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When was the last time you actually saw someone slip on a banana peel? Unless you’re watching an awful lot of old-school cartoons (no judgement here), then we doubt you’ve seen that happen in a while.

Probably because people are stocking up on banana peels as their new go-to food to help them with their weight-loss.

The banana peel is a staple in many Indian and Caribbean dishes, but otherwise the peel itself tends to get overlooked, and it shouldn’t according to the New York Post.

The peel is packed with valuable nutrients such as vitamin A, B vitamins and loads more antioxidants. Oh and fibre. Which can boost feelings of fullness and lower cholesterol.

The green peels are best for cooking, as they also contain probiotics and resistant starch: the “calorie-free carb”. Also, bananas are known for containing potassium, which can boost the amount of calories you burn and most of that is found in the peel.

So, no more tossing our poor under appreciated peels aside then. But, how do you actually go about eating the peel?

The yellow peels you’re probably most familiar with can be used in smoothies because they tend to taste sweeter than their green counterparts.

Green peels, which boast more weight-loss benefits can be used as potato susbstitues. Unusual, we know. 

After a quick Google search we found people are using them for a mashed potato substitute. So if you want to go low-carb, we suggest you check it out.

One of the easiest ways to try and include this yellow gem in your diet is banana tea. A slightly different take on the normal cuppa we crave after a long day, but packed with all the good things we need.

It’s very simple: cut off the stem and black end of a banana, put it in a pot with enough water to cover it and boil for 10 minutes. Strain it and drink as it is or add some milk. 

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We thought that normal Oreos were pretty great all by themselves. But then they introduced not just double stuffed, but mega stuffed versions. Oh, and the red velvet cake flavour, and the peanut butter flavour.

Any new type of Oreo announcement is generally enough to whip any snack food enthusiasts into a frenzy.

However, their latest announcement has got people reacting for all the wrong reasons. They’re maker Oreos smaller. Why!?

Speaking to the Associated Press, a senior director for the Mondelez International company said:

“They’re for adults, Oreo says they weren’t designed to be twisted open or dunked. That’s even though about half of customers pull apart regular Oreos before eating them, according to the company.”

So, not only are they taking away all of our fun, but they’re also making our snack time go-to smaller? Wtf Oreos? We are displeased. As are many others on the internet apparently.Some going to so far as to say Oreo Thins are promoting unrealistic standards for biscuit body image. We're not even kidding, this is a very serious issue.

It got us thinking about some of the changers our favourite foods have undergone, and how these changes have upset us, such as:

The great Freddo price increase.

The travesty that was reduced size Dairy Milk

The tearful goodbye to Big Time bars

The Fat Frog disappearance. 

The fact that penny sweets are simply no more. 5c for a fried egg? No thank you!

The short-lived joy that was entire bowls of food colouring and sugar for breakfast before Lucky Charms were ripped from us.

Why must they take everything we love!?

 

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Is quite possible that baked goods are the absolute best gift you could ever give anyone. However, baking takes a bit of skill, and practice, and willpower to not eat the batter before you’re finished. Oops.

While we all would like to leave the kitchen in one piece after our baking endeavours sometimes it’s not always possible.

So, to help you out, we found a couple of easy baking guides so you can take your cupcake game to a more delicious level. Your Sunday afternoon will now be complete with baked goods. You’re welcome. 

Mug cake recipes FTW

The answer is always "all of the cake", but here's a chart to help you anyway

How to identify the best of the cookies

 

Marshmallow Frosting. That is all. 

 

Store cookies with an apple slice to keep them getting too dry. 

 

Gluten intolerant? Not an issue, you can make your own gluten free flour with some oats

And finally, never get stuck without an ingredient again. See the whole chart here

 

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Science has proven that this emotionally distressing time is a legitimate phenomenomnom- sorry, phenomenon.

The truth is, when you’re hungry, your blood sugar is low so the chances of you getting a little extra feisty are going to increase very quickly.

Haven’t we all said some things when our stomach was rumbling that we just wish we could take back?

Sometimes it’s just best to throw some food in our general direction and back away slowly. We’ll be back to our cheerful selves after a quick snack. Or two…

If you’re one of the lucky people that doesn’t suffer from hanger issues, then you should be aware that these are some of the potentially relationship ending issues we face on a daily basis.

We have to apologise, a lot.

Summoning all of our patience when service is a little slow at restaurants.

The distress when your friends can’t agree on a place to eat.

Happy hour after work. Why not happy dinner? Dinner makes everyone happy!

Road trips can be extra stressful. Getting lost isn’t an issue. Getting lost and running out of snacks is a dire situation.

Better safe than sorry…

 

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Ice cream fans rejoice.

Now everyone has the chance to create their own customised Magnum ice cream. Have you ever thought your favourite Magnum flavour would be perfect if only you could have it dipped in gold leaf and edible flowers? Well, now you can.

The Magnum pop-up shop will be officially open in Arnotts Dublin this Thursday until 23 August. So you have plenty of time to experiment with all of the delicious, delicious toppings they have on offer.

The toppings aren’t just the usual hundreds and thousands or syrups either. You can choose from options such as goji berries, crushed popcorn or even chilli flakes.

Judging from the photos, it’s really a luxury ice cream kind of affair. The humble 99 has just gotten a seriously fancy makeover, and we couldn’t be more excited.

The toppings are based on local suppliers so yay for us being able to dip our favourite magnum in chocolate and then coating it with honeycomb pieces.

The luxury Magnums are all about providing us with “indulgent pleasure.” So, no need to hold back on the toppings then.

The pop ups have been appearing all over the world with some foodies really going for it in the luxury ice cream department. In Melbourne ice cream aficionados were topping theirs with blueberries, gold flakes, rose petals and white chocolate. Yum!

The My Magnum Experience has a team of dedicated Magnum Pleasure Makers to ensure all your luxury ice cream needs are met.

We feel like this is going to be a pretty big deal, especially if that elusive heat wave sticks around for a while.

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Between Catherine Fulvio, Donal Skehan, Jamie Oliver, and Lorraine Pascale – being a serious whizz in the kitchen is seriously in vogue.

Whipping up a hot and smoky vindaloo with pork belly (Jamie), butternut squash, leek and spinach bakes (Catherine), gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham and maple syrup (Lorraine), or Irish Atlantic sea salt caramels (Donal) should be, well, easy enough – but somehow we end up tucking into (another) bowl of pasta.

Our excuse? Well, for one thing we just don’t have the fancy-pants tools to create such fancy-pants meals from scratch.

But if your kitchen utensils consist of one (cracked) wooden spoon, one cheese grater, one plastic ladle, and one potato masher – who may want to consider an upgrade of sorts.

Silicone kitchen utensils, €2.49 each

 

At least next week – hurrah! – a range of brilliantly-priced products to cater for all your domestic aspirations arrives at Aldi.

Whistling kettle, €16.99 each

 

What caught our eye? The silicone kitchen utensils are just €2.49 a pop. Also the stainless steel blender (a steal at €24.99) which is dishwasher safe.

Then there’s the electric multi-cooker (€49.99), the teppanyaki grill (€29.99), reversible griddle pan (€17.99) and a stir-fry wok (€8.99). 

Vegetable storage canisters, €12.99 each

 

Don’t forget about a set of ceramic knives (€19.99) and non-slip chopping boards (€5.99).

Electric multi cooker, €49.99

 

All go on sale from Thursday week, July 9 – giving you plenty of time to get your flair for culinary creations in order.

Reversible griddle pan, €17.99

 

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Just as you’re feeling totally prepared for our oncoming heatwave, you remember that while cooling down with your favourite frozen treat sounds delightful; you’re trying to ditch the sugar.

It’s a tough challenge, especially when the weather is beautiful and everyone is sitting outside digging into some long awaited ice-cream cones.

Don’t worry though, there’s a number of just as delicious frozen alternatives that will satisfy your cravings and help you stick to some healthy habits too.

Ben & Jerry’s

No seriously. Not only did these guys save the day for those of us who need a little dairy-free treat, their Greek yoghurt line takes some of the guilt out of your favourite ice cream brand. The range of flavours is also delicious and they come in single serve tubs. Bliss.

Coconut milk ice cream

Ok, so we hadn’t heard much about this one either, but after a little digging we discovered this vegan-friendly option is perfect for those hot days when you just need to treat yourself. It can be a little harder to find in supermarkets but if you’ve got some free time, we found an excellent tutorial for those feeling adventurous.

Nice Cream

Are you even on Instagram though? If you are, and you follow any food blogs at all, you will have seen this bad boy floating around. Foodie hipsters have been championing the “banana plus anything equals bae” line for a while now, but this is actually delicious. We found you an easy guide if you haven’t tried it yet.

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We're all very busy people and we just want you to know that these very simple and budget-friendly life hacks are here to help you make your life easier.

The internet is full of wonderful tips and tricks to help you live your very best life. Instead of you having go trolling through hundreds of Pinterest boards and endless Google searches, we did the hard work for you. See, you're already hacking your life just by reading this post! Score.

Shift+click to move multiple Google Chrome tabs to a new window
Use command+click on Mac for the same organisational prowess. 

 

Ziplock bags for softer ice cream
We've tested it and trust us it will work. Also, bonus hack: this is excellent for dairy free brands too. Yay!

 

Waste not, want not

 

Empty bottles for expert level pancakes

 

Save your cables

 

A white base coat makes colours pop

 

Expert smoky eyes made simple
#winning

 

Teach Siri new things (because we all have a friend called Áine)

 

Make your own crop top

Just use your old leggings

 

The cupcake hack

 

Ultimate lazy video watching

You can thank us later!

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Rejoice! One recent poll has revealed that 100 percent of us Irish ladies (that's all of us, allegedly) think less of a man who can’t light the BBQ when the time comes.

We honestly don’t care that there’s only one weekend in the year where the grill can actually be dusted off and put to good use; we still appreciate a man who’s prepared for any and all food cravings. It’s not that difficult, lads!

In a shock turn of events, the smouldering Christian Grey himself has been tossed aside as 37 percent of the country’s women would much rather share a BBQ evening with funny man Chris O’Dowd.

Well, you can’t deny Chris would be better banter; Christian meanwhile would be too busy fantasising about braiding our hair.

It’s furthermore been discovered that stunner Georgia Salpa is the lovely lady Irish men wouldn’t mind toasting marshmallows alongside. Someone should probably let the lads know that Greek salad could be a winner there, so maybe lay off the hot-dog innuendos.

The poll, conducted by Iceland, confirms that women really do appreciate the more traditional BBQ-loving man who isn’t afraid to take charge of firing up the grill.

So those hipster guys with their kale smoothies and flammable scarfs can sit themselves back on their yoga mats, thanks all the same.

Interestingly, nine out of ten of those asked said that the women of the household are more likely to be in charge of the side-dishes during BBQ season. 

And almost half of the population also admit that they’ve thrown a few more unusual items on the barbie: popcorn being one, alongside Mars bars. 

If you do fancy branching out this sunny season and expanding your foodie horizons, definitely take a trip to your local Iceland.

They’ve gone ‘wild’ this summer and are launching a range of speciality meat for all your BBQ needs. Sorry Skippy, but kangaroo is an option. So is crocodile, swordfish and wild boar.

We’re feeling a Bear Grylls vibe coming on…

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Does everyone remember Aaron Samuels? That guy who was a complete babe and had a weird fetish about his girlfriend’s face smelling like peppermint?

He also caused a lot of drama for The Plastics, but we still miss him.

Well you don’t have to miss him any longer because Aaron, actual name Jonathan Bennett, is making his way to our screens again. Finally!

The Mean Girls actor has joined the Food Network series Cake Wars. The 34-year old is set to host the American series which challenges four bakers to battle it out and create the best cake they can for a prize of almost €9,000.

Jonathan has admitted that while he’s delighted to be a part of the show, he’s also very excited about a particular aspect of the job description: the cake tasting.

"I like cake. Who doesn't like cake? Cake is delicious."

Mr Bennett, you’ve taken the words right out of our mouths.

While we were all secretly hoping for a rainbows and smiles type recipe to be top of the actor’s list, it turns out he’s a much savvier baker.

His go-to cake creation is a little out there, but we’ll settle for just watching him master the kitchen: "It's cornbread cake, and then you layer it with macaroni and cheese and then you drizzle it with buffalo sauce."

We have no worries about the actor keeping it clean in the kitchen, however bizarre the recipes get, because we all know by now: his hair does look sexy pushed back.

Jonathan just can’t seem to escape the compliment, but he doesn’t seem too worried about it;

“Today alone, six fans have told me my hair looks sexy pushed back,” he says. “And the reason fans say that to me every day is because they love the movie. I’m glad to hear it.”

We would love to have seen how Regina George would have reacted to him donning a nice chef’s hat and apron though.

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The 5:2; Dukan; Atkins, and juice-detoxes – there always seems to be a diet craze of sorts on offer.

But it can be hard to keep track of what foods we actually need in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Most of us are seriously lacking in the likes of fibre and potassium things that are vital for our health. In fact, the Irish Nutrition And Dietetic Institute tells us that women need at least 24g of fibre every day, while the recommended amount of potassium is 4.7g.

Here, we detail five key nutrients that we all need in our diets – as well as some tasty foods where we can find them:

1. Fibre is an absolute necessity in our diet. It is essential for aiding digestion and keeping everything moving.

Where to get it? Some great sources of fibre are black beans (why not try making homemade burritos?), pears, raspberries and sweet potatoes.

2. Potassium is usually ignored when people are thinking about what they need in their diet, but it is actually the nutrient that keeps our hearts beating… who knew!

Where to get it? Bananas are loaded with potassium so grabbing one on your way to work in the mornings will get your day off to a good start. Baked potatoes with the skin, beetroot, and spinach are also great sources of potassium.

3. Vitamin D is best gotten from sunlight but thanks to our ever-frustrating Irish weather it’s very unlikely that many of us are producing the necessary amount.

Where to get it? Fish such as smoked salmon and tuna are a great source of vitamin D. Or, a very easy way to get your recommended daily allowance is by drinking fortified milk and fortified orange juice, or eating fortified cereal.

4. Iron is extremely important in the diet. A lot of women who suffer with general fatigue are not getting enough and because of our periods we need more iron in our diets than men. Vegetarian and vegan diets are especially difficult to maintain a sufficient intake of iron.

Where to get it? Great vegetable sources of iron are broccoli, edamame, lentils, spinach and cashews. But a beef steak is still the best way of boosting your iron intake as the type of iron in red meats is more easily absorbed by the body.

5. Calcium is crucial in maintaining healthy bones and preventing blood clots.

Where to get it? Kale, cabbage and broccoli are some of the best sources of calcium, as are low fat cheese, milk and yoghurt.

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OK, we’ve definitely all been there: the only thing barer than your cupboards is your account balance. And trying to clobber together a decent feed from vegetable stock, kidney beans and two sad-looking onions is never enjoyable – even for the most inventive of amateur chefs.

Thankfully, for most that’s an occasional – hungry – storm to weather; but for others on low-incomes or for those reliant of social welfare payments, getting to the end of the week and doing without regular meals can be an all-too familiar occurrence.

I remember 20 years ago not eating so my daughter would eat. I remember nights when there was literally no money,” JK Rowling, the author of the global-phenomenon Harry Potter books, has revealed. “There’d been nights when I had one Rich Tea biscuit and that was dinner.”

The 49-year-old author, now worth €900m, added in the same interview in 2013: “If you are very, very poor and pregnant there is nothing in the world more vulnerable-making and anxiety-inducing: you are prepared to starve yourself. To think of money running out with your child not being able to eat is terrifying.”

And now one study has confirmed that 22 per cent of adults worry about the amount of money they have to spend on food. Worse still, a third of families with younger children worry about the same issue.

Compiled by Kellogg’s, the Is The Food Divide Getting Bigger? report highlights that despite signs of an economic recovery, those on a lower income are still struggling.

“Many people have suffered income losses and quite simply do not have as much money to spend on food or anything else for that matter,” highlighted economist Jim Power, also a contributor to the study.

“Those on fixed and low incomes have been most badly affected.” 

“Acknowledging and addressing the food divide now could create a buffer against the legacy of food poverty in our communities,” Kellogg’s also warned.

In 2015, Kellogg’s will be donating 2million servings of cereal to children and families in Ireland via partnerships with Barnardos and Crosscare. The company furthermore supports more than 120 breakfast clubs across the country.

 

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