Caffe Nero Ginger Loaf Cake review

As I continue to work through all of the Autumn inspired products around at the moment, tis ginger loaf cake from Caffe Nero was next on my list. Ginger cake is something that I have only recently started to like and so I was hoping that this wasn't going to put me off. This is a wheat free cake that is made with stem ginger pieces, topped with candied peel, cranberries and icing. It was a dark, golden brown colour and had a strong ginger and mixed spice smell. The friendly staff offered me the option of having this loaf toasted with butter but I opted to try it how it came.

I took my first bite and decided that this loaf cakes makes for a perfect autumn pick me up when you need a break from festive shopping. It was soft yet filling and I loved the mixture of sweet and spicy flavours. The candied peel and cranberries on top were welcome treat adding a lovely chew to the texture and a burst of sharp flavour every time I ate one. The drizzle of icing was a great finishing touch and added a little extra sweetness to the spiced loaf. I cant imagine any ginger fan having any problems with this cake and I would happily tuck into one of these again on a dull, grey day. Maybe next time I will try it toasted with a little butter!

MOMA Coconut & Chai Porridge Pot review

I have only tried Moma porridge on a couple of occasions and have never rushed out to buy it again. This is mainly because I find it a little bland and often have to add sugar or some kind of sweet ingredient to it. Having said that, my newly found love of coconut as well as seeded textured porridge made me cave in and purchase this coconut and chai porridge pot made with jumbo oats and coconut milk powder. This pot is therefore dairy free, gluten free and has no added sugar and is a new addition to the Moma range.

I added boiling water, stirred and waited as I would with any other form of breakfast pot. Now in all honesty, the porridge did thicken up a lot more than it looks like in the picture so don't let that put you off. There was an intense coconut smell and after another good stir I dug my spoon in. The coconut flavour was not as strong as the smell but definitely still present. The chai seeds added a lovely chew to the texture which for me personally was great. This still wasn't the sweetest of porridges but it did have a nice coconut and almost nut like flavour which I really enjoyed.

This is my favourite of the Moma porridges that I have so far tried and I would actually pick this one up again. This came in a 60 gram pot and was actually very filling and kept me going all morning without any problems. This is worth trying for any coconut fans out there especially if your looking for something lower in sugar and as an added bonus this can be enjoyed by anyone with a dairy intolerance. This porridge has also won a great taste award and so I am not alone in my enjoyment of this product and it has actually tempted me to start trying more from the Moma brand.

Costa UK Cakesplosion review

I have started to see new autumn inspired items in local restaurants and cafes and  I always get excited to start tasting them because it means that Christmas is on the way! Costa Coffee have released a few new items including this Cakesplosion which is described as a sticky toffee sponge with  dark chocolate brownie pieces, cream cheese frosting and dulche leche caramel. Wow! All of this is one cake sounded too good to be true so I rushed out to try it almost immediately after finding out about it.

The cake was one of the larger options from Costa and it did look pretty impressive. The sponge felt soft and moist to touch and there were large chunks of brownie on top. The sticky toffee sponge tasted amazing and the sweetness of the flavour worked really well with the rich flavour of the brownies. The cream cheese layer and frosting was thick and delicious. The sticky dulche leche was plentiful and oozed out of the sponge complimenting the creaminess of the frosting really well. I was also pleased to find small pieces of  cookie on top and throughout the sponge which added to the texture. This is quite possibly the sweetest, richest cake I have ever had so be warned a lot of people would probably find this was too sickly but I am absolutely obsessed with it. This Cakesplosion is sticky and any caramel lovers dream and I cant recommend it enough but just bear in mind that this is a diabetics nightmare so only try this if you have a very, VERY sweet tooth.

Nairn's Snackers Smoked Paprika review

I have previously tried and enjoyed other flavours of Nairn's Snackers but was intrigued when I saw these new Paprika variety start appearing on shelves.  These are a small and baked biscuit/cracker like snack which are made from wholegrain oats and so high in fibre. Like the other varieties of the range these are gluten free, suitable for vegans, coeliacs. These Snackers are also free from artificial colours, flavourings or presrvatives, hydrogenate fat, GM, and each bag has only 101 calories! Since I don't actually have any intolerances, its all about the actual taste of these snacks for me so I bought an individual bag to try them out.

This 23g sized bag cost 60 pence and there were plenty of small crackers/biscuits inside which had a faint red dusting from the paprika. They also had quite a strong Smokey smell which made me want to tuck in. They had the same crunchy, yet slightly crumbly texture that the other varieties of Snackers have which I really enjoy. The flavour was also great and these had a strong paprika taste which worked really well with the mild flavour of the oat-y base.

These are a nice addition to the Nairn's range and I would recommend them to anyone whether they have special dietary needs or not. These had a lovely barbeque like paprika  flavour and are a handy little on the go treat that isn't too naughty! The low calorie count is an added bonus, the only downside is that I think that these have replaced the caramelised onion flavour which was my personal favourite! Putting my disappointment of the loss of the caramelised onion flavour aside, I would probably buy these again if I was craving an on the go savoury snack.

Go Ahead Goodness Bar Coconut review

I have never been a massive fan of the Go ahead brand as I personally find the standard Go ahead bars a bit too bland and flimsy. Despite this, something made me buy these new Goodness bars when I saw them on offer and I decided to go for the coconut flavour. These are made from 100% natural ingredients including oats, raisons, coconut, dates and cashew nuts and contain only 115 calories per bar. This bar is also gluten free, suitable for vegetarians and high in fibre so there is no need to worry about any artificial additives included in them.

The bar itself looks like any typical fruit and oat bar..... not the most attractive but it was true to the description and a decent size. It smelt strongly of coconut and I could see flecks of oats and raisins throughout. I took a bite and am pleased to say that I really enjoyed it. It had a slightly chewy texture and although I could taste the raisins and a slight nuttiness, the coconut was indeed the dominant flavour.

All in all I am really impressed with these bars and would definitely recommend trying them, especially if you are health conscious and don't like eating a lot of processed foods. These are a healthy and convenient little treat that are genuinely tasty and I happily finished off the box.... completely guilt free! These goodness bars may even have converted me to the Go ahead range and I would now seriously consider trying more of their products in the future.

TGI Fridays Crunchy Fries Extreme Heat Baked Snacks review

TGI Fridays is one of my go-to restaurants for a good pig out meal and I generally leave there both satisfied and stuffed. In the US TGI Fridays sell some store bought goods which are slowly starting to make their way over to the UK. I found these snacks in the American food isle at my local supermarket and couldn't resist picking them up with the promise of TGI's delicious and naughty flavours from the comfort of my own sofa!

These snacks are actually baked and so not as naughty as I was expecting and actually contain only 210 calories and 1g saturated fat per 42.6g bag. These are both gluten free and kosher as well as containing 0 trans fat. These packet states that these crunchy fries will"set your taste buds ablaze with the sweet burn you crave". That sounded pretty good to me so I opened the bag and tucked in.

The fries were a dark orange colour and I could smell the spice instantly on opening the bag. I tasted the fries and if I'm honest I was disappointed. They were spicy but the flavour itself wasn't particularly tasty. These did fulfil the heat element that I was expecting without completely burning my mouth but I cant say that I really enjoyed the taste. As excited as I am to see TGI Fridays products coming available in the UK I cant say that these are a product that I wold buy again. Overall these are a fun novelty idea but a bit of a let down in terms of the actual product in my opinion.

ASK Italian Calzone Formaggio Di Capra review

I do love an Italian and with ASK Italian being one of the most popular chains around I expect to have a good meal when I visit. Although I love calzone it is something that I very rarely have but on this occasion I decided to go all out with the Calzone Formaggio Di Capra which contains goats cheese, aubergines, roasted peppers, tomatoes, spinach, tomato sauce and mozzarella. This is a vegetarian option on the menu however I am just a little obsessed with goats cheese and so chose this over any of the meatier options.

The calzone came served with a small portion of salad and dusted with parmigiana cheese. It was a fairly big portion although far from the largest calzone I have ever had. The dough itself was deliciously crispy yet chewy with a lovely buttery flavour. I cut it open and the filling itself was a little lacking. There was a decent amount of goats cheese, mozzarella and peppers but there was next to no sauce, aubergine or spinach. In fact, I had to dig around to get a picture that looked as generously filled as this one does.

This was a pretty decent calzone but I wouldn't order it again purely due to the lack of filling. I loved the filling which was tasty, there just wasn't anywhere near enough of it. This hasn't put me off returning to the restaurant and I had an overall nice experience but this was nothing to rave about and I am unlikely to order a calzone again from ASK.