Incase you hadn’t worked it out by now Bluebird Tea Co. aren’t your average tea company. They are self described “Tea Mixologists” who mix traditional teas with all manner of ingredients from herbs, flowers, chocolate and even cake sprinkles! They have over 80 blends permanently available and release four limited edition blends each season too. I’m so intrigued to visit the Bristol store and see the mighty wall of tea and sample an ice tea or two. Honestly some of the flavours are beyond belief- top of my list to try are the gingerbread chai, jelly and ice cream and nearly nirvana.

I’m going to have to treat myself to a blend or six for the upcoming summer months, the cold brew teas sound perfect for the long hot days (that we may or may not get) and I love the fact you can purchase experience packs as a great way to try several blends.

I know a few people in my life who will be receiving Bluebird Teas as gifts, with a huge range of accessories to go alongside the blends I’ve suddenly found the perfect solution for some of the hardest to buy for family members!

Have you ever tried Bluebird Tea Co? I’d love to know which blends you recommend if you have!

There are many new opportunities for people who want to make their passion into their career. The norm is now to hire paid interns as well which should motivate people even more to gain experience in the fashion world.
Now passionate students willing to work hard and strive for their dream job can actually survive while getting their feet in the door. In fact there is now more than ever a huge opportunity for people to succeed in fashion.
In order to hone your skills in this new age it is important to study at brilliant places such as the Istituto Marangoni that offers classes which will help keep you up to speed in the fashion world.

Also there are many more jobs available with online work. There is a greater demand for young people who know how to build an online presence and target the consumers through social media and blogs.

Transparency is a huge new trend and it seems fashion is moving in directions never seen before. Fashion is also becoming more ethically conscious in the sense that it is being used to create a political statement. Shoppers are becoming more aware about what they buy and want to know where their clothes are being made. People want to be sure that the clothes they wear were not made by exploited workers or ruthless manufacturers.
In this ever developing world fashion is moving quicker and smarter. The people who know can keep tabs on how it will move next may be able to tap into the current trend and sentiments of the market and become the next big fashion designers.

125g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder
1 large egg
60g caster sugar
2tbsp vegetable oil
100ml milk
6 Lindor balls (why not experiment with a variety of flavours?)

The recipe I found suggested topping the muffins with buttercream but as we were midst heatwave at the time I opted for a really simple chocolate icing that was less likely to suffer from the heat. For that you will need:

110g dark chocolate finely chopped
1 tbsp golden syrup
25g softened unsalted butter

Pre-heat your oven to 160*c and pop six muffin cases in to a tin.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa in to a large bowl and set to one side.

In a separate jug whisk together the milk, oil, egg and sugar and pour this mixture in to the dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined- the batter should look slightly lumpy at this point and that’s fine!

Divide the mixture between the six muffin cases and pop a Lindor ball in to each one, pressing down until it’s mostly covered by the mixture.

Bake for around 20 minutes, or until the top of the muffins begin to crack.

Whilst cooling you can make your icing- melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Once melted pour in the syrup and butter and mix well. Leave this to cool.

I only iced part of the muffins, just the area where the Lindor ball was showing through as these are seriously rich anyway! I then topped with chocolate stars for that added extra touch.

A buttercream icing would also work so well on these so feel free to experiment!

Have you ever used Lindor balls in baking? I’d love to know what recipes you’ve tried and tested. What will you be making your Dad this year?

2. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits per day The French nutritionists recommend consuming at least 5 different greens each day. Fresh juices also count. Also, you can teach yourself to prepare your own sauces e.g. tomato pasta from fresh produce.

3. Cook fish at least twice a week Don’t shy away from oily fish too e.g. salmon, fresh tuna, sardines and trout, as they are the best source of vitamin D, particularly important for bone health. Smoked and tinned fish usually contains a lot of salt, so read the labels first.

4. Reduce your salt consumption Adults should eat no more than 6 grams of salt per day. High salt intake is often associated with developing high blood pressure, and hence the risks of having a heart disease or stroke also rise. Most of our salt intake comes from processed food, so do read the labels carefully. Also, consider switching to herbs, lemons and vinegar for flavouring your food.

5. Stay well hydrated Aim for drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. Tea, coffee, juice, milk and smoothies also count, but keep an eye on the added sugar.