Sweet meets Savoury

I was invited to join the latest Bzz Agent Campaign to review the latest offering from Jacobs in their snacking range 'Cracker Crisps'

 

In my box of treats I recieved 1 of each flavour of the 150g Share Bag and some coupons to pass along to friends who would like to give them a try for themselves.

 

 

First up was the Thai Sweet Chilli Flavour.

I was expecting the flavour to be somewhat overpowering but found it more mellow and subtle but extremely tasty and after each bite wanting more and more.

As someone who has followed a healthy eating plan for years and maintained my weight for a while now and cut out most of my snacking habits but when the weekend arises, I do find it hard to resist the share bags of popcorn or crisps so as a 'healthier alternative' these really fill a gap in the healthy snack market in my opinion.

 

I decided to try creating a dip for my cracker crisps and opted for the reduced fat creme fraiche which was really a great combination with the cool flavour combined with the sweet flavour of the chilli.

 

Another idea would be to chop up some fresh chives and combine with the creme fraiche for a healthier cream and chive dip.

 

The recommended serving is 25g which would work out to be 3pp.

 

For me, these are my new treat at the weekend and a new found snack that isn't so sinful.

 

Back to review the other flavours shortly.....

Raspberry Ripple goes all Posh at Tesco

Saturday night and it's movie night in our house.

After devouring the entire box of Tesco's Salted Caramel Dairy Ice Creams during the week, it was now time to move onto something else.....

Tesco White Chocolate and Raspberry Ice Cream.

  I have to admit I like these little tubs, small but perfectly formed with just enough so that you don't overindulge, personally if they were bigger I knew that I would!

So as I settled into the sofa, I opened the ice cream tub and was suprised to see a tiny little spoon clipped onto the inside of the lid - very nice touch!

Now I was expecting BIG things from this little tub, going on how impressed I had been with my first venture into the New Ice Cream range at Tesco and well that first mouthful did not disappoint!

Rich and creamy, then the raspberry flavour hit the taste buds and reminded me of that traditional flavour of raspberry ripple but better! I could then taste the white chocolate, not too overpowering but enough to recognise the flavour.

There were also plenty of  white chocolate curls topping the ice cream.

I was enjoying each and every mouthful, so much so that when I looked at the bottom of the tub to see the ingredients, my husband commented whether I was checking to see if there was any left!

I think I am now a huge fan of the Tesco Ice Cream Range, the flavours are so delicious and not at all sickly and this would be a delicious treat served up in the summer.

I was able to enjoy the Tesco Ice Cream thanks to the Orchard programme and the vouchers I was provided with.

A Sweet and Salty Taste Sensation from Tesco

As a member of the Tesco Orchard Programme I quite often find myself trying things that I wouldn't normally think of buying, however when I signed up for the Tesco Ice Cream Programme I was looking forward to picking up a few treats from the new range.

As I picked out the 4 Salted Caramel Dairy Ice Creams from the freezers in Tesco, I wasn't expecting to discover anything special. I have experienced the leading brand in Ice Creams as well as Supermarkets own brand products but little did I know. I decided to pick up a few of the small tubs of Ice Cream to try which I will review at a later date.

As I opened the box I was suprised to see that the Ice Creams were somewhat smaller in comparison to other Ice Creams but you do get 4 in the box compared with other brands offering 3.

The Ice Cream is in a transparent wrapper and being completely honest it doesn't look anything special but then you take a bite...mmmmmm it is amazing! The delicious thick belgian chocolate before you get the rich taste of the salted caramel, I was really beginning to enjoy this.
Tesco have double dipped the ice cream meaning that the dairy ice cream is covered with a salted caramel sauce filling before finally being dipped into belgian chocolate.

The combination of flavours is extraordinary, it is so tasty. The caramel pieces that are on the belgian chocolate coating tastes almost honeycomb against the caramel filling dairy ice cream.

The flavour is rich but not too sickly, in fact I could probably enjoy eating another straight away.

In terms of how healthy they are they flag up the red rating for fat, saturates and sugars meaning it is quite a sinful dessert but for a treat this has to be the best one.

Currently available in selected Tesco stores for just £2.00.

Jelly Shoes!

When I was offered the chance to review the Scholl GelActiv insoles I was quite excited as I often find myself on my feet all day in work or at the gym and I do struggle with pain in the arch of my foot when on my feet for long periods of time.

The Scholl GelActiv insoles claim to help prevent tired and painful feet and they currently come suitable for 3 occasions:

1. GelActiv Everyday This is the version that I received to sample and is recommended for everyday use to support your feet. These seem to meet my needs quite well as they are for day to day shoes as well as ankle boots and for use in Trainers.
 2. GelActiv Sport This version is for those that carry out a lot of physical activity to help absorb shock and to reduce the pressure on joints.
 3. GelActiv Work This version is ideal for those working on their feet all day. Softening the impact you feel when your feet hit the ground and offer long lasting support. So Scholl have developed 3 versions to suit each different person's requirements.

Insoles are designed to offer comfort and non-stop cushioning and they also help if your shoes are a little loose to offer a more snug fit. For me this is perfect as I find that a lot of my shoes are slightly big and the insole helps to prevent the shoes from slipping off.
Although it is not recommended you can wear the insoles with bare feet and if they need to be cleaned then you simply wipe with a soapy cloth and leave to dry.

The Scholl GelActiv comprises of two different types of gel that work efficiently together to absorb the smallest shocks and effectively reduce the impact felt when walking and running. I decided to try the insoles in my work shoes as this would be where I would wear them for most of the time.
The insoles are provided in strong packaging with a plastic covering and cardboard backing with information on the product.

Retailing at GBP14.99 this is quite an expensive product but it is clear to see from the packaging and when you remove the product from the packaging that this is of far superior quality to other insoles currently on the market.

The insoles are currently available in 2 sizes: Women Shoe Size 38-42 Men Shoe Size 42-48.
There is no difference between the men and women's insole apart from the size.
The insoles are suitable to use in all seasons, however if the insoles do get humid it is recommended that you remove from the shoe to dry.

To cut the insole to size I took a sharp pair of scissors and cut along the first line at the top, the different sizes were labelled A,B and C. Cutting along line A, I checked to see if it fit inside the shoe and continued until I eventually cut line C to get the perfect fit. I replaced the current insole within my shoe which was not particularly cushioned and ensured that it fit into the shoe snugly.

As the gel gripped the shoe it was clear that once it was fitted correctly it would not move around within the shoe. I placed my foot into the shoe to try on for size and found that the shoe instantly felt more snug and comfortable. The insoles are only suitable for full grown people of adult age and are estimated to last between 4-6months.

When I first placed the insoles into the shoes, I wasn't sure about wearing them for a long length of time as the shoes felt tighter but the sole of the foot definitely felt more cushioned.
The cushioning was firm this I assume is to be due to the two types of gel proven to absorb the smallest shocks and reduce the impact felt when walking and running.

The firmer gel supports the arches of the feet and heels and the softer gel provides high quality cushioning.

I soon realised that I couldn't wear my normal work shoes with the insoles as they were just too tight and uncomfortable, so I replaced them in my everyday boots and well the difference was amazing.

I have noticed that I am having less aching in my legs when using the insoles in my work shoes although I have decided not to use in my trainers as I currently have a "Fit sole" in my trainers which offers the right level of cushioning whilst I work out. If you suffer from tired, aching feet then these insoles will help and provide support where you need it.

The only real downside for me is that the insoles feel very cold at times, especially when wearing in colder weather, the gel is obviously cool and if you don't have thick socks I found that I could feel a cold sensation at times. As I suffer with cold feet this is not ideal but the comfort they offers superseded the cool sensation!

I don't know if they are worth the RRP of GBP14.99 but if they were on offer I would consider purchasing a further pair for the future.

Tesco Healthy Living Range

As a member of the Tesco Orchard programme from time to time I get offered vouchers for Tesco products to try and share my opinions on.

With the New Year well and truly in full swing, most people are on a mission to get a healthier lifestyle and to try and get past at least a month of their New Year's Resolution.

I am one of those people.

In the last 2 months of the previous year I managed to gain 18lbs, pretty shocking! 

I decided after Christmas, that was it to be happier and healthier than ever so when I was offered the chance to join the #OneLittleChange Programme at Tesco Orchard I was pleased to be accepted.

As part of the programme I received a set of vouchers to redeem at my local Tesco store.

 £1.45 off coupon for Tesco Easy Oats

£2.00 off the Tesco Healthy Living Yoghurt and Fromage Frais Range

£2.00 towards the Tesco Own Brand Tinned or Packet Soups 

I am not really a big lover of tinned soups and do prefer to spend a little bit extra purchasing a fresh, chilled soup but to make use of the vouchers I decided to opt for the Healthy Living Soups as they had the added bonus of carrying the WeightWatchers pro points values on the reverse which for me was great as I follow the plan so I knew they would be a great store cupboard ingredient.

I do normally opt for the WeightWatchers soups as they are always low in points but after looking at the Tesco Healthy Living range, they may be slightly higher in points but you do tend to get a larger tin at 400g.

 This is the Tesco Healthy Living Lentil and Vegetable Soup

 The RRP is 49p 

Which is reasonable for a 400g tin.

I normally tend to opt for simple soups and am not a fan of the Vegetable soups however, after trying this soup I have changed my mind. 

The soup was full of flavour and it was nice to have large chunks of vegetables in a slightly thicker broth.

The flavours complemented one another, there was also not a strong salty taste which, when compared to other products this offered a more natural taste.

I had the whole tin which worked out to be 4 WeightWatcher Pro Points and I decided to serve it with 2 slices of Danish Bread.

#OneLittleChange that I have made is to change the type of bread that I eat, the result has been that I have suffered less from bloating.

For a list of the ingredients I have detailed them below and have been taken directly from the Tesco Website.

 

Ingredients:
Water, Mixed Vegetables (29%), Lentils (18%), Modified Maize Starch, Tomato Puree, Salt, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Carrot Concentrate, Garlic Purée, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Leek Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Flavouring (contains Celery), White Pepper, Parsley, Colour (Mixed Carotenes), Mixed Vegetables In Varying Proportions contains: Carrot, Potato, Leek, Green Bean, Garden Peas, Sweetcorn, Onion
Allergy Information:

• Allergy Advice! For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold.

Storage:

• Store in a cool, dry place.
• Once opened transfer unused contents into a non-metallic container, cover and
• refrigerate.
• Consume within 2 days.

Produced in:
the U.K.

 I still have a few more soups to make my way through over the next few days they are:

Tesco Pea & Ham

Tesco Healthy Living Three Bean and Vegetable Soup

Tesco Healthy Living Tomato Soup

Tesco Healthy Living Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

After sampling the Lentil and Vegetable Soup I cannot wait to try the rest and report back.

Until then, bye for now

K 

Which one will you choose?

As a mum of a 4 year old boy when you are out and about finding something suitable for them to drink can be quite difficult especially when you have a fussy eater like I do.

I don’t like to give my child fizzy drinks, preferring to give him a squash based drink when possible.

Fortunately for me my son does really enjoy the Fruit Shoot range and when we received the latest Bzz Agent kit he was very excited to join in the campaign with me.

I always prefer to offer something to my son where no added sugar is involved so the Robinson’s Fruit Shoot range has always seemed like a healthy choice and is usually widely available in child friendly food places and is the alternative to fizzy drinks in places such as McDonald’s. However just because they are widely available are they the healthy alternative to fizzy drinks that I am led to believe?

With there currently being a huge buzz around reducing the amount of sugar in our diets I was interested to see where the Robinson’s range sits and it appears that Robinson’s have took notice of this with the introduction of the No Added Sugar range rather than providing the standard Fruit Shoot ranges which offered 10g of sugar and the low sugar version which offered 2.4g of sugar the replacement range of Fruit Shoot No Added Sugar contain 1.6g of sugar in comparison.

Britvic, which manufacturers Robinsons Fruit Shoots, provide clear nutritional information on all of their packs to help you to make an informed decision.

The Fruit Shoot Hydro a now offers 0g of sugar making it the healthier option and were the one’s I was looking at trying with my son as they seemed the healthier alternative for him in the long term.

First of all we tried the 200ml Fruit Shoot in Orange flavour, previously when I have tasted these they have always tasted overly sweet and not a drink that I enjoyed to sample, however to my 4 year old he really enjoyed the sweet taste and within about 10 minutes he had finished the drink.

Watching him drink I could tell that he didn’t really notice too much difference and he would have mentioned if he did not like the taste so it certainly passed his taste test. For me I found it was much easier to drink as the overbearing sweetness seemed to have been reduced but would still not be my drink of choice.

The next day we opted to try the Fruit Shoot Hydro. I myself had often looked at these in the supermarket and wondered about trying them with my son. We had received the Apple and Blackcurrant version to sample and although he did not drink it as rapidly as he had the Fruit Shoot he still enjoyed it, pointing out that it was water as he obviously recognised that there was no colour to the liquid but as he tasted it he like the flavour and again it had passed the taste test with my son asking to have more of these in the future.

As the Fruit Shoot Hydro is a sugar free still water drink this definitely appeals to me as a parent but the fact that it contains artificial sweeteners still causes me a slight area for concern. From the list of ingredients the Hydro contains Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame K) which has been rumoured to be a danger to health in the long term but having looked at the information published on the NHS Website it has been approved for use and considering that my son would not be drinking several of these each day and would more likely to be one or two in a month time frame this is not a huge concern to me at present.

I tried this drink and found it to be the best tasting of the three, it was not too sweet to the taste and I felt it was a healthy alternative to the other Fruit Shoot range.

The final drink that my son tried a few days later was the Fruit Shoot MY-5, again another drink I have looked at for my son as it boasts containing one of your child’s five a day. Now I am sure many mothers can relate about the worries we have about our children eating the right foods and often struggle in getting them to eat fresh fruit and sometimes vegetables so I can see how this can appeal to parents.

The MY-5 is 80% fruit juice mixed with a splash of water and contains no artificial colours, flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives so seems to offer an overall healthy drink, but take a look at the packaging and this drink offers a whopping 17g of sugar that’s 4 teaspoons of sugar!

Although the drink appeals as being the healthy option and appears to be a good way to get your child to have one of their 5 a day for me as a parent the level of sugar at such a young age could lead to other issues such as tooth decay so I don’t think we will be purchasing any more in the near future.

I found the drink a bit too rich for my taste and although the flavours tasted  the most natural out of the three products offered in the Fruit Shoot range, I just couldn't justify providing that much sugar to myself let alone a 4year old boy.

Out of the 3 drinks that my son sampled he preferred to drink the Fruit Shoot Hydro which for me I will look to switch over from the Fruit Shoot No Added Sugar due to the lower sugar levels but with the concern over sweeteners I would not like to offer him too many.

Aldi's sweet treat

So Christmas has been and gone and this year Santa left us a box of choccies courtesy of Aldi.
Moserroth Privat Chocolatiers in gold embossed print on the midnight blue box.

The box boasts "Luxurious Chocolate Collection" An indulgent collection of velvety and silky smooth milk, dark and white chocolate.

I am not normally a lover of boxes of chocolates but these appeared to offer some delightful flavours a selection of a total of 18 chocolates:

Coffee Cream
Silky Fudge
Crunchy Honeycomb
Coconut Temptation
Turkish Delight
Lemon Zest
Raspberry Divine

I am always a little bit sceptical of unbranded chocolate so I was pleasantly suprised when I tried the Silky Fudge and for a brief moment thought I was tucking into Dairy Box not a box bought from Aldi so the quality more than matches the competition.

The flavours are not too overpowering and even the dreaded Coffee Cream was fairly enjoyable.

Definately one to add to next years Christmas list.