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September 11, 2013

Review: Walkers Mighty Lights

Blogging really has it’s perks, I won’t lie about it. You meet inspirational people, make new friends and if you are really lucky, your postman brings you a big box of crisps – crisps that aren’t only terribly tasty, but also healthier than others. He brings you a box of Walkers Mighty Lights.

Walkers Mighty Lights are Walkers new range of crisps: mighty in flavour and lower in fat than any of Walkers’ other crisps. We were sent 3 multipacks for our big taste test, but before I tell you what we thought about them, here some interesting facts about Walkers’ latest masterpiece:

* A single pack weighs 25g and contains 114 calories and 4.7g of fat
* Mighty Lights are made from real potatoes and baked in sunflower oil
* Walkers’ latest ridged crisp does not contain any artificial colours or preservatives.
* They are available in three flavours: lightly salted, cheese & onion and roast chicken, with all flavours suitable for vegetarians.
* Walkers Mighty Lights contain 30% less fat than average crisps.

So what did we think about the Walkers Mighty Lights?

Ben and Amy are massive crisp fans, whereas I am the one with the sweet tooth in our family, so when they discovered that we had been sent a massive box full of crisps, there was no holding them back. They opened a bag from each multi pack, snuggled up on the sofa and started their big taste test. Their winner was the cheese & onion flavour. No surprise there for me as that’s the flavour they always go for. Ben described them as light and crispy (he’s got such a thing with words), but he didn’t notice that they contained any less fat than other crisp brands. He did however highlight that the lack of fat did not mean a lack of flavour. The bag was gone as quick as any other and the two of them quickly reached for another one.

Personally, I am not too keen on crisps. I do eat them occasionally, but when I fell pregnant with Amy, I really went off them. I did however try some of the new Walkers Mighty Lights as, obviously, I can’t write about something on the blog or even recommend it without having tried it myself. Not being a fan of cheese & onion crisps (I always find that the cheese flavour is a little overpowering), I picked the lightly salted and roast chicken flavour and they were really pleasant in taste and texture. They had a nice crunch to them, the ridge made them a little different from their original Walkers brothers and sisters and the fact that they are a little more healthy than standard crisps made me eat them feeling a little less guilty about my cheeky treat.

I can’t judge, if they are any better or worse than any other brand as I simply don’t eat enough crisps to be a fair judge, but the fact that Walkers Mighty Lights have 30% less fat than other crisps makes me consider them more than other brands. They make a great snack on long car journeys or a picnic and are the perfect size for a lunch box treat.

Disclosure: We were sent 3 multipacks and were compensated for this review.

Article

June 3, 2013

7 comments

by Carolin

Tassimo T40 – A coffee maker review

I’m not a major coffee drinker, in fact coke and latte macchiato are the only caffeinated drinks I ever have, but when I was asked, if I would like to review the Tassimo T40 coffee maker, I instantly thought of the range of hot drinks that would come with it and agreed.

Tassimo T40 – it couldn’t be easier

Last week, we received the Tassimo T40 in black as well as a selection of coffee and hot chocolate pods. My parents have one of the older Tassimo models and Ben has always wanted a Tassimo himself, so as soon as the parcel arrived, we unpacked it and set up the latest addition to our gadget collection. As we already knew the concept behind the Tassimo coffee maker, we didn’t have to waste time reading the instructions and started making our first brew within minutes of receiving the Tassimo T40. If you have never used a similar machine before, it might be reassuring to give the manual a quick read. It really won’t take long as the Tassimo T40 is really easy to set up and operate.

Push the button

All you have to do is fill the tank with water, insert a pod, close the pod compartment and press a button that regulates everything. It really couldn’t be easier. Milk-based drinks such as cappuccino, latte macchiato or some hot chocolates come with an additional milk pod, which dispenses frothy milk and makes your drink extra creamy – yummy!

You can even make cups of tea with your Tassimo, although I’m not convinced that this option is really great value for money. It is much quicker than putting the kettle on and popping a tea bag in a cup, but a pack of tea pods costs around £3.79 and I would only get 16 cups of tea out of it. If I bought a pack of tea bags and made tea the conventional way, I’d pay a little less and get at least three times the amount of tea. So, if you are on a budget the tea pods might not be the best option for you. Convenient however, they are!

All in all, the Tassimo T40 is a fab little kitchen gadget. It’s not as big as its predecessors so doesn’t take up too much space in your kitchen. It’s easy to clean and most of all easy to use and it allows you to drink your favourite hot drinks at home. Check out my friend’s blog The Crazy Kitchen. Helen created The Ultimate Caramel Macchiato and you can recreate it at home using your Tassimo. It looks so tasty!

I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network, a group of parent bloggers picked by Mumsnet to review products, services, events and brands. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity.

Article

March 12, 2013

0 comment

by Carolin

Review: Potters Crouch Candles – Lily of the Valley & Magnolia and Vanilla

I love candles and I often buy them, simply because they smell amazing and make a house a home. Candles can create a warm and friendly ambiance and I do find that they help me to unwind and relax. When Potters Crouch Candles asked me, if I wanted to try one of their candles, I instantly agreed. A girl can’t ever have too many candles!

The website of Potters Crouch Candles is easy to navigate and gives you a great overview of all scents available in the range, so it really wasn’t hard to find out my favourite scents, but more about them a little further down the line. The great thing about Potters Crouch Candles is is that every single candle is unique. All candles are handmade, hand-labelled and hand-finished in a 300 year old barn in Hertfordshire and I think that it’s this love for detail and the product that makes me appreciate the candles even more. They burn approximately 50 hours and at £8.50 per candle are super affordable.

Currently, there are 4 different ranges available on the website: Fruits & Flowers, Fragrances of Yesteryear, Fragrances of the World and Christmas Candles, but I concentrated on the Fruits & Flower range when picking my scents. I guess, I didn’t expect it to snow in the middle of March when choosing two beautiful and flowery scents called: Lily of the Valley and Magnolia &Vanilla.

Lily of the Valley is a really fresh scent that is at the same time quite traditional. It’s beautiful really and reminds me of springtime walks with my grandparents. They live near a forest that is covered in lilies of the valley every spring and smelling this candle just takes me back on those walks. The scent is really subtle and fills the room with a lovely light smell without being too overpowering.

The Magnolia and Vanilla candle has a much stronger and deeper scent than Lily of the Valley, but it is one of the smells that I really adore because it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside whenever you light the candle. To me it’s more of an evening scent, because it has a really relaxing effect on me whereas Lily of the Valley makes me feel all energetic and get up and go. Don’t expect it to be overpowering though, it really is still quite subtle and gentle.

All in all, I am really happy with the scents that I have picked and the overall quality of Potters Crouch Candles. They burn evenly, don’t smoke and smell absolutely divine. At £8.50 a candle, they are really affordable and a great gift idea for birthdays or special occasions like Mothers Day, a new home or simply a thank you. I know that I’ll be back for more as Potters Crouch Candles aren’t only great quality, but also pretty to look at and a product made in the UK.

Disclosure: I received two candles of my choice for the purpose of this review. My opinion is 100% honest and unbiased.

Article

March 3, 2013

2 comments

by Carolin

February Food Favourite & Mother’s Day Chocolate Gift Ideas

This post might look a bit random at first glance. The combination of savoury snacks and divine chocolates might not be an obvious one, but there is a reason behind my apparent madness. From now on, I want to introduce one foody item a month that was a firm favourite in our household during each month of the year. As you can see above, February’s favourite were the Deli 24 snacks. We were sent an entire box of them a while ago and let me tell you one thing: They didn’t last long!

Deli 24‘s range includes seven different flavours which come in handy single or multi packs making them the perfect snack for lunch boxes, picnics or if you fancy a little something between meals. They come in the following flavours:

I absolutely adored the Ham and Cheese flavour and Amy was a massive fan too. I wasn’t overly keen on the Piri Piri Strips and the Chicken with Sage and Onion Stuffing however, simply because I don’t like sage or stuffing, but Ben and Amy really enjoyed them to the point that we have gone and repurchased them since finishing our samples. What I really liked about Deli 24′s snacks is that they are all individually packaged, which means that they are easily to portion when you are planning your day out or pack your little one’s lunchbox. They also tasted really natural and I couldn’t find a hint of artificial flavouring in them, which always is a massive plus point for me. A real bonus is that they are a great source of calcium for little bones and teeth, so I am happy to give them to Amy as a snack when we are out and about. Unfortunately, our local supermarket doesn’t stock the whole range yet, but I hope the other flavours will soon hit the shelves as well. After all, Deli 24′s snacks are a great alternative to your ordinary cheese string or lunchbox snack and will definitely make a regular appearance on our family outings.

Now onto something completely different. Well, not completely different, but we are going from a savoury snack to something sweet and indulgent. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I would like to introduce to you two gorgeous boxes of chocolate that would make every mother’s heart melt and therefore are the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. They are Green & Black’s Taster Collection and Guylain’s Seashells. Both come in beautiful gift boxes and are great for sharing, entertaining or a cheeky little treat with a nice glass of wine.

While Green & Black’s Taster Collection allows you to trial 24 different chocolate flavours reaching from dark chocolate with crystallised ginger to milk chocolate with butter scotch, Guylain’s Seashell collection concentrates on the chocolate maker’s traditional Belgian recipe of 100% pure cocoa butter and their unique hazelnut praliné filling made with caramelised and roasted hazelnuts. Both boxes of chocolate are rather different in flavour, but both of them will win you over with their love for quality chocolate.

Although both gift sets feature white, milk and dark chocolate, I would suggest Guylain’s Seashell collection to milk chocolate lovers as it definitely has a prominent milk chocolate taste whereas Green & Blacks Taster collections features a number of quite rich and dark chocolate flavours from Belize and the Dominican Republic and is probably more enjoyed by someone with a taste for warmer and deeper flavours.

Either way, they make a wonderful present for Mother’s Day or any other occasion and I’d be happy to receive either of them on Mother’s Day. Both brands are a little more high-end, but you definitely get what you pay for with both Green & Black’s Taster and Guylain’s Seashell collection. You’ll just have to decide which one’s for you now!

Disclosure: Thanks to Deli 24, Green & Black’s and Guylain for the samples for this review.