The Count Down Begins...

It's officially on it's way, with songs on the radio and the decorations in full force, we can't hide from the Father Christmas… especially if you have children. Christmas is here!

BUT… you don't need to be afraid, we are here to help! We are giving you these best and easiest recipes that one could ever wish for! Don't believe me? Check this out…

A few weeks ago we gave you Parsnip soup, this week we are giving you… Buttery Biscuits. They're perfect for a homemade present or a tasty treat for yourself!

All you need is;

100g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
00g caster sugar
1 free-ange egg (lightly beaten)
275g plain flour
1tsp vanilla extract

and to decorate;
400g icing sugar
3-4 tbsp water
2-3 drops of your choice of food colouring
and Edible glitter of your choice

What to do;

First, start by preheating your oven to 190C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Then cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.

Then you should beat in the egg and vanilla extract, only a little at a time until it is well combined.

Stir in the flour until the mixtures comes together as a dough form. Once you have done this, you should then roll the dough out on a lightly floured work top surface to a thickness of around 1cm.

Using a biscuit cutter of your choice, cut all of the biscuits out of the dough and then place carefully onto the baking try.

You should bake the biscuits for around 8-10 minutes, or until alight golden brown.

Before decorating you should allow to cool. For the icing, sift the icing sugar and then mix it with water until it creates a smooth mixture, you should then add your chosen food colour.

Decorate to your own preference, and allow the icing sugar to harden before you sit back, relax and enjoy your tasty butter biscuits!

P.S We'd love you to send us a picture of what your biscuits look like! 

Out With The Pumpkin, In With The Parsnip!

Ok, we know that pumpkins are still in season, but it made a great title! With winter fast approaching and the temperatures dropping, we thought w'd share with you on of our favrouite recopies… our winer warming parsnip and chestnut soup!   

What you need;

100g unsalted butter

600g of roasted parsnips, chopping into small pieces

1 small leek, make sure you trim and chop it

150ml white wine

200g cooked chestnuts 

1.5liters vegetable stock

You should add the salt and pepper to your own taste preference. 

What to do;

Start by melting half of the b utter into a large saucepan over a gentle heat, make sure the butter does not colour on the heat. Add the parsnips and leek into the pan and gently fry them for about 4 minutes or until the parsnips are soft.

Then add the wine and chestnuts and again gently fry them for a further 7 or 8 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to your taste.

You should then add the stock to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil and then leave it to simmer for 6-8minutes. Take the pan of the heat and blend with an immersion blender or a food processor until the soup is smooth. Once smooth you should then pass the soup through a fine sieve.

All that’s left to do is the washing up… 

Don't Miss Out!

It's so secret that we are holding the best competition ever! With two prizes to give away, why wouldn't you want to win? 

It's so simple, all we are asking is that you send us a picture of you and your Hopper pot, you can be riding a bike or dusting your front room! We want to see how adventurous you can be! We've already had Hoppers climb mountains, sunbathe on the beach, and even take to the waves but like we said "we want know where you would take them!"

So what are you waiting for? Don't miss out on the chance to win a £50 voucher to spend on Grasshopper products! 

You can enter on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too. Make sure you tag us in your picture and don't forget to follows us too!

My,My, My Fibre

Well what can we say, we keep telling you that fibre is the way forward... and this is why. There are two main types of fibre which are Soluble Fibre and Insoluble Fibre. Not to man people no the difference between the two and that is why we are here to help! Lets start with soluble fibre, it's mostly found in fruit, veg and of course OATS! The benefits of this are that it will form a gel in the intestines that is thought to slow down the digestion which will allow it to absorbs the carbohydrates.  Where as insoluble fibres are found in wholemeal flour and bread ect. This type of fibre is vital for a healthy digestive system. Well there you go, lesson one in fibre!

Oat Crunchies...

By the time you have finished reading this blog post, you will 100% want to make these little a squares of joy! There is no need in buying sweets this year for the trick-or-treaters just hand out these... although we can't guarantee that they won't come back for more! 

All you need is... 

180g hopper pot cane sugar porridge

250g dark or milk chocolate 

100g unsalted butter - cut them into small cubes

150g digestive biscuits 

1.  Break the chocolate into small pieces, put them in a heat proof bowl and add the butter. Melt gently over a pan of hot water, making sure to stir it now and then. Once the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, carefully lift the bowl off the pan and place the heatproof bowl onto a safe surface. 
2. Put the biscuits into a plastic food bag and use the rolling pin to break the biscuits, no smaller than you thumbnail, add the oats to the bashed biscuits. Then add both the biscuits and the oats to the melted chocolate and mix well so all the oats and chunks of biscuits are covered well. 
3. scoop all of the mixture into a greased tin and spread evenly. Cover with cling film and the leave to chill in the fridge for about 2 hours. Then cut them into equal size squares. Then sit back, relax and enjoy!! 

Do You Want A Healthy Heart?

Well... Did you know that oats are key to having a healthy heart?
It is said that if you have a daily heaping of fibre that is found in oats, particularly our porridge oats... it can help to prevent diabetes and also cut down your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
What can we say... everyone here at Hopper HQ has healthy ticker, they eat their porridge!

Could You Be Our Winner?

Have you entered our competition to win a one of  two £50 vouchers to spend on Grasshopper products...? 

You'd be silly not to, it's so simple all you need to do is take a selfie of you with your hopper pot. You can be in the office or out on a horse back ride... anywhere you want. The more adventurous, the better.  We've already had Hopper Pots climb mountains, sunbathes on the beach, and even surfs but we want know where you would take them! 

So.. why don't you get involved and who knows you could be our lucky winner! You can enter on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too. Make sure you tag us in your picture and don't forget to follows us too!

Santa is on his way...

As the autumn leaves fall, are you wondering where the year has gone?... we are too. And we known that this only means one thing is around the is on it's way... Christmas! With 64 sleeps left, why not treat your family to some delicious home cooked food.

So here is one of the traditional favourites... the mighty apple crumble.

All you need is..

300g plain flour, make sure you sieve it and add a pinch of salt
1 pot of cane sugar porridge oats, or 60g plain oats
175g unrefined brown sugar
200g unsalted butter and a knob of butter to grease the ovenproof bowl


450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
50g unrefined brown sugar
1tbsp plain flour

What to do...

You should start by preheating the oven to 18C/350F/Gas 4.

Then place the flour, oats and sugar into a bowl and mix well. Take a few cubes of butte at a time and rub them into the mixture. Use the tips of your fingers to mix together, you should keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Then you should place the fruit into a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar and flour. Make sure you stir well but be careful not to break the fruit.

Use the knob of butter to grease a medium size ovenproof bowl, spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom of the bowl, then you should sprinkle the crumble mixture on the top.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the crumble topping is a golden brown and you can see the fruit mixture bubbling. Of course, I don't need to say what's next but just incase.. serve with custard and watch the family enjoy!

Weekend Tips Worth Trying!

As you all loved the pervious post about the healthy bake off, we have decided to give you a few more healthy tips that you can try out this weekend!

Here we go...

1. If you add mashed bananas and/or berries to your cookie recipe you can add colour, texture and even flavour which means you can replace the sugar in your recipe.
2. Im sure you know that peanut butter is high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat compared with butter, so why not us peanut butter instead?

So this weekend you have no excuse not to try these healthy substitutes. 

The Healthy Bake Off

As we have already established many a times, baking doesn't have to just be unhealthy. We have a few tips that can turn your baking into healthy baking.

1. Possibly the most important tip of all... switch your flour for oats. Or you could even mix the both together to boost your fibre intake and lower the glycaemic index, which means that it will release the energy slowly through out the day.

2. you can also replace sugar by adding bits of dried fruit rather than sugar to your recipe  it will help you to increaseyoyur levels of fibre, vitamins ans also minerals.

3. Last but by no means least, to cut down fat and calories you should use cocoa powder if you are making a chocolate based recipe.

We are sure that these healthy tips will come in handy at some point, and if you think of it like this then you can eat more and not feel as guilty, sounds go hey!

Do You Love Jelly

Do you have lots of empty Hopper Pots? Well... don't throw them away, we have so many different ways to recycle them and our favourite is... the D.I.Y jelly mould. It’s so simple. All you need is a packet of flavoured jelly and some delicious fruit and, of course a empty Hopper Pot. Make the jelly as per the instructions the packet... allow to cool slightly before adding fresh fruit. Our favourite is pineapple and blueberry, but any combination is going to be delicious and healthy.

 Stir gently to ensure that the fruit is evenly distributed. Place into the fridge to set. If you pop the lid back on, you can put it in your child’s lunch box and send them to school with a healthy treat - guaranteed to make the teachers love you! What do you think? Good tip hey?

Spook-Tacular Tips

October holds cold nights and the one thing that adults look forward to more than the kids... Halloween!

So we thought we'd give you a few of our favourite top tips for all-out Halloween fun!

1. Here at Hopper HQ we live by the rule "You are never to old to go trick-or-treating" 

What do you have to lose? 

2. Make sure you buy an extra bag of sweets to give to all the trick-or-treaters, the more that's left, the more you have all to yourself! 

3. Don't throw away your seeds - If you are a regular pumpkin carver that throws away their pumpkin seeds but keeps the flesh then you need to STOP! 

Pumpkin seeds are packed with protein and fiber and not to mention that they are very tasty, you can gently toast them in a frying pan or even in the oven and you have a healthy salad topping or even a light snack. 

We'd love to know if you have any other spook-tacular tips...

A Treat For Everyone...

October is here and we all know that it means one thing... Halloween!! Even if you're 13 or 33 we know that everyone looks forward to the endless amount of unhealthy treats. Well... here is a slightly healthy recipe (it's not very healthy at all)  that you should love! Don't believe me, you'll have to try it out - wont you? 

Let me introduce you to our  "Oaty Moments"

What you need...

• 200g/7oz butter, softened
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g/9oz self-raising flour
• 140g/5oz oats
  
  
  
  
  What you do...
  Preheat the oven to about 180C/200F and make sure you line the baking tray with greaseproof paper. 
  Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until it is light and fluffy.
  
  
  Then you should beat the egg until it is well combined, stir in the vanilla and flour until well combined. 
  Separate the dough into 12 equal pieced and roll the ball s in the oats then put them on the baking try. Gently squash the balls with the palm of your hands.
  
  
  Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are a golden brown. 
  
  
  Get the kids or the better half to do the washing up whilst you put your feet up and enjoy your oaty moments. 

Autumn Is Officially Here

Put your shorts away and grab your wellies... autumn is here, and it looks like it's staying.

Well... after plenty of summer adventures its finally time to put away the barbecue, although this doesn't mean that you can't still explore the British country side, just make sure you pack your gloves and of course... your hopper pots!

There are so many places to explore that are right on our door step not many of us know about them. The National Trust are holding plenty of guided walks throughout the autumn months you have no excuse to stay in doors and hide form the cold!

Water way to travel!

Are you an adventure lover? Are you one for having and seeing new things? Well... take a look at this! 

A futuristic kayak which is completely transparent that allows you to admire the beautiful surroundings both above and  bellow the water! How cool does that sound? 

The were designed by the Seattle based company called Clear Blue Hawaii, this super clever idea will set you back £1,654.20...!

What do you think..? 

Nutty Chocolate Oaty

Are you taking part in The World's Biggest Coffee Morning for Macmillan on the 26th of September 2014, or know someone who is? These Nutty Chocolate Oatys are the answer to all of your worries... the tasty and easy to make oatys are a favourite among the Hopper Team...


What you need...
100g  salted butter
3 X pots of Grasshopper Cane Sugar Porridge - Hopper pot
450g  rich dark chocolate
150ml  double cream
150g  almond nuts (chopped)
150g  hazelnuts (chopped)

What to do...
Start off by melting the butter in a pan. Add the oats and cook for three minutes. Then transfer to an baking tray that will fit in your fridge.

You should then place a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the chocolate and cream to the bowl and leave to melt for 15 minutes without stirring.

Add the almond nuts and hazelnuts to the oats and stir.

When the chocolate has fully melted, give it a little stir and then pour over the oats and nuts. Fold the chocolate through and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When set, break into pieces by hand, serve and enjoy these tasty snacks!

Homemade Granola- what's not to love?

Are you a kitchen goddess? Well get your apron on... you're going to LOVE this recipe! Even if you're a man, let your inner-goddess shine, you have no excuse not to try this!

This granola recipe is one that all the family can get involved in (maybe not the animals - if you have any) 

Your ingredients -

125ml of maple syrup
2 tbsp of honey
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 pots of coconut and date porridge oats
100g of flaked almonds or chopped 
100g of dried berries (find them in the baking aisle)


Method - 

First, make sure you preheat your oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
Then you should mix the maple syrup, honey and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once they are fully mixed together- add the 3 pots of coconut and date porridge oats and mix well.

Add the granola to two baking trays and spread them evenly... bake these for 15 minutes. Then add the almonds and dried berries to the mix and bake for another 10-15 minutes. 
Once golden brown remove from the oven and leave on the tray to cool down. 


And voila, you have some delicious homemade granola!

3 Secrets of Porridge

Well it's no secret that our hopper pots are delicious, but what you might not know is the benefit that you get from eating porridge as part of your daily routine.

Some of these are...

1. Appetite Regulation, our porridge has a high amount of dietary fiber. This will help to fill you up for longer, hopefully preventing you from overeating. 
2. Energy, carbohydrates are macronutrients which are needed for optimal brain function and to give you energy throughout the day.
3. our porridge contains Vitamin A, this is needed for your vision, cell and tissue growth and reproduction. 

Porridge for gold!

Firstly, we would like to say congratulations to Laura Trott on winning her gold medal! Well done, you've done us proud!
When asked what her secret was she said "I've been living of porridge". So we have decided to give you are Golden Oaty recipe containing porridge oats, so that you to can win gold (in the kitchen maybe)

Golden Oaty Crumble:

Ingredients:
3 eating apples
2 Bramley apples
350g of blackberries, you can use frozen if they are not in season!
100g of Demerara sugar
1 pot of cane sugar porridge
175g of plain flour
140g of soft brown sugar
185g of butter

What you do:

1. Before you do anything, preheat the oven to 170 degrees.

2. Core and quarter the apples, then put half of them into an oven dish and sprinkle with half of the Demerara sugar. Ad d the blackberries to the dish and cover with the remaining apples.  Put the rest of the Demerara sugar onto the apples. 

3. For the crumble topping,  pour the flour into a bowl and stir in the sugar and the porridge oats. Cut the butter into small squares and add them to the mixture. Rub it all together with your fingertips until the mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs. Lay the crumble mixture on on top of the fruit.

4.  place your dish into the oven and leave for around about 40 minutes, you will know when its ready its it will be a lovely golden brown colour.

Im sure this will go down a treat, you could even add some ice-cream or custard!

A few ideas to keep you occupied...

We are in for another week of glorious weather, and we have come up with a few penny saving ideas....

1. With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching, why not take advantage of this. You and your friends could form your own "teams"or even with your children. The only things you really need is space and room to perform these activities, and of course a medal for the wining team! If you are feeling really adventurous you could make your own tally board, and let your competitive side come through.... who knows.... you may be the next athletic representing Wales or England... it could be a possibility!

2. Let your creative side flow... here at Hopper HQ every time we go on a adventure we always make sure that we have our camera in hand to take advantage of every selfie opportunity. Take a trip down to your local sculpture park and get creative... this is the best way to take the pictures. Don't worry about looking daft or silly, everyone has jumped onto the selfie bandwagon... I'm sure you have secretly!

3. Let your kitchen goddess flow, even if you are a man. There is no excuse, put your apron on and get your grasshopper oats out. This recipe will blow your mind.... and I'm sure you have these hiding in the back of your cupboards!!

Its flapjack time!!!!

All you need is:
250g of Grasshopper cane sugar oats
125g of Butter
125g of Brown suagr
3 tsps of golden syrup

You could even add a few cheeky chocolate pieces if you have a sweet tooth.

The method:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse them until they are fully mixed, but make sure you don't over mix them as the oats will lose there texture and become a mushy mess.

2. Lightly grease a medium sized baking tray with butter, and then place all of the mixture into the tray.

3. Use the back of a spoon to press the mixture evenly into the corners, then section them up to how you would like... big pieces or little its your choice. Personally, the bigger the better!!

4. Finally place your yummy flapjacks into a pre-heated oven at 180 and bake until golden brown. This is usually between 15 to 20 minutes.

So..... there you go 3 easy cost effect ideas that can fill your weekend or even your week!!

Hello Heat Wave......

Have you seen the weather forecast for this weekend, it's going to be hot... hot... with a slice chance of it being hot!
We think it's going to be perfect weather for sitting in the garden with a pot of Tomato and Basil soup in one hand and chunky piece of bread in the other, with your feet in the kids paddling pool. Why? Just because you can, and the sun is the best excuse there is.

Schools out for summer!

So the end of term is fast coming, for some lucky people it is already here!
Do you have any plans during your time off?
Why don't you take advantage of this glorious weather and take a picnic down to your local National Trust park, but don't forget to pack your hopper pots.
You could even recycle your empty hopper pots and do some gardening, they are the perfect pots to grow different herbs in!

Just check out our website for all our tasty and healthy products.

Who Do You Want To Win...

So this week we saw Germany and Argentina make it into the finale of the World Cup!!
Here at Hopper HQ we will definitely be watch the match on Sunday night, nail biting with one hand and soup in the other! We are sure it is going to be a world class finale, and definitely not worth missing!

Who do you want to win? Let us know on here or on our Facebook or Twitter accounts!

What is your next adventure?

Snowboarding season may be over but what's your next adventure going to be? Here at Hopper HQ we'd love to know! 

Image from the National Geographic Website

Fan Friday

So it fan Friday and we have received some great pictures this week from different hoppers out and about with there Hopper Pots.

Here is our favourite picture from this week, taken by Olivia Whitworth on her lunch break.

Keep sending in all you great snaps from this week, and you might see your picture posted on The Grassy Daily! 

A summer smoothie even the sun would worship

With all this summer weather, we thought we'd share with you one of our delicious smoothie recipes!  Sound tempting? It does to us at Hopper HQ!

Ingredients -

• 1/2 of the pot of porridge with cane sugar 
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 banana, cut into thirds
• 1/2 cup of fat-free milk
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
Directions - 

It's so quick and easy you will not believe your eyes, put all of the ingredients into your blender all at once and blend until smooth. This recipe is best severed immediately! 

This recipe is so healthy you won't even feel guilty if you were to freeze it to make a tasty frozen treat! 

Don't wait around, the sun never does. So hop onto our website you grab the most important ingredient! 

Food for Feet!

Wow. The Tour de France starts this weekend, so now is the perfect time to join the cycling revolution. It's fun, healthy, cheap, liberating and good for our planet. And you know what all the pro cyclists live? Porridge.

Team GB are big fans of oats... we're not surprised as they help the body to release energy slowly, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, ideal for a long ride. And don't be fooled by their size, as these little oats are packed full of benefits. They are low in saturated fats, high in fibre and rich in traditional nutrients!

Our porridge Hopper Pots are packed full of goodness and perfect for those on the move. Their petite size makes from the go-to instant meal! Simply bring along a flask of hot water and you're ready to tuck into a pot whenever you want!

Are you getting your oats?

Game. Set. Match.

It's time to dust off those Tennis whites... Wimbledon has begun!

We've got two weeks of Tennis madness! Whether you're watching in the comfort of your own home, or heading down to SW19 we've got you covered. Our delicious Hopper Pots are perfect to keep your energy levels up high when the Tennis is going back and fourth... and if you are going to be joining those queues step away from the burger truck, and go for a healthy pot of noodles instead!

Just remember, all you need is a flask of hot water and a Hopper Pot! :-)

Festival Fever

Summer is here which means one thing… festivals!!

That’s right, the season of festivals has well and truly begun. Weekends packed with thousands of peoples in a muddy field, having a laugh with your friends and dancing until your legs don’t let you dance anymore! It’s definitely all about having fun!

Here at Hopper Heads HQ, we love taking along the Grasshopper Hopper Pots, they are small enough to pop in a bag without taking up too much space, meaning most of the meals for the weekend are sorted! They are super tasty AND healthy, so you don't need to worry about piling on any pounds - perfect!! 

Head to our website now and get ordering!! 

Football Frenzy

Are you excited for the Fifa World Cup? We certainly are here in the Grasshopper offices!

Tomorrow is the big day... the whole world will be in a football frenzy for just over the month, and we just can't wait! Whether you'll be sitting at home watching it with your family or heading to the local with a group of friends, it will be fun for everyone!

If you're staying at home why not took into some delicious Hopper Pots... our tasty noodles and soups are the perfect treat to keep the atmosphere going while the match is on!!

Did you know... (4)

So, Summer is coming... and we are all probably on a crazy rampage to shift the extra weight! Well look no further as our porridge can help!!

Even though the warmer weather is here and Summer is approaching, don't let it stop you from tucking into a delicious pot of porridge. The oats we use are all natural, which makes them 100% natural so they are the perfect breakfast solution, especially when on the move.

Half Term Adventures!

Keeping the kids entertained over half term can be quite a struggle... especially as the weather has taken a downward spiral!

Don't let the rain stop you from heading on adventures - grab your wellies, coat and an umbrella and you're ready to head out into the great outdoors. Whether you're thinking of hiking up a hill, exploring the local countryside or visiting a farm... just get the kids outside and into the fresh air, just remember to keep your bellies full, as you don't want any angry/hungry kiddies throwing a tantrum. 

Take Grasshopper with you, our delicious soups will help keep you warm and fill you up when hunger calls! Our petite Hoppers are perfect to fit in your backpack without taking up too much space - remember to take along a flask of hot water so you can tuck in whenever you want!

A spanish climb!

Photograph by Sam Bié

We're all about exploring the great outdoors here at Grasshopper, whether it's the British countryside or somewhere further afield - we are always up for an adventure.

Looks like these guys are too. Sam Bié and his friend climbed Monserrat - an iconic mountain in Spain that has inspired many Spanish artists - during the climb, a roll of fog moved in swiftly, making visibility difficult. Sam managed to capture this stunning picture and you can see how thick the fog was... definitely scary, but at least you can't see what's below, right?

Hopefully the pair stocked up on Grasshopper Porridge in the morning to keep their strength up, looks like they definitely needed it.

Picnic Perfect

The sun is shining, the temperatures are high, this calls for one thing... a picnic.

With the weather being so glorious, it would be silly to miss out on the sunshine! Whether you make it a family affair or strictly friends only, getting together and laying on the grass with food and drink is a great way to relax, have fun and soak up the sun.

You know what the perfect picnic food is... a delicious pot of tomato & basil soup.

The 125 Countdown

Psstt... did you know for a limited time only our Hopper Pots will be on offer! 

Today all of our Porridges, Soups and Noodles in Hopper form will be available for only £7.50 (normally £8.75) - working out at £1.25 per pot!! What's the catch you say... well there is no catch, but you do have to be quick as this discount is only available for 125 minutes! 

The 125 countdown begins at midday today... but don't forget when you hop to the website, you need to enter HOPPER125 at the checkout.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Offer only available on the Hopper Pots.

• Discount code HOPPER125 must be applied at the checkout.

• This is only available on the 14.05.14 between the hours of 12:00pm - 14:05pm.

• Only available on the Grasshopper website.
• Postage & packaging charges still apply.