Krispy Kreme UK Gingerbread Ring Doughnut review

I have missed out on a few of Krispy Kreme's limited edition doughnuts recently and so I was determined to start working my way through their festive range. Ginger is the one spice that I avoid like the plague and whenever I can taste it the product it is in is completely ruined for me. I have been determined this year to get past my hatred of ginger so that I can enjoy all the spiced Christmas treats available. Gingerbread was the obvious place to start but I didn't know if I was ready to tackle this and so when I saw that Krispy Kreme had released a doughnut that had ginger flavoured icing and a caramelised biscuit crumb it sounded ideal.

The doughnut itself didn't smell too strongly of ginger and had the famous Krispy Kreme glaze. The texture of the doughnut was as light and crisp as usual with the caramelised biscuit tasting of the lotus biscuits that Krispy Kreme often use. This also added an extra crunch that was really enjoyable. Now for the ginger..... in all honesty it was actually pretty mild and I found this doughnut really tasty. The ginger flavour was noticeable yet subtle and the overall taste more of a sweet spice than full on gingerbread. I would happily buy this doughnut again and think that this may be the ideal way for me to ease myself into being a gingerbread lover.

McDonald's UK Spiced Cookie Latte review

Being a regular customer at practically every coffee chain in the UK, I am happy to admit that I find McDonalds coffee pretty impressive. At a fraction of the piece of the larger coffee chains, the coffee is pretty strong but no overly so. Since I am on a personal mission to taste every festive coffee I see on offer, I jumped at the opportunity to try the new Spiced cookie latte on a cold and dark evening. This latte came topped with whipped cream and spiced sugar dusting.

I didn't know what to expect from spiced cookie syrup but there was a slightly sweet yet spicy scent coming from the coffee. I sipped the drink and was let down by the flavour. I wouldn't have known what the flavour was and it wasn't actually very noticeable. Despite the latte being the perfect temperature, I found it actually tasted a little bitter which surprised me since the "cookie" flavour made me think that it would be quite sweet. The cream and cookie sprinkles made this feel more luxurious, however I can't say that I particularly enjoyed this drink and I doubt I would order it again. Despite McDonald's usual coffee range being up to a pretty good standard, I think if you are treating yourself to a sugary festive coffee then there are better options available than this spiced cookie latte (even if they do cost twice the price! )

Marks & Spencers Millionaires Shortbread Desserts review

Christmas is the one time of year that it is totally acceptable to indulge on naughty little treats whenever you feel like! For me, I look forward to eating these millionaire's desserts every year with absolutely no guilt at all! A thick layer of shortbread crumb, rich caramel sauce, caramel flavoured mousse, Belgian chocolate ganache AND a white chocolate triangle to top...... what more could anyone ask for!

The chocolate ganache is thick and rich but not overly sweet. There is good reason for this however which is made quite clear the second you get a taste of the deliciously sweet whipped caramel mousse. The generous layer of caramel sauce is also very rich and sweet but tastes amazing, especially when mixed with the thick buttery and crumbly shortbread base. The small white chocolate triangle on top is a lovely little extra and makes these desserts look even more tempting!

These are without a doubt the best desserts available in my opinion and that really is saying something. These are sweet, rich and well up to the high standards of M&S. If you haven't already tried these already then I cant recommend them enough and highly suggest that you go and get them in asap!

Starbucks UK Three Bean & Avacado Wrap review

I rarely buy wraps for lunch, however the promise of avocado, three bean & chipotle salsa, with carrot, cabbage, pepper and onion sour cream slaw and spinach sounded pretty unusual. Being an avocado lover I felt the need to try it. This wrap is also gluten free and although the picture isn't great, it was rammed full with beans, avocado and slaw filling.

I bit into the soft gluten free wrap which I found pretty tasty. The heat from the bean and chipotle salsa was noticeably spicy however the creamy flavour from the avocado complimented it perfectly. The spinach tasted fresh and crisp with the slaw adding another layer of creaminess and crunch to the texture. I thoroughly enjoyed this wrap and loved that it didn't contain the usual boring lettuce and mayonnaise that are in most wraps. The flavour was spicy yet cooling and creamy and the combination of crunchy and smooth textures made this one of the tastiest wraps that I have had in a very long time. Although this wrap was quite pricy, I expect nothing less from a chain like Starbucks and considering how much filling was in it I cant really complain. I would highly recommend this wrap and the fact that it can be eaten by anyone with a gluten intolerance is just another bonus.

Cosy Club Farmhouse Risotto review

As you may have gathered, risotto is a meal that I love to order when I go out for dinner. Homemade risotto never quite lives up to my expectations and so I see it as a bit of a treat. I have heard good things about The Cosy Club chain but never visited it there before and so I decided for my first visit to try the Farmhouse risotto. This is a pearl barley risotto with roasted butternut squash, spinach and a poached egg. Chicken, ham or cod can all be added at an additional cost however I decided to keep it simple.

It came and I was pretty pleased with the portion. Not huge but I knew that I wouldn't be left hungry. The texture of the pearl barley meant that the risotto was less chewy and creamy than risotto rice but it made for an interesting change of texture. The poached egg and spinach were both cooked perfectly and there was plenty of roasted butternut squash throughout. Overall this all sounds great and the meal was tasty but I wish that I had added one of the meats or cod as the flavour ended up being really mild and leaving the dish tasting a little bit bland. The quality of the food was brilliant and I loved the interesting décor. I happily finished my meal but I cant say that I am likely to order it again. If anyone is thinking of ordering this risotto then don't let this put you off because it really was a decent meal but personally I think the addition of dome ham or cod would have improved my experience quite a lot.

Ambrosia Deluxe Custard Salted Caramel review

Custard would never be first choice of dessert as I find it slightly boring due to the mild vanilla flavour. Despite this, I decided that I had to try this deluxe custard which is a relatively new product from Ambrosia and also came in a larger sized pot. I chose to try the salted caramel version because I thought that this might be noticeably different from the original version.

I lifted the lid and it did look pretty think and creamy. I was worried that the salted caramel would be so mild that I would find this custard really bland, especially as salted caramel products are often lacking in the salt flavour. I took a bite and in all honesty I have never enjoyed any custard so much in my life. It was utterly delicious! The salted caramel flavour was spot on with a slight bitterness to the traditional creamy vanilla custard. The caramel flavour made this sweeter than an ordinary custard and the texture certainly seemed a lot thicker than the usual variety.

I was really impressed with this deluxe salted caramel custard from Ambrosia and am desperate to get my hands on it again which is something that I never thought that  I would say about a pot of custard. This did taste a lot more luxurious than Ambrosia's normal custard pots as well as being larger in size. I will be recommending these to anyone I know who enjoys custard and even those who don't because if I can be converted then anyone can! I am now officially a custard lover.

Osem Bamba Peanut Snacks review

I like to have a browse down the foreign foods isle at the supermarket but I rarely buy anything because the imported products are usually so expensive This week however, I made an exception for these Bamba peanut snacks. I wasn't really sure what they were and I have never heard of them before but it turns out that these are a popular Israeli product. These are a peanut butter flavoured snack (which is what tempted me to buy them), made from puffed maze. These are also kosher and although high in salt and fat, they actually don't contain any cholesterol, preservatives or food colouring.

I opened the bag and was met with what looked like really large cheese puffs. They were golden brown in colour with a subtle peanut butter smell. I bit into my first Bamba and it seemed to melt exactly like any other maze snack such as Wotsits. What made these Bamba so special however is the peanut butter flavour which was spot on!

I happily ploughed my way through the bag with the light and fluffy snacks melting on my tongue. These are a really unusual product and I am surprised that they haven't taken off more in the UK considering how much we love our peanut butter snacks. These were a really tasty and enjoyable snack and they made a nice change from any traditional flavoured savoury treats. They are a little more pricey than your typical bag of crisps but if you love your peanut butter as much as I do then these are definitely worth seeking out to try.

Propercorn Crunch Corn Rock Salt review

Popcorn is probably my favourite snack but one of my pet hates is all of the little un-popped pieces at the bottom of the bag. This is why I have put off trying this Crunch Corn despite Propercorn being one of my favourite brands. This snack has been made as an alternative to nuts and is made up of half popped popcorn. I figured I may as well try the rock salt variety first as this would probably give me the most authentic taste of the half popped pieces.

I was slightly worried that the pieces were going to be so hard and tiny that I would have problems picking them up and that they would hurt my teeth. When opening the bag, I saw that the pieces were much more substantial than I was expecting and also a lot lighter. I tried the first piece and absolutely loved them. The texture is almost that of a small, soft pork scratching. It was incredibly crunchy but without being so hard that it hurt my teeth to bite through.

The flavour was also impressive. The pieces of half popped popcorn themselves tasted almost buttery but the rock salt flavour was very bold. Although the bag itself was quite small these were really filling and I only have myself to blame for waiting so long to try them. I would definitely recommend these to anyone who is a fan of salty snacks and if you are normally a nut person, I would imagine that these would make a welcome change.

Angel Delight Butterscotch Ready to Eat review

I remember having Angel Delight as a child and really liking the fluffy and slightly chewy texture but it was never my dessert of choice. As an adult however it is something that I never choose to eat, mainly due to laziness because it actually has to be made unlike other potted desserts. When I saw these new ready to eat pots of Angel Delight available I threw them in my basket eager to see how they would compare to my childhood memories. The pot states that these are made with fresh milk which is unusual for a non-chilled dessert so I was also interested to see if this would affect the flavour.

I started with the butterscotch flavour because this is the flavour that is most often recommended to me. The pots are pretty small but this had only 83 calories so I can't complain really. I lifted the lid and the slightly golden coloured Angel Delight had flopped around in the pot slightly but being ever the optimist I reminded myself that this wouldn't affect the taste.

I took a spoonful and it was a lot tastier than I remembered. The flavour was almost creamy with a prominent butterscotch flavour. The whipped texture was as good as ever and it didn't taste overly artificial which is often the case with butterscotch or caramel flavoured products. The light and fluffy texture meant that this was the perfect little treat after a rather large meal as it had all of the sweetness that I needed without feeling too heavy. I thoroughly enjoyed this convenient ready to eat pot and think that these are a great idea. The taste was even better than I remember it being as a child with the sweet and buttery flavour feeling a lot more indulgent than 83 calories! I can't wait to try the other flavours available from this range.

Costa UK Lindt Hot Chocolate review

Lindt is my absolute favourite chocolate and is probably classed as one of the most indulgent brands out there. Since I am such a Lindt fan I decided to just this once give my festive coffee's a miss to try this limited edition Lindt hot chocolate from Costa. I have heard a lot of negative things about this drink, mainly regarding its size and cost but I knew I would regret it if I didn't try it at least once.

This drink only comes in a cortado size which admittedly is pretty dainty but this is supposedly because the flavour is so rich. The barista who served me was pretty rude but I was determined not to let this influence my opinion of the hot chocolate which had quite a thick layer of froth on top. Okay, so it was gone in only a few sips but I have to admit, it was pretty tasty. I cant say that the indulgent Lindt flavour was particularly noticeable or that this was some earth shatteringly amazing hot chocolate but I did enjoy it. I probably wont order it again mainly due to the size but if your after something sweet and hot in the bitter winter weather this should do the trick. It wasn't as rich or thick as I was expecting and I can understand why a lot of people have been left disappointed but for a one off treat it's probably worth trying at least once for any Lindt fans out there.

Zizzi Risotto Pesce review

Whenever I see that a restaurant has a seafood risotto available I know I don't even need to bother reading the rest of the menu. Being both a lover of risotto and practically any form of fish I am almost guaranteed to love it. However I have had some amazing variations of this dish and so my expectations are pretty high and I decided to see if Zizzi's risotto pesce with king prawns, muscles, squid and chilli in a white wine and tomato sauce would fulfil my hopes.

The dish came and I was more than happy with the portion size. In all honesty it was pretty cold but because I was starving I couldn't be bothered to make a fuss and wait for it to be heated up. This picture was taken once I had removed the muscles from their shells and it looked pretty appetising. The first thing that i discovered is when this dish states that it contains chilli, take notice! I thought this would be pretty mild but it was strong and therefore this risotto had one heck of a kick. The seafood was all cooked perfectly as was the rice meaning that it was soft and had just the right amount of chew. The flavour of the sauce however was pretty bland but it had a slight bitterness which I can only imagine is due to the white wine. This slight bitterness paired with the heat of the chilli and temperature of the dish meant that I didn't actually enjoy this meal very much. It wasn't awful but I expected to enjoy it a lot more than I did and I highly doubt that I would order it again. I personally feel that Zizzi's menu has some much better alternatives to this risotto and in all honesty, I left the restaurant feeling pretty disappointed which is a feeling that I rarely get after visiting Zizzi's. 

Oreo Doughnut review

I saw these Oreo doughnuts in Tesco and was tempted to but them and when I saw that they also had a vanilla cream filling I knew it wasn't even an option. These came as a pack of 2 and are chocolate doughnuts with white icing topped with Oreo cookie pieces and filled with that vanilla cream that I was eager to taste.

The doughnuts were a decent size and very dark in colour like a typical Oreo cookie. They were soft and doughy to touch and had more of a cake-y texture than most doughnuts. The flavour of the doughnut was very chocolate-y and gain, pretty authentic of the biscuit form. The white icing was very sweet and creamy and stopped the overall flavour from being too rich. The Oreo pieces on top were quite soft but I still enjoyed them and they still added a noticeable level to the texture. The vanilla cream filling that I was looking forward to was delicious. It was sweet, light and similarly to the white icing top it added a creamy flavour so that the chocolate doughnut didn't feel too heavy or rich.

I am definitely a fan of these Oreo doughnuts and think that these are a lovely addition to the Oreo range. They have a noticeable Oreo flavour but this cake like texture made them feel much more like a substantial dessert. If you like the biscuits then I would recommend giving these doughnuts a try. These were the perfect combination of chocolate and sweet cream and made for a lovely little treat to look forward to at the end of a long day.

Marks & Spencer's Lightly Salted Multiseed Tortillas review

As I have previously stated salted flavoured snacks are my favourite due to my totally unhealthy love of the taste of salt. Tortillas are also my favourite snack because I love the thick, crunchy texture and large triangular shape. M&S products are usually of a really decent quality and so when I saw that they had released these lightly salted multispeed tortillas as a part of their eat well range I couldn't wait to try them. These are baked not fried and the inclusion of multi-seeds makes me think that these may have some kind of nutritional value (although this may just be wish full thinking).

The size of the bag was quite large yet when I opened it (as I have come to expect nowadays), the bag was half empty. Initially I was a bit let down but then I saw that there was actually quite a generous portion inside, I was just deceived by the large bag. The tortillas were all pretty large and some were curled but I wouldn't say that they looked any different to a typical (less healthy) bag of tortillas.

I bit into the crisps and they had the perfect amount of crispiness. They were crunchy and texturally really impressive but for my personal tastes, the flavour let these down and they ended up tasting a bit bland. There was a slight buttery element to the tortillas that stopped them from being a complete let down, however I cant honestly say that I don't think that these could have done with a good hit more of salt. I openly admit that I like salty snacks waaay too much and so if you like a very subtle salty flavour then you will probably enjoy these. For me personally these were a decent snack but a little too plain and although the packet states that they are "lightly" salted, I feel that a dash more salt would have made these a new favourite of mine.

Mr Kipling Winter Whirls review

I look forward to Mr Kipling's festive range every year and so when I saw the shelf full of these limited edition products I didn't know where to start! Being a lover of the Viennese whirls, I decided that I had to start with these winter whirls. These are basically two shortcake biscuits with a filling of buttercream and a spiced apple jam.

These are a decent sized biscuit much like the traditional Viennese whirls. The filling wasn't so generous that the biscuits were busting open but it was still visible. The biscuit itself was what I was excepting, the typical sweet and crumbly shortcake with a light white dusting. The buttercream was also as good as ever with a lovely smooth texture. The spicy jam filling is definitely the most prominent flavour of these biscuits however and although I was able to detect the apple flavour, I wouldn't say it was instantly recognizable as the favour just resembled that of a mince pie.

I really enjoyed these winter whirls and I think that these would be a great, slightly less intense treat for anyone who finds the rich flavour of mince pies a little too much. These are up to Mr Kipling's usual high quality and although they have a much more powerful flavour than the original raspberry variety, I think that I prefer them. I would recommend giving these a try whilst they are available because they are a sweet yet rich festive little treat and although I couldn't eat a lot of them in one sitting, I had no problem finishing off the packet.

Tesco Finest Goats Cheese & Chilli Jam Crisps review

I rarely buy a typical bag of crisps that have been fried because I prefer to have more of a crunchy texture. I decided to make an exception for these goats cheese and chilli jam crisps from Tesco's finest range because the flavour sounded so unusual and right up my street. The packet states that these have been hand cooked (whatever that means) and should have the cool flavour of goats cheese with a kick of sweet chilli jam.

The crisps were a lot darker than most ranges which I put down to the chilli seasoning. There wasn't a strong small to the crisps so I was intrigued to see how they would taste. Honestly it took me a few bites to decide if I liked these or not. They had a very creamy flavour from the goats cheese which made the chilli flavour taste quite mild. I decided that I did like them but they are definitely a lot blander than any other chilli type crisp I have had before due to the creamy goats cheese and so I can imagine that these would be quite controversial. They were a lot thicker than a lot of crisps available which makes me think that maybe they were baked rather than fried. Either way, I personally thought that these tasted of a good quality and were noticeably from the finest range.

Although the goats cheese did strongly influence the taste of the crisps, I don't think that I would have been able to identify the flavour if I didn't already know what it was. I am still a bit unsure as to what I think of these crisps in all honesty purely because they are so different to any flavour I have had before. By the end of the bag I felt pretty satisfied and have bought them since but even so I have to admit that these are a bit of an odd bag. These are probably worth trying if you are looking for a slightly unusual flavour of crisps without too much heat and a nice thick and crispy texture.

Costa UK Toasted Marshmallow Latte review

The Christmas coffee's are here! One of my favourite things about this time of year is all the unusual coffee's and snacks that start appearing and I decided trying the toasted marshmallow syrup from Costa was as good as place as any to start working through them. The barista who served me was exceptionally lovely and even suggested that I smell the syrup before I tasted it because she loved the smell. It smelt sweet and exactly like a toasted marshmallow which surprised me since this is such a specific smell!

When the latte was made a took a sip after giving it a good stir. I cant say that the exact flavour of a toasted marshmallow which was prominent in the smell came across as strongly in the taste but it certainly made it a lot sweeter and for anyone with a sweet tooth like mine, that can only be a good thing! The more I drank it the more the flavour came across and it was a tasty latte. This isn't the most exciting latte that I have ever had but it does make a nice change to try something new and it would definitely meet my cravings for something hot and sweet it the chilly winter months.

Muller Light Apple Crumble & Custard Yogurt review

Muller light yogurts are very rarely my yogurt of choice because I find that they are usually very runny and thin. Nevertheless, I liked the sound of an apple crumble flavoured yogurt since it's slightly more unusual than a typical strawberry or vanilla yogurt. I was also intrigued to see how the "crumble" element would come across in this low fat yogurt form.

When I lifted the lid I saw a slightly yellow coloured yogurt which as expected looked very runny. I took a spoonful and didn't really know what to think. The overall flavour was prominently the custard with a sight apple-y tang. As I feared, there wasn't really much of a crumble element and the resulting flavour ended up being slightly bland.

I can't say that I would buy this again and seeing as I usually love apple flavoured yogurts I was very disappointed. This was a boring and slightly strange tasting yogurt with a thin consistency. It also had the artificial taste of sweetener which a lot of Muller light yogurts do. I had quite high hopes for this product but it ended up falling flat. I am glad that this is only a limited edition flavour and hopefully it will be replaced with a more interesting alternative.

Marks and Spencers Salted Caramel & Custard Slices review

A salted caramel custard slice.... it sounds too good to be true! I have been eyeing these slices up for ages and finally decided to treat myself to them. Custard slices were a childhood favourite of mine and being a salted caramel addict I was sure that I was going to love these! They came in a pack of 2 and were topped with a demerara sugar.

I took the first slice out of the packet eager to tuck in. As soon as I took my first bite however, I realised that my much anticipated dessert was actually not that great. In fact they were actually pretty bad! Both the custard and salted caramel fillings were an odd texture, slightly too mousse like and the pastry layers were so wet they just seemed to collapse into the custard leaving me with a sort of mush.

The flavours of the dessert were also pretty bland. Although I enjoyed the top layer with the demerara sugar which was the only part of this pastry that maintained any crisp, I couldn't really detect the flavour of salted caramel but rather a slightly odd tasting vanilla. Maybe my expectations for these slices was just way to high but especially for someone like me who loves practically every M&S product, I was left incredibly disappointed. I found these bland and soggy and will definitely be avoiding these in future in hopes of finding a more enjoyable dessert.

Starbucks UK Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino review

With the end of the pumpkin season fast approaching, I have made it my personal mission to taste every last pumpkin treat available. Although I have had Pumpkin spice latte's and loafs from Starbucks, I have not yet tries the Frappuccino as the poor weather has meant that I haven't been craving an icy drink. Knowing that these will only be available for a short while longer however meant that I was determined to try this coffee and milk Frappuccino with autumn spices.

It was slightly orange in colour which should be expected I suppose but was still slightly off putting for me personally. My doubts were quickly forgotten as soon as I took my first sip of this delicious drink! I opted for my Frappuccino to be without cream so that I could really taste the flavours which were pretty full on. This was incredibly sweet so be prepared however the strong spices especially cinnamon were more that detectable. I can't decide if I prefer this drink better as a latte or in this Frappuccino form but either way I am totally obsessed with both! I wish that these were available all year round and would recommend trying them both while they are still available if you haven't already. I will be devastated to see these disappearing from my local Starbucks store however this does mean one good thing..... Let the countdown to red cups begin!

Burts Lentil Waves Lightly Salted review

Lentil based snacks are becoming increasingly popular and I for one am a fan of the light and crispy texture of these type of snacks. Burts lentil waves are snacks that contain less than 99 calories per bag and seeing as I love the taste of salt, I decided the lightly salted flavour would be a good flavour to start with. These are also suitable for those who require a gluten free diet and vegans so good news to those people who have a restricted diet.

This 20g packet states that these are "Big on flavour" and so I was curious to see how flavoursome the "lightly" salted flavour would be. When I opened the bag there wasn't much of a sent and so this was all going to be down to the taste. The texture was light, crispy and really enjoyable. The flavour however was lacking somewhat and these were much less salty than the majority of salted flavoured crisps. Initially I thought that these were really bland, however once I had gotten through the first few and adjusted to the lack of salt that I was expecting I started to enjoy them a bit more.

By the time I was half way through the packet I found that I was actually enjoying these lentil waves. I cant honestly say that I loved them or that these will be my new favourite snack but I probably would actually eat these again. I think that these would taste a lot better with some sort of dip so I would recommend having something on the side with them for a bit for of a kick to the flavour. Overall these are a decent snack with a very mild salty flavour. They do taste slightly healthier than a traditional bag of crisps but they have a great curly shape and a really good crispiness to them. The only thing I would state is that if you are looking to taste a decent sprinkling of salt with your crisps, then these probably wont be for you.

Cadbury Pots of Joy Screme Egg review

These limited edition desserts are around for the Halloween period and since they are only a limited edition product I was eager to try them. I have always been hesitant to buy any of the pots of joy range due to the small portion size but the rich flavour of Cadbury's creme egg made me think that this would be rich enough that I would be left wanting more.

These pots of joy are made up of a layer of Melted Cadbury Milk Chocolate on top of a layer of creme egg fondant. Since these are a seasonal edition to the range the fondant has the same green colouring that is in the autumn time screme eggs rather than the traditional orange.

The thick chocolate layer was rich, delicious and clearly made from classic Cadbury chocolate. Breaking through this revealed the sweet yet creamy fondant layer which had all the flavour of a creme/screme egg but with a slightly more creamy texture. I was right not to worry about the size of these pots because the very sweet flavour meant that I was left more than satisfied. I was really impressed by these pots of joy and will be looking to get these gain whilst they are available.

ASDA Extra Special Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake review

Described as being luxuriously creamy with a crumbly biscuit base, I couldn't wait to get this Sicilian lemon cheesecake home. I always enjoy lemon cheesecake when I have it but it's not a dessert that I regularly have because its always too tempting to choose something a bit more sickly sweet such as a chocolate or caramel flavoured pudding. Supermarket cheesecakes can sometimes be a bit of a let down but seeing as this was a part of ASDA's extra special range I had high hopes.

There were two perfectly circular cheesecakes in this pack which were both topped with candied lemon pieces. They were a fair portion size and there was just the right amount of biscuit base to cheesecake ratio. The biscuit base was thick enough that it had a good bite without making the overall texture slightly dry. It was also buttery in flavour and maintained its solid texture but crumbled well when biting through it.

The cheesecake filling was as promised creamy and delicious. It had a slight lemony zing but the overall taste was lovely and sweet. The candied fruit added a chewiness to the texture and had a tasty sweet yet tart flavour. This did have a thick, slightly dense feel which is what made it feel so luxurious. ASDA have done well with this addition to their extra special range and it may actually be one of the best lemon cheesecakes that I have ever bought from a store. I am really lad that I tried this cheesecake and would happily buy this again or recommend it to anyone who is a fan of citrus flavoured desserts.

Nature Valley Popcorn Peanut And Seeds Bar review

Nature Valley is a brand that I have seen around on numerous occasions but I have never been particularly drawn to many of their products, especially as there are usually very similar but cheaper alternatives. Despite this, I am a big lover of both popcorn and peanuts and so decided that these popcorn, peanut and sunflower seed bars covered in a nutty flavour coating would be worth a try.

These bars are 20 grams and have only 92 calories so they seem to be the perfect on the go snack. When I looked at the bar I could clearly see popped pieces of popcorn, along with plenty of peanuts and sunflower seeds. There was a strong peanut-y smell from the bar and it made me eager to tuck in.

The texture was chewy but the seeds and nuts added a crunch to the texture which prevented it from tasting just a little stale. The nutty coating was sweet and gave it almost a glaze. I could certainly taste the popcorn in this which is what differentiated it so much from typical nutty cereal bars and it was an added element that I liked. I can't rave about these popcorn bars but then there wasn't any part of them that I didn't like. These are a handy snack to have when your on the go and one for any peanut or popcorn lovers out there. I did enjoy this bar and would happily have one again if it were in front of me, however in the grand scheme of things it was pretty forgettable and I haven't bought another one since this.

Marks & Spencers Cool Mini Tortillas review

Doritos were my favourite crisp when I was younger and the cool original flavour were a classic in my house. These mini tortillas are a part of Marks and Spencer's guilt free snacking range and contain only 96 calories a bag which is less than half of a bag of Doritos. Although this is probably largely due to the size of the portion size being a lot smaller, I still figured these were worth a try.

There were actually more tortillas in the bag than I originally thought that there would be despite them being a bit smaller in size than traditional Doritos. They smell of these tortillas was exactly the same as the cool original flavoured Doritos and this followed through into the flavour. These had that cool almost sour cream like taste that is hard to describe but these had a strong, full on flavour and a good crunch.

I was pretty impressed with how much these cool mini tortillas replicated the original Doritos and I really enjoyed them. They were thick in size and although there was a smaller portion than a traditional bag of crisps, there were enough in the bag to keep me satisfied. These are well worth trying if your trying to be good but have a craving for Doritos and I will definitely be buying these again.

ASK Italian Sea Bass Al Forno review

Sea Bass is generally considered one of the more sophisticated fishes available on restaurant menus and I have had a few amazing sea bass dishes from Italian restaurants. This sea bass was from ASK Italian and came in an al forno type dish with layers of mushrooms, new potatoes, sea bass and spinach in a white wine sauce. It is worth noting that this is supposed to come with tomatoes but not being a big lover of tomatoes I requested it without.

This dish came and looked really impressive. It was a lot larger than I expected and piping hot. Every part of this dish was lovely. The sea bass was cooked perfectly and absorbed the flavoursome white wine sauce really well making it soft and flaky. The potatoes were larger than I expected, soft and also worked really well with the buttery type sauce as did the well cooked spinach. The mushrooms were a welcome addition to the texture and added a nice flavour. I would highly recommend this dish to any fish lovers out there as every element was delicious. This is probably the best meal that I have ever had from ASK and I wouldn't hesitate to order this again.

Mars Ice Cream review

A Mars bar wouldn't be my first choice of chocolate (although I wouldn't say no to one). Despite this, I remember having an obsession with Mars ice cream bars a few years ago. For some reason I haven't had these in a long time and so I decided it was time to try my old favourites again.

These are ice cream bars, similar to a choc ice but with the addition of caramel. However these are far more luxurious than a typical choc ice. The chocolate coating is much thicker and of a good quality which is to be expected as it is the same chocolate used in other mars chocolates. The ice cream was also very thick and creamy and although not strong in vanilla flavour it was sweet and tasty. The caramel was without a doubt the best part of the ice cream bar and was chewy and delicious.

These ice creams were lovely. They were sweet, chocolatey and creamy with a thick gooey caramel layer. Although it isn't the best quality ice cream in the world, it was still far superior to a typical supermarket brand. They are not huge in size but because the caramel is so rich they didn't need to be any bigger. These are a handy little treat to have in the freezer and I am sure that they would be a crowd pleaser as I would be surprised if I met somebody who really didn't enjoy these.

John West Light Lunch - Tuna, Lime & Cracked Black Pepper Salad review

I have bought a few of these light lunches from the John West range before mainly out of convenience and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them. These can be easily stored in the cupboard and eaten at your convenience due to the practically decade long eat before dates which John West are well known for. This lunch contains tuna, sweetcorn, pasta, crunchy water chestnuts and peppers in a lime and cracked black pepper dressing and is also one of your five a day. The package states that this is a new product and I haven't seen it before but for under 250 calories I figured it would be worth a try.

As with the other varieties that I have tried the tin packaging reminded me slightly of cat food but I have already learnt that appearances can be deceiving. There was plenty of tuna throughout the lunch with just the right amount of spiral shaped pasta to balance it out. There was also a generous amount of sweetcorn, peppers and water chestnuts which were my favourite element as I loved the crunchy texture. There were also quite a lot of chickpeas which I wasn't expecting but these were a welcome addition to the lunch.

The lime and black pepper dressing was interesting. It was subtle when I was eating the lunch however the more of it that I ate, the more I noticed a slight burn from the black pepper so the dressing was certainly more noticeable in the after taste. I could detect the lime slightly but I think that this is only because I knew that this flavour was present. Overall I did enjoy this lunch and it was a handy, healthy light meal to have when your on the go. It was very flavoursome and although it looked quite small I wasn't left feeling hungry afterwards. Although these light lunches are a bit pricey for what they are, I will probably pick up a couple if I see them on offer as I find them surprisingly tasty, filling and I like the fact that they are a lot healthier than a lot of on the go meals.

GU Cracking Hot Chocolate Souffle review

I have now worked my way through the majority of the GU range and been impressed with pretty much every product. Despite this, I have to admit that I have put off trying these soufflés purely down to laziness as these require heating up in the oven for just over 10 minutes. With the colder weather creeping in I decided to get a grip and try these hot chocolate soufflés.

After the hard work of heating them in the oven I sat down with my soufflé which had risen well. The rich chocolatey smell filled the room and the taste matched the scent. It was a full on chocolate flavour but the light texture meant that it didn't feel too heavy or rich. The top layer broke revealing the gooey underneath which was soft and chewy.

These GU desserts made a nice change from your typical dessert and they had a lovely high quality feel to them. They were warming and had a sweet chocolate flavour so I would imagine any chocolate lover would enjoy them. I cant say that these are my favourite product from the GU range because I think that I prefer something a little heavier and indulgent in texture, however they were far from unpleasant and if I were handed one of the soufflés in the future, I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

Sainsbury's Be Good To Yourself Bread & Butter Puddings review

Bread and butter pudding would rarely be my dessert of choice purely because I don't find it sweet enough and find that it can just be a little heavy in texture and bland. However, as these come as a pack of two and I was offered one, it seemed rude to say no. These contain less than 3% fat and so I thought at least if I didn't enjoy them very much, it was still a relatively healthy choice

These can be cooked either in the oven or the microwave. I oven cooked mine as I thought that this would produce a crispier top. I popped it in the oven in the little plastic pot for roughly 20 minutes and when it was ready I tried tucking in, however it was too hot so if you do buy these then my advice would be to let them cool down. There was a strong smell and taste of cinnamon and I think nutmeg and the top had gone crispy like I had hoped.

I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed these desserts. In fact I preferred them to some more luxury bread and butter puddings that I have tried due to the strong flavour of the spices. Under the crispy top the pudding was soft and moist with a slightly wet texture but this isn't a bad thing as it actually made them feel more like a pudding and prevented any dryness .There were also plenty of juicy sultanas throughout the dessert which added a sweetness and extra level of texture. These are not the best dessert that I have ever had but I have to admit that I would buy them again especially in the colder wintr months. For only 152 calories these are pretty impressive so are well worth picking up, especially if bread and butter pudding is your dessert of choice.

Zizzi Spiedini Pescatore review

Italian food is my favourite and Zizzi's is an Italian chain that I am yet to be disappointed in. I decided to treat myself to the spedini pescatore which is a Mediterranean hanging skewer with salmon, roasted king prawns roasted peppers and courgettes. This was served with Tuscan potato's, white wine and lemon sauce (and a naked slaw which I requested not to have).

The skewer came and it looked pretty impressive which I was glad about seeing as it was one of the more pricey items on the menu at £14.25. The potatoes were incredibly crispy and delicious. There was a lovely crunch, they were well seasoned and had a good pinch of salt. The salmon was cooked perfectly and it fell apart as soon as I put my fork through it. The prawns were large and juicy and the roasted veg was sweet and tasty. The white wine and lemon sauce was a lovey little extra and so I happily smothered both my potatoes and fish with it. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and would happily have it again. I can't wait to head back to Zizz's to try out some other items on their menu.