BREAKFAST WITH McCAIN

i love hash browns - whether they come in the form of a McDonalds Breakfast, inside a KFC burger or on my plate down at the local cafe - but as you can see by the aforementioned examples, they aren't really the healthiest of options...or so i thought.

The McCain press office recently got in touch inviting bloggers to create their perfect breakfast featuring the newly reformulated hash browns and to begin with i thought about declining due to the fact i'm meant to be on a strict weight-loss plan. It wasn't until i noticed the 2 green traffic lights on the packaging that i changed my mind!

The Tesco delivery man knocked on my door bright and early on saturday morning with my goodies so that i could get to work preparing myself a hearty breakfast to set me up for the day. With my diet in mind, i opted for eggs, smoked salmon, spinach, mushrooms and avocados to go alongside my hash browns notching up a fairly indulgent 462 calories (according to MyFitnessPal).

The Hash Browns were delicious, with the perfect amount of crunch on the outside and a lovely golden color. the best part of all is that they were so much less greasy that i was expecting - McDonalds usually require about four napkins to soak up the fat! I think these work perfectly for a breakfast treat, plus at only £1.65 for a bag, they're really handy to keep in the freezer and use as an alternative side dish at dinnertimes too!

USN ULTRALEAN DIET WHEY REVIEW

Over recent weeks, I've been motivating myself to do more exercise and improve my general diet and although I had modest results I felt really achy and sluggish following a hard workout. I spoke to various friends and they all suggested I started supplementing my diet with protein but this word alone started alarm bells ringing in my head! When I think of protein shakes, I think of body builders and the sweaty creepy boys that hang around the weights in the gym - but after a bit of research on the subject, I found protein is actually essential for your body and could be the answer to improving my workout recovery!

Due to our genetics, girls aren't actually able to bulk up like men so taking protein won't leave you looking like Arnie - infact it's actually been proven that having a high protein diet can actually lead to weight loss, plus it helps the body to repair itself quicker after exercise. As weight-loss was my main aim, I chose USN's Ultralean diet whey which is a meal replacement shake.

It has a high protein, low carb formula which is specially designed to promote weight loss. You simply replace two meals per day with a shake - each shake is made up of two scoops and approx 300ml of water. One tip I would give to anyone trying this shake is to invest in a blender - it really helps with getting the consistency nice so you won't have any nasty lumps! You can also add ice cubes and frozen fruit to make it more like a smoothie!

I opted for the chocolate flavour and I have to say it was really tasty! I used the shakes for four weeks for both lunch and dinner - choosing to have my main meal at lunch whilst I was at work. I found it really filled me up and I was actually less hungry than when I had a traditional foods at meal times. Over the course of the four weeks, I also managed to drop 8lbs which I was ecstatic about, plus i found my body looked a lot leaner and more sculpted, and I hardly ached after going to gym. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking to shift a little weight, although I don't think I would be able to maintain having just shakes for an extended period of time!

What are your thoughts on protein shakes? Do you have any other brands you use?

THORNTONS CHOCOLATE AFTERNOON TEA

Tocelebrate chocolate week, a friend and I decided to try out a special Thorntons afternoon tea being served at the Park Lane Hotel!

When we arrived we were greeted with a glass of Mumm champagne and asked for our choice of tea, i opted for my favourite Assam whilst my friend selected the daintly named tea called 'lady grey'.  

Next up came a beautifully presented plate complete with lots of miniature rolls and sandwiches including an interesting looking mushroom and rosemary creme brulee served inside an actual egg shell! My favourite was the salt and pepper corn fed chicken ciabbatta but i was most intrigued by the smoked salmon and chocolate toast. 

Next up came the most exciting part of the tea, the cakes! They were all exquisitely made and tasted delicious! My stand out favourite was the raspberry cheesecake followed closely by the passionfruit and white chocolate mousse! i love afternoon tea and the main event for me is always the scones which i love topped with clotted cream and strawberry/raspberry jam. sadly the scones in this tea were miniature and the preserves weren't really my cup of tea (mind the pun) but i still enjoyed them all the same! 

The Thorntons Chocolate Week Afternoon Tea is being served at The Park Lane Hotel between 12th-27th October (3pm-6pm on weekdays and 2pm-6pm at weekends) in The Palm Court and costs £41 per person with Mumm champagne. To book, call The Palm Court on 020 7499 6321or visit www.palmcourtlondon.co.uk