Marks & Spencer Balanced For You Lamb Curry review

 

I have been hearing a lot about M&S new Balanced for you range containing high fibre, low carbs and calorie controlled portions so wanted to try out some products from this range.

 

 

 

I chose the aromatic lamb curry with spiced rice and lentil pilaf. This dish promised slow cooked lamb marinated with ginger, garam masala, coriander and chilli. I love lamb but its a meat that I don't eat very much so was dubious about how microwaved lamb would taste, however as M&S products are generally high quality I was willing to give it a go, especially for 388 calories!

 



I opened the pack and was surprised at how generous the portion was. There were clearly a lot of lentils amongst the rice and a decent amount of meat, so I popped this container in the microwave and hoped for the best.

 

 

Once cooked I layed it out on a plate, the size of the portion is deceiving in this picture as I had piled it up in the corner of the plate to make room for chips and naan bread (defying the point of the "balanced" range). A microwaved curry was never going to look great so I went on taste. It was pretty decent, in fact considering the calorie count and nutrition it was actually pretty good! There wasn't a lot of heat but a noticeable spice throughout both the curry and the spiced rice. I really like lentils which was good a there were a lot more than I was expecting in this dish. Overall I was really impressed with this range and am planning to try out other varieties from this range following this meal.

GU Zillionaire's Puds review

My ultimate indulgent treat is millionaires shortbread so this was the GU dessert I was most excited to try. Described as having salted caramel, treacle infused cheesecake with a rich ganashe, this sounded amazing.

As with other GU desserts, this cheesecake had distinctive layers and came in an individual glass pot. There was a chocolate cheesecake base which was the only thing that put me off buying these because as a general rule, I prefer a traditional base. The ganashe and base were different thicknesses throughout the dessert but I didn't really mind this.

 

There weren't as many gold sprinkles on top as I was expecting but again this wasn't a priority for me so I tuck in. This was a very rich and chocolate-y dessert. The ganashe was thick and gooey but not very sweet. The treacle cheesecake layer however made up for this as it added a real layer of sweetness. The salted caramel layer was delicious and had just the right amount of saltiness to stop this being a sickly pudding. The chocolate base was crumbly, with a strong chocolate flavour but was rather nice.

 

This was a dessert that I would recommend for chocolate lovers and I did enjoy it, however I personally was surprised to find I preferred the other varieties of GU that I have tried more. This is probably because of the chocolate base which wasn't to my personal taste but nonetheless this was a good quality dessert and another successful product from GU.

 



Tesco Double Chocolate Hot Cross Buns review

 

The Easter goodies are already appearing in supermarkets and being a big fan of hot cross buns ..... and chocolate I was only too tempted by these double chocolate version from Tesco.

The chocolate-y smell of these buns was immediately noticeable when I opened the packet. There were chocolate chips spread throughout and the traditional white cross on top. I wasn't sure what to put on these but as you can probably see from the picture, I love butter! Most people would probably have a lot less but that is just my personal preference.

These tasted very nice. As simple as that sounds, its the main word that comes to mind. They tasted strongly of chocolate and had a nice soft texture. I would have preferred a few more chocolate chips throughout but I cant say that there weren't enough. I would probably buy these again but wouldn't go out of my way to rush and get them. These were a great alternative for those who don't enjoy the currants and spice of a regular hot cross bun but overall I think I probably prefer the traditional version.

Shapers Sweet & Salty Popcorn review

Sweet and Salted popcorn has become really popular but it is something that I have never tried. When picking up a boots meal deal, it seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a go and since there was only one bag left I took it as a sign.

I thought that these would be a mix of salted popcorn pieces and sweet that were both in one bag, however it seemed as though the mix was in the salt itself as every piece seemed to have an exact combination of both flavours. I really enjoyed the taste of this popcorn and loved the mixture of the sweet and salty salts together.

The popcorn itself wasn't as crunchy as cinema popcorn but I have learnt not to expect this and so for a store bought version, it wasn't half bad. The majority of the pieces were whole and there weren't a lot of broken pieces at the bottom of the bag so it was pretty easy to eat. Overall this was a tasty snack a I would definitely pick it up again if I was passing.

Milkybar Dessert review

As a white chocolate obsessive, this used to be one of my favourite desserts. I recently reviewed the newer Milkybar mousse and was left disappointed so I decided I needed to remind myself of the taste of the dessert version.

I'm pretty positive that these pots have shrunk significantly since I last had them as it seemed absolutely tiny! It is pretty rich so I didn't really feel that I needed more once I had finished if I'm honest but never the less, I like to get my money's worth.

The dessert itself was exactly how I remembered. Smooth, creamy and incredibly sweet! It tastes just like the Milkybar chocolate but in a yogurt like texture. It wasn't as thick as I remembered but still tasty. I don't think these will be a regular buy of mine purely down to the size, however will be an occasional treat to satisfy any sweet white chocolate cravings.

McDonalds UK Porridge review

This is a breakfast that I have had many times as I sometimes like to hit snooze one too many times and have to get breakfast in a bit of a rush. It comes in a small plastic pot and wrapped in a cardboard sleeve. I chose the original variety.

I have to say on the numerous occasions I have had this porridge it has been delicious. This is normally one of my favourite porridges and I find it incredibly milky and creamy. It has a lovely thickness with no lumps from dried oats as you often find in potted porridges. It comes quite hot so I often need to let it cool for a minute.

 

 

However, this is the first time I have had this porridge where it was actually pretty awful. It wasn't that hot and was ridiculously stodgy with almost a wet bread like texture. This review therefore probably isn't that helpful and a bit confusing but I'm going to o out on a limb and call this one visit an anomaly. This porridge is usually creamy, warming and delicious and I have always recommended it so I think I just had one dodgy visit. Because of this I would say this porridge is definitely worth a go, however if you have the same experience that I had this week then boycott the porridge! 

Sunbites Crispy Crackers Sweet Chilli review

Having previously reviewed these crispy crackers from the Sunbites range I wont repeat myself too much. They have a really great thin and crispy texture (as you would expect from the name) and come in individual bags.

These were the sweet chilli variety which had a slight red tinge and subtle chilli smell on opening the bag. The subtleness of this flavour was represented in the taste. It was certainly detectable as sweet chilli and was nice and flavoursome but for those looking for a strong sweet chilli kick, you may find these a little too mild for you. I however found this a nice change as sweet chilli can often be very strong and a little overpowering so it was nice to have the taste without too much spice.

In all honesty, these were probably my least favourite of the Sunbites range as they don't have as much flavour as other versions, however they were still an enjoyable snack. I would therefore probably pick up other flavours from this range before these but wouldn't complain if these were put in front of me and would certainly finish the bag.

Marks & Spencer Sour Cream & Black Pepper Popcorn review

After really enjoying Propercorn's Sour cream and Black Pepper popcorn I was only too tempted to try this version from Marks and Spencer's.

My favourite part of the Propercorn range is that they maintain their crunchiness more than most pre-packaged popcorns. This version from M&S didn't measure up quite as well but were still pretty decent. They weren't as soft as the majority of supermarket popcorns and there were a decent amount in the bag.

The flavour of the popcorn was slightly sharper than the Propercorn range, I think this is because the black pepper is a lot stronger. It doesn't show in the photograph but about half of this bag was made up of small broken pieces of popcorn which did make it quite difficult to eat. This may just have been down to this bag being badly handles though so this may not be an issue with other bags. Overall I would probably buy this popcorn again as I did find it quite tasty, however I did prefer the Propercorn version as I found this to be a higher quality product.

GU York Cheesecakes review

I have recently become obsessed with GU desserts, mainly because of the convenience of the individual portions as well as the deliciousness. I often find new York cheesecakes can be a little overpowering in terms of the vanilla but I decided o put my trust in GU and give their York Cheesecakes a try.

 

 

They are described as having a spiced base which if I'm honest I didn't expect to taste much different to a traditional cheesecake base but I was wrong. The addition of the spices was not too strong but made this cheesecake for me! It was similar to a Biscoff Lotus biscuit which went perfectly with GU's usual sweet and creamy cheese layer. There was also some of this sprinkled on top which gave an extra layer of texture making it feel more luxurious.

 

 

 

This was another successful product from GU and my love for these desserts continues to grow. The flavour of the base makes this stand out from most traditional vanilla cheesecakes in my opinion and if you can find them on offer then they are good quality for money (although I would pay full price because I thoroughly enjoy them). 



Tesco Fresh Custard & Raspberry Jam Doughnuts review

It's only too easy to be tempted by the fresh cream cakes at Tesco when your starving, freezing and feeling like you deserve a little pick me up. That's why I ended up buying these custard and raspberry jam doughnuts.

 

 

These doughnuts were the finger shaped type and this style with the custard filling are a childhood favourite of mine, however I have never tried them with the addition of raspberry jam. There was a powdered sugar dusting on top which made them look very appetising.

 

 

 

I bit into the doughnut and if I'm completely honest, it didn't wow me. They were perfectly "alright" but the doughnut itself had a very cakey texture, not as dense as I personally like. The custard had a nice thick texture but not a very strong flavour as I expected more vanilla to come through. The Jam was very runny and thin and again didn't have that much flavour.

 

 

 

These weren't as bad as I may have made them sound and if I was given one again I would probably finish it. The problem for me is that there are much better quality products available that I would choose over these doughnuts. 





Marks & Spencer Taste Japan Prawn & Mangetout Gyoza review

Marks and Spencer have their taste japan range which I have never heard of before but being the type of person who's willing to give anything a shot once, I thought I would try this meal which looked a little different.

It consisted of 6 dumplings filled with Tiger Prawns, Mangetout and ginger and chilli. There was also a Ponzu dip which is made from soy, lime and rice wine. This could be steamed or microwaved. As I was feeling rather lazy I just popped it in the microwave for 2 minutes.

The result was a rather tasty dinner. The dumplings were slightly too chewy for my liking but still enjoyable. The filling did not have a strong flavour and I couldn't detect the actual chilli or ginger but there was a subtle seasoning that was very tasty but the prominent flavour was the prawns. The fact that there was not a strong flavour to these dumplings made sense when I tasted the Ponzu dip. This mainly tasted of soy sauce but with a little extra spice but this had a strong flavour which complimented the dumplings perfectly. Overall this was a rather nice meal. It wasn't anything to rave about but it was certainly a decent standard for a convenience dish so a nice change for any Japanese food lovers.

Covent Garden Carrot & Butternut Squash review

On a cold winter evening there is nothing nicer than putting on a thick jumper and tucking into a steaming bowl of soup. Covent Garden is one of the more upmarket soups that you can buy so when I saw them on offer after a long days work u decided to try this carrot & butternut squash version.

I popped a bowlful of this soup in the microwave for about 3 minutes and had it with some crusty brown bread. I thoroughly enjoyed this for a quick and easy midweek meal. There were coriander and cumin in the soup which were definitely detectable and added a lovely warming spice. I did however add some pepper (this explains the black dots in the picture).

The texture was relatively smooth but still had a thickness that you wouldn't get with any tinned soups although not as thick as you would achieve with a chunkier soup. Carrot & coriander is a more common flavour soup that people have tried and this tasted very similar, in fact if I hadn't known any better this is what I would have guessed this was, however it was slightly more creamy. If your looking for a comforting quick and easy meal while the weather is bitter then this should be right up your street.

Costa Crumpets review

Another day, another costa review - and just a warning there will be many more to come! Crumpets are not a breakfast you often see when out and about so when I found out that costa had added these to their breakfast range I had to try them.

I love butter and so this was my topping of choice as I love how it sinks in to the crumpet. When I looked in the display cabinet the only crumpets were flat, small and dry so thankfully the ones that came to me were from stock under the counter. They were thick, squidgy and buttery for a cold winter morning. These make a nice change to the usual toast or croissants that are available as a breakfast option at most cafes and I will certainly be having these again when I fancy a buttery breakfast treat.

Sunbites Pitta Bakes Oven roasted Onion & Rosemary review

I have been slowly working my way through walkers Sunbites range and next on the list were these oven roasted onion & rosemary pitta chips. I have tasted other flavours of pitta chips and this flavour in their "crispy crackers" and enjoyed both so was interested to see how these would compare.

The crispy crackers that I tasted in this favour were tasty but the onion could be slightly overpowering. I cant explain why but this didn't seem to be the case in the pitta form, possibly because they were slightly thicker and crunchier which balanced the flavour out. As with the other varieties of the pitta bakes there does not appear to be a lot in the bag but due to the heaviness of the texture they were surprisingly filling.

 

These bakes still maintained a strong onion flavour with the rosemary noticeable as a background taste. I liked that they didn't have the greasiness of regular crisps and the thick, crunchy texture is something that I found a bit quirky and really enjoyed. These were a great addition to walkers Sunbites range and have made me want to continue working my way through the rest of these products.

Tesco Red Velvet Cookies review

I have previously reviewed Tesco melting snowman cookies and mince pie cookies over the Christmas period with mixed results so didn't know what I would think of this red velvet version.

 

 

These are described as having a white chocolate filling, similarly to the melting snowman variety that I enjoyed but with the addition of chocolate chips and a red velvet flavour to the cookie. I broke the cookie in half to reveal the centre which had just the right amount so that it was full without bursting out and breaking the cookie.

 

 

I really enjoyed these. The white chocolate centre was very sweet and creamy. It was also quite thick so it stayed in the cookie rather than just oozing out. The cookie itself had a slight cocoa flavour, not strong at all but enough that it was a lot less sweet than the melting snowman variety which were very tasty but quite sickly after the whole thing. Overall these are probably my favourite of the Tesco cookies that I have tried and would happily buy these again. 

Muller Light Peanut & Caramel review

Peanuts and caramel are two of my favourite flavours so when I heard of this new limited addition to the Muller light range I went on a mission to find it!

 

 

I lifted the lid and I could strongly detect the peanut which filled me with excitement. However this was short lived. As common as tis may make me sound, i actually don't mind the taste of artificial sweetener however this was even too much for me. The peanut is very subtle and the prominent flavour is the caramel but even this is a kind of burnt caramel and is slightly bitter.

 

 

The texture is smooth and runny. This yogurt had all the makings of a great treat however I think the problem has come from trying to combine the two flavours. Maybe if Muller had just focused on the peanut or even just caramel it would have improved this product. I was really disappointed in this limited edition version from Muller and highly doubt I will pick this up again. 



Quaker Multigrain Porridge - Fruit & Muesli review

Having previously enjoyed the Quaker original multigrain, I picked up this fruit & muesli version with dried fruit. These were the sachets rather than the pots so required 140ml milk which can be measured out in the sachet.

I popped this in the microwave and was met with a fruity smell. I had tasted a few spoonful's of porridge before I took the picture below and it made a nice change from original creamy porridge. It  had a creamy yet fruity flavour, with the main fruit I could detect being apples and sultanas. There was not a lot of fruit but certainly enough to be noticeable. As with the original version the multigrain added a thickness and chewiness to the porridge and this made a tasty, warm breakfast with a little added sweetness from the fruit on these cold January mornings.

ProperCorn Sour Cream & Black Pepper review

I don't usually eat store bought popcorn as I find it often lacks flavour and can taste quite chewy and stale. However I have heard great things about proper corn so when I saw it in offer I decided It was the perfect opportunity to give it a go.
I chose the Sour cream and black pepper v
ariety as I thought this was a bit different and something that I hadn't tried before. I can honestly say that I was thoroughly impressed with this snack. There was a strong flavour with the sour cream being the prominent taste.

The bag was rather large which is why it may look like there was not much in it but there was certainly a decent amount that filled me when I fancied a little treat. They were quite soft as all prepared popcorn is but didn't have that stale texture that I find hard to swallow. For only 88 calories I can definitely recommend these for anyone who likes q strong flavoured popcorn.

Costa Almond Croissont review

I love almond croissants but have never tasted this version from Costa, mainly because every time I have wanted one, they have been sold out. This is why when I saw them in stock I had to try one! If I'm completely honest I was slightly disappointed.

The pastry wasn't quite as crisp as a fresh croissant should be, it was a lot softer almost like a pre-packaged one that could be bought from a supermarket. The almond filling was tasty but very thick and there wasn't much of it. This probably wasn't as bad as it sounds as I finished it and wouldn't refuse to have it again but there are much better versions around that I would certainly favour over these.

Sunbites Pitta Bakes Cheddar & Onion review

 

 

So far I have been very impressed with all of the sunbites range that I have tries so decided it was time to taste their pitta bakes. Cheese and onion is not a flavour that I usually go for as I find the artificial cheesy flavour that you often find a it overwhelming and sickly. However these were described as vintage cheddar & caramelised onion which sounded quite indulgent and I fancied a change.

 

 

These bakes were thick and crunchy which is how I prefer my crisps to be. As for the flavour, i was really impressed. It was not overwhelmingly cheesy but very subtle with the onion flavour definitely having a caramelised hint which was a tasty background flavour. I would say these are for those who prefer a mini cheddar to walkers cheese & onion but I will definitely be buying these healthier pitta bakes as an alternative to crisps again. 

GU Key Lime Pie review

After enjoying my first GU dessert over the Christmas period, I decided I wanted to taste another so pickd up the Key Lime Pie variety. Like other GU products, this is more of a cheesecake than a pie.

 

 

 

These are described as having a bold lime flavour which made me a little nervous as I like my cheesecakes to be sweet and creamy but I needn't have worried. These were delicious. If you were looking for a sharp lime taste then you may be disappointed but for me it was the perfect mount of tartness.

 

 

There were three layers to this dessert. There was a crumbly biscuit base with ginger sugar. Ginger is the one spice I really don't like but in all honesty I couldn't detect any which suited me perfectly..... but again if this is something you are looking for then you may find it slightly bland.

 

 

There is then the tangy lime curd and the creamy cheesecake top. These were quite small but perfect for one. I am desperate to try the rest of the GU range after trying these little treats as I think they are a tasty and easy dessert for any night of the week. 



Boots Shapers Salmon & Prawn Sushi Rice Salad review

Being a massive fish lover, I often get a bit excited when I get to eat sushi. However a lot of the time I find I'm not that full when I have finished. This is why this light lunch appealed to me as a part of boots "Shapers" meal deal as it looked fairly filling and there was no seaweed in it ( I sometimes find this a little sickly).

 

 

 

It contained rice, prawns, smoked salmon , grated carrots, edamine beans and a tiny amount of peppers ( I don't really like peppers and barely even noticed them). There was also a small pack of soy to add if wanted. I was really glad I picked this up. It was filing with a fair amount of smoked salmon and rice.  The prawns were very small and quite difficult to notice but still added to this meal. The vegtables were spread out evenly and the flavours all worked well together. For only 186 calories you cant go wrong with this for lunch if you like your sushi.

Domino's Cookies review

Starting the new year as I mean to go on .....I ordered pizza and cookies from Domino's. There were 4 cookies in the box which came warm, soft and with the chocolate melting. By the time I finished my pizza they had cooled down but were still soft and doughy yet crispy on the outside.

 

 

The chocolate was incredibly rich and even though they were cool, the chocolate was still melted. These were absolutely delicious and tasted like a true dessert (even though they were only cookies). They tasted fresh and sweet and I am still dribbling at the thought of them!

Tesco Healthy Living Toffee Sundae review

Described as Toffee flavoured custard and mousse with a vanilla mousse and plain chocolate curls, this sounds like the perfect "lighter" dessert after the indulgence of Christmas.

As I have previously mentioned, I'm not a massive lover of mousse but fancied something sweet and it looked quite appealing.

 

This photo shows the defined layers of the dessert. It was essentially a sweet and light toffee mousse with a toffee custard which had almost a "saucy" type texture. It was certainly tasty but some would probably find it a little sickly if they didn't really like toffee (I do so this wasn't a problem). As I said, my personal preference is I am never going to be overly excited by a mousse so my opinion of this dessert maybe a little un-enthusiastic but it was certainly tasty so I wouldn't say no to having this again.