EasiYo Yoghurt Maker - Greek Style With Coconut - By @Cinabar

We were very keep kindly sent an EasiYo Yoghurt Maker to try out. This is a device that enables you to make your own yoghurt at home. I have to admit I’ve never made yoghurt, or even thought about how I'd go about it, but I feared it would be a complex process. The product has most of the word "easy" in its title, so here is hoping it lives up to expectations!

Inside the box is a fab pink device (if pink isn't your thing other colours are available), which looks like a thermos with a container for the yoghurt. You have to purchase sachets to use with the EasiYo separately, but Holland and Barrett seemed to have a good selection.

We decided to start by giving Greek Style Coconut a try.
In order to use the kit you start by half filling the inner container with lukewarm water, and then adding the contents of the sachet and giving the whole thing a shake. Once done you top up the container with more lukewarm water and shake again. Then you fill the main thermos with boiling water up to the top of the red divider which sits inside it.

I had found this part a bit confusing as I wasn't quite sure where to fill too, but looking at the pictures I think I got it right. Then you put the yoghurt container inside, some of the boiling water then covers the base of this and slightly up the sides. All you have to do is seal it up and leave it for 8 to 12 hours until its ready to go in the fridge.
After the allotted time, but before putting it in the fridge, I gave it another shake as advised on the pack as the coconut had settled on the surface. I could tell the yoghurt looked quite thick.
The yoghurt itself was remarkably tasty, it was thick and creamy and the coconut really emphasised this. There was a big tubs worth so it lasted the week (which is the recommended time that it keeps) and we enjoyed it on its own and with breakfast cereals and fruit. I enjoyed making it, and it was as promised rather easy. I liked the fact that the only thing messy to wash up was the yoghurt container, as the thermos only had hot water in it. The only negative is the fact that you are tied to the sachets they make for it, and their availability. There did seem to be a good selection though, with many other flavours I'm looking forward to trying.

Trolley Bags (Amazon UK) [By @Cinabar]

I can't be the only person who had seen the advert for the new Trolley Bags on the internet. They seem to be popping up all over the place. With the introduction of the new bag charge which has just started hitting UK shops I thought I'd get myself a set to try out. Although there is an official website for the Trolley Bags I chose to buy them through Amazon, just because I’ve used it before.

The idea of these bags is that they pack neatly away into a roll, and sit on the back of your trolley as you do your grocery shop. When you have finished and put all your goods onto the conveyor, you then unroll the bags to fill the trolley so you can pack. This part works wonderfully, they look amazing in the trolley and so many people commented on how fab they look and asked where they were from etc. I've used them a few times now and even packed straight into them in Aldi which works very well. It allows you to pack straight into the bags, and enables you to keep up with the super fast till staff (well just about). The problem with them occurs after you go back to your car.
The bags are so very deep, that if you fill them passed half way the bags becomes very difficult to lift. I really struggled, and there weren't even that many bottles etc. The Trolley Bag must carry over double a regular carrier bag, and all that weight is on one handle. The poles in the handles, which make them hook over the trolley, are awkward to fit in the car boot. The next problem is also related to the size of the bag. If you have to carry them anywhere (even just from the car to the house) they touch the floor. The bags are long, and at my height (not tall but average for a woman) they need to be carried with the arms bent. Did I mention these bags are already heavier than regular bags, now add to that the fun of having to carry them in an awkward position. Sadly unless you are tall and very strong they are just a bit difficult to use.

By Cinabar

The Cookie Catcher (@CookieCatcher_) [By @cinabar]

When I first heard the phrase Cookie Catcher, I thought it was some kind of net for retrieving escaped cookies. In actual fact it is a very clever little invention, designed with biscuit dunkers in mind. Every dunker knows that at the end of their tea or coffee remains biscuit sludge, even if the biscuit hasn’t noticeably broken. If the biscuit does break, it is a horrid feeling as you realise there goes your last sip of drink and the tea is ruined. As a dedicated dunker this new item caught my eye and the lovely folks who invented it sent me a sample to review.
Inside the pack is a net shaped like the inside of a cup, with a tag to pull it out, rather like that found on a teabag. I made myself a Costa Latte using my Tassimo, popped in the Cookie Catcher and opened up the Jammy Dodgers, the perfect afternoon treat. I dunked away happily with a couple of biscuits, and am pleased to announce there were no breakages, even though one biscuit came close!
When I was done munching and dunking I simply pulled the Cookie Catcher out, gave it a quick rinse and it was ready to re-use. I can confirm there was NO biscuit debris in the bottom of the mug, all the soggy biscuits crumbs were caught as promised. Genius! I know it is novel, but it does fix a very British problem.
This would make a fab stocking filler or Secret Santa gift in the office for a known biscuit dunker. If you are putting together hampers at christmas with a selection of teas and biscuits why not pop one of these in too, it will ensure that all items are enjoyed to the maximum.
Want your own Cookie Catcher? Take a look at: http://www.thecookiecatcher.com

By Cinabar

Tefal Actifry Plus Snacking (@IdealWorldTV) [By @Cinabar]

We have a new toy in the kitchen, the Tefal Actifry Plus Snacking. This fab gadget looks rather like a deep fat fryer, but cooks chips similarly with just one spoonful of oil!The Actifry products have been available for a while now in the UK, but the part that interested me is the new snacking version now available.
I unpacked the box and discovered a fairly large device inside. We managed to find a spot for it on the kitchen surface near a plug. It had a fair amount of cable to reach the power socket, unlike our toaster which came with a far stinger amount!
Inside the box is the traditional Actifry paddle, or a smart wire basket for snacking goodies. This both fit inside the machine, and are interchangeable. We gave the traditional paddle a try first and made some rather lovely sweet potato fries, they were quicker to cook than the recipe booklet suggested for potato fries, but the handy window on top of the Actifry meant we could easily keep an eye on them. They were lovely, and it was the first time we've tried doing them at home in any form.

Next up I purchased a box of breaded prawns to test out the snacking tray. I lined them up in the tray, possibly a little snuggly but each one had room, and none were doubled up. These we cooked for 12 minutes which followed the instructions on the box which were similar to the prawns in the recipe book that came with the Actifry. They went a lovely golden colour when cooking and we added no extra oil, so it is a healthy way of cooking them too. What impressed me was when we came to test them was how lovely the coating was, golden and crispy, and it meant the prawns were perfect for dipping into Marie Rose sauce. I was very pleased by how they'd cooked and the taste. Interestingly in the tray below the prawns I noticed a few small puddles of oil, which had been released from the prawn’s coating during cooking. They taste like they have been deep fat fried, but these were such a healthier alternative, actually reducing the fat content because of the wire mesh.
I really enjoyed using the Actifry, it is a large appliance, and it is a little noisy as it cooks but after my first two trials I couldn't be happier with the taste, and the obvious health benefits. The snacking tray is a brilliant addition to the device and is something I'm very much looking forward to experiment with. I think chicken nuggets and scampi are up next.
Many thanks to the lovely folks at Ideal World TV for giving me the chance to give the Actifry a try.
The Tefal Actifry + Snacking is available exclusively from www.idealworld.tv

By Cinabar

Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball [by @NLi10]

So - my kind and generous little sister got me two packs of Saxa Rock Salt for Christmas for me to review...

...as the fuel for my new Play and Freeze Ice-Cream maker!! (YAY WOO!!)

And here we see the link to the Ben & Jerry's sub-theme for all the little stories I've been posting this week.  I got their recipe book to enable me to whip up all kinds of amazing things, but unfortunately it's all designed around making a quart of ice-cream.  In the UK this is a fictional measurement, and my new Play and Freeze Ice-cream maker only makes one pint.  This means I'd have to halve/down convert such wonderfully inaccurate measurements as 3/4 of a cup and 1-1/2 teaspoons.  Pro-tip guys, ml are much easier...

Fortunately inside the steel cylinder that comprises the freezing chamber was a small recipe book that resembled the most basic version but with easier to figure amounts.  I planned to make half a pint of vanilla ice-cream.

Here is the science bit.  You open the bottom and fill it with as much ice as you can ram in, then you add a load of rock salt.  This melts the ice, and adsorbs heat from the surroundings.  As the only thing surrounding it is a metal cylendar this gets cold fast.  You then pour in your cream and sugar (and in this case vanilla essence) and then tightly screw it shut.  Then you throw the ball around for 10 mins!

You can just about see the ice cream on the top window.  After 10 mins the freeze action is so strong that you get this.

It's mostly ice-cream with a bit of slop in the middle.  So you tip out some water, add more salt and play again!

Cats are very suspicious of the large ball, but as the ice crystals form on the outside you may need to put it down a bit to warm your hands up.  And then you open it and use a spatula and a spoon to get at the ice-cream.  Hooray!

It made about three generous portions, you could possibly have got a fourth if you were really scraping away hard.

Those last bits really freeze to the sides and take a bit of effort to get off, but it's worth it.  Fantastic ice-cream and all made at home with basic ingredients.  Look at the frost around the top on that last one. Chilly fingers...

We have a big bag full of alternative things like sweets and marshmallows and other Ben & Jerry's style things that go into their recipes, and we have these flavoured squirts to make instant variety.  I do really like vanilla though so had to start with that.

The most important thing about any gadget - the one thing that dictates whether it gets used or mothballed is this. How easy is it to clean? The answer - hot tap water goes in both sides and then pours out and it's clean.  Done. Storing a large red ball is harder, but I really thought it'd be a long term mess - one of those things that is never truly clean ever again.  You could probably rebox it when it's dry and no-one would ever know.

It does use a large amount of ice, so I've actually set up some trays in the garden to try and freeze some overnight outside (Eco friendliness and all that).  Buying bags of ice when it's this cold does seem crazy.

I'd link you to get one, but they seem to be out of stock after Stephen Fry featured them (little sister had to order from the USA) so you are better off typing Play and Freeze into Google or exploring local cook shops.  Summer parties will be very fun this year (although the experience is a very loud one with all that ice rattling...)

Bosch Tassimo & Milka Hot Chocolate (@Tassimo) [By @Cinabar]

Oh my, I have a new toy in the house, and I’d like to introduce you all to my new Tassimo machine. I think I have made it clear on many occasions that I love my hot drinks, be it teas, coffee or hot chocolates, and I find a time for each of the above.
The Tassimo caught my eye as it had some brilliant features which are perfect for a lazy person like me. You put a drinks disc in, press a button and your drink appears. It’s fast to make a drink, with drinks brewing in under 60 seconds, which impressively beats a kettle! The machine has almost no maintenance and comes complete with a Brita water filter so shouldn’t even need de-scaling. There is no cleaning up after or before use, you pop the T-Disc in, after the drink has been made you remove it, no drips or anything it’s all just a clean environment. When the machine has finished the drink it jets some steam through itself just to make sure there is no residue. Also the used T-Discs are recyclable which is an important addition when you have the recycle police in the house (aka Spectre).


More than this though, Tassimo is the only manufacturer to have Milka hot chocolate, and I’m sure you are all aware of my feelings on the subject of Milka – as it is the best darn milk chocolate on the planet!!! :-D I have been wanting to try Tassimo Milka hot chocolate since 2008 and here is a link to prove it!!!
If you have used a Tassimo machine you will be aware that some of the drinks are quite small, and only fill a cups worth. As I prefer my hot drinks in a mug, I have been a bit disappointed with the size of some of them. The cappuccino it makes are lovely, but are a bit small so the Latte Macchiato (unsweetened) has been my coffee of choice because it fills a mug properly. I am pleased to say that this Milka hot chocolate also fills a mug which is a relief as a hot chocolate should be a long soothing savoured drink! I have tried the Suchards hot chocolate in the Tassimo and had to use a double measure of T-Discs to fill the mug, and I only rated the drink as ‘nice’ at the end of it. I have loved the coffee but as this was my first trial of a hot chocolate I was a bit disappointed.


I had my fingers crossed when I popped in the Milka T-Disc and it turns out I was in luck. The Milka drink it makes is pure heaven. The flavour is a lot stronger than the Suchards, and you can definitely pick up on the distinct alpine Milka taste. The chocolate drink is smooth and velvety, and topped with lovely milk froth and chocolate. The flavour has a hint of nut and lots of cream and is just absolutely perfect. I know I’m a Milka fan girl, but for me it is an absolutely dreamy drink. It made me want to hug the Tassimo and say thank you!!! I can’t work out why so many of the shops don’t stock the Milka T-Discs particularly as they actually make a full mug too. I had to buy these online, but as you can imagine I’ve already ordered a second box! Also in my last online order I have included a packet of Twinings Chai Latte which sounds gorgeous, and either myself or Spectre will be writing about that soon too.

Big thanks to the lovely folks at Idealo
If you are looking for your own Tassimo bargain (and they are cheaper than you think) check out the Idealo website.

By Cinabar