first night and had a simple Caesar salad. That night I slept better than I have in ages, which felt so good! The next day I varied things by starting the day with ‘the glorious green one’ which I took to a meeting with me. I got some curious looks during the meeting,  as everybody else was drinking coffee whilst I felt very smug and healthy drinking my green juice! The kale, cucumber, romaine and wheatgrass make this juice a super health booster and the lemon gives it an added zing. I have always been wary of green juices, but this one is yummy and full of goodness. Over the next few days, I drank the juices interspersed with healthy meal options such as free range eggs on wholegrain toast, porridge, soup, salad and pasta. 

Ok, I do have to confess that I still ate a few unhealthy things during the juice plan, such as when I went out for dinner and had almond tart for dessert! Nevertheless, I noticed an astonishing improvement in my overall health and wellbeing whilst I was on the juice plan.
Firstly, my energy and concentration levels soared and my skin looked more glowing than it has for a long time. My sleep patterns improved (normally I am a terrible insomniac) and I found that my craving for unhealthy foods diminished considerably. I would recommend The Organic Juicery to anybody who wants to give their health, wellbeing and nutrition a shake up. Delivered directly to your door for convenience, the juices are crammed with goodness and easy to enjoy alongside a healthy eating plan. 

More energy, glowing skin and even a smile-the side effects of these juices are life changing! 

Often I found that the juices filled me up so much that I did not even want to eat anything alongside them and this for me was an added bonus as lately I am so busy that I often find it difficult to make time to eat during the day. Alongside the juices I drank plenty of water and I felt that my body was more balanced and happy than it has been for a long time. I have to confess that I do not always eat as healthily as I could or should, and these juices really gave me a wake-up call as to how good I could feel if I incorporated more fruit and vegetables into my diet. They are delicious, convenient and full of goodness. I cannot wait to order my next box! There are several different boxes available from The Organic Juicery, including the 3 day classic cleanse, the beauty box, the greens box and the office wellness box. A huge thank you to The Organic Juicery for giving me a much needed health and happiness boost!
What do you all think, would you like to try one of The Organic Juicery boxes, and which one would you choose?

The Organic Juicery 

Website: http://theorganicjuicery.org/

You can contact them here: http://theorganicjuicery.org/contact-us/ 
Instagram: @organicjuicery_
Twitter: @organicjuicery_

So that is all from me for now. I am definitely a convert to delicious cold-pressed juices. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo

*Disclaimer.
I was kindly invited to review a juice box from The Organic Juicery, therefore the box was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and honest.

Press party at The Old Blind School

Last night I was lucky enough to attend a very special party at The Old Blind School in Liverpool. This stunning historic building has had new life carefully breathed into it by Paul Newman and David Mooney, the successful entrepreneurs behind New Moon Company who already have six restaurants  and pubs across the North West. The Old Blind School has an ethos of comfort food classics such as fish and chips and burgers, alongside signature sharing planks full of gourmet goodies and a full brunch menu served at weekends. The Old Blind School will open fully in a few weeks, but the gentlemen kindly threw the doors open last night for a small press party for a few lucky guests.
Upon arrival I was warmly welcomed by the lovely Holly, who issued me with a hard hat and a high-visibility vest to wear since parts of the building are still under construction! We were allowed to take these off later, thank goodness as it is hard to make a hard hat look fashionable! I had already had a tour from Paul and David a few weeks ago, and I was so impressed to see how much the building had changed since then.

The feature fireplaces were painted a striking yellow, and beautiful custom butterfly print wallpaper and leather window seats had been fitted. The stunning chandelier was switched on, casting an amazing glow over the beautiful stairwell. You can feel the history of the building seeping from every wall, almost as though the building is welcoming being brought back to life. I was shown around by Neil and served a delicious cocktail at the gleaming marble bar.

The scene for the party was set with a huge table in front of the fireplace where candles twinkled and the wood burning stove crackled merrily. We were soon seated and over deliciously crisp white wine and a red from the Rhone Valley, we were brought some divine tasters of The Old Blind School menu including The 'Boss' burger, Lune valley lamb, beer battered fish and chips, chargrilled steak, crispy prawns and much more. Delicious!

The desserts of mini apple pies, sticky toffee pudding and strawberry cheesecake jam jars also went down a storm. Everyone had a wonderful time chatting over the meal, and there was live music and rousing speeches from David Mooney to keep us all entertained.

The wine flowed, laughter filled the air and the night began to draw to a close with everyone having had a super time. Thank you very much to Paul Newman and David Mooney for this superb party which was so much fun. Wishing you the best of luck for the opening of The Old Blind School! Special mention to everyone I enjoyed meeting during the evening including guests and New Moon Company people, it was lovely meeting you all!

The Old Blind School 

24 Hardman Street, Liverpool,

Merseyside, L1 9AX24 

0151 709 8002

info@oldblindschool.co.uk

http://www.oldblindschool.co.uk/

http://www.newmoonpub.co.uk/ 

What do you all think, would you like to tuck into some delicious food in the historic setting of The Old Blind School Liverpool? I  can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo

Big trouble in little China...

On Friday evening, something rather magical happened. I stepped through a doorway on Fleet Street in Liverpool and I was transported into downtown Shanghai.
Miss Kitty’s is a restaurant I have been hearing great things about for a long time now, so I could not wait to try it out myself. The restaurant is the brainchild of Rob Guttman, the entrepreneur who pioneered Liverpool’s thriving bar scene by recognising the potential of The Albert Dock and by opening several popular bars across the city such as Blue Bar and Grill, Alma De Cuba and Korova.
Now he is once again changing the face of the Liverpool bar and restaurant scene, having introduced several exciting new venues to the city recently. Yardbird and Death Row Diner both serve delicious food focusing on burgers, fried chicken and cocktails, whilst Motel is a cool bar which appeals to music lovers. Miss Kitty’s meanwhile is a conceptual restaurant, with the feeling of a tea house combined with a den of iniquity. Entering the innocuous looking doorway, you are whisked into a world far away; with neon signs, wood panelling, low lighting and the smell of delicious dim sum in the air.

We were welcomed to a cosy table in the corner of the bustling restaurant. All around, people were tucking into plates of delectable food and a real buzz filled the restaurant which is flanked by an open kitchen at the back where you can watch the masterful chefs whipping up excellent dishes at a mind-boggling speed. A complimentary pot of traditional Chinese tea was brought and we sipped it whilst perusing the menu and marvelling at dishes such as salt and pepper shrimp, fried cod in plum sauce and coconut curry fries. In the end we settled on a starter of Dim Sum selection and mains of Chicken Katsu and Fiery Satay Chicken with a bowl of Fragrant Jasmine rice to round off proceedings.

The Dim Sum arrived in a traditional basket, and the generous portion of spring rolls, prawn toast and sui mai really hit the spot, as did the sweet chilli dipping sauce.
I sipped an excellent Thai Mule cocktail; coconut rum, coriander syrup, ginger and lime juice. This was so delicious, and strong which is always a bonus as nothing is more irksome than watery cocktails.

The mains arrived and we shared the delicious Fiery Satay Chicken and the Chicken Katsu between us. The Katsu was excellent, with a mild curry sauce and mouth-watering pickled ginger. The Fiery Satay Chicken was equally sublime, as I love spicy food and the sliced chillies gave a lovely kick to the tender chicken with sumptuous peanut satay sauce. The Fragrant Jasmine Rice was the perfect accompaniment, cooked in the style of Thai sticky rice which I always adore. 

The cool projections on the wall, the stacks of Dim Sum baskets and the bird cages suspended from the ceiling add an element of fun kitsch to a restaurant which is extremely cool. 

We lingered for a while; soaking up the Shanghai vibes and watching the servers swirl around the restaurant, expertly balancing plates and cocktail glasses in their hands. The music was high, the lights were low and our appetites were well and truly satisfied. For once, we swore off dessert despite the temptations of banana and toffee spring rolls with coconut and lychee ice cream! I will definitely be having that next time! We wandered off into the night, surprised to find we were still in Liverpool after we had spent the last few hours in China. I loved discovering the delights of Miss Kitty’s and I can’t wait to go back soon. The food speaks for itself in terms of excellence, it was definitely a trip to little China, but without the big trouble! What do you all think, would you like to bite into crispy Dim Sum over a few cocktails at Miss Kitty's? I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Miss Kitty's

5 Fleet Street,

 Liverpool. L1 4AR.

Tel: 0151 709 3579

http://www.misskittysfleetstreet.com/

Mail : Misskittysfleetstreet@gmail.com

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo