Zizzi Ravioli Di Capra review

Zizzi's is one of my favourite Italian chains to visit and I have had quite a lot of options on their menu, however I like to always try something new and so on my most recent visit I ordered the Ravioli Di Capra. Being a little obsessed with both goats cheese and pesto I don't know what has taken me so log to try this dish consisting of spinach and goats cheese ravioli in a tomato sauce and topped with green pesto and pine nuts.

The dish came fairly promptly and there were also a few green and red cherry tomatoes amongst the pasta. I wouldn't normally choose to eat tomatoes but they were well cooked and covered in the pasta sauce and pesto and I actually didn't mind them. The pasta was cooked perfectly, soft yet not soggy and an interesting green colour due to the spinach. The goats cheese made for a creamy filling which worked perfectly against the strong pesto flavour. I was pleased at the amount of pesto that was drizzled on top of the pasta but this sis mean that it was the most dominant flavour of the meal. There were only a few pine nuts but it still added a nice bite to the texture. The overall flavour of this dish was delicious but definitely one for any pesto lovers out there. Although not massively filling I really enjoyed it and its something that I would certainly consider ordering again.

Haagen Dazs Strawberries & Cream Ice cream review

Okay, so we may not be having the hottest of summers here in the UK but that doesn't mean that we should miss out on enjoying as much ice cream as possible! This is especially true when the ice cream is from the Haagen Dazs brand and the product flavour is "strawberries and cream" and so is perfectly themed for the summer season. This is described as being rich, gorgeous strawberry ice cream with sweet summer strawberries. Being a lover of Haagen Dazs strawberry cheesecake ice cream I was eager to try this although I expected it to be a slightly more plain version of this.

I lifted the lid and saw the pale pink coloured ice cream. When I stuck my spoon in and dug around I was impressed with the amount of large frozen strawberry chunks. I don't think that I have actually tasted Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream before but it was really delicious. Sweet and fruity but somehow the "cream" element of this ice cream really shone through. This really was a creamy strawberry ice cream that tasted incredibly luxurious. The strawberry pieces added a burst of flavour every time that I got a mouthful and added a welcome chew to the texture.

I expected to find this ice cream a little boring but am more than happy to admit that I was wrong. This is a rich, creamy and sweet ice cream that I would highly recommend to any strawberry lovers. This definitely lives up to the high quality standard that Haagen Dazs are known for and makes for an ideal summer time treat.

Marks & Spencer's Valencian Orange & Almond Cupcakes review

After not posting for a little while due to a chaotic couple of weeks I will try my best to make up for it starting with these cupcakes from M&S's spirit of summer range. These "moist orange zest and almond cupcakes come as a pack of 2 and are topped with orange frosting and candied orange peel. Although I am not a massive lover of orange I regularly buy M&S's mandarin and orange pancakes which I think are sweet yet zesty and delicious. I also love almond and so the addition of this flavour in the product name made these too tempting to resist.

These cupcakes looked very pretty and were decorated in a floral like pattern. I took y first bite and the sponge itself was indeed very moist. It had a slightly dense texture which I think works really well for cupcakes and so these were quite filling. The flavour itself did leave me slightly disappointed however. The sponge had a sweet orange flavour but if I'm honest that's all I could really taste... no almond. The frosting was thick and creamy and had a tangy orange flavour and I liked the addiction of the candied orange and the texture worked well against the heavy textured sponge.

These cupcakes weren't bad by any means but I would only recommend these to someone who really is a lover of orange. I think that I was just really disappointed by the promise of the almond flavour which just wasn't noticeable at all. If these had just been labelled as orange cupcakes then I may have been more impressed (although to be honest I probably wouldn't have bought them). These tasted of a high quality as most M&S products do, however these aren't to my personal taste and so I doubt that I will be buying these again.

Pronto Cinnamon Instant Cornmeal Mix review

I have never tasted cornmeal before but have seen people eat it on American television shows. I saw this in the foreign food isle at my local Tesco I decided that it might make a nice change from my usual porridge. This is prepared in the same way as a typical porridge pot and requires just boiling water, a good stir and a few minutes of patience. It can also be made with cold water and a microwave. On reading the label I saw that this product originated from Jamaica and is described as Quick, convenient and nutritious. It also states that this pot is "enriched with vitamins for extra goodness". This surprised me considering it has 24g of sugar per 60g pot.

I added water stirred and waited and was surprised at the result. The texture of this cornmeal was incredibly odd and like nothing that I have had before. It was thick and gloopy with almost a wet sand like texture. I took a bite and it seemed quite gritty although the more I got used to it the more I preferred it. The flavour of the cinnamon was quite mild and it wasn't overall as sweet as I had expected.

This is a really unusual product and at £1.10 per pot I don't think that this would be something that I purchase regularly, however I am glad that I got to try it. It was surprisingly filling with a subtly sweet yet spicy flavour but for me personally the sand like texture was just a little too odd. This is a bit of a novelty product and although I did happily finish it off, I don't know how likely I am to buy it again. Having said that if you like trying new and unusual foods then this is probably worth seeking out.

Starbucks UK Limited Edition White Mocha Cold Brew review

This iced coffee beverage is a limited edition iced drink which was the EMEA Barista Champion 2016. I have not yet tried any of the summer range iced brews as I am not the type pf person that would order a black coffee and so the thought of iced espresso brew sounded too strong for me. Having said that, the promise of the cold brew alongside white mocha with cinnamon topped skimmed milk foam was too tempting to at least try.

The drink looed pretty appealing with each layer clearly visible. There was a thick layer of white mocha syrup on the bottom beneath the espresso brew and then a thick foamy layer and a generous amount of cinnamon. I took a sip and was surprised at how impressed I was. I recommend giving it a good stir otherwise the thick layer of syrup at the bottom is just too sweet (and that is not something that I often say). After I had stirred it the sweetness spread to the brew which although was quite rich was no where near as bitter as I had worried and the addition of the cinnamon flavour was a welcome treat. The foam was light and frothy and also worked really well against the intense coffee flavour. This is a really great drink for any serious coffee fans with a sweet tooth and personally I am disappointed that it is only a limited edition drink. This is only on the menu until the 12/07/17 and so I would seriously recommend trying to get hold of one while you can.

Muller Corner Limited Edition Goes Nuts review

Muller corner's are rarely my pudding of choice because I would generally rather have something more luxurious. Having said that however, Muller corners have a slightly thicker texture than Muller lights and so when I saw this limited edition pistachio flavoured yogurt I thought it was at least worth a try since it is a more unusual flavour that I haven't seen before. The corner of this dessert was caramelised crushed almonds and so the "goes nuts" name seems pretty appropriate.

The yogurt itself had a pale green colour but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the texture as it was thicker than I was expecting. I tasted the yogurt by itself and it tasted creamy with a subtle pistachio-y flavour. The almonds were sweet, crunchy and there were just the right balance between the amount of almonds in proportion to yogurt. The flavours worked together really well creating an overall sweet and nutty flavour with a creamy yet crunchy texture.

I think that this is probably the best Muller corner that I have ever tried and I am really surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This is definitely one for any nut lovers out there and I loved the slightly more unusual pistachio flavoured yogurt. The caramelised almonds were delicious and I would definitely recommend giving this dessert a try whilst it is around as I don't think that I have had one like it before.

Mr Kipling Summer Trifle Slices review

Mr Kipling is one of the only long standing men in my life and his products are a classic staple of the typical British family home. The Mr Kipling range often release seasonal products depending on the time of year and this summer is no different. Being a lover of the angel slices I decided to give these trifle slices a chance since they are currently on offer in practically every supermarket. Described as a strawberry sponge with raspberry mallow filling topped with custard flavoured icing these sounded pretty unique and I was eager to tuck in.

These come individually wrapped and so are perfect for lunchboxes, as an on the go treat or just to make sure that they maintain their freshness. They looked really cute with the pale pink and pastel yellow colours and the texture was soft, light and spongey. If I'm honest however, these left me feeling a little flat. The strawberry sponge was nice but very sweet so be warned but I cant really say that the raspberry mallow filling was particularly noticeable. The custard flavoured icing was slightly smooth and chewy but again it didn't really add a lot to the flavour.

Don't get me wrong these are a perfectly fine little novelty treat but I cant say that I have any intention of buying them again. They are incredibly sweet so be warned and I imagine that kids would love them so they're great for lunchboxes. I think I was just left disappointed because I didn't really feel that these resembled trifle in any way. These have a very sweet overall strawberry flavour and I did end up finishing them off but more out of convenience and I personally feel that there are much better options out there from the Mr Kipling range.