One of my favorite venues for concerts in London is the Eventim Apollo. I've been lucky enough to see Ed Sheeran, Tracy Chapman, 5ive, Anne Marie, and most recently Shen Yun there. Every time I've travel there, I've tried different routes and modes of transport so I'm going to help you with your next trip to the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo. Where Is Eventim Apollo? This live entertainment performance venue, which was originally built as a cinema, is located at 45 Queen Caroline St, London W6 9QH. Eventim Apollo London Parking Eventim Apollo London does not have dedicated parking for customers. On their website, they advise you not to drive and take public transport instead. However.... Hammersmith Eventim Apollo Parking Nearby There are some local parking options if you are willing to walk 5 or 10 minutes to the venue, although don’t forget your brolly with the UK weather being as unpredictable as it is! I got caught out last week in heavy rain on the walk to the Evenim Apollo from a car park, so I didn't quite look as 'fresh and crisp' for the event as I'd hoped ha! I have used the following 2 parking options before and would recommend: 1. Novotel Hotel London West Located at 1 Shortlands, London, W6 8DW, an underground car park is open 24 hours with 240 spaces. Costing £3.50 per hour for non-residents (£1.50 for hotel residents), and only a 4-minute, 0.4-mile walk to the Apollo from the car park. There's a barrier to enter and exit, and booking in advance is advised. I used the app YourParkingSpace to book a few days ahead of my event. I drove straight in and the barrier recognised my number plate, and on the way out I pressed the 'open barrier' button on the app, and up it popped a few seconds later. Super simple to use, and I only spent £17.50 (for a 5 hour stay), which is a lot better than when I've paid up to £50 for parking in QParks in the likes of China Town and Leister Square. 2. Livat Car Park Located on Glenthorne Rd, London W6 0BT, a 24-hour 176-space car park that can be accessed for any amount of time and at the time of writing costs £20 for up to 6 hours. This one's the same distance to the Apollo as the Novotel hotel, but because of the route, takes a little longer to walk, at around 8 minutes. Other Considerations To Parking Near Eventim Apollo When I choose to park in London, for me it needs to be worth it as there are additional costs on top of the parking cost: Fuel - I live in Epping in Essex, so that's a 66-mile round trip (if I drive around the 406 and then into central London that's approx. fuel cost of £11. Congestion Charge - £15 per day ULEZ Zone Charge - This doesn't apply to my current vehicle, but if it did, that's £12.50 per day. Time-cost - With the traffic at peak times in Central London, it can sometimes take up to double the original estimated time on the sat-nav to reach my destination. (My Journey with no traffic should take an hour and a half). Nearest Tube to Hammersmith (Eventim) Apollo The nearest tube station to the Eventim Apollo is Hammersmith. This is on the Hammersmith & City, Piccadilly and District lines and is wheelchair accessible. Hammersmith tube station is on the opposite side of the road to the Eventim Apollo, a stone's throw away. Exit the station via Queen Caroline Street. Hammersmith station is in zone 2 on the underground, for me to travel from zone 6 (Epping) to Hammersmith costs £5.60 (peak cost). Don't forget to add the cost of getting to the station if you use a cab or park at the station for example - For me, that'd be another £10-12. The tube ride from Epping to Hammersmith stations takes approx 1 hour 15 minutes, so therefore will likely be faster than travelling by car, by how much is on traffic. At post-show chuck-out times, I'm not a fan of the busy and sweaty tube ride home, so if I can find reasonably priced parking, personally I'd always prefer to drive, my partner also suffers from a little claustrophobia, triggered by a busy train carriage. Don't get me wrong if I was a more regular visitor to Central London, I'd use public transport considering my emission rate compared to driving. Hotels Near Hammersmith (Eventim) Apollo I've not personally stayed very near the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, the closest I've stayed is a hotel overlooking Hyde Park back in the early 2000's! But here are the 2 closest hotels to the Eventim Apollo to get you started: 1. Novotel London West Hotel A great option if you're driving, as residents get parking discounted at £1.50 per hour. Located at 1 Shortlands, London, W6 8DW, 4-minute walk from the Eventim Apollo. If you stayed on the day I'm writing this post, you're looking at around £217 per night 2. Premier Inn London Hammersmith On Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7AS. A 5-minute walk will get you to the Eventim Apollo. A great option if you're catching the train as this hotel doesn't have it's own parking facilities. If you stayed on the day I'm writing this post, you're looking at around £123 per night. What's On At The Eventim Apollo? Full events calendar here. At the time of writing, Pentatonix, Razorlight and Penn & Teller are all on the line-up. If you've ever been to the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, you'll know there's not really a bad seat in the house. I love to sit at the front of the Circle if I can, I find you can take in the full production from there and still see the beads of sweat on the performers' brows. The Eventim Apollo has a huge open bar area too, making it easy to grab your pre-show drinks. So How Will You Travel To the Eventim Apollo Next? The cheapest and fastest way has to be on the tube, but for comfort, for me, the car wins hands down. If we're going all out, it's a car journey and staying over, making full a day and night of it! How will you travel next time you head to the Eventim Apollo? I do hope this post helps you with your next trip to the Apollo. Jen - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. References https://www.timeout.com/london/music/eventim-apollo-hammersmith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammersmith_Apollo https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2021/11/happiness-arrives-hammersmith-broadway-tube-station https://www.visitlondon.com/where-to-stay/place/402977-novotel-london-west

Looking for a quick, flavourful, healthy meal that's whipped up in 30 minutes? I've got you covered with this simple roasted butternut squash curry with coconut milk. What Is Butternut Squash? It's a winter squash, native to the Americas around the mid-20th century. The name is said to derive from its nutty taste and buttery texture. You can usually get hold of these all year round yet they are in season at the end of summer/early autumn. Tips For Storing Butternut Squash Keep in a cool dark place or refrigerated Always, cover and refrigerate once cut As long as the surface of the squash doesn't get loose, wrinkly or watery it's still good to use. Great Kitchen Gear To Compliment Your Butternut Squash Curry I've got this spice rack in my cupboard under my hobs, and I love how easy it is to grab and throw in what I need for this curry recipe. This roasting dish by Le Creuset is the Rolls Royce of all dishes for home cooks! Or for a great budget dish try this one form Lakeland. Serve up your curry in style with these stainless steel bowls with handles. This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Recipe: Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Curry With Coconut Milk Makes 2 servings 30 minutes Easy! Ingredients 1/2 butternut squash cubed 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 tin light coconut milk 1 onion chopped 3 garlic cloves chopped 2 handfuls spinach leaves 1 bunch coriander Avocado oil Salt 1 tsp turmeric 2 tbsp cumin 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp chilli flakes 2/3 cup wholegrain basmati rice Method Heat oven to 200c Toss squash in oil salt pepper and cumin, and bake for 25 minutes Heat rice in 1 and 1/3 cup of coconut milk and a splash of water for 25 minutes (till liquid is absorbed) Sweat onion in oil for 3 minutes, add garlic and all spices cook for 2 minutes, add a splash of water if starting to stick Add tomatoes and remaining coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes 5 minutes before the end of cooking time, add squash, spinach and half the coriander to curry. Season and serve curry alongside rice and garnish with remaining coriander Serve I like to serve it with some toasted wholemeal pitta or make a batch of chapatis. Ocado also offer some yummy chapatis if you want to keep things simple! Will You Be Adding This Simple Butternut Squash Curry With Coconut Milk To Your Recipe Repertoire? You can experiment with this recipe very easily, change up the spice ratio, or add a dollop of good quality peanut butter for a nutty flavour to compliment the butternut squash. Garam masala is one of my favourite spices, or should I say, blend of spices, so when I'm short of one or two spices in my rack, most times, as long as I have garam masala in the recipe, the curry still tastes banging! Feel free to share your variations on this curry recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood. Happy cooking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved P.S. I really recommend 3-2-1, Dr Rupy's cookbook, Check it out! This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

With a love for the combination of sweet and sour, a Disaronno Sour is my personal favorite tipple on a special occasion, a night out with friends, or an occasional post-dinner digestif with my wife and a good movie. With a little too much time on my hands through the 2020 lockdowns, I tried and tested a handful of variations on my Disaronno recipe and landed tastily on the one in this post. Enjoy! What Is Disaronno? Disaronno is an almond-tasting (even though it doesn't contain almonds) amaretto liqueur, a sweet, deep orange-colored, 28% alc. drink that's made with apricot kernel oil, burnt sugar, and essences of a multitude of herbs and spices. Dissarono is typically enjoyed straight, on the rocks, with lemonade, coke or cranberry juice, and is best enjoyed served cold. How To Make Amaretto Sour See below for the full amaretto sour recipe, but first here's a list of tools you'll need and my 3 top tips: What you'll need: A Boston Shaker Jigger Ingredients (see recipe) Lemon juicer/squeezer (optional) Cocktail strainer (optional) My 3 top tips for making the perfect amaretto sour: Emulsifying the egg white until super light and foamy is essential for a perfect frothy top on the served cocktail. Hit the side of the Boston shaker top hard with the base of your hand when you need to loosen it. Make sure you’re not the designated driver….warning these sours are more-ish! Disaronno Sour Recipe UK Serves 2 5 minutes Super-easy Ingredients 2 lemons 2 shots of sugar syrup 4 shots of Disaronno 1 egg white Bitters (to taste) Ice Method Pop an ice cube in your Boston shaker, crack an egg white into the shaker, push the lid in, and shake really well till the egg white is emulsified. Squeeze the juice of both lemons into the shaker. Pour in the Disaronno and sugar syrup. Pop the lid on the shaker and shake well. Pop a few cubes of ice in each glass and pour the cocktail through a strainer if you have one, over the ice. Finish with 4 or 5 drops of bitters and wipe some of the remaining lemon on the rim of the glasses. Will This Be The Best Amaretto Sour Recipe You've Tried? I do hope so. If you want to keep things a little simpler or you're limited on ingredients, you can still throw together a fairly good sour with just Disaronno, Lemon juice, and sugar syrup. But if I'm honest it's the egg white that really sets this post's recipe apart. Got your own variation on this Disaronno sour recipe? I'd love to hear it and give it a shake! Happy cocktailing! Jen - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

In an increasingly expensive world, I always enjoy nabbing a budget-priced product that works exactly to my needs and expectations, and that's exactly what I found in the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Slow Cooker 3.5L 460014 Red Slowcooker. In this post, I'll cover the features of the Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker, its specifications, pros, and cons, how much it costs to run, my experience with the appliance, and finish off with sharing a delicious beef stew recipe. What Is A Slow Cooker And How Much Do They Cost To Run? A slow cooker, AKA crock-pot is an electrical kitchen-top appliance that cooks at low temperatures. A bonus of this way of slow cooking compared to cooking slowly in the oven is the lower energy usage. This Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker uses 163 watts of power, so to cook a stew for 8 hours costs just 42p*, compared to an average fan-assisted oven for 8 hours at 2kw, costing a whopping £5.44! Even comparing this Morphy Richards model to the top-level model at Currys, the CROCK-POT CSC063 Slow Cooker costing £119.99, which uses 320w of power and therefore costs 83p* for 8 hours, the Evoke Slow cooker wins for cost-effectiveness over time. *Based on UK: Energy Price Guarantee (October 2022) electricity rate of £0.34 per kW h at https://www.sust-it.net/energy-calculator.php Where To Buy The Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker And At What Cost? Many suppliers offer the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Slow Cooker 3.5L 460014 Red Slow Cooker. I purchased mine from Currys for £44.99, it's also available from Amazon for £44.99. Video from Currys.co.uk This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Specifications Of The Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker 25cm D x 333cm W x 20cm H Glass lid Aluminum cooking pot Stainless steel exterior 3.5l capacity 163 watts power 1m power cord Dishwasher safe lid and pot 3 Settings Under 2kg Cooking pot suitable for searing on gas and electric hobs Pros And Cons Of Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker The Pros: Under £50 Comparatively Low Power Consumption Easy to clean Simple to use Lightweight Great for time-limited days not needing to watch over the food Easy to serve from the cooking pot (comes out of exterior) Fits 1 whole small chicken 2-year guarantee Fewer dishes to clean! Auto shut-off Nonstick cooking pot Nonslip feet Oven safe pot The manual/booklet has many recipes Capacity to cook enough stew for up to 6 people The Cons: The cookpot doesn't work with induction hobs (for searing, although searing is not essential) No digital display No timer - although with phones, watches, Alexa and other smart devices these days, who needs a timer on their slow cooker? I think the pros far outweigh the cons of the Morphy Richards model, do you agree? Let's compare these features with the top-level slow cooker from Currys. The CROCK-POT CSC063 Slow Cooker (at £119.99), has a larger capacity at 7.5l, a digital display with a timer, a delay timer, and a keep warm function. But this CROCK-POT model doesn't have auto-shut off, only has 2 settings, and has a higher energy consumption of 320 watts (compared to the Morphy Richards model). So using the parameters we used before, the CROCK-POT model would cost almost double to run at 83p for 8 hours of cooking time. I like the idea of the timer delay, so I could wake up, pop the ingredients in the pot and set the time I want the cooking to begin, and not have to look at it again till dinner time when I want to serve it up. But, that's the pinnacle of slow-cooking simplicity right? Do I need that feature when I work from home most days? Not really, it will still only take 5 to 10 minutes to throw in the ingredients when I'm ready any time of day, and then just leave the slow cooker to work its magic. Morphy Richards Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe 🥕 Serves 4 8 hours on low setting (or 4 hours on high) Super-easy Ingredients 1 red onion chopped 2 garlic cloves chopped 4 carrots thickly sliced 1 courgette chopped into bite-sized pieces 800g beef diced 3 tbsp wholewheat flour (or any plain) 2 bay leaves 2 tsp dried thyme 2 tsp dried parsley 3 tbsp tomato puree 700ml beef stock 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Salt and Pepper Olive Oil Method Use the cooking pot (or a separate frying pan if you have induction hobs), to cook onion, garlic, carrots, and courgette for 5 minutes in olive oil, then set aside Coat beef in wholewheat flour and season with salt and pepper, sear the beef in olive oil (in batches if needed), for 5 minutes or until browned on the edges Add the seared beef, cooked veg mix, and all other ingredients to the cooking pot, stir well and pop in the slow cooker on low with the lid on for 8 hours (make sure beef is covered by the liquid) The liquid should thicken and reduce over time, if it's too runny for your own liking, take the lid off and cook on high for the last 30-60 minutes to reduce it. To Serve Dish up the stew alongside some mash (my favorite is buttery sweet potato mash). To store You can freeze stew (once cooled), but be sure to completely defrost it before reheating. Your stew will last 2 days safely in the fridge in an airtight container. I use Riverford vegetables where I can. If you're interested in finding out more about Riverford, farm fresh food delivered right to your door, check out my Riverford Review. Final Opinion On The Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker? This budget-friendly addition to my kitchen fits easily inside my under-counter cupboard and it's quick and easy to bring out when needed and get cooking. For under £50, and something I see myself using weekly or at least bi-weekly for the foreseeable future, that's money well spent I think. I also love that I can batch cook with it, saving me time and energy. I live in a 2-person household so I can cook up to 6 meals, which equates to 3 days of cooking done in one go! #Winning! Have you got a Morphy Richards Evoke Slow Cooker? I'd love to know what recipes you cook in yours. Happy slow-cooking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Do you throw carrot tops away? I used to, but now I try my best to waste as little as possible, not only for the environmental benefits, but to help the strain on my purse strings too, and let's face it, we could all do with a little of that amidst the current energy prices! In this post I’ll cover debunking the theory that carrot tops are poisonous, giving you ideas for what you can do with carrot tops, (including a yummy pesto recipe!), and how to store carrot tops. Can You Eat Carrot Tops? Are Carrot Tops Poisonous? Yes, you can 100% eat carrot tops (carrot greens), they are not poisonous. They do contain trace amounts of alkaloids, just like most green veg, but the alkaloids in these tops are not harmful to us mere humans, the alkaloids help the plants protect themselves against pathogens. Carrot tops are a great source of nutrients such as vitamins A, C and K, calcium, Iron, Potassium and dietary fiber. What Do Carrot Tops Taste Like? Most have an earthy taste, think root vegetables. Their texture however is much like coarser parsley, carrot tops can be used to replace parsley in many recipes. How To Store Carrot Tops, Can You Freeze Carrot Tops? You can store carrot tops in the fridge for up to around 5 days if you wash and dry them well before storing them in an air-tight container. Be sure to use them before they start turning brown. Bonus Tip: Cut the tops off of the carrots as soon as you get them home, if you leave them attached the tops will suck moisture from the carrots and start to go soggy. You can freeze carrot tops, cut the tops off the carrots, wash and dry them well, then place them on a baking sheet in the freezer in a single layer for 2 hours. Transfer the frozen tops to an air-tight container (with the air squeezed out) and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. What To Do With Carrot Tops They are really versatile, great for use in sauces and as a herb replacement, here are a few of my favourite ways to use carrot tops: Pesto (see recipe below) Mixed into green salads As a garnish Smoothie Chimichurri sauce As a parsley or coriander replacement Carrot Top Pesto Recipe 🥕 Serves 4 as a dip or pasta sauce 5 minutes Super-easy Inspired by original Riverford recipe Ingredients Carrot top leaves from 8-10 carrots (I used carrots from Riverford) A handful of basil leaves Palmful of hazelnuts 30g Parmesan Juice of half a lemon 1 garlic clove Plenty of extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Method Blitz all ingredients with a generous glug of olive oil in a blender/food processor (I use a Nutribullet) Continue to add oil till you get your desired consistency If you're interested in finding out more about Riverford, farm fresh food delivered right to your door, check out my Riverford Review. Can You Grow Your Own Carrots? Yes indeed! If you sow them outdoors in March/April, you should be able to harvest them May through July, all weather dependant of course, and here in the UK... who knows! I've got a Vegepod that I grow a few vegetables and herbs in and I love it. Where will you grow yours? Have You Tried This Carrot Top Pesto Recipe Yet? I hope you enjoy not only the taste of this recipe but the proud feeling of not wasting any part of your ingredients. Feel free to share your variations on this recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood. Happy cooking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. References https://www.thespruceeats.com https://www.wikipedia.org/ https://www.nutritionix.com/

These Spanish, sometimes-firey-sometimes-not, vibrant peppers are a weekly staple in our house, perfect for those moments you're after a tasty savoury snack in under 5 minutes or when you're hosting friends for dinner and need a simple starter. In this post, I'll cover, what Padron Peppers are, how to cook them, what they taste like, where you can buy them, how to store them, what they pair nicely with, and what substitutes you could use. What are Padron Peppers? These 2-4 inch green (yet sometimes yellow or red) northern Spanish beauties are part of the capsicum family of peppers. If you love roulette and enjoy a little kick to your food, these are ideal, as you'll never quite know how firey the one you're popping in your mouth will be, it all depends on the combination of sunlight and water they receive when growing. I had a super firey batch from Riverford once, but boy were they tasty! Padron Peppers may originally be Spanish, yet you can get hold of them all around the world, and Mexico is just one of the countries growing vast amounts. What do Padron Peppers Taste Like? Depending on the way they are grown, you may get quite a kick to your bite, up to around 2000 Scovilles (heading towards jalapeno level), but the milder ones bearly kick at all at around 400 Scovilles. Once cooked, they have a mildly sharp, yet sweet flavour, the skin pierces easily when bitten into so the centre hits your taste buds quickly and melts in your mouth. Where To Buy Padron Peppers In The UK? May through September you can grab them off the shelf in many supermarkets, including Waitrose, Marks And Spencer, and some Tesco stores, setting you back somewhere between £1 and £2 for around 150g. Personally, the best ones I've ever tasted, which had a great kick to them, were from Riverford - The organic farmers & delivery service. A little pricier at closer to £3, yet countered by using home-compostable packaging. If you're interested in finding out more about Riverford, farm fresh food delivered right to your door, check out my Riverford Review. This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Padron Pepper Recipe Makes 2 servings as a snack or starters 5 minutes Super-easy Ingredients 130-150g Padron peppers Glug of olive oil Good quality sea salt (ground or flakes) Method Heat oil in pan Add peppers, a little salt and cook and toss till peppers start to blister on all sides (approx 4 minutes) Serve with a generous pinch or two of sea salt How To Store Padron Peppers? Uncooked peppers can last 7-10 days in the fridge sealed. You can, perhaps surprisingly, freeze Padron peppers, and do so with no need to blanch first. What Do Padron Peppers Go Well With? I've thrown them together with Mexcian style dishes, such as a chilli or in a salad with chickpeas, feta and spices. Yet most often I enjoy them on their own smothered in sea salt! According to Riverford chefs, Padron peppers also go great with, goat's cheese, paprika, beer and sherry! Interested In The Nutritional Value Of Padron Peppers? Padron Peppers are packed with vitamins K, B6 and C, contain plenty of fibre which aids digestion and also contain magnesium and potassium. According to Nutritionix website, 1 average-sized pepper, uncooked has just 3 calories! Can You Grow Your Own Padron Peppers? Yes indeed! If you sow them indoors in a warm position from February to April, and plant out around May, you should be able to harvest them July through September, all weather dependant of course, and here in the UK... who knows! I've got a Vegepod that I grow a few vegetables and herbs in and I love it. Where will you grow yours? Padron Pepper Alternative? The closest alternative in size, shape and taste are shishito peppers. You can cook these the same way as the recipe in this post. Have You Tried This Padron Pepper Recipe Yet? If you haven't, I'm excited for you for your first time! They're so easy to cook, you could do it with both your eyes shut! Actually, maybe keep them open so you don't burn yourself! But you get the gist! Feel free to share your variations on this recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood. Happy cooking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. References https://www.thespruceeats.com https://www.wikipedia.org/ https://www.nutritionix.com/

Looking for a quick, flavourful, healthy meal that takes less than 15 minutes of your day to cook? Maybe even something pre-prepped and ready to simply heat? I've got you covered with this simple red lentil dahl recipe without coconut milk. What is a Dhal (Dal)? Dal (also spelt Dahl) is essentially dried split pulses (like lentils, peas, beans) that do not need to be soaked before cooking. The term Dahl is also used for soup-style dishes using these pulses. Dahl is a popular dish in India and Pakistan, usually containing spices such as cumin, cayenne, garlic, and garam masala and made into a thick soup-like consistency. These dishes are packed with carbohydrates and protein macronutrients and are super simple to make. Types of Dahl? There are many! But here are some of the most popular: Masoor Dahl - Red Lentil (similar to this post's recipe) Panchranta Dahl - Using a variety of pulses Urad Dahl - Black Gram Chana Dahl - Chickpeas Tips For Making A Simple Dahl Prep in advance - You can pop all the ingredients in an air-tight jar ready for use on a day you need something easy with no prep required. This was a great tip I picked up from Dr Rupy (Doctor's Kitchen). I use my pre-prepped Dahl's when I get in after a long night at work. Cooked dahl keeps well in the fridge - You can store cooked dahl (once cooled) in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and simply reheat. Weekly meal prep, let's go! Cooked dahl is freezable - yep dahl is suitable for home freezing too, be sure to defrost before reheating. The perfect consistency - What you're looking for is a soft thick soup still with the lentils mostly intact. Try to avoid overcooking into a mushy consistency. I've got this spice rack in my cupboard under my hobs, and I love how easy it is to grab and throw in what I need for this dahl recipe. A few mason jars in my cupboard come in handy to contain this dahl recipe pre-prepped, or store some of my homemade granola or overnight oats. This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Recipe: Simple Red Lentil Dahl Without Coconut Milk Recipe UK Inspired by the original from Dr Rupy (Doctor's Kitchen) Makes 2 servings 15 minutes Super-easy Ingredients 200g red lentils 800ml veg stock 1 bay leaf 1 tsp cumin ground 1 tsp coriander ground 1 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp garlic granules 1/4 tsp chilli flakes Method Throw all ingredients together in a pan and simmer for 12 minutes Remove bay leaf and leave to stand for 3 minutes Serve I like to serve it with some toasted wholemeal pitta or make a batch of chapatis. Ocado also offer some yummy chapatis if you want to keep things simple! Will You Be Adding This Simple Red Lentil Dahl To Your Recipe Repertoire? You can experiment with this recipe very easily, change up the spice ratio, or add coconut milk for a creamier texture and reduce the stock. Garam masala is one of my favourite spices, or should I say, blend of spices, so when I'm short of one or two spices in my rack, most times, as long as I have garam masala in the recipe, the dahl still tastes banging! Feel free to share your variations on this red lentil dahl recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood. Happy cooking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved P.S. I really recommend 3-2-1, Dr Rupy's cookbook, the one that inspired this recipe. Check it out! This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. References https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-whole-wheat-chapattis-509896011?ds_rl=1290893&ds_rl=1291426&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh0IeZL80ctvZpvOq-oG38PjycEdB3EnsTWQo8FGL0pR2O3CM8AmPjIaAsvAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Anything with oats, in the morning, sets me up for a great day. Whether it's healthy banana pancakes with oats, baked oats, overnight oats, or sugar-free granola, it's all on my weekly breakfast menu. Why Is This Banana Pancake Recipe Healthy? What makes this recipe even healthier is it’s low in refined sugar and packed full of fibre, plus it contains healthy fats and wholegrains so it’s a big tick for looking after your gut. What I love about these healthy pancakes with bananas is they are low-effort in the mornings. Once the batter is mixed it only takes a few minutes to cook, while it sizzles away smelling amazing, I can feed the cats, empty the dishwasher and make myself a cuppa, ready to attack the day. What Equipment Do You Need To Make This Healthy Banana Pancake Recipe? Just a nonstick frying pan with a handle suitable for your hob and grill. I enjoy using my Tefal pan for many dishes including this banana pancake recipe, the pancakes slide off the surface easily. Are Banana Pancakes Healthy? The word 'healthy' is relative to your perspective of what 'healthy' means, but in my opinion yes they are and here's why: Oats are a wholegrain, so they haven't been tampered with and support efficient digestion, they also are packed full of fibre. The banana provides fibre, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients, which some claim have benefits including reducing inflammation. Eggs provide protein, and vitamins B2, B12, and D. Benefits of Bananas: According to Healthline, bananas: Are a rich source of varied nutrients Can improve blood sugar levels May support digestive health May support heart health Contain antioxidants Help you feel fuller May support exercise recovery Benefits of Oats: According to Healthline, oats: Are super nutritious Rich in antioxidants Contain soluble fibre Can lower cholesterol levels Can improve blood sugar control Can relieve constipation Banana, Egg and Oat Pancakes - Finding Good Quality Ingredients Any oat in its whole-form will be a great choice. I use all different brands from Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado, including Flahavan's. For delicious, untampered-with bananas for your healthy banana pancake reipies look no further than Riverford - 100% organically produced slow-grown for flavour. Fancy £15 off a box of Riverford produce? Feel free to use my referral link. We'll both get £15 off, nice one! Not sure on Riverford? Take a look at my full review here. This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Recipe: Healthy Banana Pancake Recipe UK Makes 1 serving 10 minutes Super-easy Ingredients 1 banana mashed 2 eggs beaten 1/4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon ground 1 tbsp raisins 2 tbsp whole oats 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional) 1/2 tsp butter 1 tsp sesame seeds . Method Heat grill to high Mix all ingredients in a bowl, other than butter and seeds Heat butter in your pan then add pancake mix Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and cook for 3 minutes Pop under the grill for 3-5 minutes more till just starting to brown Serve Serve with mixed berries, a drizzle of Peanut Butter and Jam. I love Pip&Nut peanut butter and Skinny Foods Co Blackcurrant (low sugar) Jam, yum! What Protein Powder? I sometimes use Applied Nutrition Vegan Protein as it contains no sunflower oil or sugar, but this one from My Protein has amazing flavour! So will you be adding this Healthy Banana Pancake Recipe To Your Weekly Breakfast List? You can experiment with this recipe very easily, it's super robust - you can't really mess it up. Sometimes I throw in blueberries to the batter so they go gooey as they get hot mmmm. If you want the pancakes fluffier, add more protein powder and fewer oats. I know not everyone is a fan of dried fruit like raisins, including my good friend Corinne, Copy Editor for this blog. Each time I add a recipe with raisins, she's not impressed ha! So if you're a 'Corinne', feel free to omit the dried fruit. Feel free to share your variations on this recipe with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood. If you're in need of some delicious organic fresh fruit then don't forget to take a look at Riverford too! Happy baking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved

The smell of oats baking in the oven in the morning warms my soul. There are two baked oats recipes in particular that are now staples on my weekly breakfast list. In this post I'll share with you these two favourites: one baked oats recipe with milk and packed with protein, and a second super simple baked oats recipe that takes 2 minutes to throw together and It's so yummy! What makes these recipes even better is they are really low in refined sugar and packed with natural sweetness. These baked oats recipes are also full of fibre. A big tick for looking after your gut. What Are Baked Oats? Essentially baked oats are any combination of oats with something 'wet' which is then baked in the oven. For example, egg, banana, or milk etc can all be used as the 'wet' ingredient. Both of my favourite overnight oats recipes have bananas in them. What I love about baked oats recipes is that they are low-effort in the mornings! I like to put mine in the oven while I do my morning sit-ups, yoga/stretch or spin on the Peloton. What equipment do you need to make baked oats? Just a baking dish big enough for 2 portions, something like the Malacassa ones or Keraiz ones on Amazon (below). You can bake in smaller portions too, for example, individually baked oats in smaller dishes, simply reduce the cooking time by 2 or 3 minutes so the oats don't dry out. Are Baked Oats Healthy? The word 'healthy' is relative to your perspective of what 'healthy' means, but in my opinion yes they are and here's why: Oats are a wholegrain, so they haven't been tampered with and support efficient digestion, they are packed with fibre, the sweetness in my own, and many other, baked oats recipes come from natural sources, the banana provides fibre, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients which some claim have benefits including reducing inflammation. Plus recipes including milk provides a boost of calcium too! Baked Oats Recipes UK - Finding Good Quality Ingredients Any oat in it's whole-form will be a great choice. I use all different brands from Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado, including Flahavan's. For delicious, untampered-with fruit for your baked oat recipes look no further than Riverford - 100% organically produced slow-grown for flavour. Fancy £15 off a box of Riverford produce? Feel free to use my referral link. We'll both get £15 off, nice one! Not sure on Riverford? Take a look at my full review here. This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. This means I may receive a small commission of discount at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Recipe 1 of 2: Baked Oats Recipe With Milk Makes 2 servings 30 minutes Super-easy Ingredients Splash olive oil 1 banana mashed 60g oats 2 tbsp chia seeds 2 tbsp raisins (or any dried fruit) 1 tsp Truvia (optional) 2 tsp ground cinnamon 50-150ml oat milk (I use Alpro) - I use 50ml as I prefer mine to come out crunchier 2 handfuls of fresh or frozen berries 4 tbsp dessicated coconut Method Heat oven to 170c (fan) Grease the baking dish with a little oil Add banana, oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, Truvia and raisins and mix well Add enough milk to soak oats etc but not ‘swimming’ Add berries, mix and a splash more milk if it looks dry. The key is to not overdo the milk, yet not be too dry. Top with desiccated coconut and bake for 25 mins Serve Serve with yoghurt or kefir Recipe 2 of 2: Baked Oats Recipe UK Makes 1 generous serving or 2 small 30 minutes Super-easy Ingredients 2 eggs 1 banana mashed 4 tbsp oats 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 tsp Truvia (optional) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp raisins (or other dried fruit) Handful of raspberries 1 tsp baking powder 3 tbsp dedicated coconut Olive oil Method Heat oven to 170c (fan) Mix banana, eggs, oats, protein, baking powder, cinnamon and Truvia well Gently stir in raisins, raspberries and 1 tbsp coconut Grease ramekin with a little oil, pour in the mixture Top with remaining coconut and bake for 25-30 minutes till golden and risen What Protein Powder? I usually used Applied Nutrition Vegan Protein as it contains no sunflower oil or sugar, but this one from My Protein has amazing flavour! So will you be adding any of my simple baked oats recipes to your weekly menu from now on? The great thing about baked oats is that they're so versatile, you can experiment with different fruits, spices and consistency. The baked oats with milk and chia seeds recipe is my personal favourite! Feel free to share your variations on these recipes with me and my food-based Instagram profile: @foodwholefood. If you're in need of some delicious organic fresh fruit then don't forget to take a look at Riverford too! Happy baking! Jen - Author Tried and Loved

Time management has never been so fun and effective for me. I've been using the Pomodoro technique now for a month and it's a game-changer for project management, productivity, and focus. We'll look at: What is the Pomodoro technique? Why is it called the Pomodoro technique? Pomodoro technique application What is the Pomodoro technique used for? The best Pomodoro app for iPhone Pomodoro and Todoist Where to buy a Pomodoro timer? The Best Kitchen timer UK for Pomodoro technique What is the Pomodoro technique? Developed in the 80's by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro technique is a time-management method based on the principle of short bursts of full focus on a single task or task type. (image from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/authors/2148540/francesco-cirillo ) In short, the Pomodoro technique consists of working in blocks of around 25 minutes (1 Pomodoro), followed by 5 minutes of rest, then after every 4 Pomodoros, a longer break of 20-30 minutes, then repeating the pattern. The idea is that during a Pomodoro you are fully focused, you avoid all external and internal distractions (more on this later), and you commit to the task you'd planned to use that Pomodoro for, no excuses, no 'I'll just check my emails', full focus! The amount of time for 1 Pomodoro is short enough that you do not get tired but long enough to reach a 'flow state'. Why is it called the Pomodoro technique? Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. Francesco Cirillo first used a tomato kitchen timer to time his study sessions, hence where the idea to call the technique the Pomodoro technique came from. Francesco would wind the timer to 25 minutes and physically hear the ticking and see the time counting down on the timer till it dinged. This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. What is the Pomodoro technique used for? In a nutshell, the Pomodoro technique is used for time management when studying or working for productivity. The Pomodoro technique is ideal for those who easily procrastinate when trying to focus, those who juggle a lot of projects or subjects and struggle to balance progress towards them all and those who struggle to plan their day, perhaps way overestimating what you might get done. Pomodoro technique applictaion Organise your projects and task list - I use Todoist for mine (more on this integration later.) Organise your projects into smaller manageable tasks. What available 'work' time do you have that day? How many Pomodoros can you fit into that day? I like to plan work in 2.5-hour blocks - enough time for 4 Pomodoros and a longer break after 4. For example, if I work 8am - 4pm that's 12 Pomodoros and a few minutes to spare - I may be able to fit a 13th Pomodoro in there, but I'll leave that open. Decide what tasks you want to get done that day and how many Pomodoros each task will take. Remember from point 2, how many Pomodoros you have for that day? For example, I might use my 12 (see tomato emojis) as follows: (Screenshot from my Todoist task list for tomorrow) Notice how my 'sort supplements' task doesn't have a Pomodoro attached to it. This is because Pomodoros are effective with productivity and study, my personal todo's and life events, I wish to do and enjoy un-timed! 4. Stick to the plan. Even if you have not finished the task you were hoping to finish, stop when your Pomodoro time is up and move on. At the end of the day you can always set new Pomodoros for the next working day to complete the uncompleted tasks. By sticking to your plan and set of Pomodoro's you are making progress towards your intended goals, and not procrastinating on 1 project and neglecting others. 5. If you can Save 1 Pomodoro for 'things that pop up'. Life happens, and there's always something that will try to take your focus. Simply jot that thing that pop's up on a notepad and deal with it in your spare Pomodoro. In that time you can either schedule the task for a set day and time or complete it if it can be done within that Pomodoro. I usually use this Pomodoro time to plan when to respond to important emails that come in and also reply to the quick ones. General Rules for application of the Pomodoro technique If a single task takes more than 5 Pomodoro to complete - it needs to be broken up into smaller tasks and allocated Pomodoros for each. If you complete a task much quicker than the length of the Pomodoro you can 'overlearn' or 'keep working' it. Re-read that email, re-edit the draft, learn more on that topic, think ahead to what the next tasks are on that project and spend time scheduling those. Use the time on that same project - keep your focus on that. Group up smaller tasks. For example - customers' voicemails. Call them all back in 1 Pomodoro. Do not exceed 16 Pomodoro's a day, trust me when I say - focusing that intently during Pomodoros can be mentally tiring, you will likely not work at your best after 16, rest and recharge. If you get interrupted during a Pomodoro, and it takes more than a few seconds to deal with, that Pomodoro is void, strike it and start again. It can take up to 20 minutes to focus back on a task you were on if you are distracted for more than a few seconds. Close all apps, and windows and turn notifications off, even pop some earphones in and listen to some instrumental tracks so you can't be tempted to procrastinate by any 'ding's', messages and emails or even background noise. Keep a log of completed Pomodoros, it keeps you accountable to your plan and helps you notice how productive you are or where, as well as how much you are getting distracted so you can plan to avoid those distractions in future. Always set your Pomodoros and what will be done in them the day before. Evaluate after each week if you are estimating the time tasks take well. Adjust the amount of Pomodoros for said tasks accordingly. Free Pomodoro Tracker Download my free Pomodoro tracker sheet here. The best Pomodoro app for iPhone or Android Personally, I love the simplicity of a mechanical kitchen timer doing the job, however, I have given these 2 well-recommended apps a try, they do the job, easy to use and they are both available on android and iOS Forest - Set your focus/Pomodoro time, and grow a virtual tree in your virtual forest, if you cut the timer short or leave the app in the middle of a timer, your virtual tree will die, can you grow a forest of focus? Bear Focus Timer - Tom the friendly bear helps you keep time, however, if you don't concentrate and you break the focus time, he's not so friendly! Super simple to use and fun imagery to enjoy. Pomodoro and Todoist For me using Todoist with the Pomodoro technique is a match made in heaven. I'm a huge fan of Todoist the task management software that's available on multi-platforms. Firstly here's an overview of Todoist: Todoist is used for task management and tracking productivity for individuals and businesses, or both, like me! Each of the main categories that tasks fall under are known as 'projects'. I can 'filter' 'tasks' down into cross-project categories, see each day's tasks clearly laid out and colour coded by time/priority order, plus each task shows what project it belongs to. Todoist offers me an easy-to-use, customisable to-do-list type app that works seamlessly across devices, including iPhone and on web. Why is the Todoist App good / why do I love it? Easy navigation Quick add tasks Many integrations Organise projects easily There's a free version Works on many platforms Handy Chrome extension iPhone Widgets available Customisable view options Additional team and filter features What are the disadvantages of using Todoist? None for me! And bonus, there is a free version! Feel free to read my article on Todoist Free vs Premium 3 ways to use the Pomodoro technique with Todoist 1. You can schedule Pomodoro's as recurring tasks - So for instance, say you work 9am - 5pm on weekdays. You could schedule 12 Pomodoros to recur every weekday, named Pomodoro 1, Pomodoro 2 etc.. and check them off after each one. You'd need a separate project for the actual tasks you'll complete in that day. 2. Keep your projects and tasks within them as normal in your Tododist app, but assign emoji's to each task - the emoji being a tomato 🍅, 1 for each 25-minute focus you'll give it. I always add my tomato emoji's to my next day's scheduled tasks the night before so I know exactly what equals progress for me. Number 2 is my favourite way of using the Pomodoro technique and Todoist. For example today, I have enough time to complete 10 Pomodoros in the office before I have to go teach at the studio. I've added a tomato emoji for each block of time allocated to the day's tasks. This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Where to buy a Pomodoro timer? Any timer, digital or analogue, or an app will do the trick, but if you want to go with the original - it's gotta be a tomato kitchen timer. Here's one on Amazon: The Best Kitchen timer UK for Pomodoro technique I love the idea of the visual counting down of time, so the timer I've been using is mechanical and clearly shows the time in red. Check this one out from Amazon that comes in varying colours: Here's mine in action right now! My conclusion to the Pomodoro technique I've used a time-blocking technique for the past 2 years, and that change alone had really helped my productivity, but I'd still find myself underestimating how long tasks would take, being easily distracted by my emails and working slowly when in long blocks of work-time. This past month using the Pomodoro technique has seen my productivity take a huge jump up. Having the shorter focus times allow me to stay fresh and in the flow during each Pomodoro, then after each break I’m ready and eager to go in the knowledge that it’s only 25 minutes, I can go hell for leather then recharge in between. I don't feel overwhelmed by bigger projects anymore, as everything is split into smaller tasks/Pomodoro sessions. I've never felt so in control of multiple projects. I hope this post has helped you understand the Pomodoro technique better and encouraged you to give it a try! Happy Pomodoros! Jenny - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Image https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/authors/2148540/francesco-cirillo

Here in this short article are two key pieces of information An explanation of what the Peloton Refer a Friend scheme is Most importantly, a Peloton referral code for you to use (subject to Peloton limits) Let's get to point 2 now, save you time reading this page, if a Peloton referral code is what you're after: Here's my referral code 6F5UTJ What is Peloton's Refer a Friend scheme? It's essentially a reward from Peloton to the existing user for referring and helping to grow the Peloton community, as well as a welcome gift to the new customer who's been referred. The Peloton Refer A Friend scheme applies to existing customers who own the Peloton bike or tread and new customers purchasing either the Peloton Bike or Tread. When a new customer uses an existing customer's referral code, the existing customer receives a £100 voucher that can be spent on any Peloton apparel. The new customer who enters the referral code when purchasing a Peloton bike or tread receives £100 of bike or tread accessories for free. Accessories on offer include bike mats, workout mats, cycle shoes, dumbells, heart rate bands, resistance bands yoga blocks and more. The apparel on offer is really high quality wicking material, tee's, vests, shorts, leggings and more are on offer. How to apply the Peloton Referral Code UK: You can use the Peloton Reffal code at the checkout when purchasing a Peloton Bike or Tread, feel free to use my code: 6F5UTJ Or click the referral link when you begin your purchase, and that will apply the code and benefits to your transaction. My link is here should you want it. You can also show your referral code to a member of staff at a Peloton Retail store. NOTE: Members who receive the £100 voucher code for referring someone successfully can us their code at the checkout when purchasing apparel. Are there any terms and conditions I should know before using the Peloton referral code or Refer A Friend scheme? The Peloton member who gives you the referral code needs to have an active all-access membership. The scheme doesn't apply to members with only digital app membership. Vouchers from referrals can take up to 5 working days to reach your inbox. If you return an item of apparel purchased with a voucher, you will be issued a new voucher code to use when the return is processed. Only 6 referrals are allowed per existing customer per year. This used to be 12 per year. My conclusion to the Peloton Refer a Friend Scheme? It's a great way to enjoy the feel of high-quality apparel from Peloton which, without a voucher code, can be, in my opinion, pricey, with a t-shirt costing around £50. I have a lovely collection of Peloton apparel which washes up as good as new every time. I love a freebie or discount when making any purchase. So I feel £100 in bike accessories is a generous value to receive and you'll be able to get an item or two to add to your new bike or tread with that and it's always high-quality. So one last time here's my referral code if you need it: 6F5UTJ If you'd like to connect with me on Peloton, my handle is @MorningPelo_Jen I really hope to ride with you soon! Jenny - Author Tried and Loved Image source:https://www.facebook.com/onepeloton/

I've been a Peloton member since March 2021 and the very proud owner of a Peloton bike+ since September 2021 (shout out to my dad for the best birthday present ever!). I’ll cover questions such as How much does a Peloton Bike cost? And Should I buy a Peloton? This article will outline why I believe Peloton, with its equipment and it’s subscription service, is a highly valuable investment into anybody's physical and mental wellness journey. Also, if at some point while reading this article you make that exciting decision to purchase a Peloton Bike or Bike+, you can grab yourself £100 of free bike accessories: Here's my referral code that will get you £100 of accessories FREE with your bike purchase: 6F5UTJ, and I'll receive £100 voucher for apparel too for the referral, win-win. What is Peloton? Peloton is, as I would describe it, the Rolls-Royce of streaming fitness classes live and on-demand, as well as a provider of high-quality multi-discipline training equipment that works seamlessly with its streaming service. There are normally 10+ live workouts a day across many disciplines including cycling, strength, yoga, meditation, cardio, tread, boot camp and more, as well as tens of thousands of streamable-any-time workouts, so you are never short of choice for the perfect workout to fit your fitness level and available time. Instructors are so motivating, funny, entertaining, and knowledgeable, and always seem to know just the right thing to say at the right moment. For example in a ride, at the top of a tough climb, when you're feeling like you cannot go on, they always know when that moment hits, and deliver a sentence of motivation that inspires you to push yourself further than you thought you could go. How much does a Peloton bike cost? You may be thinking, 'the Peloton equipment is expensive relative to other brands on the market so is Peloton really worth it?' As somebody who has had many different gym memberships throughout my youth, I would say that I've never been more motivated to work out now thanks to Peloton, so yes I 100% believe Peloton is worth it. Let me explain more... Let's start with the basics, before I got a Peloton Bike+, I had a budget spin bike and set of dumbbells from Argos here in the UK. I started my self-development journey in terms of fitness with those pieces of equipment and also the Peloton App which cost me £12.99 per month. As I saw it £12.99 per month was a lot cheaper than the majority of gym memberships in my area here in Essex in the UK, so worth a go. For that £12.99 per month I had access to all of the live classes and on-demand classes across all disciplines on the platform. I had packed quite a few pounds on over Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, so I was very keen to get my fitness back to where it was in roughly 2016 when I would perform professionally as a dancer at the top of my game, plus shift some excess pounds. Between March and September 2021 I dropped three stone of excess weight and really felt the benefits of my newfound strength and cardiovascular abilities, which played a huge role in bringing back my passion for performance once again. September 2021 came and it was my birthday, I felt like the luckiest girl alive as my dad had surprised me with a Peloton Bike+, something I would never have ever expected, and will be forever grateful for. Don't forget if you're looking to purchase a Peloton Bike: Here's my referral code that will get you £100 of accessories FREE with your bike purchase: 6F5UTJ The Price? Of course, I did not buy this bike myself, but as a guide, a Peloton Bike+, which has the rotational screen, the automatic resistant setting, and extra features than the original bike, starts at £1995. However, if you want to go for the original bike model you are looking at a starting price of £1345 (both prices correct at the time of writing). The one caveat to owning a piece of equipment from Peloton though is that you will need to have an all-access membership, rather than just the Peloton app, to access all of the features on the equipment. This all-access membership costs £39 per month. Again, I believe that this is still good value for money because it is on par with, or even slightly cheaper, than an average gym membership in my area. A plus point to the all-access membership is that you can have up to 4 family members on it. So my wife, my dad, and my brother-in-law all have access to the all-access membership. This means that they are able to use my bike at any time on their own logins and also have access to the Peloton app at no charge to them, so assuming that they use the services and classes from Peloton, it's no more expensive per person then the app on its own #winning! Should I buy a Peloton? Financially only you can answer that of course, but finances aside, if you are in the market for a spin bike then 100% I can't urge you enough to choose Peloton. Benefits of Peloton UK? My top three Peloton benefits would be: The high-quality training you receive from the very motivational and experienced instructors is worth the membership alone. The variety in disciplines and variety in length of time and skill level of the classes is vast and is accessible to everybody. This also fits to my mood, for example, some days my body is tired from my job and I just need a 10-minute stretch and a 10-minute meditation session, a day to reset myself. Yet other days I feel very motivated and packed full of energy and I'm excited to challenge myself on a 45-minute Power Zone ride. Peloton really offers something for every scenario. I have used many spin bikes and the Peloton Bike+ is the smoothest and most interactive bike I have ever had the pleasure of using. Even now when I go on holiday and I go to the hotel gym and use their spin bikes, it just feels so clunky in comparison to the quality of Peloton. Any additional benefits? The community spirit on any workout really does pick up your mood. You can link up with other Peloton members by following each other, you can high-five any Peloton member on the same workout as you, and you can also follow their stats if you'd like to have a little friendly competition. On the note of competition, I am very competitive however with Peloton it doesn't feel like 'stressful and serious' competition, it's more of a, let's push each other and support each other while do it, way of competing. When I ride now, I am more in competition with myself, can I get a personal best? Can I get in the top quarter of the 30,000 people that have ridden this ride? Can I get a higher output on a 30-minute ride than the last time I did a 30-minute ride? The great news is the Peloton tracks all of these stats so I don't have to work it out for myself and I always have a goal to push for. Another extrinsically fulfilling benefit is when you reach a milestone and get recognition. For example, recently I hit a 300-mile ride milestone and I got a shout-out from instructor Hannah Frankston on my ride and it felt amazing! Most of my motivation is intrinsic and I ride for my own personal pleasure and fitness benefits, however, I can't help but enjoy a shout-out here and there. Any downsides? This is a hard one to answer as I am an avid Peloton fan, but if I really racked my brains I guess I would add that I'd personally like to have a few more very early morning live workout options in the UK. I get up around 6 am every day and there is normally one or two workouts available at 7 am that are live (of course there are thousands of on-demand, but I would prefer live ones), but it would be great to have five or six options from around 6 am in the morning that are live. It's not the end of the world that's just my personal preference as I'm an early-morning rider. Other than that though I truly cannot think of any other downside, I've never had an issue with my bike, it's always worked perfectly for me and it just feels incredible when I ride it, a true quality piece of equipment. Conclusion to ’Is Peloton worth it’ (UK)? If you have read this full article you know that the answer is 100% yes from me. If you're unsure, try the Peloton App for a month and see how you feel about working with the instructors there, if you are like me you'll soon get to find your favourite instructors and be excited to do the next workout with them. If you want to jump headfirst in with Peloton I cannot recommend the Peloton Bike+ enough, and if you'd like to read a little bit more about the bike you can read my full review here. Don't forget if you make the decision to purchase a Peloton Bike or Bike+, you can grab yourself £100 of free bike accessories: Here's my referral code that will get you £100 of accessories FREE with your bike purchase: 6F5UTJ, and I'll receive £100 voucher for apparel too for the referral, win-win If you'd like to connect with me on Peloton, my handle is @MorningPelo_Jen I really hope to ride with you soon! Jenny - Author Tried and Loved This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through one of the links. Thank you for your support. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Image source: https://www.onepeloton.co.uk/shop/bike