M&S Food Honey Nut Corn Flakes (that happen to be crunchy) [@NLi10]

 I love Kellogg's breakfast cereals, but occasionally you feel like trying something new - and we know M&S make quality products so why not give these a try?

I mean - they have all the words from Crunchy Nut Cornflakes - lets see what is in there

Similar stuff - just a less flashy box - more for an older person like me.

They are smaller, and the crunch of a dry one isn't that dissimilar to the real thing.

Add some (almond) milk and away we go!

Initially flavours are fine, not quite as sweet - and lacks one or two of the flavour layers.  But - like most non kellogs cereals the flavours do not stay around and the milk steals them.  This means as you slowly eat, the flavours change - but it's a pleasure all the way through.

The texture is not perfect, they've made them a little harder to avoid sogginess, and thats a fine trade off.

Overall - a win - if these are cheaper or you want something a little less sweet then it's a great choice.

I prefer to mix Crunchy with Regular cornflakes to achieve that older taste balance (then add bluberries when in season to spice it up) but that's a little more advanced.  In the above I added bite with some store brand mixed berry wheats.

Yum!

Hungry Boar - Loaded BBQ Sticklers (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

I always find Biltong and Beef Jerky kind of tough to eat. I'm hoping these new Hungry Boar - Loaded BBQ Sticklers will be a little easier on my old teeth.

As I'm getting older it's taking longer and getting harder to keep my exercise up and heal from injuries. It helps to add the correct amount of protein in my regular diet and balancing calories to help me heal. Most adults need 50 to 55g of protein a day. A packet of these Hungry Boar - Loaded BBQ Sticklers has only 9g of protein in it for 207 calories. Bit of a kicker when I can have a protein yogurt for 18g of protein for 92 calories.

On opening the packet, these Hungry Boar - Loaded BBQ Sticklers had a strong pork barbecue aroma. On biting in I could see the stuffed pork inside. The texture of these Sticklers was pretty soft and easy to chew. On taste there was a strong lightly spiced pork barbecue flavour. I found them very tasty and moreish, and they went very well with my Tomato Ketchup crisp sandwich for lunch.

Information on the packet; The 50g bag contained 415 calories per 100g, with 31g of fat, 7.5g of sugar, 18g of protein, and 3g of salt.

Fanta Pear (Local Shop) By @Cinabar

I came across this bottle in a local off licence we had only popped into once before. Last time we barely looked around, but it turns out they stock all sorts of interesting drinks and snacks. There were plenty of imports on the shelves, although I am fairly sure this Fanta Pear is actually a UK release. It was certainly new to me. This one is the full sugar version, which will please anyone who dislikes artificial sweeteners sneaking into everything.

I chilled it as soon as I got home because fruit flavours always taste better cold. When I opened it I expected something bold, maybe even a pear drops style hit, but the flavour is nowhere near that intense. It has a gentle fruity taste that feels quite natural and it is far lighter than I expected. Shloer does a pear drink that comes across as a bit grown up and almost sparkling wine like in its strength. Fanta Pear sits on the opposite end of the scale. It is soft, sweet and easy going, with a delicate flavour that never becomes overwhelming.

I liked it, although it would not be my first choice next time. It is pleasant enough, but I found myself wanting a lot more pear in the mix.

Alpro Barista Cinnamon Roll (Ocado) By @cinabar

American style coffee creamers are a thing. You can buy liquid ones, powders or even foam versions that add proper flavour to your coffee. Here we can buy Coffee Mate, but nothing that really brings a flavour with it. That is why I picked up this carton of Alpro Barista Cinnamon Roll. I have no issues with dairy, I just wanted to flavour my coffee with cinnamon, my favourite spice.

I made myself a big mug of coffee and added a generous slug of Alpro Barista Cinnamon Roll. It mixed easily and the colour lightened just as it would if you added a similar amount of regular milk.

I took a sip and it was lovely. It was creamy with a gentle cake and cinnamon taste. It was not very sweet and as I do not add sugar to coffee it felt as if a teaspoon of sugar might make this pop even more, but I am not going down that route. My sweet tooth already gets enough attention.

The drink was soothing and tasty and I am looking forward to finishing the rest of the carton. I am just hoping I do not accidentally add it to a cup of English Breakfast.

Webbs Garden Centre Cafe - Tea & Cake (or Mocha & Scones) [@NLi10]

 We decided to be brave and venture to the large garden centre metropolis complex that is Webbs near Bromsgrove

 They have santas and trees galore, and all the 'you shouldn't have' presents you require - but importantly they also have a cafe.

I had a Mocha & a Scone, and my partner had a roulade and a tea.

And they were both very large portions!

As it was the end of the day the fresh scones were a little drier than I'd have liked, but the fresh cream and the fruit certainly lifted it up.  If I'd thought about the amount of sweetness here I probably should have got a darker drink, but the Mocha did the job of warming me up and giving me the energy to go round the other half of the store.

We mostly bought presents for people's pets and a few posh snacks & smellies to add to the list.  It's a great place to get ideas at least - and it did make me feel a tiny bit more Christmassy.