Category: Food & Drink

HaPPi Oat Mil Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, eco friendly, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Plastic free, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

A fun way to count down the days to Christmas is with an advent calendar and these days there so many different ones to choose from. When you have food allergies and intolerances though, the choice of chocolate calendars is very restricted, so I was really pleased to be able to try an oat milk chocolate advent calendar from HaPPi Choc.

The calendar has a fun Christmas bauble design on the front with 24 numbered doors to help you count down to the big day. Behind each door you will find a delicious Salted Caramel, Plain Milk or Orange oat milk chocolate wrapped chocolate. The chocolate is suitable for Vegans and is also gluten, soya & palm oil free, as well as dairy, egg & nut free so it is the perfect choice for anyone with a food intolerance or who eats a plant based diet.

Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands HaPPi chocolate is sustainably sourced with their cacao purchased directly from Luker, a Columbian family owned business and co-operative. HaPPi are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices and their oat milk chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk.

In line with HaPPi’s sustainable ethos all the packaging is recyclable with the calendar containing no plastic at all. The inner tray that contains the chocolates is made from cardboard rather than plastic which is fantastic, I’ve been trying to reduce my plastic use this year so it’s great to have an eco-friendly advent calendar this year. HaPPi also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so buying a HaPPi advent calendar helps lots of other people too.

With smooth creamy chocolates no one needs to miss out on a chocolate advent calendar this year.

Divine Deliciously Smooth 70% Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar and Joyful Caramel, Hazelnut and Candied Orange Chocolate Bar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

The world is divided into those who love dark chocolate and those who detest it. I am definitely a lover of dark chocolate, and the higher cocoa content the better so this 70% advent calendar from Divine was mine for the taking. Plus, I’m never one to pass up the opportunity to try chocolate, so when it came with Divine’s Joyful Christmas chocolate in caramel, hazelnut and candied orange flavour, there was no stopping me!

The advent calendar is packed with 24 windowed chocolate pieces, one for every day of advent up until Christmas Eve.  The calendar itself is beautiful, in black packaging to illustrate the dark chocolate and brightly coloured with decorations and figures of the farmers who product the cocoa. Unlike other calendars, this one is vegan too.

Every bar of Divine Chocolate helps to directly change the lives of cocoa farmers around the world. Divine Chocolates are made with only Fairtrade cocoa and sugar, so the majority of the ingredients are sourced from the right farmers who are given the right compensation. That alone should make you feel good about buying Divine Chocolate but it doesn’t stop there. All of the flavours and ingredients are natural, and they use only 100% pure cocoa butter. Additionally, Divine are helping to save the environment and habitations too by using NO palm oil.

This is an advent calendar clearly children will enjoy but adults will too, and anyone with a conscience will appreciate that somewhere in Ghana, there is a farmer and his family whose life will be improved by you supporting Divine Chocolate.

What is the Joyful chocolate like though? As a special edition for Christmas, this chocolate is 45% cocoa so a higher amount than typical milk chocolate without being bitter. You can feel the texture of the hazelnut filling and there are lovely pieces of caramel to give it the slightly sticky, sweet taste too. I can’t say that the orange flavour is very strong, so if you’re a fan of citrus or candied orange then this isn’t overpowering. The whole bar is a grown-up way of celebrating Christmas though, and very moreish. I would suggest this is a good treat for when you’re Christmas shopping, or to have one dark evening after dinner. If you give chocolate and money as gifts to adults, I would recommend the Divine Joyful Christmas Chocolate every time, but don’t expect it to last past Boxing Day!

Advent calendar available for £5 from Ocado, Whole Foods, Oxfam and online at: https://www.divinechocolate.com/product/divine-dark-70-chocolate-advent-calendar

Joyful Christmas Chocolate bar available for £4.50: https://www.divinechocolate.com/product/divine-joyful-christmas-bar-180g

Divine Seriously Smooth Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Stocking Fillers

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

Chocolate is no longer just for children, nor is it the over-farmed, unfair trade that it used to be, or at least it doesn’t have to be if you choose the right retailer. Divine Chocolate is co-owned by cocoa farmers to give them a better deal on their wares plus improves the standard of the chocolate. It’s a win/win for everyone and their 2023 advent calendars are no exception!

We were sent two to try, the first one being the Seriously Smooth Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar. With 24 days (or nights if you’re being pedantic) of chocolate to taste, it’s the usual size and structure of an advent calendar. Slightly larger than A4 size, it can be posted and most of it is recyclable due to the cardboard involved.  The windows open to reveal a Christmas-themed chocolate which appeals to both children and adults.  Nothing complicated about that? Well there isn’t anything complicated, it’s just that the chocolate has secret powers… Secret powers to change lives. Let me explain more.

Every bar of Divine Chocolate helps to directly change the lives of cocoa farmers around the world. Divine Chocolates are made with only Fairtrade cocoa and sugar, so the majority of the ingredients are sourced from the right farmers who are given the right compensation. That alone should make you feel good about buying Divine Chocolate but it doesn’t stop there. All of the flavours and ingredients are natural, and they use only 100% pure cocoa butter. Additionally, Divine are helping to save the environment and habitations too by using NO palm oil.

What is the chocolate like though? Well as you would imagine, it’s smooth milk chocolate, and it has a more authentic chocolate taste because it has pure cocoa butter and contains no palm oil. No substitutions mean that it’s a richer, smoother chocolate both in texture and taste.

This is an advent calendar clearly children will enjoy but adults will too, and anyone with a conscience will appreciate that somewhere in Ghana, there is a farmer and his family whose life will be improved by you supporting Divine Chocolate.

Available for £5 from Ocado, Whole Foods, Oxfam and online at: https://www.divinechocolate.com/product/divine-milk-chocolate-advent-calendar

Wavey Ice SIPS Cocktails and Ice Pops

alcoholic drinks, Autumn, Days Out, Drinks and Mixers, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Summer

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

Before the very end of summer looms, and Christmas celebrations start we are in that autumn phase where some of the days are hot and humid and sometimes, like today, it is pouring with rain and you don’t want to leave the house. The evenings are getting darker quicker but with brilliant sunshine and unseasonal heat it’s difficult to say goodbye to summer for good.

Wavey Ice produce these gorgeous alcoholic frozen ice pops aimed solely at adults.  With flavours such as Kola & Spiced Rum, Black Grape & White Rum and Watermelon and Vodka (All at 6.25% ABV) then there’s no excuse to not get the party started, no matter the weather!  This array of flavours is enough to keep anyone happy and the fact that they’re alcoholic too makes them all the more delicious. You can eat them on their own or add them to a mixer as a coolant, just keep them away from the kids!

Wavey Ice have also launched their own range of refrigerated cocktails.  This includes two flavours of mocktails; Virgin Mango & Pineapple Mojito and Virgin Sex on the Beach.  The mojito flavours are obvious but if you’re not familiar with Sex on the Beach as a cocktail, it is peach, orange and cranberry.  Each 200ml pouch is enough for a tumbler sized glass and the pliable pouches fit nicely into any fridge. You can either drink them straight from the pouch for a picnic, add them to alcohol as a mixer or even make up a bigger bowl with them to create a punch. I had them one afternoon to rehydrate after a day out and they’re very refreshing; a nice alternative to fruit juice and as they’re made with real fruit juice. Even better, there’s no hangover because they’re alcohol free and the Mango and Pineapple Mojito has just won Silver in the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards!

As Wavey SIPS are freshly made with fresh fruit juice and ingredients, there is a limited shelf life to them. Pop them in the fridge and drink them as soon as possible, or they can also go in the freezer for later.Wavey Ice SIPS and Ice Pops are available from £16.99 per box at: https://waveyice.com/collections/sips

Opies Christmas Fruit in Alcohol

Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, Winter

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

Opies Christmas fruits will surprise you. Not just because of how tasty they are but because of how versatile the fruits are, especially at Christmas. We were sent 4 different fruits in their iconic round glass jars to try as part of the Christmas 2024 range, including the exclusive Fruits of the Forest which is out now. Baby Pears, Black Cherries and lastly Peaches were also sent to us. The uses for them are endless, but have you thought about giving them as gifts too?

Great for Secret Santa, or as part of a Christmas hamper, the fruits are preserved in juice and alcohol and already stoned ready to eat.  There’s a minimum of 460 grams net in each jar too, which is plenty for cooking or baking with.  The suggestions on the website are endless and include using them in cocktails and punches at Christmas, but I prefer eating them just as a dessert with cream or ice cream, or baking with them!

In the photos, I’ve used the Black Cherries in some homemade almond cookies. Made with butter and almond flour, the cookies are flavoured with the cherry pieces and I added some of the juice from the jar to give the deep purple colour.  Once cooked, there isn’t the alcohol taste at all but instead it left the cookies soft and with the cherry fruit as the main ingredient.  

Taking each of the baby pears, I wrapped them in pastry and added sugar and cinnamon to create these little desserts.  They only took 20 minutes in the oven and I actually cheated and used ready-made pastry so that I could concentrate on the flavour. These freeze really nicely so that you can bring them out at Christmas or as a dessert one evening with a little ice cream, especially if they’re warmed slightly.  I also used the pastry to make these gorgeous little Fruits of the Forest tarts. Some of them had pastry crust and some of them I left open to bake but they were all so colourful and so delicious that they looked fantastic for snacks or dessert!

Other uses for the fruits include making a tart with the peaches, creating a flan with gelatine using all the different fruits and my favourite way of using them is to add them as a filling to croissants, especially useful if you’re making the croissants out of a ready-made tin. Opies Fruits are great to use with kids as they’re nice and sweet and easy to handle, and if you are baking them then the alcohol burns off.  The juices from each of the jars can be added to alcoholic drinks or jelly mixture too. Ever thought about Opies Fruit juice and gin lollies?

Each of the jars is packed to the brim with real fruits and Opies make sure they’re the best quality and well preserved.  There’s so much in each jar that I had to put them in the fridge each time I opened them in order to use them again and again. They’re handy to keep in the cupboard too, unopened so that you can have a dessert on hand or add the juice and fruit to something you’re baking.  If you’re a real Christmas food connessuier though, Opies Fruits are delicious this time of year and a gorgeous reminder of summer fruits as we go into winter.

Available from most supermarkets and online from £7.50 at: https://www.bennettopie.com

Cadbury Heroes Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Stocking Fillers, Winter

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

Are you the type of family who open advent calendars in the morning before school? When coming in after school? Or do you wait until after dinner to indulge in the daily Christmas chocolate? In our house, we always had chocolate after dinner but now that I’m an adult I have to remind myself that I can have chocolate any time of the day, even when it’s not Christmas!

Cadbury make a whole range of different chocolates and this Cadbury Heroes Share Good Times is an ideal adult or teenage gift.  The Heroes range of chocolates include Eclairs, Fudge, Wispa, Dairy Milk, Crunchie, Twirl, Dairy Milk Caramel, Double Decker and Crème Egg Twist.  These are all the miniature varieties of the bigger bars but just as delicious and probably better for your health overall! They’re individually wrapped behind 24 windows and make up 230 grams in total of chocolate inside.

Probably aimed at older children, teenagers and adults, the variety of chocolate bars appeals to anyone who loves chocolate. Even if there’s one or two you don’t like, there are 9 different bars to choose from so you can guarantee there’ll be another one the next day that you will.  If like me you don’t usually buy chocolate bars throughout the year, you’ll be surprised what’s on the market now. I’d never seen Crème Egg Twisted before, and it’s been a long time since I had a Double Decker so these brought back memories!

I really like the idea of having so many different bars in one calendar, and yes, they are much smaller than the full sized bars but they’re just the same taste, and give the same chocolate hit I’m always looking for mid afternoon.  It’s reminded me how much I love a Fudge bar or Twirl and made me look forward to opening the next window in the Cadbury Heroes Advent Calendar throughout Christmas.

Available from £7.19 at: https://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/cadbury-heroes-advent-calendar.html

Cadbury Snowballs Chocolate and Chocolate Coins

Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

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

Who here DIDN’T have chocolate coins for Christmas as a child?  Were they part of your stocking? Perhaps Gran gave you some chocolate as part of your Christmas present along with a few notes when you were a teenager?  I know I used to get a bar of chocolate at Christmas with something monetary sellotaped to it because that’s all I wanted by the time I was that age!

Cadbury have a range of chocolate gifts for every occasion and you’ll be pleased to know that their famous chocolate coins are still going strong.  Available everywhere for the festive season, there’s something nostalgic about getting the coins, then trying to prise open that plastic netting that I swear is stronger than steel… only to have to spend the next half hour delicately peeling off the foil from each of the coins before devour them. I’m not sure they were ever meant to be an exercise in dexterity, but the satisfaction of getting the foil off of a chocolate coin on one go without bending or tearing it is something every child should experience.

The Cadbury Snowballs Chocolate bar and grab bag are relatively new to the range.  Slightly crunchy shells are covered in a light dusting of sugar and filled with milk chocolate to give a contradictory crunch and smooth chocolate sensation.  Deliciously more-ish, they’re perfect for stockings, Secret Santa or as a part present for either adults or children. Whichever Cadbury chocolates you choose, don’t forget they won’t be around for the rest of the year, so snap them up when you can!

https://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/cadbury-mini-snow-balls-bar-110g.html

https://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/cadbury-mini-snow-balls-chocolate-family-sharing-bag-296g.html

https://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/cadbury-dairy-milk-chocolate-christmas-coins-bag-70g.html

Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar for Someone Special

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers

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

Advent calendars aren’t just for children anymore. They mostly are, but now we have these bigger, more sophisticated marketing calendars that cater for all kinds of whims and fancies.  Adults who love chocolate are spoiled for choice though. Cadbury have an extra special Dairy Milk Advent Calendar for Someone Special which contains squares of Dairy Milk chocolate chunks which are individually wrapped. There’s caramel, Dairy Milk or wholenut contained in random behind the 24 windows. 

This advent calendar is aimed at chocolate lovers but not necessarily children, so it’s great for teenagers, adult children or even partners. There’s no gimmicky marketing with this calendar, just the 24 windows with little individual bars behind each of them.  The packaging is largely recyclable, apart from the wrappers and the cocoa is 100% sustainably sourced.

If you love milk chocolate and especially for adults who love chocolate, this is a great gift! There’s a whopping 259 grams of chocolate in this calendar, which is more than 2 bars worth.  The individual chunks of chocolate make it easy to share this calendar too, and if you don’t want to eat the pieces, you can save them for later.  The individually wrapped chunks are the same Dairy Milk chocolate and quality you’d expect from Cadbury, and I, as a chocolate lover, especially love the fact that there is this variety of flavours to look forward to each day too. It also helps that the Dairy Milk Advent Calendar for Someone Special also has the proper 24 windows, not the new trendy 12 days of advent!

For chocolate lovers, adults, teenagers and anyone whom you’d want to treat, the Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar For Someone Special is a must this Christmas. Available online for £7.19 at: https://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/cadbury-dairy-milk-chunk-advent-calendar-258g.html

Clean Co Non-Alcoholic Rum Alternative

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Clean Co are the specialists in creating non-alcoholic spirits, starting with their famous Clean Gin and Clean Rhubarb Gin. Now, they have ventured into other spirits including this Clean Co Rum – a spiced spirit which is also non-alcoholic but with the Caribbean flavour of rum.

Clean Co Rum Alternative has won the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) bronze award in 2021 for its vanilla on the palate and pineapple and raisin on the tastebuds. It’s certainly a welcome alternative to the other non-alcoholic spirits that don’t have much depth, taste or mix very well with other drinks to make cocktails.

Clean Co Rum Alternative has a dry, vanilla taste with smokey fruitiness that’s. typical of rum.  There’s a slight sugar taste in there too which gives it the fuller flavour of a spirit and it’s delicious with a cola drink or mixed into a cocktail thanks to the added Jamaican spices.  You can also try it with ginger ale and lime to give a different skew on its tropical flavours.

The good news is that Clean Co Rum Alternative is also vegan, has no sugar at all and is only 12 calories per 50ml serving. It has less than 0.5% ABV which classifies as non-alcoholic and is lactose free too. 

This is a great gift for anyone who is into spirits but doesn’t necessarily like rum yet, so that they can try it and supplement cocktails at home with an authentic rum flavour.  Rum lovers, especially those doing Dry January, will love having the rum flavours and none of the alcohol to feel guilty over! 

Available online for £16 at: https://clean.co/collections/frontpage/products/cleanr-non-alcoholic

Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Home

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

Christmas wouldn’t be the same for children without the excitement of getting a chocolate advent calendar, which in our house was always from my grandparents! As we got older, family friends would always send chocolate advent calendars to us and eventually it became a group amongst all our friends to have a children’s chocolate advent calendar.

Cadbury are the Grand Masters of advent calendars.  We were sent 3 out of a range of calendars to try, all of them with delicious chocolate which you would recognise behind every window. The first of those was the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar – a staple in any family home.  Each of the 24 windows has a small piece of Dairy Milk Chocolate molded into a Christmas shape such as a gingerbread man, present or snowman.  There’s pictures behind the windows and the chocolate is hidden behind tin foil to keep it fresh, although it also adds to the anticipation for little fingers to prise it open and reveal the chocolate!

The cocoa in this Dairy Milk Advent Calendar is 100% sustainably sourced and Cadbury partner with the Fairtrade Foundation to promote fair growing for farmers and friendly farming for the environment.  The packaging is recyclable, although the foil wrapping isn’t just yet.  On the back of the calendar there’s a simple puzzle for children to complete, although I would imagine most children would just be interested in the chocolate inside! There’s 90grams net of chocolate inside, so no overloading on lots of sugar before bedtime.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar for children available online from approximately £4.92 from supermarkets and: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cadbury-Dairy-Chocolate-Advent-Calendar/dp/B076X55SZB/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=cadbury+advent+calendar&qid=1694531043&sr=8-2

Swizzels Sweet Shop Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him

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

It’s the start of September and the month that advent calendars start to hit the shops. With so many fantastic calendars available I’m finding that you do have to buy them early as the popular ones quickly sell out.  Swizzels sweets are a favourite in my house so I’ll be picking up a couple of  Mr Swizzels Sweet Shop Advent Calendars for them to enjoy this December.

The calendar has a bright sweet shop seasonal theme and behind the 24 numbered doors you will find a miniature version of iconic Swizzels sweets, will there be Love Hearts, Fizzers, Refresher Bars, Parma Violets, Stinger, Banana Skids, Drumstick or a Snap Crackle behind your door?   

At a very purse friendly £5 this is the perfect way to count down to the big day.

O’Donnell Moonshine

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

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

It is lovely to go out for cocktails with friends but as we all know it’s not a cheap night out. Luckily staying in is the new going out so our evenings out at cocktail bars have now been swapped for the comfort of friend’s houses, thus enabling us to still enjoy our girlie cocktail nights but in a more purse friendly way.

This weekend we’ve been trying some O’Donnell Moonshine which in a nod to the history of moonshine is bottled in cute glass mason jars. The brand, who have featured on Dragons Den, was created back in 2016 after founders August Ullrich and Philip Morsink took a road trip through America learning more about the Prohibition era when the production and sale of alcohol was illegal. Alcohol production went underground, becoming known as Moonshine, as it was made at night to reduce the chance of discovery. The alcohol was stored in mason jars before being handed over to smugglers called ‘bootleggers’ who then sold it on.

Fascinated by the history surrounding Moonshine the friends decided to create their own at home and O’Donnell Moonshine was born.

We have been sampling the following flavours – Very Cherry, Blood Orange, Tough Nut, Sticky Toffee and the new Passion fruit which is lovely and refreshing, especially with some fizz and ice. The Very Cherry is very nice on it’s own and I think it will be a lovely addition next time I make an almond Tart.

The liqueurs are delicious on the rocks or can be topped up with some fizz to produce a delicious ‘spritz’ drink. They also make lovely cocktails too, our favourite was the Passion Fruit Moonshine which went down really well with my friends this weekend – here’s the recipe if you want to try making it yourself?

30ml Passion Fruit Moonshine

60ml Vanilla Vodka

1tbsp Lime Juice

1tbsp Simple Syrup

Prosecco optional served alongside

One thing that O’Donnell pride themselves on is that their Moonshine is vegan friendly and allergen free so they can be enjoyed by everyone.

The 20ml mini sets consisting of 4 x 20ml bottles make a lovely gift and are perfect for sampling the flavours before you commit to a larger bottle – which I guarantee you will once you’ve tried them! They also make lovely gifts too.

Mini set £21.90

700ml bottle £26.90

Joe & Seph’s Cake Collection Popcorn

Birthday Gifts, Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Stocking Fillers

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

Boy, have we got a treat for you! Joe & Seph, our friends of gourmet popcorn, have sent us their range of NEW Limited Edition Cake Collection flavoured popcorn – perfect for celebrating birthdays!

If you’re wondering what gourmet popcorn is, then let me explain. Not all popcorn is created equal. Gourmet popcorn is air-popped (not fried) and coated in butter. Usually, UK popcorn is made with oil and coated with sugar but Joe & Seph’s coat their gourmet popcorn in butter. This allows yummy flavours to coat the popcorn and creates the varieties which Joe & Seph’s are now famous for. If you’re not familiar with their flavours yet either, then feast yourselves on tastes such as Salted Caramel, Toffee, White Chocolate & Raspberry as well as savoury flavours like Cheese, Marmite and even Olive Oil, Mozzarella & Tomato!

The new Cake Collection which is available online already, has several flavours based on our favourite desserts including Chocolate Fudge Cake, Peanut Butter Blondie, Millionaire’s Shortbread and Birthday Cake. These flavours are designed for celebrations, hence the Birthday Cake variety which makes an excellent birthday gift.  They all make excellent gifts though, especially if you stock them up and give a bunch of them at the same time to anyone who loves popcorn.

We first tried the Chocolate Fudge Cake. It’s similar to the other chocolate coated flavours by Joe & Seph’s but much richer and you get more of a chocolate flavour.  There’s definitely a fudge flavour in there too.   I’m a big lover of peanut butter anyway, so the Peanut Butter Blondie popcorn is fabulous! It tastes of peanut butter (rather than peanuts) and the texture of the popcorn really reminds me of the crunchy peanut butter I love.  Millionaire’s Shortbread is a mixture of chocolate and caramel with a bit of crunch in there too from the shortbread. It’s not the strongest flavour overall but you can taste the caramel and chocolate in there and it’s very rich, similar to the Chocolate Fudge Cake. Lastly, my favourite was the Birthday Cake flavour. Very sweet, with raspberry and cream cheese flavouring, it was delicious and so moreish, particularly as we ate it as a replacement dessert after dinner. I think children would like this one the most as it’s both the fruit flavour and sweet together and really reminds me of the birthday cake it’s styled after. 

It’s always great to try new flavours, and these Joe & Seph’s Cake Collection flavours are not only a great idea, but will be universally loved by anyone who adores popcorn or is a fan of cakes and desserts.

Each variety is £4.00 from:

https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/popcorn

Peppersmith Mints

Food & Drink, Gluten Free, Plastic free, Sustainable, Vegan

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

One of my favourite sandwiches is cheese and onion but they do make my breath smell, so I try and avoid eating them when I am meeting people.  After hearing about my cheese and onion addiction Peppersmith kindly sent me a selection of their delicious mints, pastilles and gums to enable me to continue to eat my favourite sandwiches without worrying about bad breath. Do they work – absolutely! A couple of mints after lunch is proving very effective at freshening my breath, enabling me to talk to people confidently without worrying about my oniony breath.

Peppersmith are one of the leading mint and gum brands in the UK and all their mints are made with 100% natural flavours. They use real British mint plants grown on a small farm in Hampshire to flavour their mints and they are sweetened with Xylitol, a plant based sweetener which contains 40% less calories than sugar. As well as being nice and minty the mints are approved by the Oral Health Foundation as Xylitol has been proven to help reduce tooth decay.

With a choice of Peppermint Mints, Peppermint Gum, Extra Strong Mints, Spearmint Gum, Lemon Mints and Strawberry Pastilles there is something to suit every taste.

The peppermint and spearmint mints are nice and refreshing, cooling your mouth and leaving it feeling nice and fresh. My favourite are the Lemon Mints – made with Sicilian lemons and Hampshire mint the zingy flavour is perfect for freshening my oniony breath, much to the relief of my colleagues!!

The mints are packaged in little cardboard boxes so they get full marks for having environmentally friendly packaging! Each box contains approximately 25 mints and they are the perfect size to keep in your bag or desk drawer. The Peppermint Mints and both flavours of Gum are also available in larger boxes aptly called Mighty Boxes.  

All Peppersmith products are sugar free, gluten free, vegan friendly, free from palm oil and nut free.  

Available individually or in a mixed taster box or you can even take out a subscription for a regular delivery every 4,8 or 12 weeks

Available directly from Peppersmith or health shops and supermarkets nationwide

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, Colman’s Mustard and Mint Sauce and Marmite

Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Home, Home & Garden, Lunchbox Fillers

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

Remember the Hellmann’s Turkey advert from the 1980s? “Don’t save it for the summer” was the slogan they used to encourage us to eat mayonnaise with Christmas dinner and since then, it’s been a staple in households all over the country along with other favourites such as Colman’s Mint Sauce (great for roast lamb) and Colman’s English Mustard.  In fact, I think my first ever taste of mustard was at the Christmas dinner table when I was little, and not ready for the taste that was adorned on my roast at my insistence! 

Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise isn’t just for salads. Made with just egg, oil and a dash of vinegar, it’s a time old recipe that is the basis of lots of recipes. With such simple beginnings, it can be used on most meals but at Christmas time, it’s particularly useful with cold meats, especially on Boxing Day.  Turkey sandwiches are one of my yuletide memories and they’re usually made with piles of carved turkey and lots and lots of Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise.  There’s something about the mixture of the two textures and the cool mayonnaise flavour that make the two go together so well.

If you’re not into mayonnaise, then Colman’s have the taste alternative.  Colman’s Mint Sauce and Colman’s Mustard have been in our pantries for decades since the company started in Norwich in 1814.  Colman’s Mint Sauce, grown in Norfolk, uses the meat tenderising enzymes found in mint to compliment lamb. Using the sauce cold and eating with a hot lamb joint, the mint brings out the lamb flavour. It’s also particularly good with roast potatoes and adds a completely different angle to home cooked meals.  

Colman’s Mustard (English) is a completely different taste. This mustard isn’t as hot as you might think, but still has that peppery taste to it that works so well with beef.  You can put this straight on your plate and eat it as an accompaniment to beef, but I have discovered that it works brilliantly if put over your beef joint before going into an air fryer. As the meat cooks in the super hot air, it heats the mustard allowing it to break down the outer fat of the joint and seeping in flavour. I tried it in my air fryer and it created this lovely crust to the outside of the cut, which was super easy and protected the outside from scorching.  I also use mustard in my salad dressings, adding a certain hotness to summer lunches which you can’t get anywhere else.

See the Hellmann’s Turkey Sandwich recipe online too: https://www.hellmanns.com/us/en/r/what-shes-having-sandwich.html/255443

Lastly, we would not talking about condiments if we didn’t mention Marmite. Available all over the world now, it is particularly special at Christmas for ex-pats who crave the special taste.  If you’ve ever lived abroad or go on holiday where many Brits congregate, you’ll know that Marmite is on all the supermarket shelves.  The phrase ‘Love It Or Hate It’ is now part of the English vernacular and recognised as a polarity due to Marmite‘s unique taste. If you’ve never tried it before (and I suggest you do at least give it a go once!) then I can only describe it as a slightly tangy version of beef gravy, only much thicker and spreadable.  It goes nicely on toast as most of us will remember from our childhoods, but there are ample recipes available on the Marmite website. There’s a particularly good recipe for Marmite, Ham & Camembert Festive Toasties; perfect for after Christmas dinner or on Boxing Day when you have plenty of leftovers and not many ideas!

Colman’s Mustard (170g) £2.15:  https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/colmans-original-english-mustard/007650-3584-3585

Colman’s Mint Sauce (165g) £1.80: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/colmans-mint-sauce/738308-589437-589438

Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise £3.00: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/hellmanns-squeezy-real-mayonnaise/393918-55355-55356

Marmite (250g) £3.35: https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/marmite-yeast-extract-spread/007834-3717-3718

Joe & Seph’s Popcorn for National Cinema Day

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Home, Summer

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

3 September is National Cinema day in Britain this year. It’s the day when we are all invited to visit the cinema and support the film industry, but this year it’s particularly important as the SAG union strikes are affecting all films made in the US, and most which are scheduled to be made around the world – including the UK.

Joe & Seph’s are big supporters of the movie industry, which is not surprising for a gourmet popcorn company!  Joe & Seph’s don’t make just one kind of popcorn though, and it’s not your usual butter coated Saturday Morning Pictures popcorn either!

To celebrate National Cinema Day, and to give you some ideas of their gourmet flavours to try when you get to the cinema, Joe & Seph’s have worked with some big names to get exclusive flavours out there for you.  We were sent the flavours; James Bond Dry Martini (popped, not stirred), Dungeon’s & Dragons Chilli Chocolate Caramel (Sweet & Fiery) and Asteroid City Belgian Chocolate & Caramel Asteroids (almost definitely not asteroids, but popcorn!).  If those flavours don’t get your mouth watering as you wander into your local cinemas, I don’t know what will!

You’ll notice that each of the flavours is based around a film franchise, which is not surprising given how well popcorn and movies go together.  I love both sweet and savoury popcorns, especially if they’re well cooked and the popcorn is soft which it always is with Joe & Seph’s.  Starting with the James Bond Dry Martini flavour, it’s more savoury which is what you would expect, but the flavour doesn’t develop until you’ve let it melt in your mouth a little bit. It’s not as overpowering as an actual Martini either, so if you like the taste but not the alcohol, this is very edible!  Be warned though, especially if you’re on medication because the flavouring is 5% real gin and vodka!  You can also taste the lemon a little bit and the caramel balances the flavour out nicely.

The Dungeons and Dragons Sweet & Fiery is for chilli lovers.  Based on the idea of Dungeons & Dragons, the fiery comes from red chilli pepper flavouring, and the sweetness is from caramel and Belgian chocolate. The chocolate isn’t just ordinary chocolate though, Joe & Seph’s only use the best quality Belgian chocolate in any of their popcorn recipes, so you’ll find that this is extra smooth, creamy chocolate and compliments the chilli taste.  You’ll love the juxtaposition of the two flavours together, and taking a big handful is not an option unless you’re a really, really big fan of chilli so I would go easy on these until you find your level!  It’s a fabulous combination and one that you don’t normally find with popcorn so well worth trying it out.

Lastly, there’s an old favourite. Asteroid City Belgian Chocolate & Caramel. Anyone who loves either chocolate or popcorn will love this flavour, and it’s great for children too.  The soft texture of the caramel comes through first, then the chocolate flavour then the sweetness from the caramel. It’s a more subtle flavour than the Sweet & Fiery or Dry Martini but it’s just as enjoyable, if not more so. This Belgian Chocolate & Caramel flavour is also great for adding to ice cream or desserts, and if you’ve never tried Joe & Seph’s before (where have you been?) then I can tell you that the popcorn is robust enough to withstand ice cream sundaes, lashings of whipped cream or even custard without going soggy. 

I hope you manage to support the British film industry on 3 September and if you never go to the cinema, this is the one day you’ll not regret making an effort for. Joe & Seph’s are with you all the way, and there’s a flavour for everyone – so see you at the flicks!

Available online from £4 each: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/popcorn/smooth-caramel-belgian-chocolate-popcorn?product=6_std

Due Vittorie Oro Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Gift Box

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, secret santa, Summer

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

Christmas is a time to get out the best of the best, or if you prefer, gift the best to your loved ones. Due Vittorie’s award winning Balsamic Vinegar of Moderna comes in a beautiful gift box this Christmas, ready to send to someone who loves their food as much as Due Vittorie… or will you keep this for yourself over the festive season?

Made with 80% cooked grape must and 20% wine vinegar, this is the best selling premium brand of balsamic vinegar in the whole of Italy. It’s made in the famous Modena, giving it the branded name and contains no other preservatives or additives, just the authentic Italian Modena balsamic vinegar taste.  It can be added to salads, on cheese or as part of a dessert – the Italian chefs have no end of uses for it so with a bit of imagination, you’ll discover it’s not just for dipping bread into! The balsamic vinegar spends time in oak barrels to transfer the tannins, and give it a heartier, full bodied taste.

The 250ml bottle is not only beautiful but will last a whole year before you buy your next instalment! I loved trying this with bread and on salads as it’s got a slightly sweet taste and is thicker than usual shop bought balsamic.  I can see why it’s one of the best selling as it’s so flavoursome. I would rather use this alone on salads rather than mixing it up to make a dressing, and it’s to die for on its own with bread or on pizza. Even the design of the bottle makes it easy to hold when you’re cooking or dressing a dish and it looks fabulous on the shelf!

Anyone who is interested in food, or specifically authentic Italian food will love this as a gift.  If your loved ones prefer ‘practical’ gifts which they can use, the Due Vittorie Oro Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Gift Box is an excellent choice and at £20.00 it’s an affordable luxury – and one that will last meal after meal.

Available online for £20.00 at: https://www.artisanoliveoilcompany.co.uk/products/due-vittorie-oro-balsamic-vinegar-of-modena-gift-box-250ml?_pos=16&_sid=ccfb02aa2&_ss=r

The Best of British Beer Ice box

alcoholic drinks, Birthday Gifts, camping, Drinks and Mixers, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Him

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

It’s been a wet summer but today the sun made an appearance which was great timing as we had friends round to watch the football. After the match we enjoyed a few craft beers in the sun, which were kept nice and cold in the Best of British Beer Ice box.  

Best Of British Beer was founded back in 2011 by husband and wife team Will and Gill Sherwin with the intention to make it easy for drinkers to enjoy that ‘hard to find’ beer. Like all good food and drink companies the story began at home with their shed becoming the storeroom and their dining room table their packing bench. The company has grown over the years with over 50 million bottles and cans of beer sold to date!

Their latest idea to help you enjoy a summer beer is the creation of innovative packaging for their craft beers – slightly oversized, the box leaves room for ice to be added providing the perfect solution to an alfresco beer.

Unlike normal cardboard beer packaging the Ice box is made from water resistant cardboard, meaning it doesn’t go soggy when filled with ice and removes the need to lug a bulky cool box with you to keep your beer cold. All you need to do is pop out the cardboard top, fill with ice and it will keep your beer at the perfect temperature. At the end of the night simply pour away the water, flatten the box and you’re ready for the next party.

The reusable cardboard box is made from sturdy eco friendly materials and is also perfect for festivals when you might have to carry your gear quite a way or is also great for a trip to the beach.  

Available directly from Best of British Beer it comes complete with six craft beers (or lager if you prefer).

Why not grab a box ready for the bank holiday!

RRP £26.50 and refills are £19.50

Just Spices Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, secret santa

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

Advent calendars are getting more and more exciting these days. No longer do we have the calendars of youth with just an illustration behind a window, or a little snowman shaped chocolate. Instead, every major retailer and even department store has something on offer. 

Just Spices have launched their 2023 Advent Calendar again, with the full 24 days to look forward to. If you’re not familiar with their products, Just Spices produce a range of seasonings, toppings and mixes to liven up any mealtime.  It’s not just spices though, it’s a mix of spices and salts which add both flavour and nutrients to your dishes.

The Just Spices 2023 Advent Calendar is bursting with samples from their range.  There’s pizza topping, curry seasoning, Texas BBQ mix to add to chicken or beef, and a whole host of other products which are for both sweet and savoury dishes. Each sachet is enough for one meal, which you can save for after Christmas. For door number 24, there’s a full sized spice mix which can be added to your store cupboard.

The Just Spices 2023 Advent Calendar differs from other manufacturers because they actually supply 24 days’ worth of gifts – most high end retailers opt for just 12 days now.  The cardboard calendar is easy to post or transport and recycle too, and the sachets last for ages. You don’t have to use them on the day you receive them! The full size mix will last you for weeks too, but you’ll probably find it handy to use over the Christmas festivities anyway. I love the range of seasonings available, often for dishes which I would never normally think of adding extra flavour to, like avocado on toast, and the variety of sachets means I get to try the whole product line without having to buy them individually, which can end up pricy and take up a lot of room at home. 

The Just Spices Advent Calendar would be great for older teenagers who are learning to cook or who are away at university and could benefit from some extra flavour to their meals, or for those who love cooking and perhaps don’t have the room for a full spice cupboard. Adults will love this calendar due to it not being completely reliant on chocolate, sugar or alcohol and actually something they can, and will, use throughout the rest of the year.

PLAYin CHOC Christmas Collection

Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Plastic free, Toys, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Organic Chocolate and Surprise Toy!

Decision making time is here when it comes to Christmas presents! It’s always difficult to find toys and treats for children which are more sustainable, have less additives and preservatives and are hopefully healthier than some items in the shops.

PLAYin CHOC are the modern alternative to Kinder Surprises.  They’re boxes of individually wrapped chocolates with a pop-out, make your own toy made of cardboard, and an information card with facts.  Aimed at children aged 3+, they provide a treat as well as an educational toy which they put together themselves.

The PLAYin CHOC chocolate is organic, dairy free, nut free, gluten free and the toys and packaging are all plastic free.  The chocolate is sweetened with coconut sugar (coconut is not a nut but actually a fruit) and the creaminess of the chocolate comes from creamed coconut.  There’s only cacao solids and vanilla pods which make up the rest of the ingredients of the chocolates.  

We were sent a selection box of 6 PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc boxes in a collection for Christmas.  Each box contains two chocolates of 10grams each, individually wrapped in compostable film.  The toy is a 3D puzzle which pops out from the cardboard pressing and is assembled with little hands, and all the toys are on a Christmas theme.  There’s also a fact card with each box which relates to the puzzle your child has made, giving them that extra entertainment.

These are lovely presents for Christmas – either on the Christmas table to keep children entertained, in the car on long trips or even in crackers. As they’re all compostable and recyclable as well, they fulfil the environmental check list too.  These PLAYin CHOC boxes would be great as stocking fillers too, in the knowledge that each box doesn’t contain that much chocolate that it will spoil Christmas lunch, nor will children get hyperactive because there aren’t any additives involved. Christmas morning, making toy puzzles out of cardboard cut outs is much more preferable to the sirens and bells of other toys and games!

Is the chocolate any good? Well, I’ve tried PLAYin CHOC before and even tested the difference between them other High Street chocolates. There is no coconut taste, but PLAYin CHOC is slightly less sweet than other brands, probably because there is no added sugar, just coconut sugar.  There’s still the creamy texture of chocolate, and of course, the cocoa makes sure that you still get your chocolate hit!

Gift sets will be available for £13.50 for 6 at: https://playinchoc.com/collections

Zero Ready-Read Water Filter Jug

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, health, Home, Home & Garden

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

Zero Water have a new water filter jug available which not only filters out all of the dissolved solids in your tap water, but this filter is both a pourable jug and has a dispensing spigot.

What’s a spigot? It’s that attachment you find on office water coolers where you lift the lever and dispense the water straight into your cup or water bottle. Makes life much easier with little ones around!

The Zero Ready-Read Water Filter holds 2.8 litres in all, which is 12 cups and the pack comes with a filter included and a handy TSD meter.  The TSD meter reads. The Total Dissolved Solids in parts per million, giving you an indication of how un-pure your tap water really is. The Zero Ready-Read filters out a guaranteed 100% of the dissolved solids in your water.  The meter allows you to test your water before and after filtration to see the difference, and it’s also handy to see when your Zero filter cartridge needs changing – as soon as there is a reading above ‘zero’ on the meter, you need to change the cartridge!

The cartridge has 5 stages of filtration. Fine sediments are taken out at the top of the cartridge, then suspended solids.  Organic contaminants are then filtered out, which helps prevent bacteria from forming. Inorganic compounds, metals and non-metals are then removed and lastly the ultra-fine sediments are taken out to leave pure water. If you’re doing the dissolved solids test with the TSD meter, you’ll learn quickly what the difference is between your tap water and the Zero filtered water if you just taste before and after. There’s a marked difference between the two and it takes a while to get used to the taste difference.

The other differences are on your kettle and when making tea or coffee. The kettle doesn’t fur up with limescale anywhere near as quickly, if at all, when you live an extremely hard water area like I do.  Tea tastes different because you haven’t got the added minerals and it leaves no film on top when you make the tea.  Coffee also filters really quickly because you’re not adding any other minerals to the coffee filtering through and again, it leaves a different taste.

The Zero cartridges aren’t small, so if you’re thinking of buying one of these I would make sure you have room for not just the filter (which can fit in the door of most fridges) but also have room for the spare cartridges.  You can buy the spare cartridges through the Zero Water website and other online retailers, and the website has a subscription service as the filters last on average a month at a time, depending on how much you use the filters. Test with the TSD meter before you replace them though and then you’ll get the maximum value from your subscription.

I’ve tried other filters in the past, and the Zero Water filters are the only ones which remove ALL of the dissolved solids from the water and have the capacity to filter out larger volumes of water, like the Zero Ready-Read Water Filter can.

Available online from £44.99 at:

ZeroWater 12 Cup / 2.8L Ready-Read™ Jug

Floozie Stuffed Cookies

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Gluten Free, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan

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

I have a very sweet tooth and I’m especially partial to cookies so was really pleased to discover that the Covent Garden based, vegan cookie brand Floozie now offer a mail order service – meaning more people outside of London can enjoy their delicious cookies.   

Founded back in 2020 by pastry chef Kimberly Lin, Floozie cookies are available in eight different flavours, Cinnamon Crunch, Celebration Cookie, Blackforest, Chocolate Chunk, Pecan Pie, Peanut Butter & Jam, Triple Chocolate and a Seasonal Special so there is something to suit every taste. The Peanut Butter & Jam and Blackforest cookies are also gluten free.

A box of 6 cookies costs £17.50 and they are nicely packaged in a pink box with two sliding drawers, each containing 3 individually wrapped cookies. Opening the drawers and discovering the cookies made me feel like I had received a really special treat and because of this I think they make great gifts for a friend or loved one.

Inside the box is a handy card showing all the flavours and it was quite difficult choosing which one to try first! The cookies are a good size, about 3 inches across, and are large enough to share – although they are so good you may not want to!!

Each cookie was fresh, flavoursome and incredibly moreish and after sampling them all the Triple Chocolate was my favourite, with a soft gooey chocolately middle the cookie was incredibly moreish. The pink Celebration cookie with homemade raspberry jam came a very close 2nd being soft and tangy with just the right amount of jam and the sprinkles added a satisfying crunch.

When ordering online you can customise the mix of flavours in your box but if like me you find it hard to choose the cookies are available in larger boxes of 12, 18 and 24 cookies. Orders placed Monday to Friday are shipped within 48hrs and orders placed after 5pm on Friday and Saturday or Sunday are shipped within two working days.

If you are wanting to send a birthday, anniversary, or general ‘thinking of you’ gift through the post, I can highly recommend a box of Floozie Cookies. They are guaranteed to bring a smile to the recipient’s face, and I will certainly be ordering more both as a treat for myself and as gifts in the future.

Higgidy Snacking and Picnic Food

Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

We did intend to bring you lots of products to showcase an amazing summer, picnics outside and BBQ season, but given the weather, we’re sitting indoors comfort eating instead!

Despite the weather, Higgidy have a massive range of foods for sharing, snacking, picnics and to cater for vegan and vegetarian friends. Their handy sharing sizes and snacking mini quiches make them ideal for any time of year, not just summer, and can be for lunch or dinner too.  We were sent a selection of items to try out, including;

  • Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche
  • Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan Rolls
  • Sunblush Tomato & Cheddar Mini Muffins
  • Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins
  • Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper Little Lattices

Quite the variety!  The snacks we were sent were vegetarian, not vegan, with the exception of the Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche. I had tried one or two of the Higgidy foods before but never any of this variety, so picnic I did… albeit indoors!

All of the foods can be eaten straight from the box cold, or heated up. I preferred to have them heated but it depends how you like the eat them.  As part of a packed lunch, they’re perfect because they’re already prepared, there’s nothing that needs adding to them and you can eat a selection at a time or a whole quiche for instance.  The sharing boxes are designed to pack easily for picnics or taking out with children.  The boxes are also great for hands to dip into and share!

I loved the Smoked Salmon & Spinach Quiche with its light fluffy texture and ultra thin crust.  I warmed it in the oven and it’s very easy to eat just with a fork. The Spinach, Feta & Red Pepper Little Lattices are like little pockets where you can’t taste either the feta or the vegetables but they are there, and combined create a lovely ensemble.  The Sunblush Tomato & Cheddar Mini Muffins and Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins were each delicious when warmed in the oven, with my favourite being the Cheddar & Spinach Mini Muffins. They’re really filling but very soft, especially when warmed and each of them has a lovely flavour of Cheddar Cheese to them. The Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan roles were a hit in my house because of their lovely spicy flavour to them, but all vegan so there’s some healthy veg in there too!

Higgidy have ample more food on their website and selected supermarkets store a whole range of their sharing nibbles and snacks, including Waitrose and Ocado:

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/shop/search?&searchTerm=higgidy

Clean Co Gin Alternative 

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Drinks and Mixers, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

Not everybody likes to drink at Christmas, and some people can’t. There’s always the gift giving ritual which some employers especially don’t sanction having alcohol around.  Thankfully, there are more companies on the market nowadays who product non or low alcohol drinks like Clean Co. Clean Co produce a range of Alternative Spirits including whisky, rum and a selection of gins.  We were sent this bottle of Clean G Gin Alternative spirit to test out for the Christmas market. Was it up to the gin spirit?

Clean Co’s Gin Alternative, in this fetching Art Deco style bottle, holds 70cl of zero sugar, non-alcoholic gin. That means it’s made with a juniper source by a process which brings out the flavour more, and distilled into the Clean Go version of a London Dry Gin.  It even has the botanical flavours of a gin, just without the alcohol. It has a slightly cloudy look to it, which is part of the botanical method which gives it the distinct flavour.  There’s no sweeteners involved, absolutely no sugar and the distilling producing only 0.5% ABV which is a trace of alcohol.  It’s also vegan, lactose free and Gluten Free. You’ll also find just 14 calories per 50ml (single shot) serving.

As for the taste… this Alternative Gin is not meant to be consumed neat, so adding your favourite mixer will enhance the flavour as well as make it your own.  There really isn’t much difference between the Clean Co Alternative Gin and the standard, alcohol gin you buy in the shops.  It has a bitter taste, but not so much sugar flavour to it, and mixes well with a tonic and decorations such as lemon or lime.  The bottle arrived with a handy set of cocktail recipe cards which you can keep along side your Clean Co bottle for when you want to mix it up in the future.

Clean Co Alternative Gin is not only great for Christmas time, especially when you’re busy with everything else and need a clear head, but it makes a great gift for those who are doing Dry January and still want to feel like they’re drinking, but not cheating!

Available from £16.00 at: https://clean.co/collections/shop/products/cleang-non-alcoholic

Blue Goose Eco Coffee Pod Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Christmas, coffee, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Sustainable

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

Every advent, what could you buy your other half that you know they would truly love, and need, without breaking the bank? The Blue Goose Coffee Pod Advent Calendar!

Before you rush out and get the calendars for the kids, have a look at this grown-up calendar. With all 24 days of advent, there are Nespresso compatible, organic coffee pods behind every door. They’re also compostable too!

There are 8 different flavours behind the windows, each with different colouring so that you can tell which is which. From Award-Winning Peruvian, Ethiopian Forest Coffee and even Swiss Water Decaff, there’s something for everyone. Plus, you get to try some coffee blends you wouldn’t normally buy, just without the price tag!

At just under £25 at the moment (Blue Goose have a sale on) it means that each pod is a little over £1 each – much cheaper than Nespresso and these pods are able to be made in the regular Nespresso machines.  The recommended shot volume is 35ml with a maximum of 65ml.  There’s a nice variety of flavours in this calendar, so you don’t get bored but you don’t feel like there are too many to choose from. The menu on the back makes it easy to work out which flavour you are brewing by the letters behind the windows.

Although made by Blue Goose, these pods are all Nespresso and Calendar machine compatible, but as you can imagine, at a lower price.  The pods are all home-compostable and are both plastic and aluminium free. As a Carbon Neutral company, they also pride themselves on being community conscious and provide employment to local Devon people with disabilities.  Blue Goose have also recently won a BOOM award from the Soil Association for being able to demonstrate their support for the organic industry.

Rather than spend this Christmas on the big names, Blue Goose is the alternative that’s more environmentally friendly, organic and yet still has delicious coffee!

Available on sale at £24.99 (regular price £29.99) at: https://bluegoose.coffee/products/advent-calendar