Lyons Salted Caramel Iced Latte (Iceland) By @Cinabar

I’m going to start with a bit of a tangent. Lyons Corner Houses were one of the original UK coffee house chains, founded in 1909. They disappeared from British high streets before I was born, but the brand lives on through pre-packaged treats like this Lyons Salted Caramel Iced Latte. The reason I know about the cafés is because I studied Computer Science, Lyons was the first commercial company in the UK to use computers for stock management. They were ahead of their time in 1949. You’ll thank me when that comes up in a pub quiz.

 

Anyway, back to the drink. This Lyons Salted Caramel Iced Latte comes in a generous box with 12 sachets. The pack suggests mixing it with cold water, milk, or a half-and-half combo, I went with half and half. It blended easily, with no lumps, and I really enjoyed the flavour. It was creamy, with mellow coffee notes and a sweet caramel tang that made it refreshing on a warm day.

I couldn’t really detect much of the “salted” part of the salted caramel, but the drink was rich and smooth, with just the right hint of sweetness. I’ll definitely be reaching for these again when the sun’s out, and next time, I might even add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for full-on indulgence.

Giggling Squid Lunch Menu [@NLi10]

 We went for a family lunch to the Giggling Squid in Harbourne, Birmingham. The menu has been tweaked since we last went and is based around Thai tapas - small plates called Samrub and grouped into combos of 4 for your ease.

This is the veggie combo.

I chose a spicy chicken Samrub solo and added a full Pad Thai Gai too

And then for puddings there was a choc and ice cream combo with a coffee for £6 so most of the table had that

And I had a cappuccino with the matcha cheese cake

We all enjoyed our meals, and adding the spicy edge to the Pad Thai made it a little more special.

The matcha cheese cake was lovely and smooth too - and now I need a nap!

Nitro Mini Mars - Nitro Steller Stout (Vault City Brewing) By @SpectreUK

I fancy a pudding stout. I'm still working my way through a chocolate stash I had over Easter. This Nitro Mini Mars - Nitro Steller Stout from Vault City Brewing should fit the bill rather well.

At 6.2% in volume this milk stout was produced with chocolate malt, vanilla, caramelised brown sugar and cacao nibs to resemble the classic Mars Bar. Unfortunately I don't have a Mars Bar to enjoy it with, but it does remind me to get some in. I love the mini Mars treat size bags that are available over Christmas, so I can have the odd one and not worry too much about the calories.

On opening the can there was a milky creamy aroma with chocolate malt and sweet sugary caramel. On taste this almost black Nitro Mini Mars stout had silky smooth creaminess, with oodles of malted chocolate, a touch of herbal bitterness from the hops, and then sweet caramel into the aftertaste. Simply gorgeous, cheers.

TGI Fridays Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sticks (Iceland) By @Cinabar

It is Friday, so I felt like having a TGI Fridays treat. The shop Iceland stocks TGI Fridays branded goodies, and the latest addition is these TGI Fridays Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sticks. I love peanuts, so I was excited to try what feels like a classic American food combination, but in ice cream form. I don’t think I’ve ever had a peanut butter and jelly (jam) sandwich, despite growing up with a lot of American television.

 

I opened the box and found three individually wrapped ice lollies. I unwrapped one and found a peanut-flavoured chocolate coating. My lolly had been damaged a bit on one side, but otherwise looked fine. I bit in and gave it a try. The main flavour is a lovely, sweet, creamy, almost salty peanut taste. The shell was wonderfully nutty and I really loved the flavour. The ice cream inside is peanut too, but creamier, and it contrasted nicely with the sweet fruit jam. What a lovely combination. I really liked the taste, and the texture from the nuts added something extra. These were a delight and a perfect treat after finishing work on a Friday.

After Eight Mini Eggs [@NLi10]

 We still have the odd few Easter choc left over and it’s been nice to have a few in the evening while watching tv.

One I’d not seen before is these Easter versions of After Eight eggs

Here is the technical info!

They are quite small, but perfectly formed.

All individually wrapped and neatly sealed together

And inside it’s a neat mix of layers and flavours and surprisingly works well. I didn’t expect to like these, but I’m a fan - but you only want one at a time. Great with a tea or coffee and an episode of pointless.