Time for a cuppa? (inc Beanies flavoured instant coffee review)

Madmumof7 at The Ritz
As a SAHM with 7 children you can imagine the consumption of hot beverages, preferably containing caffeine, is probably higher than average in my house.

There are many good excuses for a nice cup of something throughout my day- I'm guessing I'm not alone with some of them.

The cup you drink after hearing a squeaky voice asking for the third time;"Is it morning yet?" No. It isn't. Not unless you are a Cornish trawlerman or delivering milk from an electric truck.

You tuck the wide awake child up the first few times with reminders about the link between daylight and getting up time. But after a while it's easier just to switch on stupid o'clock transmissions of Bob the Builder and doze upright in between sips of coffee.

The cup you drink, cold or microwaved, after returning from school run to find every bowl in the house encrusted with dried cereal, toast crusts under the table and your breakfast still in the packet and your abandoned cuppa half-drunk on the side. Oh and the PE kit/homework/trip payment still by the front door where you left it so you absolutely wouldn't forget it.

The cup after cup you drink at toddler groups, coffee mornings and school/preschool/church/fundraising committee meetings.

My favourite cups of tea and coffee are usually accompanied by some sort of biscuit, cake or pastry in the company of my friends as we massacre a lump of crochet (best way to describe my efforts!) or swap tales from the playground - never gossiping you understand, just information sharing.

Nowadays I don't have tiddly kids crawling around so our coffee mornings can be quite relaxing, apart from the one eye on the clock for school run time. Or sharing assembly.Which we go to because we have to - we are devoted SAHM's -but in truth it's not great craning your neck to catch a mumbled account of the morning's literacy lesson and holding your breathe at awards time while you hope that either both or none of your children get a prized red certificate.

The cuppa with DH when he gets home from work. A quick exchange of the days highlights before clubs, homework, teatime, showers, bed.....

And maybe a cup of something relaxing just before bed. Though to be fair I give it a miss more often than not nowadays as after 7 kids and 44 years my bladder isn't what it used to be....

Beanies Flavoured Coffee
I was delighted to be offered some Beanies flavoured instant coffee to try recently. I love flavoured coffee and normally treat myself to a sugar-free syrup in a skinny latte while I'm out. (I'm diabetic and could do with losing a pound or two!)

These instant coffees are diabetic friendly and smell divine when you open the jars. My husband's favourite was the Hazelnut while I thought the French Vanilla was the better flavour. We also tried Amaretto flavour which smelled lovely but I was less keen on.

To get the most of the flavour I think it helps to prefer your coffee more on the strong side. I have to say I like my coffee and tea weak with milk and sweetener and I think maybe that affected the taste somewhat.

Talking to other bloggers lots of them were raving about other flavours I didn't try. There are so many flavours - there's even a Christmas Pudding flavour - and a handy flavour-finder on the website (Click here!)

You can buy the coffees in instant or ground coffee form. Without milk or sugar they come in at less than 2 cals per serving! Check out the Beanies website or look for them in Sainsbury's and try them for yourself! I'd be interested to know what you think so come back and share using the comment box below.

Disclosure: I was provided with three jars of coffee for the purposes of this review. Views are as always my own.
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