Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Well this was a real treat when it turned up! Chilli No 5 sent us a gift set of 12 gorgeous chilli samples as part of a gift box for Father’s Day.
The beautifully presented box has glass vials of 12 different chillies and sauces ranging from the mild Devilish Dijon to the 3/3 hot Forever Phall. The labels have indicators on them of how hot the sauces are on a 1-3 scale to give you a clue. There’s not just the conventional chillies though, the gift set also includes Chinese Hot & Sour, Jamaican Jerk, Wicked Wasabi and Ever So English. If you’re wondering what Ever So English tastes like, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the beetroot base sauce which is flavoured with horseradish so goes equally well with beef or any stronger meats.
The gift set isn’t called Passport Piccanté for nothing – the 25ml sauces from all over the world make up this beautiful set but are all freshly made in the UK and South of France. The range of sauces are created by the team at Chilli No 5 are inspired by the public’s searches on Google, ensuring that with the right superfoods, antioxidants and health supplements, the sauces are appealing to everyone.
The Passport Piccanté is a real treat for both food lovers and those who love hot spices. The smaller vials mean that if you don’t like one flavour, you don’t have to worry about the rest of the jar, and the one vial, one flavour gift box means there’s still enough there to make a dinner with that flavour. Each of them are delicious and you can taste the fresh food used in it. I still think my favourite is the Ever So English sauce. Nothing better than improving an already perfect roast with something that brings out the flavour even more, and makes Father’s Day Roast even more memorable for Dad.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Foodies will love this selection of Lebanese food in the Lebani Beirut Box! The mix of different ingredients make a welcome change to the Christmas puddings, mince pies and jars of tea that are so common and instead, inspire you to cook different foods based on Lebanese recipes.
Inside the Beirut Box you’ll find:
Jar of Lebnani Sumac
Jar of Lebnani Zaatar spice mix
250ml Bottle of Zet Zeytoun Lebanese Extra Virgin Olive Oil
250ml Bottle of Chtoura Pomegranate Molasses
Jar of Mrabba fig jam with roasted sesame seeds
Jar of pickled wild cucumbers
Pistachio Backlawa
Recipe card from Chef Jad Youssef
250ml bottle of Chtaura Orange Blossom Water
All of the ingredients keep in the cupboard for ages, but you’ll find the recipe card has a mixture of included ingredients and some fresh that you’ll need to buy. You can of course, use the ingredients however you wish!
The Sumac and Zaatar spices are particularly good to experiment with as they’re not found in supermarkets easily. Sumac has a slightly tangy flavour and is used in meat dishes and hummus but can also be added to salads and other savoury dishes. Zaatar is a mix of spices, including sumac and is used in dishes such as roast chicken or as a seasoning for baked sweet potato or salads.
Most of the Lebanese recipes which include the spices and seasonings also include the Zet Zeytoun Lebanese Extra Virgin Olive Oil. These olives are picked from the Lebanese mountains by hand it is known to be rich in texture and buttery, with a cut-grass-like aroma. I am particularly partial to the Mrabba fig jam too. Figs are not only my favourite fruit but fig jam is great with any scone or on toast and can be added to recipes such as brownies or cookies to give both texture and sweetness. I didn’t realise that Lebanese fig jam is in another league though! The Mrabba fig is not the garden fig variety we have in the UK so this was a pleasant surprise to find how fruity and sweet it was.
Chtoura Pomegranate Molasses is used in Mediterranean cuisine to add fruitiness to savoury dishes, much like sumac and zaatar. There’s a running theme in this box that the ingredients add not just some sweetness to recipes but a real flavour of the Mediterranean to everyday cooking. Pomegranate molasses is no exception and with the sweetness of the sauce, you get a great mixture of flavours to add to any humble dish like a salad, which is also one of the recipes included in the recipe card from Chef Jad Youssef – the Tatbila Salad including onions, tomatoes sumac and the pomegranate molasses.
The picked wild cucumbers are suspiciously like the gherkins we have in UK supermarkets but these are smaller and no less tasty! Adding zing to your salad or as a side dish they’re deliciously juicy. The Orange Blossom Water from Chtaura was a surprise which I didn’t know what to do with. Its water distilled with orange blossom petals to give another sweet addition to many dishes, both savoury and sweet. I think this one would be perfect for adding to sweet desserts instead of a sugary essence like vanilla or making a custard a little bit more exciting.
Finally, the last and most delicious piece in the Beirut Box is the Pistachio Backlawa. I’m not normally a fan of backlawa but this was an education thanks to the 3 pieces included in the food box! The cake-like sweets are dense and sweet with layers and layers of flakey pastry filled with the pistachio sweet filling. There’s no nutty flavour to it but a slight texture and oh my goodness – it was delicious! I’m sure other backlawa I’ve tried before isn’t this satisfying but I really felt like this was a wholesome, filling treat in the afternoon with a cup of coffee and is a dessert or treat which brings about joy! The box alone is worth it just for the backlawa and I could easily have eaten all 3 pieces in one go. (don’t worry, I didn’t!)
Anyone with an interest in Lebanese or Mediterranean cuisine will love this box. If you’re a food lover and want to experiment with different flavours and textures, then this is a great introduction and the recipe card is a great way of getting involved and trying out some of their ideas. The mixture of ingredients also ensures that you’re covered for both savoury and sweet meals and the spices, olive oil and orange blossom water especially will last a long time.
It’s been great fun trying out the ingredients and thinking about different ways to use them!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
If you’ve never heard of Just Spices (and if you ever go to the supermarket and look at the spice and herbs section, they’re everywhere!) then let me tell you a little secret. You no longer have to blend a whole heap of expensive spices together to make savoury meals or even desserts because Just Spices has an enormous range ready-to-use which does all the work for you.
This Just Spices Discover Spice Box contains 8 ready spices including; Sandwich Seasoning, Potato Allrounder, Pizza Topping, Chicken Seasoning, Pasta Allrounder, Vegetable Allrounder, Avocado Topping and Egg Topping. Each of the sachets contain a mix of herbs, dried vegetables and spices which can be added to food especially the ones recommended on the packet.
For example, the Sandwich Seasoning contains salt, onion, leek, black pepper, cumin and lemon myrtle among other ingredients. It doesn’t matter what sandwich filling you’re using, you can add the Just Spices Sandwich Seasoning sachet to it and enhance the flavours. Alternatively, you could make the same sandwich every day and use different sachets to create different flavours. Your cheese sandwich will taste completely different with the Pasta Allrounder seasoning with the added paprika, chilli and rosemary.
If you usually cook pasta once a week, or have avocado on toast anytime, then the seasoning sachets make a pleasant departure from your usual cuisine. Without Just Spices, you’d have a cupboard full of tons of opened spices and herbs, all past their sell by date and all in different quantities that you’re never going to use anyway! I’m not sure I’d even think of adding a different herb to my egg on toast let along a whole host of the Just Spices ones…
The Just Spices Discovery Spice Box is not only for popping in the post to your Mum or Grandma, but it could introduce your household to the range of Just Spices available in the supermarket without the cost of having to buy a whole jar. The Discovery Box is also easy to post to a student who is just starting out cooking or doesn’t have a lot of room to store anything in a kitchen. It’s the perfect gift for a teenager learning to cook as well as something homely for Mother’s Day.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I bet you’ve never seen Pikachu ornaments for the Christmas tree before, let alone these gorgeous brass decorations! The Pokemon people have brought out these fabulous flat brass silhouettes of Pikachu to adorn your Christmas tree for years to come. There’s six in a pack and two different designs, already ribboned and ready to go straight on your tree.
These are high quality ornaments which will last much longer than just one year thanks to being metal made and sturdy at that. The brass is highly polished so they catch the light, and especially work with the Christmas tree lights shining through them, like in the photo above. The metallic gold colour works with any colour scheme but even if you’re not a Pokemon or Pikachu fan, they are subtle enough to sit on any tree.
As gifts for children who love their Pokemon, these are brilliant in the run up to Christmas or for children who have their own tree to decorate at home. They’re pricy, but teenagers with an interest in Pokemon will love them! They will last for years too thanks to their outline structure in brass. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of the characters, they’re still beautiful at Christmas time.
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Ideal Christmas gifts rarely exist but Puma’s double canopy golf umbrella is very close! Not only is it a staple for any golfer, beginner or advanced, but golf umbrellas are excellent for everyday use, or just keeping handy in the car. Families love them too for days out when more than just one person needs covering or as a brilliant sunshield in the summer.
The Puma double canopy golf umbrella is heavy duty for even the toughest of weather out on the course, and the double canopy not only acts to keep you dry but adds extra structure so that it doesn’t turn inside out. If you’re using this for sports, it also makes the umbrella more durable with extra layers so it won’t fall apart after a few winters. The handle has a foam moulded hand grip to make it easier to hold for long periods and it’s also sturdier compared to everyday umbrellas. It’s opened by a push button at the handle too – much easier when it’s starting to rain!
The Puma double canopy golf umbrella has minimal branding and is available in black with bright white features and made of 100% polyester. Its suitable for golf players or any outdoor sport or spectating and even comes with a chic cover for storage. I’m keeping this one in the car for when I’m caught in a downpour and don’t want to leave!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
The Pact Coffee Christmas Selection Box opens to reveal the words, “Christmas Just Got Better” and for anyone who loves coffee, that is certainly true! The Pact Christmas Selection Box contains 4 freshly roasted flavours of coffee all for the festive season; Nyangoma, San Carlos, Kiri and Christmas Blend Filter, all of which are roasted in Surrey and delivered to your door within a few days!
Pact Coffee produce specialty grade (the very best) coffee which is delivered to your door as either a gift, or as a subscription. You can look through the online catalogues of coffee to choose which you would like delivered or have a subscription box where different varieties are delivered to your door. You get to choose whether you want beans or ground, regular or decaf and the type of plan which suits you best including how regularly they are delivered.
We were sent a Christmas Selection Box of 4 coffees to try as part of the Christmas product range for 2023. After choosing our ground or whole bean options, it wasn’t long before the coffee aromas were wafting through our door and filling the kitchen! Honestly, opening the box when they arrived, there was a wall of coffee smell that hit me and I realised what was inside. Gorgeous, freshly roasted ground coffee all ready for the cafetiere.
Much like wine is described with fruity undertones and comparisons to oak aging, these Pact Coffees have tasting notes on the front of each pack Kiri boasts, “Turkish delight and blackcurrant’ whist Christmas Blend describes itself as, ‘Hints of Christmas pudding.’ Each of the coffees has their own personality thanks to where and how they’re grown in origins such as Kenya, El Salvador and in the case of the Christmas Blend, how it’s put together by the clever experts at Pact. Pact choose their coffees carefully and make sure they’re of the highest quality as well as having more than 82+ points in coffee scoring. Not only are they great flavoured coffees and the best possible quality, but each one warms you with their differences and yes, remind you of Christmas!
In addition, Pact coffees come in recycled coffee pouches and can be further recycled. Pact are a B Corp Certified Company which means they act in both a sustainable and ethical way with their suppliers in overseas countries. They include brewing tips on each of the pouches too so that you can get the most out of each coffee you try at home. The labels also give you background to where each coffee is grown and the date the coffee is roasted and packed too so you know that your coffee is tip-top fresh!
Take drinking coffee to a new level with the Christmas Selection Pact choice of different blends, origins and tastes which allow you to really savour the Christmas spirit, and take you into the New Year with some new coffee favourites!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
It’s officially winter, and that’s probably not the best time of year for me take up running but that’s what I’ve done. With some new (and very expensive) running shoes, I’ve gone on Park Run a couple of times. Each time it was pouring with rain, which isn’t helpful when you don’t know the course yet.
Cherry Blossom have the Ultimate Protection in the form of the Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield. This spray not only shields trainers from rain but from stains too, which is helpful when you find you’re running through muddy fields as well as a muddy woodland. I was sent some to try along with the Down Care Kit.
The 200ml Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield spray can be used on all materials including canvas, synthetic materials, leather, suede and nubuck. It’s best to spray your trainers before you wear them if they’re brand new, otherwise the Cherry Blossom Sneaker Cleaner Kit is ideal for cleaning up your shoes before applying the spray. After shaking the can, spray onto the trainers from roughly 10-15 centimetres away (4-5 inches) and allow to dry. You can apply another layer after an hour or so, depending on how worn your trainers are and how porous they have become. It’s best to leave the spray to dry on the trainers for at least a few hours, but I left them in a warm place overnight before I used them.
The spray left the shoes slightly shiny but well protected. Even the laces were waterproofed! With the two layers of protector spray on them it was time to test the shoes whilst out running. I think the two layers helped because I was running through some long, very wet and frosty grass at places and found that the trainers not only stayed dry but the dew collected on the uppers and didn’t affect my feet underneath. My socks stayed toasty dry! This has spurred me on to try the Cherry Blossom on other trainers and shoes like the garden shoes I use for pottering around, and my Sketchers.
The Grangers Down Care Kit is a powerful cleaning agent for your down insulated clothing, namely duvet coats and puffer jackets. I have a Regata jacket that I wear obsessively throughout the winter but I’m loathed to wash it because I hate how it loses its fluffiness. The Down Care Kit contains the Wash & Repel solution and 3 dryer balls to help dry your garments quicker, and to get more air into the down so that it doesn’t go flat after washing. To use, you just add 2 capfuls (100ml) of the Wash & Repel solution to the washing machine drawer where you normally put detergent. For each additional garment, add another capful but I washed just my coat on one load to give it room to spin properly. If you’re tumble drying, add the dryer balls on a low heat to get the air circulating more. You might need to redistribute the down as it dries so that you don’t end up with all sorts of lumps and bumps. I let my coat dry outside on a clear day so that it gets some natural air to it too and make sure that all the moisture is out.
Once dry and you’re able to wear it, your garment is not only clean but is protected against rain as well. It’s not completely waterproof (depending on the material of your garment and how it’s made) but it is water repellent. It doesn’t soak in the rain as much and it’s quicker to dry if you do get wet.
The Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield and Grangers Wash & Repel Kit are handy kits for anyone who is the outdoor type, or a stocking filler for anyone who takes part in outdoor sport. They also help make clothes and trainers last longer!
Cherry Blossom Sneaker Shield available from £7.45 at:
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Who would have thought that socks could save wildlife? Critically Endangered Socks have made it their mission to do just that, and your tootsies could be the reason that an elephant survives in the future; but how?
The profit from the Critically Endangered Socks is donated to charities such as WWF who benefit from 10% of direct sales. The socks are embroidered with some of the animals the charities save including pandas, cheetahs, orangutans and tigers plus these stylish elephant socks in gorgeous pink. All of the socks on sale are 85% GOTS certified organic cotton and include 5% Spandex (to make them last longer!) plus 10% Polyester for hard wearing. The little elephant on this pair aren’t over the top, just giving you a glimpse of the animals at the ankle.
The socks themselves are super soft! The elephant pink tie-die are very unique and go well with snazzy trainers. They’re certainly a statement piece and I was able to wear these with my trainers to the gym because of how stretchy they are and the high content of cotton makes them fabulous for working out.
For Christmas this year, there are also baby socks, pyjamas, jumpers, baby rompers and muslins available online. Critically Endangered Socks make excellent presents for the person who has everything as well as animal lovers who want to know they are doing something for the greater good, and who doesn’t always need socks?
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 ask for that gift you would never buy for yourself, or to surprise someone with a present that they weren’t expecting but similarly love! For me, the Donnerberg Back Massager falls into both categories as I’d seen them around but not ever thought of buying one. Likewise, it is something which I wouldn’t think of giving as a gift.
Read on to see why the Donnesberg Back Massager is perfect for both categories…
The Donnesberg Back Massager sits on the back of a chair so that the user sits with the massager behind them. It’s mains powers so there’s no need to charge it or change batteries and there are four settings; Shiatsu Massage, Massage Intensity (3 levels), Infrared head (2 levels) and Tapping/Percussion. That might sound like a lot of functions but playing with the different functions is part of the fun!
I started by plugging in the massager, which is easy with the UK plug that’s included. That’s all you need to do to get it working! Starting with the Shiatsu Massage, the plates on the machine work extremely hard, giving a deep massage into the different areas of your lower back. There are 10 massage heads in all which work in different directions and patterns to give you a deeper, firmer massage in certain places as well as the infrared heat which helps you relax, but also aids healing. The intensity can be increased with the function buttons, and the infrared heat can be increased too.
The second setting to try out is the Tapping/Percussion. This is a lighter, rainfall-like rhythm which helps relieve tension in the back muscles but with a different pattern. The Tapping/Percussion setting can be used with the infrared heat too, to give a deeper healing. Try using a combination of the tapping/percussion and Shiatsu massage settings to help with your specific ailments and eventually, you’ll work out a session that’s most beneficial to you! There’s a timer on each of the settings too so you don’t spend too long in one place.
The first time I tried out the Donnerberg Percussion Massager I did all the settings and all the intensities going on for more than 20 minutes. This turned out to be a mistake because the next day my muscles were sore and I had bruises! Instead, it’s better to find a medium intensity for your back and work up to the higher intensities over time. You don’t notice how strong the massager is at the time of working it, and it’s usual to find that it’s a bit of a weird sensation at first, until you get used to how deep it can be.
Over a week, the massage became more relaxing as your muscles get used to the sensation and start to relax over time. I haven’t needed to increase the intensity to the maximum level yet but as times goes on there is that option. Interestingly, there are other areas you can use the Donnerberg Massager on. Whilst watching TV, I put it on the floor and rested my feet on it. It’s a very weird feeling at first but once your feet start to relax, and your calf muscles start to melt away, it’s very nice having the vibrations trace through your feet and legs! After a run, this was especially useful as it distracted from the pain but then as the day went on, all the blood rushed to my calves and feet to bring the oxygen.
The Donnerberg Massager can be used on other areas of the body too. Placing your thighs or calves directly onto the massager face and putting it on a low intensity also helps with relaxing muscles and getting rid of aches and pains. The massager has a low noise output too, so you can still watch TV with it running in the background.
The only downside I can see is from having the cable to the mains adaptor. The lead is a few metres long so you can move it around whichever room you’re in but it means you can’t use it outside in the summer easily, and might not be able to use it in every room in the house. Still, it’s great to use whilst sitting up and you can probably use it whilst lying in bed too.
The Donnerberg Percussion Massager is a fabulous toy for anyone who has everything, or if your loved one needs to relax! It’s perfect however for anyone who runs, works out with weights or has a busy life where they need muscle relaxation but probably don’t have the time for a massage. Sit with the Donnerberg massager whilst watching TV and soon the aches and pains will melt away, no matter how active you’ve been!
Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
You may think you already have all the kitchen products you already need, but have you ever tried a soup maker? I sometimes make soup at home, standing over a saucepan endlessly stirring in order to make a vegetable soup or maybe a stock and I didn’t think anything of how long it takes until Tower sent me their 1.6 litre Soup Maker, complete with sauté function…
The appliance is a bit bigger than a kettle, and looks stylish in chrome and black. Having never used a soup maker before, I had a look at the instructions (Tower always have really good instructions for their products) and realised it was really easy to make a soup in a maker like this, and far less time consuming.
The Tower 1.6l Soup Maker has 5 functions; Smooth and Chunky (for making soups), Sauté (for cooking bacon and other small pieces of meat before adding them to the soup) and then Juice and Blend. The Juice and Blend functions are primarily for making smoothies, so not only is this a soup maker for the winter but also a smoothie maker in the summer! To make any of the types of soup or smoothie, you just add the ingredients then press the function and the machine does the right amount of blending or mixing for you, and knows how long to heat the soup for in order to create it at the perfect temperature.
Inside the soup maker, there is a blending blade for creating the smooth soups and mixing up the smoothies. There’s a level on the outside to tell you the minimum amount of liquid to add to the jug and a maximum so that you don’t overfill it. There’s only a few ‘rules’ about making anything in the soup maker; like you can’t add ice to it (presumably because it will blunt the blade quickly) and you need to cook all the meats before you add them to the soup, but that’s easy with the sauté function. Everything else can go in and either be blended or cooked as chunks.
So after reading the instructions I was keen to try out this soup making. I added a mixture of vegetables (courgette, carrot, swede and onion) as chunks to the jug of the soup maker and added a litre of stock made up from a pre-packaged stock cube. You can add other things at this time like any butter you want or herbs etc but I was keeping it as a simple vegetable soup. Press the Smooth function on the top of the soup maker and it automatically knows to blend all the ingredients and that it needs heating for 21 minutes.
Whilst I walked out of the kitchen to do some work, the soup maker did its thing. I could hear intermittent blending and heating, and there was tons of steam coming from it (so make sure it’s not anywhere near something that could get damaged or hurt!) which helped warm up my kitchen on a dull day! When the 21 minutes was up, the alarm sounded and the timer finished so I knew my soup was done. That was it. I didn’t need to do anything else to it except just serve it, which I did with a dollop of fresh yoghurt.
The soup is super hot when you pour it out but it’s beautifully blended and on the Smooth setting there are no lumps. It’s much easier to use than standing over a hot saucepan and allowed me to get on with other things. The Chunky setting allows you to make soup with chunky pieces – just make sure you sauté the chicken or bacon first using the Sauté function or in a frying pan.
I also used the Soup Maker as a smoothie maker using the Juice function. There’s a recipe in the instructions on how to create your own smoothie from scratch but I used some frozen fruits from the supermarket, yoghurt and milk. Adding them all to the jug, you just choose the Juice function and leave it to work its magic. The programme is only 2 minutes long and made a lovely fruit smoothie. You can’t add ice to the smoothie so I left the frozen fruit out for a while to let it thaw. Look at the yummy results!
The duel use of the soup maker with being a juicer and smoothie maker as well makes this an excellent gift, especially for those who aren’t great at recipes like students or anyone pressed for time. The soups make a lovely change to salads and in winter time are a welcome hot comfort for lunch instead of a sandwich.
The Review Studio 