Amicelli Hazelnut Wafer Tubes - Aldi [@NLi10]

 I received a Christmas box of goodies - that I'm only just fully exploring.  One of these is this giant box of Milky-Way Crispy Rolls!

Ok - so not Milky Way, these are Amicelli which sounds like pasta - but is actually Ritter's version of the lovely choc coated wafer roll.  And the middle is closer to a dark hazelnut spread than Nutella and no where near as light as the Milky Way

I am reliably informed these came from Aldi - and are 'perfect for gifting'

And neatly arranged too - 16 in a box is really 8 portions

They do look like feminine hygiene products though

But are lovely and chocolaty inside

With crispy layers and a hazelnut centre - like a lovely grown-up version of one of my favourite childhood treats.  Will have to see how long these last!

Swizzels Squashies Love Hearts (Asda) By @SpectreUK

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. It's a happy time for lovers, lonely time for those who seek a date, and worse for the broken hearted. Everyone has hard times, most people miss someone, and everyone wants to know they are loved by at least somebody. A time for love, a time for loss, a time for hope, and a time for reconciliation.

 

What I do know is that these Swizzels Squashies Love Hearts could be good to share whilst watching a romantic comedy like Four Weddings and a Funeral. There were six squishy flavours all with different words or faces embossed on them, just like Love Hearts.

Blackcurrant tasted of a very fruity blackcurrant flavour. Pineapple was mild to begin with, but as I chewed more the pineapple flavour shone through. Lime had a slightly face twisting tangy bitterness, and was my favourite so far. Orange had a fruity pleasant tanginess to it. Cherry had a dark cherry flavour, sweet and not unpleasant. Lemon had a bitter citrus fruity sweet lemon flavour.

I was impressed at how fruity all these Swizzels Squashies Love Hearts were. They were a fun combination of squishy sweets, as well as seeing what was embossed on each sweet, their squashy texture, and fruity flavours. Happy Valentine's Day, I hope everyone finds their heart's desires.

M&M’s Choco Eggs (Asda) By @Cinabar

Here we have one of M&M’s Easter snacks for this year: M&M’s Choco Eggs. These are much bigger than regular M&Ms but still a bit too small to hide for an Easter egg hunt. I might be wrong, but I’d never find them! Luckily for me, I’m eating these straight from the bag.

Once opened, I noticed that they were individually wrapped and looked very pretty. All of them were labelled "crispy," and I wasn’t sure if there were supposed to be different varieties, but that’s what was inside. When I unwrapped one, I found a chocolate egg with a patterned surface. I took a bite and discovered mini M&Ms inside a lovely chocolate shell with a satisfying crunch.

Even though I wouldn’t use them for an egg hunt, they’d make a nice treat to bring along when visiting family—like a stocking filler, but for Easter!

Charleville Cheese Snack Country Relish Snackfuls (Ocado) By @Cinabar

I picked these up as a quick lunch snack, thinking they’d be handy when out and about. However, I soon realised that the pickle element required cutlery, so I ended up eating them at home, somewhat defeating the purpose.

Inside the pack were cheese slices, biscuits, and pickle. Once I’d unwrapped everything, the portion looked a little small. The biscuits were also quite small and puffed in the centre, which made them tricky to load with cheese and pickle. That said, they were tasty, as was the cheese, and they worked well together. The pickle, however, was quite vinegary and sharp, not unpleasant, but not to my taste, and I didn’t finish it.

Overall, it filled a gap, and I enjoyed the cheese and biscuits. However, the portion size was on the small side, and the pickle wasn’t for me, so I wouldn’t buy it again.

Tesco Taste Discoveries - Korean Pork Belly Roast [@NLi10]

 Sometimes I’m home-alone and fancy something a little more interesting. I spotted this in Tesco in their new themed section and figured it was worth a shot.

A few of the discount supermarkets have rotating ranges like this, so I figured that this was likely of a similar high quality.

But I hadn’t spotted it’s literally a bag of meat, a sauce and some herbs!

You basically pop the meat in a roasting tin and fire away, so plenty of time to make sides.

Doesn’t look great ‘unboxed’

Prepping the Udon noodles

Looks better after a little roast, and then you slowly add the glaze

And it looks pretty decent on the plate! I figured that slicing it as suggested in the kitchen would be unnecessary but i probably would do that next time.

Luna thought that it definitely smelt like something she should be allowed to assist with.

With hindsight i think i should have picked up other boxes in the range to use as sides, but it worked really well and im happy to go back for more.

Hedge Monkey Beer (Glastonbury Ales) By @SpectreUK

I've never been to Glastonbury. I know people who have. They generally say that it's an amazing experience, but try to avoid the portable toilets. From watching highlights on the TV, I can see that it's a city of lights and sounds built in a few days. I'm sure there is a great deal of interesting foodstuffs and booze to be had there too.

This Hedge Monkey was brewed by Glastonbury Ales. At 4.6% in volume it's described as "bold & ballsy", for a malty, rich and strong in hops well rounded bitter. This ale was created in tribute to all the strange and wonderful characters, the music lovers, the cosmic travellers, and the hippies, that make their visits to Glastonbury.

On opening Hedge Monkey poured a deep hazy amber colour with a frothy head. On taste the sweet biscuit malts played over my tastebuds to begin with, followed by a light bitterness from the herbal hops, and then more of those lovely malts into the aftertaste. Hedge Monkey was perfect for washing down my picky-bits meal and salad, followed by biscuits and ice cream to finish. Groovy.

Ridge Cut Jerk Chicken Flavour Crisps (Asda) By @Cinabar

I have always been a devoted fan of chicken crisps, so discovering a new twist on a well-loved snack is always an exciting experience. Introducing Asda’s Ridge Cut Jerk Chicken Flavour Crisps.

These crisps come in a generous sharing bag, perfect for a casual lunch or a gathering with friends. On a recent lunchtime, I paired them with a chicken sandwich, creating a comforting lunch on a cold day.

The crisps themselves are notably thick-cut with pronounced ridges that do more than just add an appealing texture. These ridges provide an ideal surface for the spices to cling to, ensuring every bite is packed with flavour. The first taste reveals a distinct chicken taste, followed swiftly by a burst of fragrant spices and a subtle smoky note. As you savour each crisp, a pleasant tingle emerges that gradually intensifies into a serious kick of chilli burn, exactly what you would expect from a jerk chicken flavour.

The balance of flavours, coupled with the satisfying crunch, made these crisps an absolute winner in my book. I loved the bold flavours and the perfect balance of heat, if you give then a try your taste buds will thank you.

Nestle Shreddies - Limited Raspberry & White Choc Flavour (not pink) [@NLi10]

 Shreddies do all kinds of limited editions these days, at least a couple a year it seems.  Here we found the latest in Sainsbury's - Raspberry & White Chocolate Flavour - in a lovely red box.

We used to get a strawberry shreddie along with the chocolate one and I swear it was a little pink, and turned the milk pink - but alas here they look basically the same

The layer on top is the new ones - the layer below are the regular Shreddies - us older people don't need a full bowl of sugar in the morning!

And - they are basically as advertised - Shreddies that taste of this year's flavour.  I think I'd rather have the normal Frosted Shreddies, but as a little change these were pretty good.  Ours were on special offer - so the same price as normal Shreddies and decent value.

I think the cereals that add a little freeze-dried raspberry/strawberry to the mix are much more my style - it adds variety and texture too.  Here though it's certainly a cereal for people who don't want a surprise in the morning - fibre and sugar and your choice of milk.

Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce (Asda) By @SpectreUK

I've always loved barbecue sauce. I've always picked barbecue sauce over every other sauce on the table. Ever since I was a young kid, which is a long time ago I can tell you. I love it with KFC style chicken, burgers, chips, steaks, bacon, sausages and many other foodstuffs. I can never have enough of it. I especially love to dip my burger into barbecue sauce while I'm eating it. I've done that since I can remember.

I haven't seen this Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce in the supermarket before. I decided to give it a go with KFC style chicken and chips to start with. It has a lusciously indulgent fruity sweetness to begin with, followed by a smoky flavour with a good spicy barbecue kick to finish. It's really scrumptious. I can't wait to dip a burger or two into it next.

AMOS 4D Fruit Gummy Peach Burst (Home Bargains) By @Cinabar

These 4D sweets were recommended by a friend we know from events we attend. He raved about how lovely they are but warned us not to pay the high prices on Amazon. He was right, we found them in Home Bargains for just £1.99 a bag. I chose Peach Burst to try first.

The bag is a nice pink colour, and the sweets inside look like mini peaches peeking through the window. The first question is: why are these called 4D? The answer (probably not backed by physicists) is that they’re 3D sweets with an extra dimension for being delicious!

I opened the bag and took a closer look, these sweets are seriously cute. They’re two-toned and resemble peaches crossed with gemstones. When they catch the light, they dazzle, and I really loved their appearance.

The texture is firm and slightly chewy, but they burst with a shot of juicy liquid before dissolving fairly quickly. Although my first thought was that they were a little firm, I grew to love how they melted away. The flavour of these AMOS 4D Fruit Gummy Peach Burst sweets is seriously good, sweet, perfectly peachy, and wonderfully juicy. I couldn’t stop reaching for another!

One question remains: why is the bag resealable when there’s no chance these will last long enough to need it?

Reese’s Popped Snack Mix (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I spotted this bag of Reese’s Popped Snack Mix in the supermarket and couldn’t resist picking it up. I love peanut butter and chocolate, so anything made by Reese’s is an instant must-buy for me!

This mix is packed with popcorn, which is wonderfully crunchy on the outside before softening as you eat. The toffee shell cracks beautifully, adding a rich sweetness, and it’s drizzled with chocolate for an extra indulgent touch. However, I was surprised that the popcorn didn’t have any peanut butter flavour, it tasted more like toffee or caramel instead.

The mini Reese’s Cups are effortlessly easy to eat, with their classic combination of sweet milk chocolate and smooth peanut butter. Even better, they weren’t wrapped in foil, which made them perfect for a movie night, no unwrapping, no mess, just easy snacking and sharing!

I’m also a big fan of salted pretzels, and they brought a fantastic savoury contrast to the mix. They were deliciously crunchy, with a satisfying hit of salt that balanced the sweetness perfectly.

Overall, this Reese’s Popped Snack Mix is an intriguing and addictive mix, I found myself eating far more than I intended! A fantastic treat that I’d definitely buy again.

Minecraft Doritos - Creeper Vinegar and BBQ too. [@NLi10]

 I've barely played Minecraft.  I remember all the fuss in the early days when it and other similar voxel games came out - and it wasn't for me.  Fast forward probably 20 years and there's a movie coming.

And the tie-ins are out in force. Here are some simplified Doritos! 

If you like the corn triangles, but don't like all the complicated flavours then they have got you covered - it's vinegar - just vinegar.  Salt is evil so we can't have that, and you don't want exciting things - just eat the vinegar.

They taste a bit like the pickled onion monster-munch, but they are clearly vinegar on chips flavour - but the chips are triangles and corn.  Perfect snack for gaming, or in my case sitting and watching the Rumble.  Not exciting enough for adults, but perfect for picky teens.

Buxton Brewery Phoenix IPA Beer (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

In mythology a Phoenix is a bird that rises from its own ashes to live again. For those that have had troubling times over the past few years, and have a desire to begin fresh and new, whilst learning from our own histories, perhaps we can learn a little from that bird, and try to begin our own new cycles with love, growth and positivity.

This Phoenix IPA was brewed by Buxton Brewery, in the Peak District. At 6% in volume this India Pale Ale was produced with Mosiac, Simcoe and Ekuanot hops, so there is expected mango, citrus and stone fruit flavours, with sweet pale malts.

On opening the can there was a fresh tropical fruit aroma from the hazy India Pale Ale inside. There were sweet mango and peach flavours that washed over my palate on first taste, with a crisp citrus bitterness, followed by further sweetness from the pale malts into the aftertaste. Phoenix IPA washed down my KFC takeaway a treat.

Have a great weekend, and if you have a new beginning this year, may it be a great one.