Category: Food & Drink

Roberts Dorset Gift Boxes

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan

Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and whilst there are plenty of gifts available for women it can prove a little more difficult finding the perfect gift for the special man in your life. In my experience alcohol and food always go down a treat and if your husband/boyfriend loves snacking – especially on pork crackling, nuts and cider then Roberts Dorset is the place to go!

With products suitable for those following a Keto or Vegan lifestyle they have a fantastic selection of gift boxes that can be customised to suit the recipient.

Robert’s Dorset began back in 2011 in the family kitchen, initially selling their products at their local Dorset markets.  They quickly discovered that their snacks were incredibly popular and worked hard to create new flavours, now supplying their tasty snacks all over the country.

I have always liked pork crackling but never realised there was a choice of flavour beyond “pork”. I was therefore intrigued to discover that Roberts Dorset produce a variety of flavours – Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Extreme Naga Chilli, BBQ, Salt & Pepper, Sage & Onion and Garlic and have enjoyed sampling them all.

These delicious savoury bites are incredibly moreish and I haven’t been able to stop myself dipping into the pots for my crackling fix. The crackling is crunchy and crisp with the slightly pork fat taste, that I remember so well from Friday nights at the local pub!  

As well as the crackling the Scrumptious Combination gift box also included a couple of tubs of  peanuts (sea salt and sweet chilli) along with a couple of cans of St Austell Brewery “Proper Job” IPA.

I enjoyed all the flavours but be warned the Naga Chilli flavour is incredibly hot and not for the faint hearted. I would say that all the flavours are suitable snacks to have alongside drinks as a change to the more traditional crisps and peanuts. The tubs are recyclable but have a good fitting lid which makes them very useful if kept. Eaten in conjunction with the excellent St Austell Brewery “Proper Job” IPA’s they make a perfect Valentine’s treat.

So soon after the indulgence of Christmas some might wonder about the healthiness of pork crackling but as they are gluten free, high in protein and MSG free, surely they can count as a health food!?

The many different options that Roberts Dorset offer mean that there is something for everyone. They make a superb gift idea – something that little bit different and a nice change from the standard box of chocolate or smellies.

Take a look at the fantastic selection of Gift boxes here, prices start at £17.50

Cranes Cranberry & Blood Orange Liqueur

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan, Winter

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own

Love is in the air at The Review Studio this week and we are currently surrounded by a fantastic selection of Valentine’s products and looking forward to sharing our favourites over the next few days.

One present that always goes down is alcohol and this delicious Cranberry and Blood Orange Liqueur from Cranes will make a lovely gift for the special person in your life.

This striking red liqueur has been created by the founders of Cranes – twin brothers Ben & Dan along with one of the UK’s top mixologists. Made from Wisconsin cranberries and infused with blood orange juice and orange rind, this double award-winning liqueur is sweet with underlying, but not overpowering, sourness – imagine a ‘sour’ candy sweets but add a 17% alcoholic kick!

The bottle comes with minimal cardboard packaging and the distinctive square glass bottle is nice and chunky and is the type that look good on a drinks trolley.

The liqueur can be drunk neat, on the rocks or why not add some Prosecco to make a delicious Cranbellini cocktail.

Talking of cocktails there are a couple of ideas on the box to try

Cosmopolitan (Cranes Liqueur, Cranberry juice, Vodka and lime)

Lemon Berry (Cranes liqueur, Limoncello and Sicilian lemonade)

Shaddock’s G&T (Cranes liqueur, Gin, Tonic water and Pink Grapefruit Juice)

Cranes Spritz (Cranes liqueur, Soda water, Prosecco)

It a sweet, fruity liqueur but there is a hint of sharpness, and like any liqueur is best drunk slowly so you can savour every sip. It also goes well in cocktails and having tried all the ones above (well someone has to!!) we decided that the Cranes Spritz was our favourite, it’s a light and refreshing cocktail and the accompaniment toa Valentine’s Afternoon Tea.

It makes an ideal Valentine’s Day gift or why not buy a bottle and make some delicious cocktails to accompany a romantic night in.

RRP 50cl £19.99 from Cranes

Other Cranes drinks we have reviewed are

Cranes Cider

Cranes Cranberry Gin

Cranes Cider Gift Sets

Sponge Valentine’s Gift Box

Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own

It’s the 1st of February today – which means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! All the shops are currently full of cheerful displays of gifts and flowers and it’s the perfect excuse to treat your loved one and bring a little joy to the gloomy February days.

Food gifts are a popular Valentine’s gift and your Valentine is bound to be impressed with the Valentine’s Gift Box from Sponge.

When I opened the box, I was delighted to find a nicely wrapped parcel containing a lovely selection of treats. The top layer contained four baby sponge cakes, each in its own little box and sealed in plastic to keep it fresh. We received Red Velvet, Chocolate Orange, Sticky Toffee and Carrot cakes and each cake was lovely and moist and incredibly delicious. Sponge Cakes cater for all types of dietary requirements, and you can request standard, gluten free or vegan cakes in your giftbox.

Underneath the cakes were even more treats

Valentine’s cocktail & a mini bottle of Prosecco (or a non-alcoholic cocktail & ginger beer)

A single white rose

6 heart chocolates (vegan fudge instead of chocolates included in vegan option).

A Pukka love tea bag

A Valentine’s Card

Considering there were cakes and a real rose in the box everything was packaged really well and arrived in perfect condition. I also liked the little touches like the organza bag containing the chocolate heats, this simple touch makes the gift even more special.

This is a lovely, thoughtful gift and now I know how delicious the cakes are I will definitely be ordering from them again. I had a look on their website and have my eye on the sharing cakes, these are such a fantastic idea and are perfect for families like ours where everyone likes a different type of cake.  

Sponge online cake company make all their cakes from scratch, using only high quality ingredients and deliver all over the UK so if you want to treat your special person on Valentine’s Day I would take a look now!

RRP £24.95



Afternoon Tea at Colonel Saab, Holborn Town Hall, London WC1

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegetarian, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I’m a lover of afternoon tea. I also love Indian food, so when they mentioned Indian afternoon tea, there was no way I wasn’t going to try it!

Colonel Saab, located at the Holborn Old Town Hall at 193-197 High Holborn, London WC1 was only opened in October 2021 but is already winning awards. Just walking through the door, you can see all the accolades, including the Forbes top 40 Indian restaurants in London.

Inside, the 134 covers restaurant is situated over the ground floor and a cut-o mezzanine floor. As soon as you pass the bar, it’s the giant multitude of rose glass Indian chandeliers  which leave you fascinated with the décor.  Photos of owner Roop Partap Choudhary’s family, antique paintings and at the back, a photo each of his parents, Colonel Choudhary and his wife, Binny Choudhary.  The restaurant is named after Colonel Choudhary and is a love letter to their relationship since their marriage more than 40 years ago.

We were there to review the Indian Afternoon Tea, a specialty of Colonel Saab which takes a bit of explaining as India isn’t known for their own Afternoon Teas. Firstly, Champagne was brought out to each of us before the tea arrived. You don’t have to have the typical English Breakfast Tea to accompany your meal, so I tried the Massala Chai tea whilst my guest had a latte coffee.  Massala Chai is a special blended tea, with milk, which has spices such as cinnamon and a touch of sugar to give a full bodied, slightly sweet tea that challenges the usual English Breakfast.  I ordered a second pot of Massala tea in the end as it was so delicious!

The beautiful afternoon tea cage was brought over to our table with the familiar three tiers, but with an Indian twist.  The first tier of sandwiches were cucumber and yoghurt, and dhokla fingers.  If you’re not familiar with dhokla, it is an Indian cake-like fermented batter that is savoury but flavoured through the middle.  The middle layer had the familiar scones with cream and jam, but their added Indian twist here was a vegetable samosa!

The final layer at the top were the cakes!  Carrot cake, Lemon Meringue, two different flavours of macaron and a chocolate truffle each.  If, like us, you were particularly full by this time, you can always ask for the cakes to be boxed for you to take away.  However, they are so delicious, it’s easier to just have another cup of tea and work your way through them!

With the delicious afternoon tea finished, I was given a tour of Colonel Saab to show where the idea came from and the facilities beyond just the restaurant floor. The bar, on the ground floor, is available at any time and doesn’t need booking. Around the corner are the family photos of Roop Partap Choudhary [the founder] and love letters between his parents.  Behind the front door, there are the private dining rooms, which were beyond magnificent!  One large room, or a divider makes them two smaller rooms, the area is dominated by a huge canopied fireplace.  You can’t miss the enormous mobile bar though – which although made by Aspreys of London, belonged to Colonel Choudhary and travelled around with him whilst on campaign. It is stunning, and still looks as if it could serve drinks today.

Going upstairs, there’s more tables, all of which have different styles. At the far end of the mezzanine there is a quiet ‘nook’ area of a canopied table for four.  A perfect hideaway and position to watch the restaurant downstairs!

I was also told to walk downstairs to the bathrooms as this is one of the most ‘Instagramable’ areas of the restaurant. Dark red walls festooned with family photos and even more of the beautiful rose glass chandeliers. The bathroom itself was also very beautiful with carefully designed soft furnishings and retro sinks.

Don’t forget the two portraits of Binny and Colonel Choudhary in the main restaurant, with so many decorative plates around them, and the 6th centuries old painting between them that is an Indian traditional and takes literally years to paint.

By the time we had finished, we had been there nearly two hours and didn’t want to leave.  The atmosphere of the restaurant and the friendliness of the staff, all of whom said hello to us whilst we were there made this a hidden treasure. Just outside of Covent Garden but not quite in theatre land, it’s easier to get to than you think and as well as the fantastic food, it’s fascinating to visit. 

Afternoon tea is £25 per person or £48 for two. Champagne afternoon tea starts at £41 per person. 

https://colonelsaab.co.uk

Holborn Town Hall, 193-197 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD

020 8016 6800

reservations@colonelsaab.co.uk

BOWSER LEAF

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own

We’re almost half way through Dry January and with so many new and exciting non-alcoholic drinks to try I’ve found I haven’t missed alcohol at all!  

Ordinarily I do enjoy a nice G&T so was really pleased to receive a bottle of BOWSER LEAF from Conker Distillery. Launched in 2021 LEAF is a unique botanical blend offering all the complexities of a premium gin but without the alcohol.  It can be served with ice and tonic for a refreshing drink or if you are feeling a little more adventurous you can create a mocktail?

Distilled in copper pot stills using New Forest Spring Water, five carefully selected botanicals – Patchouli, Mint, Basil, Tarragon and Thyme are distilled separately and blended carefully to create a well-balanced, complex spirit that has a beautiful mouthfeel and that vital fresh dryness that you expect from a premium gin. I tried it with an unflavoured light tonic to get the full flavour and I was really impressed.

A hint of spice, followed by fresh mint and thyme, this is a sophisticated drink that is refreshing, light and best of all doesn’t leave you with a hangover the following morning. It has the classic gin bitterness but with none of the alcohol or calories (BOWSER is calorie free) so it is much better for your waistline too!

BOWSER is perfect when you want something special that isn’t alcoholic. A party taste without the hangover – what’s not to like!

A 70cl bottle costs £20 and is available from Ocado

B.fresh Juices

Drinks and Mixers, Fitness, Food & Drink, health, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review however all thoughts and opinions are our own

New Year – New Me. At least that’s my intention!

I’m trying to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables that I eat and as a glass of juice counts as one of the 5 a day I was really pleased to receive a selection of delicious mixed juices from B.fresh. The fresh, cold pressed juices and juice shots are made from 100% natural ingredients, with no added sugars or sweeteners and are produced on their farm in Shropshire.

The three juices I tried are

Happy Greens

Get Up and Glow

Strawberry Shines.

The Happy Greens drink has an apple base with kale and spinach. I really loved this one, the earth tones of the spinach and kale were perfectly balanced with the natural sweetness of the apple juice.

The orange, Get Up and Glow, cleverly mixes carrots with orange juice and apple with a hint of turmeric for that on trend health boost. Packed with antioxidants and vitamin C a glass of this juice is a great way to start the day.  

The Strawberry Shines drink combines 35% strawberry with apple, carrot cucumber and beetroot, I was expecting the strawberry flavour to be stronger but the flavour that stood out more was the apple with the strawberry coming in as a very pleasant aftertaste.

Each 250ml bottle counts as one of my five a day and with no added sugar makes a great healthy start to my day. I’ll pop one in my bag for a lunchtime treat too!

Available from the B.fresh website from £3.65 per 250ml juice

Mavrik Non Alcoholic Cocktails

Birthday Gifts, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Summer, Vegan, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own

It’s the weekend and even though we’re taking part in Dry January it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a cocktail or two – there are plenty of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails available now and Mavrik have certainly come up trumps with their exciting non- alcoholic cocktail range.

The Mavrik taster pack contains four 250ml cans and with less than 50 calories per can they are perfect for those watching the calories as well as those who prefer a non-alcoholic drink. Choose from

  • Aromatic G&T: A delicious version of the quintessential English favourite with a refined low calorie pink G&T.
  • Cuban Mojito: Zinging with mint and rum flavours, this indulgent alcohol-free Mojito is the very refreshing and will be lovely to drink with friends this Dry January. 
  • Venetian Spritz: A refreshing, sparking orange drink, sweet with a hint of bitterness and is  delicious with plenty of ice and a few slices of orange.
  • Storm & Spice: a fiery, tongue tickling, low calorie version of the classic spicy Bermudan rum cocktail.

My favourite of the four was the Cuban Mojito which was just as a Mojito should be, nice and  refreshing with the taste of fresh lime and mint and with no sugar I can drink it all night guilt free.

I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with the non-alcoholic drinks, made with natural ingredients and carbonated New Forest spring water they are very refreshing and enable you to get into the party spirit without the hangover! They are vegan friendly, gluten free and contain less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams so what’s not to love?

Mavrik drinks are available from their website and the tasting pack costs £9.75

Cranes Cider

Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Summer, Vegan

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review however all thoughts and opinions are our own

It’s the first week of Dry January and I’m sure I’m not the only one looking forward to having a break from alcohol (and hangovers) after a few weeks of over indulgence!

I enjoy a glass of cider, so I’ve swapped my normal brand for low alcohol cider from Cranes Cider. It’s got the fresh, crisp flavour you would expect from a quality British Cider but with only 0.5% alcohol content is a much healthier choice.

When you pour it into a glass you get the same apple aroma as you would from a traditional cider, and I was pleased to discover that it has the same crisp freshness in the mouth that I am used to. This is every bit as good as traditional cider and one I will continue to drink once Dry January is over. At only 0.5% ALC it is ideal for those who can’t or don’t want to drink alcohol and is suitable for those who follow a vegan or gluten free diet too.

RRP £22.50 for 9 x 500ml bottles and is available from Cranes

Jamu Wild Water

Children, Drinks and Mixers, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Plastic free

January is not only Dry January, but the beginning of the year is a time to try new things and for many of us, to become healthier! Jamu Wild Water have these 100% Natural and Zero Sugar waters to tempt you into the healthier side of living in 2023, and sent us some of them the try.

The waters come in 250ml sized cans in three flavours; Natural Sparkling Raspberry, Natural Sparkling Blood Orange and Natural Sparkling Lemon. As the name suggests, they don’t contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners and each have added Vitamin C and zinc.  Not only are they made with natural fruit flavours but with nourishing botanicals and are gently fizzed so you can attempt almost anyone with their texture or taste!

The Natural Sparkling Raspberry flavour is slightly sweet from the raspberry and elderberry fruits, with the root flavouring of the Marshmallow Root Extract coming through. It’s probiotic too, giving your gut a better nutrient from the probiotic root it contains.

The Natural Sparkling Blood Orange flavour contains chicory root for probiotic health, and the flavour comes from the sweet blood orange and Echinacea, which has immune boosting properties.

Lastly, my favourite is the refreshing Natural Sparkling Lemon with the invigorating citrus flavour from lemons, and added nettle and dandelion extracts, the combination of which is used traditionally to relieve inflammation, boost immunity and aid digestive health.

Suitable for the whole family, they will be particularly useful in flu season and when the kids don’t want to drink just water. The 100% recyclable cans means that Jamu Wild Water can be taken out on car journeys, picnics or even to school. Can’t wait until after Dry January to find out what else it can be mixed with too!

Available from www.jamuwildwater.co.uk, £20 for 12 cans.

iSqueeze Juice

Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gluten Free, Lunchbox Fillers, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own

After the excess of food and drink consumed over the Christmas period, Dry January provides the perfect opportunity to reset your body and mind. Dry January is the month when many people abstain from alcohol and as well as saving money it also has plenty of health benefits too, including improved sleep, weight loss and cutting out alcohol can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol too.

Lots of people associate orange juice as a breakfast staple but it can now be enjoyed “on-the-go” thanks to a growing number of iSqueeze machines in retail establishments, enabling you to grab a fresh juice whilst out and about. You will find machines in supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, gyms, and even hospitals.

The easy to operate self-service machines squeeze the fruit in seconds before bottling it, letting you enjoy fresh orange juice with no nasties, preservatives or sweeteners. The juice is packed full of flavour with plenty of zesty pulp and is very refreshing to drink.

The juice is available in a variety of sizes and each iSqueeze 250ml bottle (priced between £1.50 – £2.50) contains 3 oranges, 330ml (priced between £2 – £2.80) bottle – 5 oranges, 500ml (priced between £3 – £4.00) bottle – 8 oranges and the 1 litre bottle (priced between £4.25 – £6.00) contains an impressive 15 oranges.

As well as orange juice iSqueeze also have machines that will squeeze pomegranates and grapefruits too, with the technology to extend to further fruits including apples, so keep your eyes peeled!

All fruit is sustainably sourced, meaning zero waste, and the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic which can easily be recycled. The juice is squeezed whilst you wait and is packed full of immune boosting ingredients and is high in vitamin C, folate, as well as potassium.

You will find iSqueeze machines in a growing number of places around the UK, we have one in our local Booths and you can also find them in Sainsburys, Coop, Nisa, Costcutter, Spar, Centre Parcs and plenty of other locations too.

Spice Kitchen Subscription Box

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Subscription Boxes, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own

My New Year’s Resolution is to cook more from scratch, rather than relying on ready made sauces. I love curries but have never really tried making my own, so I was really pleased to be able to try a subscription box from Spice Kitchen Each box contains a selection of spices along with a handy recipe guide with plenty of tasty recipes to get you started. Using the spices with the suggested ingredients means you know exactly what is going into your dish and that all the ingredients are healthy and suitable for the whole family.

The subscription boxes are available as a 3 month or 6 month subscription which are posted monthly or quarterly – you choose the timings. The spices are different in each box

3 month subscription – India, Around the World, Middle Eastern & African Spice Collecion

6 month subscription – The same as the 3 month followed by Chilli, Moroccan and Flavoured Sea Salts

The spices are packaged in resealable plastic bags which are clearly labelled so that you know which spice is which. Each box contains enough spices to make over 100 meals so you can try plenty of different recipes with each box. Once you have tried the ones in the recipe guide have a look at the Spice Kitchen website where you will find plenty more.

I flicked through the recipe book and was spoilt for choice, all the dishes sounded lovely however after a lot of deliberation we settled on Chicken Biryani, one of our favourite takeaway meals. We had all the ingredients so were able to try it out straight away. The instructions are really simple and easy to follow and I was really impressed just how easy it was to create a delicious curry.

We served the Chicken Biryani with Naan bread and rice and the whole family loved it, it was flavoursome and had just the right kick to it.

Next we tried the Punjabi Chickpeas, again we had all the ingredients in and my son made this for us. He said it was really easy to make and there were 4 clean plates at the end of the meal, so this speaks for itself!

Now I know how easy it is to make curries from scratch I know this is one New Year’s Resolution that I won’t be breaking! The subscription boxes are a way to bring authentic Indian cooking into the home and would make a great gift for any keen cook or foodie this year.

No Guilt Bakes Keto Cakes and Treats

Christmas, Family Life, Fitness, Food & Drink

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’ve ever been on a low carb, Keto or Atkins diet (there are many names for the high protein/fat lifestyle!) then you’ll know how difficult it is to find commercially available products. No Guilt Bakes is the brain child of Taeya and Maya, friends who have lost 40kg between them in weight after following the Keto diet whereby sugar isn’t consumed at all, and the rest of your diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. That means… no cake! Well, it did, until No Guilt Bakes found a way of making cakes and treats with almond flour and other sugar-free, low carb ingredients. 

The team at No Guilt Bakes sent us two cakes to try over Christmas; the Christmas Keto Fruit Cake and Caramel & Ginger Spice Keto Cake Loaf.  The Christmas Keto Fruit Cake isn’t available after Christmas, but there are more cakes and treats being released for holidays and special occasions throughout the year, so keep an eye on the website if you’re interested. Each cake is approximately 350gram loaf and arrives by post as quickly as possible after delivery. The idea is to hit that sweet craving before you can reach for the biscuits and as the company professes, have No Guilt!

Both the Christmas Keto Cake and Caramel & Ginger Spice Loaves arrived neatly packed in cardboard trays and sealed for freshness in plastic. You can either freeze them for 2 months, or if you open them straight away, they have at least 4 days’ shelf life.  They are best kept in the fridge, even before being opened to keep their freshness. 

What were they like to eat? Both cakes are surprisingly rich in flavour, with additions such as cinnamon, dried blueberries and both are made with almond flour. If you’ve never tried almond flour before, its’ taste isn’t much different to wheat flour, other than it is slightly richer and heavier, but not sticky. It holds flavours very well when you mix it in a cake batter for instance, and works particularly well with butter.  The Fruit Cake and Ginger Cake really didn’t taste any different to your bakery-bought cakes we see everyday. I would say that the No Guilt Bakes Keto Fruit Cake is lighter than the usual fruit cake though, so for everyone who finds Christmas to be a sticky mess, this cake is probably preferable.  The Caramel & Ginger cake is likewise just as moist and not heavy at all, plus you can really taste the ginger in it.  Neither cake is lacking in sweetness though, hence you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test!

I am constantly looking for Keto sweets to try and No Guilt Bakes is new to me, so thanks to Taeya and Maya, I will be looking to see what else I can order!

Cake loaves are available from £8.99 at: https://www.noguiltbakes.co.uk/products/ginger-keto-loaf-cake

SodaStream Art Review

Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Plastic free, REUSABLE, Summer, Sustainable

Soda Stream

Disclaimer: We received the SodaStream Art for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.

The forecast next week is predicted to be hot, hot, hot with temperatures up in the 30’s. We are not used to those temperatures in the UK so it is really important to stay hydrated. We all know we should drink 8 glasses of water a day, but I really struggle to do this so was really pleased when Sodastream sent me a Sodastream Art to try.

SodaStream have been making fizzy bubbles for over 100 years now and their aim is simple, allowing people to make fizzy drinks in their own homes and saving the planet in the process. One SodaStream bottle can save up to thousands of single use plastic bottles, so is the perfect swap this Plastic Free July.

The Sodastream Art is a stunning machine with its sleek black housing and looks great in the kitchen. I was a little disappointed that the machine didn’t come with any syrups so until I could get to the shops, we just made fizzy water and added it to cordial which is a great way to get children (and adults) to drink more water. When I went shopping, I discovered our local supermarket stocked the Pepsi Max and 7Up , so I picked a bottle of each, much to the delight of my sons!

We were really impressed with the flavours of the syrups and the thing I liked most was each drink can be made fresh, so they are always fizzy. Normally once you open a 2l bottle you really need to drink it the same day, otherwise it quickly goes flat but with SodaStream each drink can be made fresh and you can even control the fizz, making your drink lightly sparkling to super fizzy.

The C02 cylinder that comes with the machine holds enough gas to make 60 litres of sparkling drinks and refills are available from the Sodastream website.

Staying hydrated has never been easier and when it’s hot why not liven up your drinks with plenty of ice and a slice of lemon or lime.

UPDATE: Hypnosis With Lizzie Smith

Fitness, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home & Garden, Learning

Mindful Eating for Weightless through Hypnosis and BWRT®

Last month, we reviewed a session of hypnosis of weight loss with Hypnotherapist Lizzie Smith. Since then, I have gone on to complete the 4 session course (paid for by me!) to see how hypnotherapy, and later BWRT® could benefit a healthier way of life.

Weekly, I met with Lizzie online again via Zoom calls to talk about my progress and take the next leap forward with another hypnotherapy session. Lizzie speaks to you at length at the start of each session to see how you are getting on since the last time she saw you, make notes on what adjustments might be needed for this session and to talk through any worries. For me, we decided that BWRT® would help me with breaking the connection between me snacking (especially after dinner) and replacing it with something else.

BWRT® is not hypnosis but is a powerful tool to ‘reprogramming’ the brain. After my second session of hypnosis, we scheduled BWRT® for a different day. The session started with Lizzie explaining in detail how it worked, asking questions around my snacking habit and asking me to make mental pictures which would fit with how she runs the session. The BWRT® itself lasted only about 30 minutes but crucially, you don’t think about the technique or how it works, instead letting your brain process the treatment. I won’t go into detail about how it works but it was quick, easy and not emotional at all.

The following two hypnotherapy sessions were similar to the first, with Lizzie asking questions about my progress, what kind of situations had triggered me and what the outcome was. With some awesome encouragement, Lizzie uncovered some situations I hadn’t thought of, each of which had a positive outcome.

Each session comes with an audio file which is messaged to you so that you can listen to it over and over again. One of them is for a meditative walk and the final audio file is for going to sleep. Each of them solidifies what was covered in Lizzie’s hypnotherapy sessions.

After 4 session (over 4 weeks) have I lost any weight yet? Yes! I have lost 1kg (a bit more than 2lbs) but more importantly my eating habits have changed. Instead of reaching for the snacks after dinner, that part of my consciousness has been eliminated. Snacking during the day has become more mindful now, with me questioning whether I really want to snack, or whether I’m hungry or not. Hypnosis, as Lizzie explains, is not a quick-fix but more about changing your perception and mindful behaviour around eating, in order to lose weight in the long run.

I have booked 6 extra sessions, one every month until Christmas, to re-enforce the hypnosis I have already completed and to keep in contact with Lizzie over time and let her know how I’m getting on!

About Lizzie