Cathedral City Come Home TV advert

Homeward Bound by Paul Simon has been used for the new Cathedral City advert and sung by Ed Prosek, I think beautifully.

 The Evening Standard says: “Move over Johnny Rotten, there is a new dairy singer in town”.

Cathedral City have been asking the public what food reminds you of home and commissioned a survey on this, more about this soon.

For me it was my Granny's Shepherds Pie, the lamb left from the Sunday Roast, with a light gravy and the mash on top made all crinkly, my childish words for it then. It seemed to taste so much better that way!

What food reminds you of home?

Lymphatic Cancer Awareness Week, 10 – 16 September 2012

Lymphatic Cancer Awareness Week, 10 – 16 September 2012

Lymphatic Cancer Awareness Week takes place from 10 to 16 September, and aims to raise awareness of lymphoma, the UK’s fifth most common cancer.

The Lymphoma Association, the UK’s only specialist charity which provides information and support to anyone affected by lymphoma, is using the week as an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease and its most common symptoms.

Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s immune system. There are many different types of lymphoma, although they are broadly categorised as Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Lymphatic cancer can occur in both men and women at any age, but is most common in people over 55. It is also the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the under-30s.

More than 75,000 people in the UK are living with lymphoma and over 14,000 people are newly diagnosed every year.

The most common symptom of lymphoma is a painless lump or swelling, often in the neck, armpit or groin. Other common symptoms include excessive sweating (especially at night), fevers, unexplained weight loss, unusual tiredness, persistent itching, a cough or breathlessness and abdominal pain or diarrhoea.

Sally Penrose, Chief Executive of the Lymphoma Association, said: ‘Although lymphoma is the UK’s fifth most common cancer, many people haven’t heard of it until they or a loved one are diagnosed. We are trying to change this, so that people will go to their GP straight away if they experience any lymphoma symptoms over a period of time.

As well as raising awareness of lymphoma, the Lymphoma Association has a freephone helpline, free patient information sheets and booklets, a website with an online chat room and forums, support groups across the country, a buddy scheme  which puts anyone touched by lymphoma in telephone or email contact with volunteers who have had similar experiences and conferences for patients and health professionals.

If you have been affected by lymphoma and want more information, visit www.lymphomas.org.uk or call the Lymphoma Association on 0808 808 5555.

Spin Mania Giveaway Ends 30th Sept

Drumond Park are giving Given to Distracting Other followers another chance to win one of their games. Yes it is also time to mention that man in red Santa, I am not sure about you, but I start buying prezzies early to save myself from being frazzled in December.

Ok I can hear the hisses, so I will move on, have a read of the info, its a fab new game, as you know I always give a review, but then ago most of you know I am moving and caring for a relative, so you are getting Drumond Park's exciting blurb!

It’s a game… it’s a race…   it’s a time trial challenge

                 NEW from Drumond Park!

Every year, the UK’s leading independent games company Drumond Park comes up with a  brilliant  new collection of action games for children.  Amongst the thrilling titles coming into the shops this September is  Spin Mania (age 6+, rrp £22.99) - a unique fast-paced and  totally gripping  game for two or more players. 

                  

Heart-thumping fun for both boys and girls

The game consists  of a  motorised Spinning  Machine with an electronic timer, three orange helicopter-like rotary plates,  a ‘spin-spike’, and three  purple stands on which to set the plates once they are spinning correctly.  

The challenge is to ‘spin-up’ the three plates on the Spinning Machine one at a time – and then, using your spin-spike, transfer them,  still spinning, to the three separate stands.  All three plates must still be spinning on their stands as the player rushes back to the timer,  stops the clock, and marks the time taken.  Then the next player or  players strive to beat the time recorded.  

What’s very special about this game is that the player’s opponents are going to make things very tricky indeed!  Before they start, all players must agree the playing area – this will be a specific room or rooms inside the house, or a defined area outside.  Before each person takes his or her turn, the other players secretly place the plate stands around the agreed area.  Each one must be reasonably easy to see – they can’t actually hide a stand, although it can be quite difficult to get to – under a table, for instance.

So players don’t just have to have excellent  powers of concentration and steady hands – they need eagle eyes and a good turn of speed, too!   

Children can play and practise this clever and enthralling new action game on their own, but it’s much more fun to battle it out with one or more opponents in each round.   And if they want to make a real party of it, there’s plenty of scope for team challenges, too! 

For stockists visit www.drumondpark.com or call 01506 855577

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Disclosure I was given a free product. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

World Coffee Club Review

Hi Jo

This is just a quick message to let you know we just posted this months coffee tasting pack.....

15 hours later a a satisfying thud on the doormat and my pack had arrived. The aroma of good coffee wafted as I picked up the pack. This is Augusts selection from the World Coffee Club, a new service and this being its second month and my chance to review August's offering.

See the July subscription review over at   Rhoda Reviews

The service is very simple  World Coffee Club provide monthly subscriptions of a 'coffee tasting pack' that contains three new coffees from different roasters every month. The service is a great way to experience exciting & unique coffees and discover new favourites all the time.

Chris has been patiently waiting for this review, he is the coffee fanatic, I love a cup or too, but he has a passion for tasting new blends and varieties. 

With our frantically busy month, the coffee is a welcome treat as we head into the bank holiday and the promise of a relaxing few mornings away from our house renovating and moving.

The sleek black envelope contained three pouches of coffee.

I was asked to choose how to have our coffee ground, our choice would usually have been whole bean, Chris has his own electric grinder, a Christmas gift from me one year. However as we are packing up non essentials (apparently saying the grinder was a non essential is fighting talk) we opted for cafetiere blend, the other three choices are Filter, Espresso and as mentioned  Whole Bean.

Which to dip into seemed the only dilemma we had and that is a wonderful place to be.

I had my eye on the Columbian Supremo described as  a great all-rounder of a coffee, good for drinking at any time (perhaps the best of the three to have in the morning) and great with food. 

This was to be saved for Sunday morning, see further down for our thoughts!

All coffees were roasted the week before we received, so the freshness really came through with each of them. 

 

Our first tasting was the Costa Rica Tarrazu from Coffee Magic (each coffee in the subscription can be purchased from the sites if they become a new favourite) The blend is Fairtrade, which gives it a thumbs up from me before the pouch is opened. 

While brewing the aroma is a nutty, toffee affair. the taste is the same, I found the nutty taste a tad too evident for my nut free taste buds, Chris adored it for those same reasons.  He said it reminded him of Amaretto. He felt its milder than expected, a medium body. This would make a great coffee for serving with dessert.


The second sampling was the Nicaraguan Organic from Coffee Plant, again a Fairtrade and organic coffee it has a very deep flavour , strong and very punchy! It's not mellow in fact it has a bitter kick, in a good way bitter though. I loved the after taste, it just stays with you. I would buy this again for a meal for guests.

Colombian Supremo, was my Saturday and then Sunday saviour,  this was lighter than the other two, more mellow, there is a creaminess to the coffee and the one we just had to have another pot of, its a lazy morning blend and we were delighted to see its available from Hands On Coffee in our beloved Cornwall!  We actually tried their blends this year while on holiday, the Colombian Supremo is a 'Ltd Release'!

So my top coffee was the latter while Chris loved the Tarrazu.

As many of my readers know, we are having a pretty full on family drama and the coffee has been a sanctuary of calm moments. I love the idea of coffee through the post, it would make a great Christmas present and a gift to any coffee enthusiast. Chris is hinting already he would like to see what Septembers might be. Hmmm  his birthday conveniently coming the same month??

http://www.worldcoffeeclub.co.uk/

This week I have mostly been filthy!!

Its been a thought provoking week. I have been working like a navvy, clearing the house, clearing a shed with many a creepy crawly having lived undisturbed for 4 years, I have seen many species of spider and become immune to them.

The presence of a rat visitor who lost his way and ran in the kitchen last week, kept Sue (my Aunty) at the shed door with sack, gloves and a stance of Usain Bolt ready to take off if any rodent relative appeared. I was thrown in with hoe to make lots of noise and gingerly remove old bags and boxes!

The only mammal we found was a dead mouse poor thing had got into a filing cabinet made a bed and then unable to escape had perished literally it was like a papier mache model.

The hard work which before the beginning of August consisted of mere housework has been at times so physically tiring I have fallen asleep slumped over my laptop! The day I think of  a day of groans saw Sue and I shovelling rubble and tarmac into a skip, we filled it in two hours and it was a biggie! It was hilarious as we started realising a heavy wheelbarrow just does not go over a skip ledge if you are not musclebound, we nearly ended feet up in the mud and muck!

This all done after we had just cleared the shed and been shopping for bedding, I never thought I would walk upright again. When I arrived home absolutely black and needing a bath, the thermostat had packed up, so no hot water. I just sat on a chair feeling like a dead thing from a horror movie! My friend rescued me with a hot bath and Chris supplied fish and chips and sanity was restored.

At the beginning this task seemed impossible, now we can see a garden shaped green space, due to lots of chopping which sadly had to be done, the trees had all crowded in pushing shrubs into gnarled stumps.  We discovered the lost greenhouse so overgrown we thought it had been stolen. It needs new panes and a tidy up, but I already dreaming of home grown veggies and Granny giving me advice, she had a vine in there at one stage. Cucumbers, courgettes, all manner of produce she grew with amazing expertise!

We had taken lots of wood to the tip, but decided to have a bonfire each day to make faster progress!

Although I did love the beauty of the wilderness that had taken over, the undisturbed haven for birds has to make room for people again, bird tables being added from mine as I spotted a Thrush, not seen one for years.

The house has a wet room taking shape, cracked sewage pipe fixed, the builder Mick Vernall if you live in Peterborough an amazing craftsman who has worked into late evenings to help, and fixed so many things. He put a new bay window the one above will be recycled to pane the shed and other bits it was finished on Friday, even down to releading the bay roof and painting the sill.

He has gone above and beyond a normal builders day, fixed little problems and even stopped moaning about my rubbish tea making. I like mine like a builder  strong and little milk and he likes his with soya milk and it  resembles the liquid from a gnat!!

Now begins the joy of of putting the room together and adding back lots of wonderful ornaments and pictures that Granny holds dear! The wallpaper is on, nw curtains and carpets and I did then have a few tears as I see the love and hard work given by family and friends!

The old 60's gas fire condemned and gone to reveal an amazing tiled fireplace and its been cleaned up and the greens in it will be in touches of decor in the room that is the new bed sitting room. 

Will be bringing you more news of this next weeks happenings soon.

Silent Sunday

Jungle Formula Outdoor & Camping Review

Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping – it’s not just for the jungle but if you are having to step into one it helps. My family and I have been taming the wilderness of my Granny's garden.

This is just a small sample of the work we have started above and while we work we have disturbed some real nasty biting insects. My first journey through the trees and shrubs that have just grown wild along with brambles and elderflower trees left me with some really nasty bites.

I do get bitten each year, I seem to be the one who has a sign on my head " Here I am get your dinner here!"  The bite site  is always swollen to quite bizarre sizes, I even had a doctor mark on on my stomach one year and said if it went past his circle I would have to go into hospital. 

The garden we are working on has possibly made may mosquitos very happy! One bite left me limping all weekend recently. My foot swelled up, then my ankle, it felt bruised, hot and achy. It was extremely painful to walk on and  the heat coming away from the bite was amazing, the bites  on my legs were keeping me awake  at night and the relief creams are often too late to help.

Reading the info from Jungle Formula who sent me their new insect repellent spray is quite disturbing. There are 30 types of mozzies in the UK and I think all 30 species have been having a cheeky chew on my legs. 

But our climate now (turn those lights off and stop this global warming!!) is providing suitable conditions for the Asian tiger mosquito which is known to spread tropical diseases and has already been reported in France and Belgium. The Health Protection Agency even has a mosquito recording scheme that tracks the presence of mosquitoes in the UK, recognising the growing menace.

At the moment these UK nasties just cause itching, burning and pain, that is more than enough for me and I am now armed with my Jungle Formula. I like the easy application, I am spraying it on after I wake up, as the little suckers (literally) get me early morning too!! Applying again 6 hours later gives protection from all biters and stingers including wasps and midges. Its far easier than lotion which  gets a bit tricky to apply, when you are working in tougher conditions, have dirty hands or even on a sandy beach, the spray makes it far more user friendly. 

I have not been bitten as long as I keep the spray topped up. Love this little bottle of pain saving formula! I can enjoy tackling the garden and be bite free. Highly recommended  by me, for those who are prone to reaction to bites, or who fear wasps!!

Louise White, Jungle Formula spokesperson comments: “Summer 2012 sees the Great British outdoors come into its own so we feel the time is certainly right for a product geared towards repelling the type of insects we come across the most in the UK.  Olympic events are taking place all across the UK; millions of people are taking to the streets to celebrate the jubilee; festivals are now, more than ever, a staple of the summer while staycations and camping holidays have never been so popular.  We hope Jungle FormulaOutdoor and Camping helps people enjoy all that the UK summer has to offer without having to worry about pesky insects spoiling the family’s fun.” 

New Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping has been specifically designed for use in less extreme climates such as the UK and northernEurope and contains IR3535, which is shown to repel insects by inhibiting their receptors to the smell of humans.  It has excellent skin tolerance and has been approved by the World Health Organisation for personal use since 2001.

This year, Jungle Formula has introduced an Insect Repellent Factor^® (IRF^®).  Similar to selecting a sun cream to suit skin type, the IRF^®allows consumers to choose which repellent from the range is right for them. 

Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping (IRF^® 3) can be used by adults and children from 12 months old and is available in a 75ml pump spray with a RRP of £6.99.  It provides up to six hours protection and is available from all good chemists and supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Superdrug, Wilkinsons and independent pharmacies.

Jungle Formula Outdoor and Camping – it’s not just for the jungle.

Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy Lite Review

Now I have missed the Original version of Scheckter OrganicEnergy drink, mainly because I avoid energy drinks, they seem to give a boost to you when you need it, but its mainly a huge sugar rush and will leave you feeling much more tired overall. Now they have launched a 'Lite' version and I was sent some to try.. I am a prime candidate to sample it as my candle is not only burnt both ends but the middle is charred too.

Along with other family members I have been working around the clock, day in, day out to prepare my Granny's house for her arrival. House and garden clearance has been hard work, still is and tiring.

This has been a battle when eating and drinking, grabbing food when we can, no real time to eat healthily. For the first time in decades I am drinking fizzy drinks for the sugar hit. My weight despite eating piles of quick snacks and junky meals is still on target and I want to celebrate my year in October (Slimming World)

I have had a few suggestions to drink energy drinks but the main reason I haven't is the sweet unnatural taste, I just am not that keen and I am wary of all the nasties that may give me that instant burst but also add weight.

The Lite version is firstly very tasty, a gorgeous fruity taste, its packed with my favourite flavours, lemon, pomegranate and elderberry. I had a can before shifting a ton of overgrown shrubs and plant waste. I worked for 12 hours and the drink kept me not only alert and feeling fresh, it also was a refreshing cooling fizzy change.

I definitely noticed the difference in energy levels, I have almost no resources, having spent weeks clearing and cleaning on top of usual work, family life, work and a house to run. As a stand alone drink with great flavour I rate it, with all the natural energy giving goodies, its comes highly recommended if you need an extra boost.

A lighter natural lift with NEW Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy Lite

The makers of the worlds first 100% Natural, Organic and FairTrade approved energy drink, Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy, have just made energy boosting a little lighter with the introduction of NEW Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy Lite!

Like the original, this delicious, natural, organic drink harnesses the power of nature to give a real energy lift whilst also boosting mental performance – but with the added bonus of using Organic Agave instead of cane sugar which means 33% fewer calories.

Each can of Scheckter's OrganicEnergy Lite contains the perfect combination of organic and natural ingredients to provide sustained energy. The blend of 100% natural ingredients releases energy over a longer period of time, creating a sustainable energy lift that avoids the short lift and sudden 'crash' of other energy drinks.

Scheckter's OrganicEnergy Lite drink is 100% natural and made from a blend of organic fruit juices – lemon, pomegranate and elderberry which give it the same great taste as the Original variety and uses organic Agave instead of raw cane sugar which means 33% fewer calories. Agave has a low glycemic index and so not only helps to slash the calorie count but also helps prevent the usual ‘sugar crash’ associated with high sugar drinks. The other active ingredients remain the same as in the Original - extracts from organic raw green coffee beans and organic Guarana give the physical and mental boost from caffeine, Ginseng helps relieve stress and Green tea helps boost mental focus. As an added bonus all the ingredients are 100% natural and organic.

Toby Scheckter, founder of Scheckter's Organic Beverages and former racing driver, was raised on Laverstoke Farm, an organic farm in Hampshire. Involvement in the day-to-day activities of running the farm gave Toby a deep understanding and appreciation for the processes involved in producing quality organic products. Recognising that there was a significant gap in the energy drinks market for a healthier alternative, Toby spent two years developing the worlds first 100% Natural, Organic and FairTrade approved energy drink with a simple goal – creating the best tasting energy drink using only the best quality ingredients.

Following the success of the original drink, and due to unprecedented customer demand, Toby has spent the last 12 months developing Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy Lite and has managed to remove sugar and cut calories whilst maintaining the delicious flavor. Commenting on the new launch Toby commented; ‘We have had such a great response from everyone on the launch of Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy and are thrilled the have had such demand for a Lite version. Fewer calories doesn’t mean we loose out on taste though! ’

Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy Lite is available from Sainsbury’s and at health food stores nationwide and costs £1.35 for a 250ml can.

Yazoo Review

I am going to be drinking lots of milks based drinks as I really need the brain power, I know that while I am in the throes of moving in to care for my Grandma I certainly need my wits about me. I also know as I am grabbing food when I can get it,any food with nutritional value is good. So the kids have had to move over a little and grapple with me for the Yazoo milkshakes I was sent along with the research into dairy products.

They actually need them as much as me as I managed to hide them, their brains never worked out where!

The Yazoo by the way tastes lovely, they come in banana, strawberry and chocolate, are free from artificial sweeteners and flavours, the only nasties around them are the kids who are trying to pinch them.

New research from experts at America’s University of Maine and published in the International Dairy Journal, January 2012 suggests consuming milk and other dairy products 5 or 6 times a week could boost brain power#.  After putting 900 men and women through a series of tests to assess memory and brain function it was revealed that those who consumed milk and dairy performed up to five times better than those who consumed less dairy based products.

YAZOO is already aware that not all children and adults particularly like the taste of plain milk, but adding flavour is an effective solution – and also a healthier alternative to some other high sugar drinks. YAZOO milkshakes are renowned for their great taste and offers families great value for money.

Available in Chocolate, Strawberry and Banana, YAZOO is available in a choice of bottle sizes and is low in fat, free of artificial sweeteners and preservatives and contains more than 90% milk. One 475ml bottle of YAZOO offers consumers 70% of their recommended daily allowance of calcium as well as other minerals and vitamins.

 Disclosure I was given a free product. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

LUSH Tailor Made Party

We Do Parties, Yes we do!

And we host them at a store near you…

That’s right, at LUSH stores NATIONWIDE, you can host your very own LUSH Party in-store!  Lush Tailor Made Parties are especially for you and your party needs and aresuitable for any occasion. Be it a children’s birthday party, a bridal pampering session or a mums group event, the choice is endless and the theme of the party is completely chosen by you – whatever it may be!

To celebrate that We Do Parties, this Saturday 18^th August, come along to a Lush store near you from 11.00 AM – 5.00 PM for a Nationwide customer party! Experience just how fantastic Lush parties are with a free day of product making and party games! Enquire at your nearest LUSH for details.

Lush Tailor Made Parties enable you to use a space within the Lush store of your choice for an out-of-hours private event, accompanied by your very own designated Lush Party Brand Ambassadors, or during opening times where your group can mingle amongst other customers. You choose whatever is best for you.

Whatsmore, if you dream of making your very own LUSH products at your party you can even do that too! For just £20 per product making kit (in addition to the party cost), you can choose from a selection of popular bubble bars and bath ballistics for all party-goers to make and then take home! Or, alternatively, Lush will provide a selection of free activities and games appropriate to your requirements such as treasure hunts, bubble bar cocktail making competitions and relaxing pamper treatments including hand and arm massages!

If you would like to host your very own Lush Tailor Made Party then please contact your nearest Lush store for details. Party prices vary upon party size and differ in each store and part of every party price includes a redeemable LUSH product spend for guests.

For shop details visit Lush stores nationwide now or contact Lush online on www.lush.co.uk or

01202 668 545.

Creamy Mushrooms on Toast

The lovely folks at Warburtons are great for coming up with quick and simple recipes that incorporate their tasty bakery range. As you know I am so pushed for time at the moment and meals have been junk food grabbed on the run, sometimes I'm too tired to even eat.

My favourite Toastie bread is used here. I love this bread, the waxed paper wrap makes it so much fresher I believe. I love the big slices (Warburtons please make a toaster to fit them) and the thick soft texture.

This recipe also ticks the healthy living box for me. The creamy mushroom topping created using low fat créme fraiche. 

For Slimming World folk use Warburtons wholemeal and I also suggest light cream cheese and a low cal light oil spray to make this syn free but still as tasty!

Creamy Mushroom on Toast - SERVES 2 

Ingredients 

2 tsp olive oil 

300g button mushrooms, sliced 

100 ml chicken or vegetable stock 

Freshly ground black pepper 

4 tbsp half fat crème fraîche 

4 slices Warburtons toastie 

1 tsp chopped chives 

  

Method 

1.     Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add mushrooms to cook for a 5min. Add the stock, seasoning reduce the heat slightly and cook for 10-15min or until the liquid is reduced and thick and syrupy. Stir in the crème fraîche and herbs.   

2.    Toast the bread, spoon the mushrooms over the toast, sprinkle over the chives and serve immediately 

CEWE PHOTOBOOK LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR EUROPE’S MOST CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER

There is a fabulous new competition if you have a touch of the David Bailey, fancy yourself as a happy snapper. First prize is a luxury European cruise for two, second and third prizes are exclusive multi-day European city breaks for two and there are hundreds of runners up prizes including Samsung cameras and CEWE PHOTOBOOK vouchers.

To celebrate Europe’s outstanding and versatile beauty, Europe’s number one photo book company, CEWE PHOTOBOOK has launched an initiative to champion keen photographers’ talents.

‘Europe is Beautiful’ is the largest photo competition in Europe and gives anyone that’s creative with a camera, the chance to show-off their special shots. Categorised into ‘people’, ‘sports’, ‘city and nature’ and ‘culture and nature’ entrants are encouraged to get creative and demonstrate their flair for photography through their eye-catching snaps.

Whether  focusing on Europe’s culture or history, people or landscapes, keen photographers are able to submit up to 5 of their prized pictures in any of the four categories of to be in with a chance of winning one of many spectacular prizes.

A picture really does tell a thousand stories so what better way to revel in Europe’s beauty than through snap-shots of some of its greatest attributes; Rome’s magnificent Colosseum, the coastline of Croatia, Spanish fiesta’s, Italian personalities and the vibrant buzz of London. This innovative competition gives people the opportunity to document a beautiful and diverse continent from behind their lens.

 

Sarah Brockhurst, Marketing Manager at CEWE PHOTOBOOK comments: “At CEWE PHOTOBOOK we are passionate about capturing moments and understand how much joy photos can bring to a person’s life. This competition is a great way to document, celebrate and treasure an eclectic set of images from such a diverse continent while also encouraging keen and amateur photographers to tap into their creativity.

“We welcome anyone with an interest in photography to use their initiative, get inventive and enter this fantastic competition.”

The competition is now live at http://contest.cewe-fotobuch.

de/eib2012/en and will run until the end of of 2012. Once the competition has closed an experienced panel of judges will select 500 winners from all the entries, which will then be announced at the beginning of 2013.

The ‘Europe is Beautiful’ competition is easy to enter, entrants simply register and enter online at http://contest.cewe-photobook.

Côtes du Rhône Review

The Glorious Twelfth has arrived which marks the start of the shooting season and a change on the British menu, last year I was very privileged to cook with the new seasons grouse see here.

http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/blackface-meat-company-young-grouse.html

The richness of meat was crying out for a good red wine to accompany it, only I did not know it.

It has been so hot today and I have spent the day catching up with friends, so out came the  Côtes du Rhône 

selection I was sent. The first we dipped into was the Domaine du Seminaire , the colour was a  deep blackcurrant and the tones of that fruit seemed evident as well as a plum flavour. We all tried it and Chris and his friend were smitten. Chris loved the smoothness.he described it as full of richness and like a heavy wine at first but incredibly light. Easy to drink and  left him wanting more.

The Les Meysonniers was a different yet similar smooth wine, the fruity taste seemed lighter, summery fruits like cherry almost, this wine had a herby taste and of the two, I felt would suit more gamy meats. 

 The specific two wines I have sampled  are not yet available in the UK, so I had had rather an exclusive tasting! However Cotes du Rhône is readily available in UK supermarkets and it has a varying price range to suit all budgets. 

Now that what little summer we had is nearly over, it means an end to BBQs, summer salads and Pimms, and it is instead time to take advantage of the delicious range of seasonal produce which is arriving and enjoy autumnal recipes featuring ingredients like pheasant, venison and guinea fowl.

Côtes du Rhône offers the perfect accompaniment to many autumn recipes. The full-bodied red wines go perfectly with game. Recipes such as game pie, venison casserole or just a simple roast grouse are complimented by the spicy, peppery and full-bodied flavours the red wines have to offer.

There are a variety of different styles of Côtes du Rhône available with a varying price range. For more information go to www.vins-rhone.com

 Disclosure I was given a free product. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

Silent Sunday

Tesco Cookie Range Review

I am a Bzz agent and was sent vouchers to try the re-launched Tesco cookies range. I just visited  my local Tesco Extra and these are already popular as most of the range was sold out at 2pm in the afternoon.

I opted for the Oat and Raisin, my second favourite, my first would be the milk chocolate with Belgian choc chunks but was sadly missing. My friend was with me and I spoke to her about the range and gave her a voucher for 50p, she decided to hold out for the Belgian ones.

£1.50 is for four, not a bad price for what are really big cookies. I do tend to buy cookies for around the £1 mark, not sure if the price will put off new custom, but  the size may attract people.They are on a par in size and look of a cookie in some of my favourite coffee shops! 

The Oat and Raisin reviews in our house were mixed, For me I was disappointed by the addition of cinnamon,  I wish it had stated it on the label, its not a mere hint, its full on and a main flavour of each cookie! s I do not like the flavour and it was very intense, same for my daughter, this is her fave cookie and she handed it over after two bites. But for the spice I know I would have been in heaven as the raisins were large and plump, the oaty taste very evident.

My husband who adores cinnamon was in bliss, he absolutely adored them, he said the depth of flavour was so intense and added to his enjoyment.

We all agreed the texture was much better, they are chewy but not soft, crunchy but not too crisp and definitely bigger than before.

So I will be stalking the bakery aisle in the hope of getting my Belgian chocolate fix next time.

The new range consists of

Triple Chocolate – loaded with Belgian milk, dark and white chocolate pieces

Milk Belgian Chocolate – oodles of Belgian milk chocolate chunks

Dark Belgian Chocolate – packed with pieces of dark Belgian chocolate

Cranberry & White Chocolate – crammed with tangy fruit and creamy chocolate

Oat & Raisin – lightly spiced and full of juicy raisins

Fruit, Chocolate & Nut – a yummy combination of plump raisins, milk choc chunks and hazelnuts

Tesco have improved and re-launched their cookies range. Crispy on the outside, with a soft, chewy middle, each cookie is made with 100% butter giving them a delicious smell and an incredibly more-ish taste.

Tesco have been on a mission to revamp all the Bakeries in  local Tesco stores.

Alongside the cookies there are new speciality breads, rolls, pastries and sweet treats waiting to be popped into a bag and taken home to enjoy with a nice cuppa or milky coffee.

Favourite new ranges (apart from the cookies of course) are the breadsticks and pretzels, which are ideal for lunch.