The FastDay Forum

[Moogie]

Hi all
Remembering what someone wrote recently about wondering how to know when there's new content on the FastDay site, I thought I'd try to get in the habit of sharing it on here when I put up something new, until such time as we have a proper "What's new" page or section on the site!

So, inspired by the imminent festive season, here are some gift ideas for fasters:
https://www.fastday.com/buzz/15-holiday ... r-fasters/

I'd love to hear your suggestions, who knows, I might even edit them into the article or do a follow up piece!

There are loads of kitchen gadgets I could have added, like air fryers, halogen ovens, low fat grills etc... but I think the things I've listed should be more useful on a day to day basis. I also thought of another cool stocking filler - those little egg poacher cups. I do love eggs on a fast day!

For those long hours before you can eat - Pukka teas do a selection box of their teas for £2.99 postage only. 10 different bags in each box chosen by you. For under £9.00 you can try 30 New flavours and discover which ones you like enough to add to your food-delaying/distracting! At http://shop.pukkaherbs.com/pick-n-mix.html

Thanks for the ideas Moogie, but a little mistake you might want to put right is the heated USB mouse and mouse mats link which shows the spiral vegetable slicers, it's the same link as the one below it.

I'm a very keen hobby cook/baker and do both in a surprising volume (slow week, 50 people - busier week, 250 or so).

I'm inordinately fond of good quality flavour drops and compounds as they add a lot of taste to fat-free/low-fat/low-carb items without adding sugar or comparable sweeteners. The drops/compounds add an extra dimension to savoury dishes without having to bust the kcal budget on FDs and savoury ones are a useful way of minimising the use of carbs for those of us who want to watch our consumption of them.

E.g., this evening, I added coconut drops to my broth which added to the overall aroma and appeal of the dish without adding above 1 extra kcal. Earlier today I added both pear and pistachio flavour to a dish of yoghurt.

It might seem like a pedestrian sort of gift but the drops/compounds that I like can be quite pricey tho' they're very good value because a tiny amount goes a very long way.

[Moogie]

Thanks all, some great suggestions there - love the idea of flavour drops as well as the tea selection box. If I get enough new ideas I may well have to write another list for the site!

Thanks also for pointing out the incorrect link. I had to recover the article at one point when my machine bugged out and I guess those got messed up then, I spent ages going through amazon getting all the right links, lol.

[carieoates]

http://www.fitbit.com/uk/toryburch#1
For all you fitbit lovers out there.

If I am just about what I would want, food related it would be a to notch stand mixer like that one
http://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixers/
A coffee machine, you know, one of the fancy ones, with some coffee to taste
Spices from all around the world
A huge bucket of English tea, I mean like 1000 tea bags, no less
And maybe, just because you can't think of only counting calories, one of those cookery course in a 5 stars hotel, just for the fun of it

Some great ideas there! Thanks Moogie
Anything querky to do with egg poaching is always a fun gift! You just can't get enough of eggs...can you?!
Bean

@SSure where can we buy the drops and compounds? X

For a little extra gift what about a fast diary? Not everyone uses MFP or has the phone apps to log the fast day details. Some people (me for one) might like to see the fast day foods, weight loss and measurements neatly hand written in an attractive journal.

@SSure where can we buy the drops and compounds? X

@CandiceMarie - a lot depends on which flavours you like, the brand, the intended application, and the quantity. In no particular order.

I like the Deco Relief range:

http://www.deco-relief.fr/category.php?id_category=36

The stockist I've used (there are probably others):

http://www.souschef.co.uk/concentrated- ... avour.html (carries other flavours as well)

The standard extracts or flower waters such as vanilla, orange, rose, ginger, lavender etc. are available in larger supermarkets (either their own brand, Kay Star White or Neilsen-Massey).

Supermarkets carry a good range of orange, lemon and other oils. Bakery Bits has a very fine range of oils, essences, and spices (I use Fiori di Sicilia Essential Oil in a wide range of recipes):

http://bakerybits.co.uk/bakery-ingredie ... pices.html

I like the Boyajian range of oil and extracts. The stockist I've used is:

http://www.kingsfinefood.co.uk/shop/lux ... ajian-oils

The Arome range is good and includes useful savoury/herb flavours. You can get a good idea of the range:

http://www.cuisineaddict.com/acheter-ar ... es-121.htm

The stockist I've used in the UK is: http://www.saucefinefoods.com/?s=arome& ... pe=product

I think Dukan UK has a range of food flavourings. These used to look like re-badged Arome but when I looked just now I'm not sure that's true any longer. Anyway, they have Cheddar cheese flavouring in addition to the usual nuts, citrus etc. Dukan UK also carries reduced fat cocoa powder for those interested in making a low calorie hot chocolate drink (link to recipe in Moogie's OP).

Among my very favourites, are the drops and compounds offered by MSK ingredients. These are excellent: they are a high price but a tiny amount goes a long way for some of these products. (That said, you'd need to know that you would use them up within a reasonable timescale.)

http://msk-ingredients.com/FlavouringSystems

Similarly, the Sosa range is excellent and similarly high-priced:

http://www.infusions4chefs.co.uk/ingred ... ts-aromes/

Amazon stocks a few ranges of the usual suspects. One of the good ranges is FrutiFlor but these are 500ml bottles and you'd need to cook/bake in volume to know that you'd use these up. My favourites are the banana and pear.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_nos ... frutiflor+

Amazon also has some of the Ingredients Pantry range which is very fine but costly:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_nr_n_0 ... =344155031

Thanks for the information and links for the drops and compounds @SSure. I have a few of them lurking in the back of my cupboards, now why don't I ever think of using them? You have opened a whole new culinary world for me!

@SSure where can we buy the drops and compounds? X

@CandiceMarie - a lot depends on which flavours you like, the brand, the intended application, and the quantity. In no particular order.

I like the Deco Relief range:

http://www.deco-relief.fr/category.php?id_category=36

The stockist I've used (there are probably others):

http://www.souschef.co.uk/concentrated- ... avour.html (carries other flavours as well)

The standard extracts or flower waters such as vanilla, orange, rose, ginger, lavender etc. are available in larger supermarkets (either their own brand, Kay Star White or Neilsen-Massey).

Supermarkets carry a good range of orange, lemon and other oils. Bakery Bits has a very fine range of oils, essences, and spices (I use Fiori di Sicilia Essential Oil in a wide range of recipes):

http://bakerybits.co.uk/bakery-ingredie ... pices.html

I like the Boyajian range of oil and extracts. The stockist I've used is:

http://www.kingsfinefood.co.uk/shop/lux ... ajian-oils

The Arome range is good and includes useful savoury/herb flavours. You can get a good idea of the range:

http://www.cuisineaddict.com/acheter-ar ... es-121.htm

The stockist I've used in the UK is: http://www.saucefinefoods.com/?s=arome& ... pe=product

I think Dukan UK has a range of food flavourings. These used to look like re-badged Arome but when I looked just now I'm not sure that's true any longer. Anyway, they have Cheddar cheese flavouring in addition to the usual nuts, citrus etc. Dukan UK also carries reduced fat cocoa powder for those interested in making a low calorie hot chocolate drink (link to recipe in Moogie's OP).

Among my very favourites, are the drops and compounds offered by MSK ingredients. These are excellent: they are a high price but a tiny amount goes a long way for some of these products. (That said, you'd need to know that you would use them up within a reasonable timescale.)

http://msk-ingredients.com/FlavouringSystems

Similarly, the Sosa range is excellent and similarly high-priced:

http://www.infusions4chefs.co.uk/ingred ... ts-aromes/

Amazon stocks a few ranges of the usual suspects. One of the good ranges is FrutiFlor but these are 500ml bottles and you'd need to cook/bake in volume to know that you'd use these up. My favourites are the banana and pear.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_nos ... frutiflor+

Amazon also has some of the Ingredients Pantry range which is very fine but costly:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_nr_n_0 ... =344155031

@CandiceMarie I just did a trawl of the internet and found this web site
http://www.uncleroys.co.uk/
I have ordered gin and juniper flavour to try in slim line tonic on a fast day You have to order a minimum of £10 worth so I have added a couple of interesting mustards which I will give to OH at crimbo

I just did a trawl of the internet and found this web site
...
I have ordered gin and juniper flavour to try in slim line tonic on a fast day

I've read mixed reports about the Uncle Roy range so I'll be interested to see what you think of them.

Thanks [tag]SSure[/tag] and [tag]Lil[/tag] x
Lil..what a brillo idea for cheering up a fast day! X