OREO Spooky - giving Reese's competition for blandest special [@NLi10]

 It's spooky season - just look at the wrapper!

Guess what flavour the orange Oreos are?

Orange?

Pumpkin?

Pumpkin Spice (which is nutmeg and cinnamon usually)?

Nope - spooky white vanilla!

Same as the normal ones but with a colour added.

Even Reeses who release a peanut butter blob that vaguely looks like the shape of the season are impressed by the lack of thought and effort on this one.

And yes - the biscuits like the K-Pop ones (which are much more fun) have cool unique designs printed on the dark biscuits where it's hard to see.

I'm not sure which of the flavours they focus tested before giving up, but feel free to make other orange looking suggestions in the comments.  At least these might be on special offer after the haunting is over.

Anti Establishment (Aldi) By @SpectreUK

With the recent riots against political establishments, run down facilities, and the cost of living in various countries, this India Pale Ale fits the bill this evening. I can understand peaceful protests, but it’s a real shame when violence is involved, and the protests lose their arguments when looting takes over.

Anti Establishment is 5.4% in volume. It’s a golden coloured India Pale Ale, with fruity American hops giving it a strong grapefruit and also sweet pale malts aroma. So, this could be a beer packed full of attitude.

On first taste, Anti Establishment had quite a bite of citrus grapefruit hops, followed fairly nonchalantly by sweet pale malts into the aftertaste. Those bitter sweet citrus hops did hang around like a yob on a street with a bad attitude almost throughout the entire mouthful. Definitely Anti Establishment.

Maynards Spooky Gums (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Here we have Maynards Spooky Gums, a Halloween twist on the more usual Wine Gums. These sweets come in Halloween shapes and darker colours, making them look suitably spooky. I could spot worms, a coffin and a gravestone, but there was also something rectangular that I couldn't quite identify. Feel free to leave a comment if you know what it is! The sweets look cool, though, and the packaging is lovely and perfectly themed for Halloween.

I gave them a try and was pleased to find that the flavours are lovely and fruity, with plenty of flavour. Raspberry and blackcurrant are my favourites, both having that lovely full-on fruity taste that makes Wine Gums such a good sweet. The texture is just like regular Wine Gums, with a firm, satisfying chew that thankfully isn't sticky.

These are a fun Halloween twist on a classic sweet, with the same fruity flavours and chewy texture that make Wine Gums so popular. They're perfect for sharing during a Halloween movie, although I might have to solve the mystery of that rectangular sweet before the credits roll!

Halloween Fizzy Pumpkin Mallows (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

Marks and Spencer have excelled themselves with their Halloween goodies this year, and it’s hard to pick what to write about next after our good shop in their foodhall. I went for these Halloween Fizzy Pumpkin Mallows because they look so cute! They have little pumpkin faces on them, which look even better in real life than the camera managed to capture. They really are adorable.

The marshmallows are vanilla flavoured but coated in a sour fizz. I gave one a try and was impressed by the zing when I first bit into it. The sour coating delivers a proper sharp, tangy taste, but as it’s only on the outside, it quickly melts away to reveal the sweet vanilla mallow underneath. I liked the contrast between the sharp fizz and the soft, sweet marshmallow.

I’m looking forward to trying these on top of a hot chocolate in my new Halloween mug. They’ll look super cute floating on top, and I suspect they’ll make my hot chocolate even more of a treat!

RSPB Sandwell Meal Deal - Chicken Chorizo & Pesto, Crisps & Drink [@NLi10]

 We went for a decently long walk in Sandwell Park yesterday, from one end over to the RSPB reserve and discovered they had decent snacks.

And if you purchased a sandwich snack and drink you got a 20% discount - win!

I chose the biggest sandwich - chicken and chorizo, but mostly salad and good vitamins.

Pretty good fillings!

I think it needed to sit out of the fridge a bit to get all the flavours, but it was a very welcome boost.

I also got the lightly salted crisps to share because I couldn't see the salt and vinegar ones, and although there are certainly less in the bag these days they are good quality.

These sparkling drinks are always good too. A nice hit of lemon and refreshing water.  Perfect for a warm but overcast day.

Overall - decent value considering this helps keeping the RSPB reserve open - and worth it for a few hide visits and a good look at the forest & park and it's residents.