#Win Wilko Back to School Goodies

Before I start my yacking, if any of you have children who are twiddling their thumbs today and tomorrow, send them  to Wilko's facebook page.

 They are running a Facebook app until 31^st August where they’re asking little ones to design their own pencil case, upload it to the app and the winning design will be made into a real design to be sold in stores.

To enter, people just need to visit the Wilko Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/LoveWilko/app_489669227789097 and like them to take part in the app 

With the kids starting school and the bigger ones going to uni soon, its the inevitable trek around the shops buying new uniform and stationery supplies.  I hated mine going back but to ease the pain,a shopping trip to buy new lunch boxes, pencil cases, pens and new themed goodies always softened the blow.

Wilko's is especially good, Paige's uni supplies have mainly been bought there, we have a lovely store, great for browsing and while Paige filled a trolley with stationery,pots and pans, I stocked upon new kitchen bits and cleaning products.

Wilko's have sent us some of their new range of stationery, from their Friendly Fairy and Galaxy Gang collections, these are for the younger students and while the children will be bowled over by the colourful designs,the Mums and Dads will be bowled over by the prices. The range above starts from 40p, the arts sets are an amazing £1.75.

There are other cute and trendy designs online and in store, great for Grandparents buying grandchildren gifts.

Wilko's are also giving away a mini goody box containing a selection of their fantastic stationery to give away to one lucky follower. (Please note the items you will receive may be different from the ones you see above!) 

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter entry form and let me know in a comment what you have bought or still need.  Do you like the Friendly Fairy or the Galaxy Gang or one of the other designs?  Personally I love the Nostalgia Collection here

Oh and give @LoveWilko  a follow on Twitter to keep up with all the latest Wilko's chat,thereis often a giveaway or a bargain announced!  Giveaway closes at midnight on September 12th 2013.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cadbury Crispello Vanilla Review

There is a new Cadbury addition yes again, this time its Cadbury Crispello with Vanilla Velvet they have been prolific this year and I for one am pleased, 

I love spotting a new chocolate bar on the shelf at the supermarket!. Its been a mammoth year for Cadbury launches and my taste buds and tummy are very satisfied.

Its the same three crispy Cadbury Crispello wafer shells,this time filled with a smooth, creamy, velvety Vanilla mousse, and covered in deliciously rich Cadbury milk chocolate. 

Are you drooling yet? 

Take a look inside!

The crispy wafer is light and the vanilla is creamy, smooth, just the right sweetness and like a mini luxury dessert inside a chocolate case.

Certainly hits my sweet spot! 

 Cadbury Crispello range, has definitely improved, which already includes the Double Choc bar and Double Choc sharing bag with individually wrapped pieces.

With summer in full swing and Vanilla spanning everything from catwalks to cupcakes, the launch of new Cadbury Crispello Vanilla Velvet gives a delicious reason to indulge in one of the biggest trends of the year*!

A sharing bag format of the delicious new Cadbury Crispello Vanilla Velvet will also be available next year.

So this summer, choose a deliciously light Vanilla chocolate bar, not Vanilla ice cream! Give Cadbury Crispello Vanilla Velvet a whirl - available from the beginning of August in all major retailers.

Visit www.cadbury.co.uk/crispello for more details. 

Paperblanks

Summer holidays are nearly over and the annual back to school is in full swing, for me its 'off to uni' Paige is off to Derby, proud Mummy here!!

You may have noticed several features looking at ideal gifts and products to help out for the start of term. 

Paige is pretty organised already but she will have a heavy schedule of lectures, placement dates, a trip to Morocco, Amsterdam as part of her course,her part time job and Fresher events!!!

Phew it makes me dizzy even thinking about it!! She has a large organiser from Letts very practical,much needed, that will be good for the lecture hall, but she was looking for another one to keep in her handbag for all the events,train times home,work hours and meets with friends.

Paperblanks came up with the perfect planner.

Firstly these planners have all the practical and useful pages any student school or uni needs,  designated pages to enter timetables, you can keep on top of after school/uni clubs and weekly activities, while the day-by-day breakdown is ideal for keeping track of time out  dates and upcoming events.

With their 18-month planning, students  needn’t worry about swapping over diaries in January – these planners conveniently run from July-July covering you for the school year start all the way to the 2014 summer holidays.

But what sets these apart are the beautiful designs. Paige chose the French Fuchsia Ornate mini, the colour and design are great for her, she loves French designs and this is perfect.

She is more or less kitted out and what's nice the prettier items will cheer her up when she uses them. Big thumbs up from us.

The memento pouch is perfect for storing appointment cards and school letters, while the two handy ribbon page markers are ideal for highlighting important tasks or events. The Midi and Maxi sizes also come with an insert address book that is perfectly suited to keep other parent’s contact details and emergency numbers in one place.

www.paperblanks.co.uk 

 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.

Judge Slow Cooker Giveaway

Can you cook bread in a slow cooker? Yes you can. See here http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/slow-cooker-bread.html

Its been a whirlwind of activity surrounding the slow cooker bread recipe. Visitors to the post have been high. I was approached today by a big US slow cooker site asking if they could add the post to their collection of 28 sites and 10 million visitors. 


Its been tried by other cooks and thankfully turned out well so I can breathe as its not just a fluke. The post is also featured on the Homewares live.net site.

http://www.housewareslive.net/products/product.asp?id=2177&title=Judge+Slow+Cooker+-+bakes+Bread%21

I am keen to keep going with the theme of baking in an appliance that has up to now been stewing and steaming. 

Thanks to the Judge Slow cooker review and their lovely 5 litre beauty this has worked out rather well.I used the slow cooker for usual recipes. I also made Slow cooked pulled chilli and that was fabulous. 

There is no end to what a slow cooker can do for you.

Benefits of using a slow cooker for me

Easy cooking - No need to stand over a hot stove stirring and checking. Just put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and go out to work or out for the day.

Keeping cool - Summer time is the time the slow cooker shines, the oven is not on and you can make great meals to eat alfresco. Chilli for fajitas, try a chicken and chorizo dish that is lovely with new potatoes and salads.

Healthy - I make most of the meals without using any oil, and choosing lean meat and packing it with vegetables makes a nutritious meal. The Judge slow cooker has a self insulating lid and locks in the nutrients.

Economical -  It saves up to 40%  on energy used by other cooking methods. Plus slow cooking tenderises food,so cheaper cuts of meat can be used. (see my slow pulled beef chilli enough for 12 hungry people)
http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/pulled-brisket-chilli-slow-cooker.html 

Timesaving - For me having a 5 litre slow cooker means I can double or even triple quantities and freeze the meals, even less standing around and more 'me time'

Versatile - As you can see it cooks bread, proving this is not just a sit on the side in winter churning out stews, or languishing away in the cupboard. You can cook puddings, cakes,crumbles, rice dishes,jacket potatoes there is no end to what it does for me. 

OK now time for a giveaway you can win a Judge  JEA35 3.5 litre slow cooker. RRP £56

Just fill in the easy peasy rafflecopter only a comment and a follow needed, extra entries are not mandatory.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BD Even Smoother Eye Primer Review

The Secret to the Ultimate Flawless Finish

New Even Smoother Eye Primer exclusively from BD at Tesco

Following the launch of its hugely successful Flawless Primer, Tesco has developed the ultimate tool to complete the perfect flawless complexion.  The new Even Smoother Eye Primer is an eye make-up must have and is available exclusively at Tesco.

I was sent the range to try, now I am what I like to term myself as a sometimes gets it right beauty blogger.The blog covers all manner of products, not primarily one category. I try products I like, new to me brands and in the beauty category I have been introduced to many new ideas and products. These range from great makeup buys to all out super beauty gadgets.

It was here I first tried a face primer,now I would not be without one,its such a great product for smoothing the face, a foundation to getting the rest of my makeup right. 

Another 'new to me' product is the eye primer. I have never used one, after a little trial and error,mainly on my part I have got it right.

My tips for using for a flawless finish,is make sure you moisturise the eye area first, but leave for at least 10 minutes to absorb.This makes the primer slide on and work way more effectively.My eyes without doing this did not look as good, also the primer did not smooth in as well.

I found that all three shades do different things and a blend of the Nectar and Bamboo to lighten in part and cover darker areas, works best for me.

What I like is its more than a concealer as it smooths the skin aswell.

This new eye primer is a camouflage for the eyelids. It can be used as a cream to powder eye colour for a natural smooth subtle finish or as a base for your eye shadow to help your eye colour last all day with a fantastic crease free effect. BD Even Smoother Eye Primer is also water resistant so you can even wear it at the beach!

The BD Even Smoother Eye Primer comes in three different shades to suit your skin tone:

Bamboo, a natural wheat tone, the perfect base for use everyday

Nectar, adds a hint of warmth to brighten any eye colour and helps to deflect dark circles

Vanilla lightens and brightens for an uplifting eye effect

BD Even Smoother Eye Primer is an essential tool for all make-up bags, and at just £10, you can’t afford to be without it.

Even Smoother Eye Primer is available in Tesco stores and online at www.tesco.com.

Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel Review

Well I am amazed with ITCHeze spray, not for what it was sent for, but it became my saviour! I was offered a sample to try, primarily for Paige who suffers with a really hot prickly heat attack on her feet, it does not even have to be particularly hot, so I asked if she wanted to be the guinea pig and try ITCHeze out. her reply "I'll try anything, just need my feet to stop itching!"

The evening before the sample arrived I got two very nasty mosquito bites, I never get just nibbled or suffer a normal sized bite. The whole area around my attacks becomes hard, very swollen and bloomin painful, One on my leg was so hot and large I actually visited the pharmacist to ask advice, the creams never work and cost a packet,so mine was more what pills could I take to relive the itch. She was amazed  by the bite and asked if she could touch it. (Last time I saw a DR he drew round one and photographed it and said he would admit me if it went outside the pen line!!

I am a little alarmed by everyone's fascination, but they are impressive I suppose.

She said it was almost like a large tumour and giving off heat like a fire would. She said I should see my GP. This was difficult as it was the weekend and I already know that after three days they start to go down. 

I went back home most hacked off as nothing really could help more than the allergy pills and ibuprofen for pain relief and reduction of swelling.

The  post had arrived, one parcel had the ITCHeze Cooling Gel spray and I scanned the bottle to see if it helped with bites, it did not mention, but such was my pain and the itchy hotness was driving me mad, I popped the cap and sprayed all over. I did not expect it to work, the nasty bites are immune to the Zap It even and that is usually brilliant.

My leg instantly cooled and I was relieved for a moment waiting for it to wear off and it actually helped for a good 30 minutes. I am so impressed with its cooling action. I actually emailed my contact for ITCHEze and told her, I was worried they may not advocate using it for bites. However the reply was 

 Because ITCHeze uses osmosis to soothe the itchy irritation, ITCHeze can rapidly cool sore, reddened skin

I am just happy and have used it for  any bite since.

As for Paige we are fighting over it, she has been using it for the prickly heat and says its brilliant,instantly cooling and the itch fades quickly! She is relieved and happier,we both recommend the spray for blissful relief. You will know what that means if you have any itching!

Innovation from Care* - Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel

New Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel with revolutionary patented ‘OsmoCare’ technology which helps soothe dry, reddened and itchy skin

Irritated, reddened and dry itchy skin can be uncomfortable, distressing and even embarrassing. If severe, it makes people miserable, lose sleep, and it can potentially leave sufferers with serious infection and scarring from scratching.

Irritated, reddened and dry itchy skin can now be rapidly soothed with odourless and non-messy Care

Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel is a breakthrough product containing a unique patented technology called ‘OsmoCare’ which rehydrates skin by drawing water from the inner layer of the skin to the surface. This generates a cooling effect at the surface of the skin which can help reduce the ‘itch scratch cycle’, quickly easing discomfort.

Sultan Dajani, Pharmacy Superintendent and Board member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said, “Our skin is amazing. It insulates us, protects us from germs and bacteria, regulates our temperatures and saves us from too much water loss. But unfortunately it is also prone to irritation and itching which can be extremely unpleasant and distressing. Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel can rehydrate and moisturise dry, reddened and itchy skin through its revolutionary OsmoCare technology.”

Unlike other products on the market, Care ItchEze Cooling Spray Gel is safe to use on children as young as 6 months, making it an ideal family medicine cabinet essential. The convenient and easy to use spray format offers real innovation to a marketplace dominated by ‘me too’ messy creams.

Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel is odourless and non-messy, and avoids staining clothing. It is safe to use on both the face and body and is quickly absorbed by the skin.

Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel is a perfect holiday essential to help cool and soothe reddened, dry and itchy summer skin.

Care ITCHeze Cooling Spray Gel costs £7.49 for a 120ml family sized pack. It should be sprayed onto the affected areas and rubbed into the skin two or three times a day or as required. 

Where to get it

Care ITCHeze Cooling Gel and Spray Gel can be bought from:

• Tesco
• Asda
• Wilkinson's
• Waitrose
• Sainsbury's
• Independent pharmacies nationwide

*Care – the No. 1 OTC brand sold into UK pharmacies

IMS Volume data (MAT Dec 2012)  and Care ex factory volume (MAT Dec 2012) 

CADBURY DAIRY MILK PEBBLES REVIEW

Cadbury just keep bring out new goodies this year, the latest are Cadbury Dairy Milk Pebbles and I was sent some to try. Got to be one of the nicest parts of being a blogger eating yummy goodies!

I like the look of the pebbles, I asked family and friends do they remember sweet pebbles you could buy at the seaside,a hard candy shell and a fruity chewy sweet, nobody remembers. help me out am I dreaming those?

The Cadbury Pebbles reminded me of those, its the perfect time of year for pebbles, summer, beaches. 

Tastewise these will get me over my withdrawal pangs of Cadbury Mini Eggs, only around for Easter. The pebbles have a lovely crispy candy shell with the yummy good taste I love of chocolate inside.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Pebbles are a tasty new treat the whole family will love, and these little bursts of chocolatey joy will perfectly complement a quiet night in, a picnic in the park or a fun filled journey abroad.

Sally Barton, Brand Manager for Cadbury Bitesize says “Pebbles are a lovely new addition to the Cadbury sharing range and we’re really excited to launch another great bitesize bag. They are a fun, tasty, colourful new treat designed for everyone to share and enjoy.”

Cadbury Dairy Milk Pebbles are currently available in Sainsbury’s and will be launching nationwide from August:

RRP – £2.03

Slow cooker bread

Slow cooker bread!! Well this the success post, I posted (I think rather bravely) yesterday that I was going to bake bread and in the slow cooker. I sort of regretted it as I expected it to fail!

Yay I did it,this post makes me proud, I also foolishly tweeted and instagrammed the bread making project as it happened. During that morning, I regretted doing it as I thought it would be a total disaster, a complete flop!!

But hey, I'm honest and wanted to catalogue the attempt both good or bad, it would have been an amusing post if it had had been a flat pancake or an exploding slow cooker!!!


So are you up for a challenge? I bet you can make it better as I just hurriedly chucked the dough in without any shaping expecting catastrophe!

 Its a strange feeling waiting to see if something will work especially as I usually google and pour over my own recipe methods to get something right for the blog.

Best of all I did not have to find a warm place to let the bread rise, the slow cooker took over that part too. oh and not to mention no hot kitchen from the oven!

I chose to make a Granary loaf, its a recipe I use from my teens, it was in our school recipe book, which is simplistic, 1lb (500g) Hovis Granary flour, (** US Conversion see below) 1 tsp salt 7g dried yeast sachet, mixed together, then 1 tsp of honey or sugar. I will use fresh if I can talk Sainsbury's into selling or giving me fresh yeast.

Add in 300-325 ml of hand hot water,to make a workable dough and knead vigorously for at least 10 minutes. Chris did this asmy broken finger means I have to wear rubber gloves to do any prep and it would have tasted pretty poor!

For US readers 1lb of bread flour is 4 cups
For liquid measurement 1 cup US is 240ml 
7 grams (0.25 oz) is approximately 2 1/4 US tsp but you probaly have the equivalent sachets for yeast for a 1lb loaf.

I doubled above recipe to make two 1lb bread portions,one for expected stand in if the first  failed,or I burnt it. I fully intend to try different breads now,larger loaves,rolls,soda bread even. I am most excited by this and fully intend to keep making it this way. 

The first one I cooked for two hours the second cooked faster, I think as the slow cooker was already hot.

95 minutes on high to cook in fact I've not browned this one as it looked golden enough for me.You may want a darker crust than I like.

The first went under the grill when it came out to brown up, the second I did not brown at all!

I used a Judge 5 litre slow cooker the one I have been reviewing. 

You can win a Judge slow cooker too
http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/judge-slow-cooker-giveaway.html


I cannot see why any size slow cooker would not work (just ensure its big enough as the dough will double).

So the taste test, its amazingly good,as it should taste, the crust is softer more like a French loaf, or a dinner roll. 

The bread is not too heavy, and very moist.

I deem it perfect....phew!!

OK I will attempt to recap as I tend to waffle, please note I have no real definite method yet, its going to be a case of tweaking, checking the bread often and making a note of time cooked, bearing in mind different slow cookers, brands and sizes may take shorter or longer. Also different breads will have an effect I imagine, I expect white bread will be quicker.

Make your usual bread dough.

Line the slow cooker with parchment or greaseproof paper. Cut to your slow cooker size roughly coming slightly up the edges. 

Place dough into the slow cooker.

Turn on high and add the lid.

Check after 1 hour.

Then I set a timer for 30 minutes more (actually pressed the loaf after 1 hour 20, it seemed spongy still.

Another 30 minutes if needed and then I carefully removed bread from the slow cooker. 

This is tricky be careful as the slow cooker dish is hot,the bread slides well!!

Turn the loaf over, it should be golden brown.

I use the normal method to check if cooked, I tapped it and it should make a hollow sound.

Place bread under a preheated grill if you desire a browner looking crust. It turns very quickly.

If cooked place on a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Good luck and hopefully it has worked  for you, please let me know how it turns out!

Baking Bread in a Slow Cooker

This photo was instagrammed and put on Facebook and Twitter as its Round 1 of my cooking bread in the slow cooker.I am expecting it to be rock hard and like a baked house brick .

It will not be the slow cooker's fault, I have read on a few US sites its doable.

I feel a little apprehensive as it was just mixed in the usual way and popped straight in on some parchment, without the usual proving,rising and knocking back and kneading. I am led to believe the slow cooker will do that for me.

If it does I will be a happy chapess all day!

I will be checking after an hour and then checking every half an hour,will keep you posted or be going for round two! Yikes!

UPDATE!!
If you have landed here first and are as eager to see the results,pop to the full post on how the bread turned out
http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.com/2013/08/slow-cooker-bread.html

Pulled Brisket Chilli (Slow Cooker)

Its Saturday morning and my kitchen is filled with the glorious fragrance of spices just ground in my pestle and mortar.I am making a chilli that once tried I know you  will want to make it again and again. It was a recipe from a Jamie Oliver a few years back on one of his shows. He used brisket slow cooked in a pot on the hob for 4 hours and then its pulled apart to make a great chilli with lots of texture. 

I sat rewinding until I got the recipe down as it never showed up on his site for a long while. Its here now for those who want to cook this how he did.

Its a simple dish to make,just grinding of all the spices to rub into the meat, then sealing it and adding all the other ingredients into the pot. 

I have a lot of the spices already in the cupboard. I recommend getting fresh bay leaves if you can, Sainsbury's and large Tesco's sell them. I really need to buy my own tree so I can save money.

Brisket can be expensive, I am a bit of a bargain hunter, so picked up this piece reduced. It was best before the end of day, weighing in at £1.7 kg (before trimming the fat)  for £6.10, reduced from £12.20. 

Three meals at £2 for the beef works out well, so keep an eye out for these I have been lucky and picked up a couple at under £5 and I pop those in the freezer for this and other meals. 

I decided to cook mine in my slow cooker. I have been reviewing the Judge 5 litre slow cooker for about a month, to really get to grips with it and then try some more unusual recipes. 

For just cooking your usual casseroles and roast chickens its superb, but I want to utilise my cooker more, its seems a shame to pack it away all summer,especially as most of us really do not want the oven on at this time of the year. Mine now stays out and I amusing it more,saving money and also its a healthier way to cook. 
You can see my full review here http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/judge-slow-cooker-review.html

The original recipe is for the stove top and works as well, the slow cooker just makes it really easy to have perfect melt in the mouth beef with no need to adjust the liquid. It also locks in the meals nutrients, so for me its the way to go. The liquid used is quite a lot for the slow cooker.

I suggest shredding the beef and adding to half the sauce,then adding the sauce to make it chilli like. I keep the rest for pouring over rice and chops.

This can truly be called Slimming World Brisket chilli followers this recipe is free, if you brown in frylight,  avoid the tortillas, it can be served with rice, wedges or chips cooked in the Actifry or your usual method. or a healthy extra pitta, lots of salad and lasts for days, so a real treat.

The end result makes enough to fill about 20 - 24 tortillas, so great for a summer evening with friends. If you do not want to share (trust me you may not!)  its enough for about 3 meals for 4 people. 

Brisket can be expensive,I am a bit of a bargain hunter, so picked up this piece reduced. It was best before the end of day, weighing in at £1.7 kg (before trimming the fat)  for £6.10, reduced from £12.20.

Three meals at £2 for the beef works out well, so keep an eye out for these I have been lucky and picked up a couple at under £5 and I pop those in the freezer for this and other meals. 

 1.5kg beef brisket 
1 large cinnamon stick
 1 tbsp ground cumin
 1 tbsp smoked paprika
 1 heaped tbsp dried oregano
2 fresh bay leaves
 2 red peppers
 2 yellow peppers
 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
 400ml beef stock
3–4 red chillies, 2 deseeded, sliced
 2 red onions, finely sliced
Red wine vinegar
½ bunch coriander, chopped 

 Place the brisket on a large board (this will help with the spice mess). Trim all visible fat if you are eating healthily. Make large scores across the largest brisket side.

In a pestle place cinnamon, cumin, paprika and oregano, grind with the mortar then rub the mix into the cuts in the beef. 

 Place the bay leaves, peppers, tomatoes and stock into the slow cooker and set on high,just while you are browning the brisket.

Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil or frylight and brown the brisket well in a large pan over a high heat. The smell is amazing! 

Next add the chilli and onion to the brisket, cook for 5 minutes, then transfer joint and veg and add to the tomato mix, add lid and cook on low for 8 hours.

Check that it falls apart easily, if not cook for longer according to your slow cooker.

Place the brisket on a large plate or board and pull the beef apart using 2 forks. 

Add the meat back to the pot removing the bay before you do, add a splash of red wine vinegar to taste, then the  coriander and check the seasoning. 

Serve in tortillas with sour cream, salad, salsa and  guacamole (my recipe is here)