Marathon Retro Edition Snickers (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

We’ve been re-watching some classic comedy shows from the 1980s and 1990s, most recently Friends. So, as you can imagine, I’m fully in the right headspace for this delightful blast from the past: Marathon Retro Edition Snickers. Like Opal Fruits, there will always be a part of my brain that refers to classic confectionery by its original name, no matter what the packaging says now.

The retro packaging made me smile and transported me straight back to my childhood. Yes, it’s essentially a Snickers, but trust me, it tastes better (even if only in my head) when it’s called Marathon. Just look at that cute packaging:

I gave it a try, and okay, it’s a Snickers; chocolate, nougat, and nuts, a winning combination as always. But I bought these for the nostalgia, and on that front, they absolutely delivered.

They’ve re-released these before, and I know I’ll pick up another pack when they return in a year or so. I can’t help it, they just make me smile.

One final note: I bought this multipack from Morrisons for £1.95. Please don’t spend a fortune on them through eBay or similar sites, they’re in the shops right now at a reasonable price!

Covent Garden soup co - Pumpkin Spice [@NLi10]

 Spooky season is over - but autumn is still in vogue. Harvests have been harvested and pumpkins carved and discarded. But wait - what if we actually ate some?

The Covent Garden soup company seem to agree and have these lovely long dated special edition pumpkin soups - and they have lots of lovely bits in them.

Lightly spiced with warming chilli - perfect

Well with a dash of balsamic and a handful of chilli pumpkin seeds to add some more crunch.

More please! 🎃 

Emily Veg Thins Barbecue (Tesco Express) By @SpectreUK

I'm always on the lookout for healthy alternative snacks to crisps and nuts. These Emily Veg Thins Barbecue were a mixture of corn, pea, lentil and bean Tortilla Chips. Being a good source of protein and fibre, they sound pretty healthy to go with my tuna and pepper sandwich for lunch after weightlifting.

 

On opening the bag you can see in the photograph that there were pieces of shredded veg in each Tortilla. There was a strong mouthwatering aroma of barbecue from the reddened Tortilla Chips. On first very crunchy taste these Emily Veg Thins Barbecue tasted of a smoky fiery barbecue flavour that left a tingle of chilli heat in my mouth. The smokiness came first with heaps of paprika and medium chilli heat to finish. Gorgeous.

Information on the packet; The 23g bag had 97 calories, with 2.1g of fat, 0.7g of sugar, 3.5g of protein, and 121mg of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Funko Harry Potter Kinder Joy (Morrisons) by @Cinabar

I've always been a fan of Kinder Eggs; the combination of a toy and some chocolate appealed to me as a kid, and it's still something I pick up from time to time for a bit of nostalgia. Never grow up, right? These new Funko Harry Potter Kinder Joy eggs had their own display stand in Morrisons, and the kid in me couldn’t resist adding one to my basket.

This isn’t technically a Kinder Egg; it’s a Kinder Joy, which is a slight variation. Here, the egg is split into two sealed halves, with no yellow container.

When I peeled back the first wrapper, I discovered the chocolate section: two wafer balls nestled in a chocolate hazelnut spread mixed with white chocolate.

 

They even included a little scoop to make eating it easier. The taste was fantastic, with lots of chocolate, a bit of nuttiness, and a lovely texture, awesome!

The other half contained the toy, which had a curious design. I attached a small rubber band to the plastic, popped it onto a pen, and clipped the second part on. It was a Dobby pencil topper, and the band made it wobble, a super cool effect! I’m really pleased with both the chocolate and the toy, so I’ll definitely pick up another Funko Harry Potter Kinder Joy next time I’m at the shop.

Mars Milkshake (Iceland) by @Cinabar

The flavour of the nougat in a UK Mars bar is hard to describe. It’s distinctive, I know it well and can almost taste it just by thinking about it. Yet, it’s difficult to categorise precisely; I would say, however, that it’s definitely not malt.

This new drink, a Mars Milkshake in a can, comes sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which I know might deter some people. Personally, I don’t mind sweeteners, as they help keep the calories down, though I realise some would rather have real sugar. The can suggests giving it a gentle shake, so I did just that before taking my first sip.

The flavour is pleasant, with chocolate and caramel notes that aren’t too sweet, and a hint of malt. Chocolate and malt complement each other nicely, so the overall taste was enjoyable. However, I didn’t feel it truly captured the iconic Mars bar flavour. It was close and certainly tasty, but for me, it wasn’t quite a perfect match. Still, it makes for a nice, lower-calorie treat.