The Drunken Vimto and Four Classic Cocktails

Friday, May 30, 2014

This sassy cocktail combines succulent blackberries with blackcurrant jam, lemon, vodka and soothing honey!
This sassy cocktail is full of berries, lemon, vodka and a dash of honey. From Anyonita Nibbles
Yield: 1 rocks glass
Prep time:

The Drunken Vimto

This sassy little cocktail is my very own creation. It's a lovely mix of blackberries, blackcurrant, lemon and vodka with a hint of honey. But we'll get to that in a second. Last night, I was invited to an event at the Millennium Copthorne Hotel in Salford Quays. But not just any event, a cocktail making masterclass headed up by a fantastic team of bartenders. The event, #toastofthetown sought to pair our fantastic city of Manchester with cocktails of our own creating, but first we were taught the basics with four classic mixed drinks.

Dealing with Haters on Your Blog

Thursday, May 29, 2014

You can't please everyone all the time and bloggers find this out very quickly. Here are four practical methods for dealing with haters on your blog.
Use these four steps to successfully deal with the negativity from blog haters.
Haters happen. No matter what you blog about, no matter what stance you take, there's always going to be someone there waiting to either knock you down or to try to take credit for your work.

It's the way of the world. Recently, I've been victim to both types of hating in relation to content on Anyonita Nibbles. And I've been approached by a quite a few bloggers seeking advice on how to handle hateful comments, pin descriptions and general feedback.

I'm going to share with you four methods for dealing with haters on your blog and I invite you to share your experiences with blog hate, too!

Two Layer Gluten Free Double Nutella Brownies

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

These brownies are the most indulgent, fudgiest gluten free brownies ever! Plus, they're made with double Nutella for an extra hit of decadence!
The fudgiest, gluten free brownies on the planet. Made with Nutella. #coeliacapproved

Yield: 20 or so brownies
Prep time:
Cook time:

Two Layer Gluten Free Double Nutella Brownies

Ever since my Coeliac Disease diagnosis, I've been on a one-woman mission to find super fudgy gluten free brownies. When I say fudgy, I mean on the brink of sticking of your mouth together. I mean somebody pass me a glass of milk, fudgy. I'm talking super moist and squishy and wholly decadent and indulgent, fudgy. So fudgy, people will think you're fudgin' when you tell them they're gluten free --- and if you make these without the cream, they're dairy free too.

#tastytuesdays no 62 + 12 cookies, bars & bites recipes

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Get your food pins repinned to a massive board by linking up to #tastytuesdays

Gluten-Free Watermelon Granita with Lime Recipe

Monday, May 26, 2014

A fruit-filled icy treat that's gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan friendly!  Tastes like summer!
A refreshing gluten and dairy free, vegetarian and vegan friendly watermelon granita from Anyonita Nibbles
Yield: 2 liters
Prep time:
Cook time:

Watermelon Granita with Lime

Granitas are snowcones for adults.That's not meant to be a knock against granitas--I love a good snowcone, but they give the impression of being rather, tricycles and teddy bears. Granitas are snowcones all grown up. And, you could even add a shot or two of your favorite spirit for proper grown up granitas. But the ones I'm sharing with you today are alcohol free. They're also free of gluten and dairy and are suitable for vegans and vegetarians alike.

OXO Shake & Flavour Oven Fried Chicken, Gluten Free Coriander Griddled Corn and Gluten Free Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Friday, May 23, 2014

Bake the crispiest, juiciest oven fried chicken with OXO's new flavour shake granules!
This is the crispiest, juiciest oven fried chicken I've ever tasted! From Anyonita Nibbles

Yield 4 servings

OXO Shake & Flavour Oven Fried Chicken 

This chicken is amazing! You won't even realize it's not been properly deep fried--you get all of the crunchiness and juiciness of proper deep fried chicken without the excess grease and general unhealthiness. That's a big plus. This chicken was accidental in that I hadn't planned on making it. I was getting food ready for a barbecue picnic when the skies turned gray and big clouds rolled in.

Living in the UK, you become quite adept at having a stream of rainy day back plans to hand, especially when it comes to barbecues and picnics! We were planning two barbecues, to take advantage of a short stint of glorious weather; the first barbecue went off without a hitch. The second, not so much. With gray clouds threatening to burst at any moment, we needed a back up plan and quick.

New range of 7 OXO Shake & Flavour Seasoning Granules Range by Anyonita Nibbles

I received a box of OXO's new Shake& Flavour Seasoning Granules for the purpose of whipping up a quick spread and it was my intention to use some of the seasoning in the box for a barbecue. Not wanting to abandon the granules and still excited to try them, I brainstormed an easy way to use the granules and the handy recipe sheets included in the package! (Nice one, OXO!)

This post is part of a BritMums project with OXO Shake & Flavour. Shake & Flavour seasoning granules can be sprinkled into food during cooking or before serving. Find out more about the Shake & Flavour varieties.

#GetHimFed 36


How Bloggers Maintain Relationships with Brands Part 3 of 3

Thursday, May 22, 2014

For bloggers, developing and maintaining relationships with brands is vital for success. Master these five techniques and get big brands in your corner.
She successfully works with brands and shares 5 techniques for developing and maintaining relationships with brands.

So far we've looked at attracting brands and developing a relationship with brands. In the final installment today, I want to focus on maintaining the relationship you've established. 

As with any relationship, it needs cultivation and care. You can't just let it sit in a corner and do nothing. 

Brand and blogger relationships, while different from most relationships, still need an element of TLC. But how you dish up the lovin' to the brands that agree to work with you is going to be different from how you treat your family and friends.

You'll want to focus on your end of the bargain, consistency and thoroughness. In every dealing you have with brands, strive for this. Don't try to be something other than who you are. At the end of the end of the day, it doesn't matter too much how many followers you have or how much clout your blog carries. Brands are run by people. People want to work with people. And no one likes unreasonable, hard to pin down, disorganized people.

Anyonita's Virtural Bake Sale #CurrysBakeSale

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Anyonita Nibbles is raising money for Fare Share as part of the #CurrysBakeSale

Most of the opportunities I get pitched are usually ones that will benefit just me, which is nice,but it's not exactly the safest sitch to be in terms of karma. I try to help people as much as I can, although my volunteering and acts of kindness these days are usually reserved for blogging tutorials and coding help (it can be really difficult to turn up at a charity with a stroppy two year old and try to volunteer!).

#tastytuesdays no. 61 & 9 summer thirst quenchers

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Get your food pins repinned to a massive board by linking up to #tastytuesdays

STOP! Please read the welcome message as there has been ONE VERY BIG CHANGE!!! I want to make sure that I provide the very best party for you, giving you the best chances of having your content repinned and traffic to your blog increased. To do this, I've made one final, very big change to #tastytuesdays I hope you all like it!


An explanation of why you should link up to #tastytuesdays on Anyonita Nibbles

Gluten Free & Vegetarian Strawberry Breakfast Quinoa

Monday, May 19, 2014

Quinoa served warm with fresh fruit is a delicious, gluten free alternative to traditional oatmeal!
Gluten Free & Vegetarian Strawberry Breakfast Quiona from Anyonita Nibbles

5 Overlooked Details to Consider when Starting a Blog

Sunday, May 18, 2014



Written by:
Every day thousands of new blogs are created. And each day, thousands of blogs are abandoned. The world of blogging can be as sweet and rewarding as winning the lottery or as bitter as lemons. While anyone can start a blog, running and maintaining a successful blog takes determination, preparation and organization.

There's more to blogging than just sitting down and rehashing your day--that's journaling; all blogs aren't journals. Blogging requires the precision of a well-executed uppercut in a boxing ring and the poised grace of a swan on a clear, still lake. Bloggers need to be as calculated as the heavyweight who studied his opponent for months before the big fight; who knows everything about him: from his demeanor when he's exhausted to his tell before he throws his signature punch.

Bloggers need to be as hardworking as those gliding swans--skimming across the surface effortlessly, but aware of the legs beneath the water pumping like pistons to keep the bird afloat and everything in place.

5 Overlooked Details to Consider when Starting a Blog

I wanted to share five details that newbie bloggers or wannabe bloggers overlook when planning their blog. Don't get caught without considering these key areas; the difference it'll make to your first few months blogging is priceless:

1. Choose a Blog Name Wisely
It doesn't have to be a pun. It doesn't have to be your name. It could be any manner of word or phrase that resonates with you or that reflects you and your personality. It's always a good idea for the title of your blog to at least give some inclination as to what readers can expect when they delve into your content, but that's not always the case.

Pull inspiration from these suggestions when coming up with your blog name:
* use your first name and a verb that reflects the main subject of your blog
eg: a food blog named Anyonita Nibbles
* use the street you grew up on or currently live on
eg: I live on Oxford Road, so my blog name could be The Oxford Chronicles or The Oxford Circus or The Oxford or From Oxford Road or Down Oxford Road
* use a pun that reflects the main subject of your blog
eg: a food blog named Thyme & Again
a music blog named In One Ear & Out the Other
a knitting blog named Purls of Wisdom

2. Choose a Blog Platform that Works for You
There's a lot of debate between Blogger and Wordpress. If you've read my blog for any length of time, then you probably know that I'm a staunch Blogger girl and for me, combined with my limited knowledge of coding, Blogger provides all I need as a blogger. Their ties with Google and Google's influence in blogging make it a very natural decision.

For others, Wordpress feels more like home. There are some really big differences between the two platforms and they are worth exploring before making your decision. To make it a bit easier, a rough difference is that Blogger provides the space for you to have a more hands off approach in terms of updates and maintenance and Wordpress is a lot more demanding in this aspect. The best thing to do is to have a good look around both platforms and weigh up the pros and cons and research to find the best fit for you.

3. Choose a URL You Won't Hate in the Morning
Your URL is for life. Okay, not really, but it's best if you just assume it is from the start. You'll spend a lot of time sharing your URL and it's what search engines will use to refer to your blog and to give you various rankings. It's how your readers will find your blog and it's what you'll use to tell people about it.

And while we're on it, it makes a whole lot of sense for your blog name and your URL to be the same or as close to the same as you can get. It just cuts down on confusion and it makes your readers confident that they are on a legitimate site. Think about it, if you followed a URL called www.blueshoes.com and ended up at a website called Pamela's Punchy Puddings --how would you feel? Would you be a bit dubious? Exactly.

Oh and another thing about URLs, it's a good idea to go ahead and buy up all the popular variations of your domain as you can. Or at least two or three of them. So say you're writing a blog about Blue Shoes and your purchase the domain(URL) www.blueshoes.com . While you're at it, go ahead and purchase www.blueshoes.net, www.blueshoes.org, www.blueshoes.co.uk etc. If you don't and your blog becomes very popular and well known, URL poachers will purchase it for pennies and try to sell it back to you for more than its worth.

4. Choose a Web Host that's Reliable
If you're going to have a successful blog, you need a blog that's going to actually be online. That means that anyone in the world can access it at any time of day. This isn't down to you to make sure that this is possible, this is where your web hosting service comes into play. Make sure you choose a web host with a strong reputation and a high percentage of up time. You may want to start by checking out Web Hosting Hub*!

I've only just heard of them myself, but so far, I like what I see! And as always, I've done a bit of researching around & everyone has lovely things to say about them. Give them a go :)

5. Choosing to Organize and Stay Motivated
One of the biggest blogging casualties has to do with lack of motivation. A number of bloggers think that after they write their first post that they are going to be inundated with fans, readers and brand endorsement opportunities.Wouldn't that be nice?

Unfortunately, all of those things come after you've already established yourself as a blogger. The best and quickest way to get there is to keep blogging. Make a decision right now, even before you have your blog that you are going to be organized. Create a content schedule--it can be as detailed or as open-ended as you'd like. Just jot down when you want to post and a general idea of what you want those posts to be about. That way, when you're having a rough day or are rushed off your feet, you're not wasting valuable time trying to come up with what to write about; you'll already know where to start!



Gluten Free Eggs Benedict with Easiest Blender Hollandaise Served on Grilled Portabello

Friday, May 16, 2014

The classic flavors of eggs Benedict served on grilled portabello mushroom topped with smoked bacon, dressed with a silky blender Hollandaise and perfectly poached egg. An ideal weekend breakfast or brunch option without the gluten!
An amazingly easy and elegant breakfast that looks restaurnt quality but is easy to create from Anyonita Nibbles
Yield 2 servings

Gluten Free Eggs Benedict with Easiest Blender Hollandaise Served on Grilled Portabello 

Earlier this week, I woke up craving a cooked breakfast. Manchester had been experiencing its usual weather: torrential rain and the idea of bundling up Callum and whisking him off during the downpour to go to our favorite weekend breakfast haunt was unappealing. Instead, I decided to revisit one of my favorite breakfasts. A few years ago I made Eggs Benedict with Prosciutto on Spinach English Muffins and that was seriously the most amazing and delicious dish to come out of my kitchen in a long time. With my Coeliac Disease diagnosis, I find myself still craving those types of dishes and I wanted to give myself (and others with Coeliac Disease or a gluten intolerance) an opportunity to enjoy some of those classic, gluten laced dishes. So the idea of redoing eggs Benedict and making it coeliac friendly and gluten free fueled the inspiration for this recipe.

Using the blender to emulsify is a quick trick that results in foolproof Hollandaise sauce from Anyonita Nibbles

How Bloggers Develop Relationships with Brands 2 of 3

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Once you've gotten in the door with brands, as a blogger, you'll need to work hard to develop a proper working relationship. Use these five techniques to develop a relationship with brands you'll work with.

She shares five really useful techniques for developing relationships with brands.
As with any good and stable relationship, there needs to be balance in the relationship between a blogger and a brand. Both parties need to be aware of each others capabilities and limitations for the partnership to be a success.

From the point of view of established brands, this is simple. The reputation of any established brand proceeds them and straight away we form opinions just by listing off their names. When it comes to most bloggers and smaller, niche brands that aren't as well known as the big guns of the industry, this can be a bit more challenging. This is when having a good, working relationship with brands is key.

A high percentage of my blogging works comes from repeat brands either through a brand's in-house marketing strategist or via a third party PR team. It doesn't really matter with whom you liaise, you should seek to create the most functional relationship possible. Functional relationships are free from drama, involve open communication, are displayed by both sides holding up their end of the bargain, are adult-level collaborative projects that end in results for all involved.Use these five techniques to aid you in developing relationships with the brands you work with and you'll start to see repeat assignments.

Gluten Free Chicken Fajita Nachos made with Schwartz Mexican Fajitas Flavour Shots

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

All the flavor of a classic Mexican dish combined with the convenience of nachos! Plus, it's gluten free!
These gluten free chicken fajita nachos are amazing!
Yield 4 servings

Gluten Free Chicken Fajita Nachos 

Every time I go to a Mexican restaurant, I get the same thing: chicken fajitas. In college one year, I stumbled across a little Mexican restaurant in the suburbs of Greensboro, North Carolina, that served up my favorite Mexican dish in an unusual way: slathered over baked nacho chips. Hellllllooooooooo! It was genius: the convenience of nachos and the unmistakable flavor of chicken fajitas? I was sold.

#tastytuesdays no. 60

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

At this link party, every single post gets pinned!

Each week, our team of 15 amazing bloggers and at least one of our fantastic co-hosts provides this fabulous party! We're so glad that you've stopped by to party with us!

The only rule at this link party is that all posts have to be recipes or related to food.

Without you, we wouldn't have a party at all! We think that makes you pretty special and you deserve to benefit from linking up with us each week. Here's how:

When you link up at this party, YOU benefit! Great idea!

As always with parties on Anyonita Nibbles, there's no obligation to follow me or my hosts and co-hosts on social media, but we thought you might like to check out all our Pinterest accounts!

Follow all the #tastytuesdays hosts on Pinterest
  Image Map
Click the name of each blogger to open a new tab with her Pinterest account & while you're there, don't forget to follow us so you can see your posts being pinned each week! 

Vegetarian Lemon & Chickpea Dukkah Burgers on Best Ever Gluten Free Burger Buns #bettarecipe

Monday, May 12, 2014

Quinoa and chickpeas come together to form a delicious and moist veggie patty spiced with Egyptian dukkah and fresh lemon juice. Served on the best ever gluten-free burger buns!
Vegetarian burgers made with chickpeas and quinoa served on the best homemade gluten free burger buns.
Yield 4 burgers

Gluten Free Lemon & Chickpea Dukkah Burgers on Best Ever Gluten Free Burger Buns 

Meat's big in this house, so when I said we would be having burgers but didn't shop for any mince or steaks, I'm sure there were raised eyebrows. Many of you have confessed to being like us: rioting over the last piece of bacon and praising your local butcher as an everyday superhero. But trust me, this isn't one of those ashen, off-tasting veggie burgers of the 90s! This little baby is filled with good things and can be whipped up in under 15 minutes.

TGI Friday's Burger Blind Date | Get your #burgerface on

Friday, May 9, 2014


Get your #burgerface on with TGI Friday's and 8 sultry burger contestants, all vying for your affections. Plus, find out how to order off the menu like a rock star.
I attended an excluvsive Burger Blind Date at TGI Friday's in Manchester and showed my #burgerface.

TGI Friday's Burger Blind Date | Get Your #burgerface on

Written by: on
The email came through last week inviting me to step into the ultra trendy world of blind dating. Except, this wasn't going to be your usual blind date. The string of eligible bachelors (and bachelorettes!) we were presented with had just gotten back from somewhere warm, so they had a lovely bronze glow.

They brought a portion of deep fried friends along and all came sporting a sassy attitude and an incredible flavor. Ketchup was optional and to be honest, wholly unneeded as most of these burgers were accessorized with their own distinct sauces, but I'm getting way ahead of myself.

TGI Friday's Burger Blind Date. Get your #burgerface on.
Props to my husband who snagged this amazing shot.
I had been invited to attend a special night at one of my local TGI Friday's restaurants that would make the carb crazy convulse with excitement: it was a burger blind date. I've often joked about courting or even marrying food, but it was never an option. Until Wednesday night where I entered the deliciously bizarre world of picking my dinner like it was a contestant on a gameshow.

How Bloggers Develop and Maintain Relationships with Brands Part 1 of 3

Thursday, May 8, 2014

For bloggers, developing and maintaining relationships with brands is vital for success. Master these five techniques and get big brands in your corner.
She successfully works with brands and shares 5 techniques for developing and maintaining relationships with brands.

Over the last 12 months, I've been fortunate to have worked alongside a number of brands--from start ups to established businesses and all sizes in between.

Working with brands to endorse products is a fun and rewarding way to log: while providing my readers with heads up on new products or services, I also get firsthand use of these products or services ... and in some cases, I even get to keep them! 

And although keeping products is nice, it's not necessarily the best thing about working with brands. For me, when a brand approaches me, it proves that I'm doing my job as a blogger. I'm creating eye-catching, noteworthy content that people are taking notice of. Looking at it one step further, the types of companies and brand that approach me also reiterate that I've made it clear through my content and social media marketing what niche my blog fits into. 

Although I'm not an expert, I have worked with a fair share of brands, so I'm going to share with you five core techniques for attracting brands, developing a relationship with them and maintaining that relationship. To make this easy to digest and not overwhelming, we'll look at these three areas over the next three weeks. To kick things off, we'll begin with attracting brands. I hope that you find them helpful.

Gluten Free Creamy Pork Chop Skillet Soup

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

This delicious spring soup is made with pork cooked two different ways and is full of flavor! It's light and hearty and perfect for warmer weather!
I love that she cooks the pork chops in two ways and uses bacon to make this light and creamy skillet soup.

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Gluten Free Creamy Pork Chop Skillet Soup

I'm not 100% sure skillet soup is even a thing, but I couldn't think of any other way to describe this. Well, other than creamy, delicious and light. I used boneless pork chops to make this soup and cooked them two different ways for added texture. And because I might be slightly obsessed with pork, I sprinkled over some super crunchy bacon, too. There's not loads of herbs and spices in this dish, but it's far from bland. Cooking the pork two ways surprisingly packs a punch of flavor.

This skillet soup is made with pork cooked two ways, crispy bacon and loads of cream of mushroom soup.

#tastytuesdays 59 + win a French macaron kit & Laduree macarons giveaway!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

At this link party, every single post gets pinned!

Each week, our team of 15 amazing bloggers and at least one of our fantastic co-hosts provides this fabulous party! We're so glad that you've stopped by to party with us!

The only rule at this link party is that all posts have to be recipes or related to food.

Without you, we wouldn't have a party at all! We think that makes you pretty special and you deserve to benefit from linking up with us each week. Here's how:

When you link up at this party, YOU benefit! Great idea!

As always with parties on Anyonita Nibbles, there's no obligation to follow me or my hosts and co-hosts on social media, but we thought you might like to check out all our Pinterest accounts!

Follow all the #tastytuesdays hosts on Pinterest
  Image Map
Click the name of each blogger to open a new tab with her Pinterest account & while you're there, don't forget to follow us so you can see your posts being pinned each week! 

Gluten Free Celeriac & Truffle Mustard Braised Beef #Mailleflavours

Monday, May 5, 2014

Succulent beef pot roast braised in Maille's celeriac and truffle mustard and served with velvety mash!
Classic beef pot roast gets a modern twist with Maille's gourmet mustard.

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Celeriac & Truffle Mustard Braised Beef 

When cooked low and slow, beef becomes unbelievably tender and melts in your mouth. You could achieve this by cooking it in a slow cooker or crock pot, but I like to cook it in the traditional way: a large stock pot. This beef is extra special because it's wrapped in a lovely blanket of delicious and slightly spicy mustard. But not just any mustard: sophisticated Maille Mustard with White Wine, Celeriac and Black Truffle. Are you drooling yet?

Gluten Free Breakfast Sausage Muffin Cups

Friday, May 2, 2014

These gluten free breakfast sausage muffin cups make are ready in minutes; perfect for a quick meal!
Diety friendly and perfect for coeliacs, these sausage muffin cups will be a big hit!
Photo courtesy of Renee's Kitchen Adventures for use on Anyonita Nibbles
Yield 12 sausage cups

Gluten Free Breakfast Sausage Muffin Cups

Wrapping up this week's guest posts while I'm away in Spain, is a new friend and fellow blogger, Renee from Renee's Kitchen Adventures. Today, Renee's sharing a seriously amazing looking gluten free breakfast option! But before you grab your muffin trays, be sure to stop and cast your vote for me in this competition! Renee says:

An Honest Chat About Blogging

Thursday, May 1, 2014

An Honest Chat about Blogging

Written by: on
Every now and then I get emails from people interested in starting their own blog. These emails tend to increase after I publish status messages or blog posts about free products or events I've been invited to. Which is understandable, no one would take a job without knowing the perks, right? 

Blogging often gets glamorized and people aren't always aware of the hard work and dedication it takes to grow a blog, to appear at the top of search engines, to find (and keep!) followers on social media.

These glamorized ideas about blogging even effect other bloggers! A lot of those emails come from people who already have blogs but who are seeming to struggle to make their blogs a success. So today, I'm going to share a post from the heart. Let's have an honest chat about blogging.



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