We wanted some nice puddings to take to Nannas house (the one that reviewed the Prime) and I chose Crème Brûlée- little did I know it’s kind of a diy version.
.jpeg "McVitie’s Digestives White Chocolate")
After making my favourite Whittard's White Chocolate drink, I opened the packet of McVitie's Digestives White Chocolate biscuits. There was a sweet aroma of white chocolate and digestive biscuits from the contents of the packet. Good start. Though on first glance I thought that the white chocolate topping could have been a little bit thicker, mainly because I am greedy.
There was certainly a creamy flavour from the white chocolate topping, and then the sweetness from the digestive biscuit blended in nicely with the creaminess. I still reckon the white chocolate topping could have been more generous, but I did really enjoy these McVitie's Digestives White Chocolate biscuits, especially washed down with my white hot chocolate drink.
Information on the packet; The packet contained 15 biscuits at 78 calories per biscuit, with 3.8g of fat, 4.6g of sugar, and 0.14g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.
Once the tin arrived, I took a closer look at it. Firstly, what a stunning tin! I was very impressed. Secondly, it was made in Ireland, so it has the authenticity of Guinness. Finally, the instructions seriously annoyed me; they told me to use 25g of hot chocolate mixed with milk. What the actual I have drank literally hundreds of hot chocolates, and they all tell you how much to use with the measurement of teaspoons. I tried googling 25g of cocoa, and that is 2g per teaspoon, so that works out as 12 (?) teaspoons per mug, so that isn’t right. I also can’t be bothered to weigh 25 grams. Most hot chocolates are 3 or 4 teaspoons per mug, so I went with 4, and the drink was about right in a small mug. The drink mixed up nicely. I know I should have made it in a glass mug and topped it with white cream for that look, but all my mugs are opaque, sorry!
The flavour was rich and intense. The cocoa was strong and sweet, and the rich, deep flavours of Guinness shone through. They are super rich and super dark, and they worked a treat together. It has a proper autumnal feel and was a lovely warming drink on a cooler evening. I loved it, and I’d buy it as a gift too, as the tin is super cute.
Going back to my original point, there wasn’t any pumpkin spice hot chocolate on Amazon, even though I know Swiss Miss makes one in The States. If you know of one, let me know, because there is always room for another jar of interesting cocoa in the cupboard.
Firstly, on the texture of these Mini Cheddars with Basil Pesto and Cheese, given the reduction in fat, I would say these are very slightly brittler than regular Mini Cheddars, but only slightly so. I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been looking for it. The taste is lovely; there is lots of flavour from the herbs, with the basil shining through, and the cheese is offset by a little sweetness too from a pesto flavour. These were a bit different and rather nice. They were a lovely accompaniment to my sandwich and something I would definitely buy again.
We had a mini family get-together and fancied something other than Pizza so had a look on the usual apps then ordered directly from the ISO Sushi app (20% off!) as I'd not seen decent Japanese food in Walsall before and that kind of thing should be encouraged.
Link here - there are actually a few in the UK by the looks of things. Wolverhampton too which means when I'm in the remote office I can pick it up...
I had the Chicken Yakisoba which came with Udon noodles (unexpected bonus) and it was great - nice deep flavour and a hint of spice to keep things interesting. Most everyone else had variations on the Katsu (although the youngest had the Ramen)
It states on the bottle of this 4% in volume pale lager that it has a fruity finish. Looking up Perle Hops, suggests there should also be some minty, woody, and earthy peppery spiciness. Strong on hops, there was indeed a spicy pepper aroma on opening the bottle, with hints of mint and earthiness. Not particularly bubbly, this Stray Cat Lager won't make me burp too much after drinking.
Something in the ingredients was eating away at my mind though. It was the maize. I've tasted some beers in the past that have been spoiled by a strong maize flavour overshadowing everything else. Though I needn't have worried.
On taste Stray Cat Lager had a light refreshing crispness, with a warming flavour of spices and pepper. There was also sweetness from the lager and wheat malts perfectly combined with the flaked maize, and there was a little fruity minty taste into the aftertaste, all of which made me want to go back for more. I believe Sarah Bradford has done a smashing job with this lager, and I look forward to drinking more from Stray Cat Brewing.
They were sold individually, so I just bought a couple. I generally buy yoghurts in multipacks, but I couldn’t see this flavour sold that way. Inside the tub is a corner with a chocolate biscuit crumble, vanilla yoghurt, and chocolate sauce. I gave it a try, and it was good. The flavour isn’t too chocolatey, as the yoghurt is a plain base flavour, but the chocolate shines through. The crumble part adds a nice biscuit taste and a bit of crumble. So yeah, these yoghurts get a thumbs up from me; I thoroughly enjoyed them. I have to be honest; I’m not sure they needed the articles in the papers announcing their comeback, but they are a nice addition to the range and one I’d buy again.
I try not to go out and buy lunch when in the office - it can get expensive! I bumped into a friend who was unexpectedly on site today and we made lunch plans. A new Bagel shop has opened near work that's just a little too far to get to and back in a normal quick lunch so we made a special trip.
I'm quite the grumpy old man, and can't abide the crunching and slurping that goes on in cinemas these days, not to mention the playing on phones during movies. So, I'd rather do my crunching and slurping in the comfort of my own home, play on my mini iPad instead, and pause whenever I need the to refill popcorn or pop to the loo.
These Dungeons and Dragons Sweet & Fiery Gourmet Popcorn were sent to me by a friend, amongst other goodies, she had won from a competition. These Chilli Chocolate Caramel Gourmet Popcorn were produced by Joe & Steph's. They state on the back of the packet that these air-popped corn should have a smooth caramel flavour to start with, followed by Belgian Chocolate, and then Red Chilli Pepper, maybe to represent the burn of the dragon's breath. We shall see.
Bizarrely I decided to have these Dungeons and Dragons Sweet & Fiery Gourmet Popcorn with a barbecue turkey sandwich at lunchtime. On opening the packet they smelt like caramel and chocolate. On taste there was indeed caramel to start with, then creamy milk chocolate, followed by a fiery kick from the red chilli peppers in the ingredients. This left a pleasant warming medium burn on my tastebuds with all that sweet caramel and creamy Belgian chocolate. I found these Dungeons and Dragons Sweet & Fiery Gourmet Popcorn crunchy, sweet, fiery and very flavoursome. I'd definitely have them again.
Information on the packet; The 30g packet has 96 calories per 20g serving, with 5.5g of fat, 7.9g of sugar, and 0.12g of salt. With no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, gluten free and suitable for vegetarians, please see photograph for the ingredients.
Inside the box are ten individually wrapped wafer chocolates. There are three flavours: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate hazelnut, all in colour-coordinated wrappers. I opened up the hazelnut one fist because I am nuts about them. Chocolate and nuts are always my first choice.
The wafers are a decent size, and this one looked appealing as it was sprinkled with hazelnuts on top. I have to admit that I was rather impressed by these, they are quite substantial, they have the smoothest chocolate, and the wafers are spot on in texture. They are crispy but firm. The nuts on top added a lovely bit of texture, and they were a complete luxury. I would be over the moon to receive these Lindt Choco Wafers as a gift, but in the meantime, I’m rather pleased I treated myself to a box!
A new(ish) café has opened on our high-street (one of two highstreets we are in the middle of!) called Hello Café (Bearwood) and my partner noticed that on the menu they had a turmeric Late.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and turmeric is one of the many (many) things that has been recommended over the years to help - and the amounts I'd taken in teas etc really didn't make a difference. Chatting to the lady at the counter she said this is made with powdered turmeric so I thought I'd give it a go.
There are always lots of characters wondering around Comic Cons wearing costumes they have worked exceptionally hard to make them as authentic as possible. These costumes are always very impressive. If you stop one of these characters they will very happily tell you every aspect of their outfit, where they bought different parts and even what movies each part represents. I have seen an Emperor Palpatine at a few of these Comic Cons, not to mention a very pesky Jawa, who wonders around trying to lift toys when no one is looking.
This Pulpatine imperial stout reminds me of the sheer hard work these people put into their character costumes, due to the fact that there are so many detailed ingredients. There is peach, plum, charred nectarine, and beech smoked malts in the ingredients, as well as hops and oats, which should provide quite the taste sensation.
On opening the can there was a sumptuous fruity aroma of plums mixed with citrus from the nectarine and hops, cushioned by rich smoky chocolate malt. Gosh, I could spend all night smelling this imperial stout. However, I have an Indian takeaway on route, so I'm looking forward to washing down my Sheikh Kebabs, and Lamb Rogan Josh with chips. I know, but I've never been much of a rice lover, and I do love a curry and chips.
On taste this almost black Pulpatine imperial stout was too good to put down. There was instant fruitiness from the plums, which reminded me of the plum porters I love so much. There was a tartness to this plum flavour too, from the added nectarines and crisp citrus hops. The sweet velvety smokiness of the chocolate malt followed on from this, with a touch of peach into the aftertaste. Simply gorgeous. I will have to pick up a few more of these cans, but not in the far, far, future.
.jpeg "Tymbark Cherry Drink")
It is a very bright red in colour, which does look fun. The flavour is lovely, it is very fruity and nice and sweet. I liked the taste, and the cherry was strong and refreshing. There is a hint of apple too, which adds a little smoothness to the taste. It is easy to sip and goes too quickly due to the lack of bubbles, but it certainly was refreshing. The weather may not have provided the sunshine, but when it does, this would be the perfect soft drink for barbecues.
Protein bars are nothing new, but now there is a definite attempt to make them less synthetically and to have at least some real vitamins available. Here we have The Bar, Plant - which is vegetarian friendly (which I guess means it's not suitable for Vegans).
I thought putting lemongrass in a beer would most likely make it taste like washing up liquid. Fortunately I was wrong on that assumption and have found that Asian cuisine, such as Thai curries and Chinese takeaways go well with this not too fizzy lager. Golden in colour, Ticket's alcohol free lager with lemongrass, had a not too overwhelming flavour of lemongrass, followed by a light spiciness from the saffron and complementing hops, with the sweetness of malted barley into the aftertaste. Bizarrely this lager also went well with the bread, cheese and cold meats I have as a Sunday night treat. Although I usually have a big glass of Port or a triple Southern Comfort or rum and lemonade.
The saffron infused pale ale had lavender and orange added in during the brewing. I couldn't help but feel that there was too many complex flavours in this pale ale. Although it still went well with cheese meals, I couldn't find that it went well with anything else or on its own. The spices from the saffron, floral notes from the lavender and citrus from the orange plus the hops seemed to battle each other within each mouthful. Instead wiping out the sweet malted barley and producing a very maize type flavour. A flavour I don't particularly like in beer, and will be glad when I don't have anymore left to slowly drink away.
I gave one a try, and I did like the flavour. They aren’t as sweet as traditional flapjacks, but there is still a nice oat flavour with a hint of syrup. Wholesome but mild. The coconut is a bit too mild too, but it is present if you look for it.
In conclusion, these are pleasant enough but not that exciting. I started off disappointed by how small they were, and then the flavour could have been so much more. They were drying out for a drizzle of chocolate.
