Yorkshire Tea Caramelised Biscuit Brew (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

I do like a good mug of tea. I drink a lot of tea whilst working out at home. Yorkshire Tea makes a good strong builder's brew, especially as I have a habit of leaving the teabag in my mug for as long as possible.

One thing I do really like are biscuits for pudding at night whilst watching the TV or part of a movie. Yorkshire Biscuit Tea has a way of complementing other biscuits whilst washing them down, or keeping a sweet-toothed hungry mind going during exercise.

I have tried quite a few different biscuit teas now. I'm hoping this new Yorkshire Tea Caramelised Biscuit Brew will also keep my sweet-toothed hungry mind going. It's made with black tea and natural ingredients. A tea with a reminder of continental lightly spiced caramelised biscuits such as Lotus Biscoff. This should be a good addition to my selection of teas in the tea and coffee cupboard.

On smell there was a sweet caramel lightly spiced biscuit aroma from the teabag. Once brewed the milky black tea smelt much the same, not so strong as the bag though. After a crisp sandwich and a Soreen bar for lunch, I hoped this Yorkshire Tea Caramelised Biscuit Brew would be a sweet treat without extra calories before continuing with my afternoon workout.

On taste Yorkshire Tea Caramelised Biscuit Brew tastes of sweet caramelised caramel to begin with, a lightly spiced biscuit flavour followed, but only mild, merging with the black tea into the aftertaste. This was certainly a sweet treat of a mug of tea. I'll look forward to the rest of the box. However, I do prefer the original Yorkshire Biscuit Tea over this one by comparison. It's all about the biscuit flavour for me.

Twister Berry-licious (Iceland) By @Cinabar

It's hot, so I bought more ice lollies. I was in Iceland and trying to work out what sort would appeal, and I saw these Twister Berry-licious ones that turn your tongue blue. I think when they were making these, they probably didn’t have me as a grown adult as their target market, but regular readers will know I love a novelty, so I was totally in. I opened the box and found that these ice lollies look amazing. 

The ice lollies have three flavours intertwined in them: blackcurrant, raspberry-apple, and apple-blueberry. I made a mistake with this lolly; I decided to try each of the sections independently, and the results were not good. I tried the two paler sections first, and they were both nice. The raspberry-apple (pink) was fruity and tasty, but not too strong. The apple-blueberry (pale blue) was again a nice berry taste and not too strong; it had a good flavour. The problem was the dark purple section, which is the blackcurrant part. I tried it on its own, and the flavour was so strong that it was actually unpalatable. It wasn’t zingy like a sour sweet; it was so strong and intense that it just wasn’t nice. I can’t explain it more than that; it tasted wrong, and it felt stronger than drinking blackcurrant cordial without diluting it. It was bitter. The thing is, if you just enjoy the ice lolly as a whole, the three flavours work well together, and it is quite tasty. The two paler-coloured sections reduce the sharpness, and their taste is full-on but enjoyable. Just occasionally, though you get a bit of lip curling blackcurrant on its own.

After I finished the lolly, I checked my tongue in the mirror; it was indeed dark purple / blue, and that did make me smile. I'm so grown up and mature. So these Twister Berry-licious get full marks for tongue-colouring goodness and the flavour as a whole, but do watch out for the super-bitter blackcurrant bits. 

Nescafe Vanilla Cookie Dough Latte (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

Another grocery trip brings with it another exciting variety of coffee. This has been a fantastic year for new flavoured instant coffees, and I’m not complaining. I've had the pleasure of trying all sorts of interesting flavours, and the Nescafe Vanilla Cookie Dough Latte is my latest find.

As usual with these sachets, I followed the instructions meticulously. One part of the process still puzzles me: after stirring, waiting twenty seconds, stirring again, you are supposed to tap the mug. I always do this because the instructions say so, but I can’t quite understand how this step contributes to making the drink creamier. It says it does, bu tI don’t get it.

Nevertheless, once prepared, and after all the instructions were followed I gave it a try. The drink was sweet, but not overly so, and it had a creamy texture. There was a delightful vanilla tone throughout, which complemented the coffee beautifully. Although I couldn’t distinctly identify the cookie dough flavour part, it was undoubtedly a good flavour and made for a lovely afternoon pick me up. The creaminess and sweetness of the drink were well-balanced, making it a satisfying and enjoyable drink.

Lindt - Les Grandes - Dark & Nutty [@NLi10]

Lindt make great chocolate, but apart from the little balls I think they struggle to get a hold in the 'bar with stuff' market.  In the UK it's all Cadbury and on the mainland it's all Ritter Sport (for me anyway).  I got given this one so thought I'd give it a try.

It's dark choc (but not too dark) and big nuts.

Do Cadbury even do whole nut anymore?  I used to be given that one a lot as a child as my sister hated nuts so I must trade my plain ones for hers.  Luckily I enjoyed them.  This has the typical care and attention of a Lindt bar.

And the super sexy (and recyclable) foil.

And the nuts are so big that you don't feel that you've been given the leftovers

But it's still firmly Lindt.

For me the balance is a little too sweet, so two squares at a time only for me.  That said - it's pretty nice.  The choc flavours are light, but the nuts are deep and interesting.

Not one I'd ordinarily choose (I'd much rather have the savoury nut snacks now) but a nice change and a great reminiscence about a nutty chocky childhood.

Menabrea - Italian Blonde Lager Beer (M&S) By @SpectreUK

I have my first takeaway in ages tonight. It's partly because of the cost of takeaways nowadays, and partly because I had a takeaway that made me ill during a Comic Con once. To mitigate that happening again, we haven't had takeaways before any toy fairs or comic cons since. It's pretty difficult to try to sell toys between running to the loo.

This Menabrea is an Italian blonde lager beer. At 4.8% in volume I noticed there was maize as well as hops and malted barley in the ingredients. I'm hoping the brewer was not too heavy on the maize, as too much can often spoil a beer in my opinion. This lager is going to be washing down a KFC Mighty Bucket for one, which could be frowned on by anyone who thinks this lager should probably be enjoyed with a good pasta meal, but hey, it's the type of guy I am.

On opening the 660ml bottle there was quite a strong hit of maize from the bubbly lager inside. This bright golden beer poured like the sun on a canal in Venice, although I haven't been there for many years. On taste Menabrea had a subtle blend of mild bitter herbal hops to begin with, followed by a little maize which mixed well with the sweetness of malted barley into the aftertaste. Very nice indeed, this lager washed down my Southern Fried Chicken takeaway a treat.

Marvel White Chocolate Oaty Bars (Iceland) By @Cinabar

I bought these Marvel White Chocolate Oaty Bars, and I suspect everyone else who bought them did, as the packaging is bright and covered in Marvel characters. It really stood out on the shelf. I am always up for a bit of novelty, and I love super heroes, so why not? I also have a cereal bar most days. I opened up the box and have to say the wrappers of these cereal bars didn’t disappoint either. All of the bars are the same inside, but the wrappers were lovely and bright, and each had a different superhero character on it. They are fab.

For no particular reason, I decided to start with the Hulk. Inside the bar is a bit plainer-looking. It had a drizzle of white chocolate. 

I gave it a try, and the flavour was nice. It was sweet with plenty of oat flavour, but the white chocolate was also pleasing, taking centre stage. Texture-wise, it is firm but not hard, and that worked well. There was a bite in it without it being hard. The bar is really nice, but the packaging is gorgeous. These Marvel White Chocolate Oaty Bars would make a lovely lunch box snack or bring a smile to any adult for an afternoon snack too. 

MARRO - fresh cat food unboxing and first feed [@NLi10]

 My parents feed their dogs something called Butternut which comes in the post and is better than your typical dog food.  We use KatKin for one of our cats but the other really hates it.  This is convenient as we only have one chip feeder.  The company that make Butternut have just started doing the cat equivalent so we jumped in!

The box was dumped at our door by the delivery guys, and lying on it's side - but fortunately I'd planned to be in.  It's a cute house!

So far - so modern.  Every inch of the box has slogans and sayings.  I couldn't find them on Insta - but here it says they are!

And a free toy in the first box - ace!  Luna suitably unimpressed as it's mid morning nap time.

The tray keeps everything safe - and is perfect for cats.  If you tape the corners (Marro should do this) then they love these to sit in.  

A couple of really good ice packs, and all the lovely food.  And suspiciously packed in the same wool layers as KatKin

Lovely little frozen multitrays.  Shallow enough to actually clean so far so haven't had to resort to the "slug trick" as with the Katkin (if you put them next to your compost heap the slugs will come out and clean them for you).

Luna has decided to try the door to the house after all - I've had to use scissors to widen the door as our other cat got wedged in and panicked a bit.  She's fine - just shocked when she tried to pull back.

Here is Luna's standard tuna can with a 1/4 of the fish version added

Here is FloBot's KatKin with the Marro 1/4 placed next to it - all very similar indeed!

I'd not considered that these all might be from the same place until it all arrived, but so far Luna actually seems to like the fish one here so I think the recipe's are different.

And 4 feeds in (2 pouches - 1/4 portions each time) it's all going pretty well.

Luna this morning wasn't fussed about either food, and ate some of the tuna at lunchtime but that's not unusual.

Flo has eaten everything as usual, but it doesn't seem to have upset her delicate digestion which is a win!

Note the free branded spork too - handy for chopping up the frozen lumps.

Overall - as a trial this is great value.  I think they sent us a 50% off referal code so comment if anyone in the UK wants to try it and I'll add it in here.

I'll update once I get through a week of meals and see if either of them actually eat a whole portion to themselves!

Chicken Katsu Curry Ridge Cut Crisps (M&S) By @SpectreUK

I like to gorge sometimes. I know it's not good for me, but a huge packet of crisps or onion rings eaten in handfuls can brighten me up no end. Besides, I workout an extreme amount to rehabilitate from injuries and operations, and I count my calories. I try for a balanced diet with plenty of protein and carbs, fruit and veg. I just like my big evening pudding.

Instead of a big pudding tonight, for dinner I have these Marks and Spencer's Chicken Katsu Curry Ridge Cut Crisps for a big crisp sandwich, a couple of boiled eggs and a tuna salad on the side after weight lifting. The tuna salad and eggs are the healthier part.

On opening the big bag there was an aroma of Chicken Katsu Curry and potato crisps. On first super crunchy taste, these crinkle cut crisps had a really gorgeous spiciness to them with mild chilli peppers and all the flavours you'd associate with a good hearty Chicken Katsu Curry. I was really glad to have the whole bag to myself, because once I'd started to eat them, I just couldn't stop.

Information on the bag; The 135g bag contained 507 calories per 100g, with 28.5g of fat, 2.1g of sugar, 1.23g of salt. Suitable for vegetarians. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares & Corn Flakes (Ocado) By @Cinabar

We have a new flavour of one of my favourite snacks, Rice Krispies Squares & Corn Flakes. Squares are always made with Rice Krispies, and there have been many limited editions over the years, from strawberry sundae to dragon (not dragonfruit, but dragon). This is the first time they have let another cereal share the limelight, and they have let in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.

I opened up the wrapper, and the bar did look predominantly like it was still Rice Krispies. I could spot the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, but they were a bit hidden between everything else. I gave it a try, and again, the flavour was mainly the usual flavour. The texture was different; there was a nice crispy texture from corn flakes, and I really liked that. The problem is that the usually cereal-based flavours mixed with sweet mallow were pretty much the same. I could pick up on the new taste in this Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares & Corn Flakes, but it wasn’t as strong as I would have liked. I guess Rice Krispies weren’t quite willing to step aside too much for a new flavour, but how great would one of these bars be if they were made exclusively with Kellogg’s Corn Flakes? 

Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

There have been a lot of new flavours of coffee recently. I’m certainly not complaining, but it seems you can buy an epic array of varieties of flavoured coffee and a very limited selection of interesting hot chocolates. I’m a little bit sad about the lack of hot chocolates, but happy to stock up on interesting coffee.

This is another one in the form of instant sachets: Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha. That sounds like a lot of flavours in one drink, but I’m more than happy to give it a go. I opened a sachet and put it into a mug. I added hot water and stirred. Then I followed the instructions, waiting the prescribed 20 seconds before stirring again. Why does it then ask me to tap the mug on the table? I did because I’m good at following instructions, but what does that step do?

Anyway, once it was cooled, I gave it a sip, and the drink was rather lovely. The main focus on flavour is the coffee and chocolate, and the mint is there, adding a refreshing edge to the drink. I’m a peppermint lover; I’d have dialled up the flavour on the mint, but that might be a personal taste. Perhaps I just need to add cream and some Aero Peppermint Bubbles for that extra effect? Either way, I will enjoy the rest of the sachets of this Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha, and fingers crossed they will make a hot chocolate too at some point. 

Eridanous Greek Petit Four with cocoa & apricot [@NLi10]

 What comes after Spanish week in Lidl? Greek week!

As we already had most of the stuff we needed I decided to just get these Greek (style) Petit Four biscuits.

Their best before says they will last to Jan - but I think they will be lucky to get through the day.

While they aren't quite fresh in the restaurant quality they do look and smell really really good.

They are diddy little things, barely a morsal, have to have a couple.

Good amount of crumbliness, and a nice balance of jam to the cocoa covering.  A hit - I just hope there are some left for when the guests arrive.

Sweet Fuggle Beer (Wee Beer Shop) By @SpectreUK

Having COVID for a couple of weeks and then the aftereffects has knocked me about quite a lot, my tastebuds seem to be getting back to normal, but my stomach is not great, and this latest version comes with a great deal of dizziness. This dizziness didn't help on a night away in a spa hotel for my birthday. Consequentially this is the first beer I've had in a while. However, it's coming up to it's end date, and I don't want to tip it away.

Sweet Fuggle should wash down my pork chops and roast potatoes dinner tonight rather well. Cinabar is treating me to apple crumble and custard for my birthday. I've been assured there is a Victoria Sponge cake on the way, and I'm hoping for my favourite soft baked Anzac biscuits too. I have quite a sweet tooth, so I'm hoping this beer will suit my palate.

At a super low 2.1% in volume, Sweet Fuggle shouldn't make me much dizzier on drinking it. Fuggle hops and Goldings hops were added in the brewing, so I'm expecting some woody bitterness, and earthiness, with a touch of sweet honey in the flavour.

On pouring this golden ale there was indeed a woody earthy sweet aroma, with plenty of malt to back it up. On taste the earthy Fuggles' bitterness came to the fore, with a touch of wood flavour, and then sweetness from the Goldings. The sweet malted barley added further sweetness as oatiness gave this luscious Sweet Fuggle more body. This was a gorgeous beer to wash down my favourite pork chops and roast potatoes, and with apple crumble and custard to finish. Yum.

Nescafe Quality Street Green Triangle Mocha (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

Here we have another product that has what I think is a Christmas twist: Nescafe Quality Street Green Triangle Mocha. I think it is because we probably only buy one tub of Quality Street a year, and it is for sharing during the festive season. As a chocolate nut lover, my favourites in the tub are the purple ones and the green triangles, so this drink really appealed.

 

On a day with roasting hot weather, we should be having iced drinks, but I fired up the kettle to make a mug of Nescafe Quality Street Green Triangle Mocha. I added the sachet to my mug and followed the instructions. I added hot water and stirred. Then I waited 20 seconds and stirred again. I also followed the slightly weird instruction of tapping the mug on the surface. I don’t really know what this does, but it was simple enough to do. Thankfully, the drink mixed up nicely without lumps either.

I gave the drink a sip and have to say I was super impressed by the flavour. There was a nice coffee base, and then there were lovely rich tones of chocolate and hazelnut. It was sweet, well balanced, and soothing, like a melting chocolate. I know I’m biassed about chocolate nut flavours, but my word, this drink was gorgeous. A hazelnut coffee delight, I didn’t even mind having a hot drink made on the hottest day of the year so far; it was that level of good. 

Alpro - Vegan yogurt style snacks - Blueberry & Cherry [@NLi10]

 I've been cutting back on the old dairy recently, but I'm yet to find a truly satisfying yogurt - but as Alpro make decent breakfast milks (but not for tea) so lets see what's up here.

This vegan version has plant based blueberry and cherry versions - both of the flavours are plants so shouldn't be an issue

They look like classic childhood cheap yogurts

Turns out it's essentially soy and sugar - which is fine, but surely Alpro are the almond experts - why aren't they in here.

And why such low fruit percentages?!

And what's a vegetal anyway

Looks Ok though - the lovely clear plastic is a great touch - but the label makes these a pain to recycle so I bet most just get chucked.

The consistency is a little too smooth - but would be perfect in a blended drink.  The flavour just isn't strong enough - why isn't there lovely little specks of the fruit to explode throughout?  Maybe it makes the soya go weird, who knows.

Overall though a nice, small desert.  Surely designed for the diet conscious and not me who wants to gorge on fruity goodness.  I've got loads of fresh fruit to add to the remaining ones though so a good time will be had.

Junior Mints Minis (Petrol Station) By @Cinabar

It has been a while since I tied Junior Mints and I really liked them, but it is much easier to find Mint Poppets than imported sweets at a reasonable price. I recently spotted these Junior Mints Minis at a petrol station here in the UK, and I couldn’t resist picking up a bag. As a fan of chocolate mint, I was excited to try this mini version of the popular American treat, which I haven’t seen before. I also like that they are in a re-sealable bag, I wish more sweets did this. 

Pouring some out, I noticed how small they were and was initially worried that the balance of mint and chocolate might be off. Some products come in giant or mini versions, and it changes the flavour a bit. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I gave one a try. Despite their size, the peppermint flavour was prominent and paired perfectly with the dark chocolate, making them absolutely delicious. In fact, there was still a wonderfully minty blast and the rich, smooth dark chocolate working perfectly together. 

The chocolate mints are fairly soft; there is a slightly firmer texture from the chocolate coating, but they are certainly not hard mints. This soft texture makes them easy to eat, and  I absolutely love chocolate mint. Overall, Junior Mints Minis are refreshing and tasty, as a chocolate-mint lover I am really pleased a bought a bag. 

Aero Strawberry Chocolate Bar (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

For summer, we have Aero's new Strawberry Chocolate Bar, which captures the classic flavours of a British summer with its strawberries and milk chocolate combination. This new bar features a milk chocolate coating enveloping pink-coloured bubbles, which are the hallmark of Aero's unique texture.

The bubbles provide a soft yet firm bite, creating a nice contrast that enhances the eating experience. I love texture. Although some might view the bubbles as a novelty, I find them genuinely enjoyable. It adds a lightness to the chocolate that makes it appear more substantial while being easy to bite into.

A memorable comment from a school teacher once suggested that Aero ingeniously sells air, making the chocolate look bigger than it is. Despite the criticism from him, I really like the texture and the satisfying chunkiness of Aero bars, which have clearly been successful for Aero.

Upon unwrapping, the bar releases an amazing, sweet aroma of chocolate and berries, instantly setting the stage for the taste experience. The flavour profile is lovely, with the milk chocolate blending with a sweet strawberry taste reminiscent of a strawberry milkshake. This new Aero Strawberry Chocolate Bar is truly a fruity chocolate delight, perfect for summer indulgence.

Kenco Millicano Cadbury Mocha (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I do like a mocha to drink. I don’t put sugar in coffee generally, but I do like an occasional treat, which is why I find myself picking up interesting flavours of new coffee or mocha combinations. This drink is made in collaboration with two brands: Kenco Millicano Cadbury Mocha.

The tin isn’t too big; it is the same size as the regular Kenco Millicano coffee, but from that sized tin, you would use one teaspoon of coffee per mug. For this drink, you need three to four teaspoons per mug, so it won’t last anywhere near as long.

I put four teaspoons worth of powder in my mug because I hate weak drinks. I added the hot water and gave it a stir; it dissolved nicely, which is always good. I hate drinks with lumps. I gave it a try, and I really liked it. There was a very good balance of flavours, plenty of coffee, and so much so that its flavour took the lead. The chocolate was also there, adding a sweet, soothing edge, again very present but nicely balanced with the coffee, a perfect mocha. This Kenco Millicano Cadbury Mocha was a lovely drink, and one I’ll buy again. I just wish the tins were a bit bigger. 

Fry's Katsu (Vegan) Chicken Fillets [@NLi10]

 We've been a big fan of Fry's Vegan stuff for a very long time here, so it's lovely when I spot a new kind like these in Iceland.  Yeah - it's essentially a flatter version of the chicken fillet, but the sauce immediately gives you recipe ideas and gets the taste-buds tingling.

And they seem like a nice bunch too!

And as ever - it's decent quality ingredients

Air Fryer instructions are now on everything!  But - in the normal oven it goes.

Not the sauce - that gets defrosted and pinged in the Microwave.

Cat plus katsu! Definitely vegan as she's not trying to hit it.

The sauce is good - just enough spice to elevate it from Chip-shop-curry to Katsu, and the not-chicken slices as easily as you'd expect.

This isn't going to fool anyone, but your average person isn't going to care past the first bite.  They might be upset I ran out of frozen Udon noodles and had to settle for waffles instead.  As I had it all to myself I didn't add leafy greens, but I did have a pudding too.

A hit with me and one I'll add to the usual order.