Some time before Christmas, I was invited by Asda to attend a blogger event at Leiths cookery school. You may have seen the TV adverts promoting the partnership between Asda and Leiths, whereby Leiths have given their stamp of approval to a selection of the Asda Extra Special range.
I'll admit that I reacted in a very unbecoming way, disdainful that a respected professional cookery school would be endorsing a range from what I perceived as a cheap supermarket with products to match. So I'll put my hand up and state that I was wrong, unequivocally wrong. Every single one of the products I've tasted from the Asda Extra Special range has been excellent, and would hold its own against products from any other supermarket, whether that's Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose or M&S. When I take prices into account, I'm even more impressed and genuinely disappointed I don't have a branch near me.
At the school, Leiths Managing Director, Camilla Schneideman, explained that her team had not only handpicked their favourite products, based on taste and quality of ingredients, but they had also developed a range of recipes using the products, to give Asda shoppers some fresh ideas on how to use them well. Initially, the partnership focused on Asda's Extra Special Christmas range, but I understand it will be an on-going partnership through the year.
Rather then sit down to a meal prepared by someone else, we scrubbed up, put on our aprons and spent a happy couple of hours in the Leiths' kitchens, cooking a festive feast using the Leiths recipes. In teams of 4, we cooked canapés, starters, a main with sides and a delicious pudding. Luckily, some of the ingredients preparation had been done for us, such as peeling and weighing, so we were able to do a lot in a relatively short time. Only after all our hard work did we sit down and enjoy the fruits of our labours. My stand out favourite was the rich gravy accompanying the rack of venison, and the chocolate Yule log, but everything was very tasty.
Asda kindly offered a Christmas hamper for a Kavey Eats competition, but as I was running a fair few competitions during that period already, I asked for a non-seasonal hamper instead, to cheer someone up through the new year blues. Being a picky sort, I made the selection myself and have chosen everything from biscuits and popcorn to crisps and nuts to balsamic vinegar and dipping oils to pasta and pesto to chutney, gravy and honey. There's even a nice bottle of red wine and one of bubbly cava!
Contents of Prize Hamper: Extra Special mini meringues, Extra Special Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Extra Special all butter parmesan and garlic mini twists, Extra Special soft-baked apple cookies, Extra Special stem ginger chocolate, Extra Special Belgian milk chocolate and pecan popcorn clusters, Extra Special caramelised onion chutney, Extra Special black pepper ciabatta croutons, Extra Special garlic dipping oil, Extra Special hand-decorated toffee cake, Extra Special apricot crumbles, Extra Special Italian conchiglioni, Extra Special Italian pesto alla Genovese, Extra Special rich beef gravy, Extra Special Spanish orange blossom honey, Extra Special spiced plum and ginger marinade, Extra Special Vietnamese jumbo cashew nuts, Extra Special vegetable crisps, Extra Special Marques Del Norte Rioja Reserva, Extra Special Mas Miralda Cava Vintage 2010 Brut
How to enter
You can enter the competition in 2 ways.
Entry 1 – Answer the question
Leave a comment below, answering the following question:
What's your best tip for combatting the January blues?
Tweet the (exact) sentence below:
I'd love to win an Asda Extra Special hamper from kaveyeats.com #KaveyEatsAsda
Rules & Details
- The deadline for entries is midnight GMT Friday 27 January 2012.
- One blog entry and one twitter entry per person.
- The winner will be selected from all valid entries using a random number generator.
- The prize is a hamper of food and drink from the Leiths Approved Asda Extra Special range, with an approximate value of contents of £50 (based on current prices). The prize includes delivery, and can be delivered to UK mainland addresses only.
- Asda reserve the right to substitute any items that are out of stock for other Leiths Approved Asda Extra Special items of a similar value.
- The prize cannot be redeemed for cash.
- The prize is offered directly by Asda.
- Valid entries must contain either an email address or twitter account, for contacting the winner. For those leaving a comment using their blogger/ Google ID, please make sure an email address is visible in your profile.
- The winner will be notified by email or twitter. If no response is received by the end of Tuesday 31 January, the prize will be forfeit and a new winner will be picked and contacted.
*If you don't have a secondary email address already and are nervous about sharing your main email address on the internet, why not set up a new free email account on hotmail, gmail or yahoo, that you can use to enter competitions like this?
Thanks to Asda and Leiths for inviting me to the Extra Special cookery class and for offering this prize.
Posts
50 comments:
My best tip to combat the january blues is to continue to enjoy and embrace the new year with NO resolutions and live life to the full!
What a great giveaway - my tip is too look forward to something like a holiday!
i have tweeted as @ashlallan
Make soup. The world always looks better over the rim of a bowl of home made soup, especially when the weather is cold and miserable.
Ginger, lots of ginger! Brings a nice heat when it's freezing outside...
I've tweeted @janesgrapevine
This year, to beat that drop in mood, I have left the fairy lights up in the kitchen. It keeps that Christmas feel, and lights the dark corners. They may stay there permanently...
Fresh air and sun. I think we who feel the cold (and I am one) have a habit of hugging the fire and staying inside in the warm. But if I do force myself to go out on a bright day, I always feel much better. So we should put our coats and hats on and get out for a few minutes.
Then come home and make tea and crumpets and hug the fire again.
Do something everyday to make you smile!
My best tip to combat the january blues is to continue to enjoy life and smile every day
Wrap up in warm clothes, go for a long walk somewhere beautiful - the beach is my favourite - then stop off in a little cafe for hot chocolate and a cream scone. The world can't help but be a better place! And if a long walk is out of the questions, drive up to the top of a hill and survey the crisp landscape below you - it's hard not to smile at that. Happy January!
Looks interesting, never knew about this range. I will go and check out our ASDA, which I visit very rarely, because it is not too close to us.
Good luck to all who enter the competition.
I love ASDA - have always been sad that there isn't one near me.
I'm terrible for your January tip though - I actually rather love January, especially the past few days - I love the whole cold, crispy, frosty thing - I wish it would SNOW :-)
Eat a huge bowl of fruit salad - the different colours and the knowledge that you're getting loads of good vitamins into your system is enough to cheer me up!
Music is the answer, fill your house with your favourite songs, dance & sing your heart out while hoovering and then relax on the sofa with some comforting tunes and a big cup of hot chocolate!
have tweeted @maxineflossy
My way of beating the January blues is to book a break over with my parents in Spain then trying to sleep through the period in-between (with breaks for work etc etc)
To combat the January blues I go walking on a local beach as often as I can get there. There are lots of people doing the same and everyone speaks to each other. It's a real pick me up!
@beachrambler
I have tweeted as @beachrambler
Like several others, my tip for beating the blues is to get outside whenever sunshine is available and go for a brisk walk, preferably somewhere that looks good in winter. Our personal favourite is the Winter Walk at Anglesey Abbey.
suell35@gmail.com
The beat the January blues go for a long forest walk with the dogs then come home to some home cooked seasonl food to warm the cockles of your heart.
lesleyadams06@yahoo.co.uk
I have tweeted @sussexgirl67
Light the log burner, put on your snuggly blanket, lie on the sofa with a good book and a choccy biccy
My tip is to get outside and get some fresh air, even on a cloudy day the natural light will help.
Tweeted as @uptonandrea
Tweeted as @uptonandrea
Keep busy, make some plans for the following months, have a good de-clutter, do some decorating. You might as well do inside jobs while the weather is bad, then you are not wasting the good weather in Spring/Summer
dianecarey6@hotmail.com
My tip to beat the January blues?
Remember this - when Winter comes can Spring be far behind?
And smile when you remember it!
January blues tip:
Wrap up well, go for a brisk walk, smile and say hello to people you pass in the street. Better still, stop and talk to an elderly neighbour. Sharing the day always makes me feel more 'human', yes even in gloomy rain!
Tweeted as @judelark
I would say watch plenty of trashy telly and do a little daily exercise - if nothing else it will warm you up for an hour!
Healthy stuff (like gym) mixed with indulgences (like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies)!
My tips are to wrap up warm, get lots of fresh air outdoors and then come home to some gorgeous old-fashioned comfort food.
Tweeted as @girlbehind
I like to get out I the fresh air for a lunch time walk when the daylight is at it's best and come home to a warming comfort food lunch. Puts a real bounce into my step.
I like to spend time round the table with friends, to help drive away the January blues
I have never understood the January blues. I make most of my presents so I don't have to face the credit card bill. January is the start of the year clean slate and hope for the future. February is when the grey winter weather is still lingering on and you have failed/given up on all you new resolutions.
My best tip to beat January blues?
Move house! Will occupy your time so well you won't have chance to be blue :)
tweeted @ anneskitchen
The best way is to get outside in the middle of the day and get some sunshine. It makes such a difference when most of the time outdoors otherwise is when it's dark.
I've tweeted too. @Corinathecook
My tip for January is to hibernate for the month!
sue@turner-smith.co.uk
I beat the January blues by trying lots of new exercise classes - I'm now doing back to back zumba with body pump and step aerobics. It makes me so tired but relaxed and I sleep like a baby!
chb1984@hotmail.co.uk
January has to be beaten off for me by lots of cute fluffy things. 2011 started with me getting up in the dark but watching the sunrise while handling tiny feathery creatures, I'm going to miss bird netting this year!
rosie.goldsmith07@gmail.com
Ignore the January blues by ignoring the fact you have no cash, go for a walk in the local park then snuggle up at home with some comfort food and a hot milky drink.
I'm beating the blues by starting to do meal planning and it's helped me get back into cooking again... Nothing like a fresh home cooked meal to cheer you up!
Interesting post - I must admit I'd never realised Asda did this range.
My tip for beating the January blues is to plan and book holidays, so that there is something to look forward to.
I've tweeted as @minibreakmummy
That's a great selection you got there! As for the January blues, I should be doing something healthy but instead I turn to cake. Also, nights in with a drink and a nice film help!
My tip is no resolutions - January can be miserable enough without giving up something you love!
Tweeted too @missielizzieb.
Great competition, thank you.
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