Dairylea’s Dunkers NEW Mighty Mature & Fruity Pineapple

         

The children will soon be going back to school, I hated the start of the 'Back to School' ads and posters, both when I was a school goer myself, also when my two were preparing for September. It seemed crazy to be looking at dull school jumpers, blazers in the summer time, but it happens to all of us parents.

One of the nice activities though is picking out the new lunch box, it still is a task even for older teens, Paige has been buying new sandwich boxes herself, keep cups and planning easy but brain feeding lunches that will keep her going through lectures.

What to put in them is always something to consider, it has to be filling, healthy and above all tasty. Sarnies can get very dull.

Dairylea have come out with two new dunkers flavours and sent us some to try, now Granny likes Dairylea, she used to make me mashed tomato and Dairylea triangles on bread when I was younger, it tastes better than it sounds honest!! so I have also been getting her to try out the new varieties for lunch. Paige wants to buy these for lunch,she dips celery and spring onion in hers.

She likes the Fruity Pineapple, she had some salad to dip in as well, as the biscuits run out far too quickly,we love those too.

But my favourite new addition is the Mighty mature,its just perfect for snacking, it actually is very creamy and light flavoured, not too strong for little Dunkers!

A great twist on the children’s party classic, NEW Fruity Pineapple Dairylea Dunkers combine juicy pineapple with all the dairyliciousness of original Dairylea for a lunchbox treat with a hint of sweetness that kids will love. 

Also part of the range is NEW Mighty Mature Dairylea Dunkers, made from the tangiest mature cheddar which will definitely get your tastebuds tingling!

The new Dunkers  cheese dips  have been introduced following the successful launch of Mighty Mature and Springy Onion cheese spreads earlier this year and the brand’s move to an all-natural ingredient recipe. 

Dairylea has been a firm favourite on family shopping lists for over 60 years and the new recipes mark the latest step in the brand’s journey to provide the best possible taste and nutritional credentials for families across the UK.

New Fruity Pineapple and Mighty Mature Dairylea Dunkers will be available in multi pack formats at all major supermarkets with an RRP of £2.28. For more information visit www.dairylea.co.uk or www.facebook.com/dairylea.

Cadbury Crunchums Review

Ooh Cadbury are really rolling out the new products  just lately and the latest is a little different. Crunchums are a cereal covered in the famous chocolate,Paige actually debated whether they would be good with milk on!! 

The girl is mad, these are perfect in a bowl, no milk in sight.The chocolate is nice and thick,the crunch of the cereal,(maize) is light and sweet. 

Hard to believe these started out as sweetcorn, does that mean its a healthy snack?

We did laugh at the packet, there is no way the option to close the bag will happen here!

Cadbury launches curious, crunchy, chocolatey combinations, made in Joyville

Cadbury, renowned for its great tasting chocolate, has launched a new product set to tantalise the nation’s taste buds in an unexpected way.

The deliciously different new Cadbury Crunchums are a one-of-a-kind, wonderfully moreish snack of crunchy cereal bites, coated in delicious Cadbury milk chocolate.

Unleashing an entirely new taste experience, bags of Cadbury Crunchums are the perfect way to bring something new to the party: they’re a unique way to enjoy delicious-tasting Cadbury chocolate and a crunchy snack all in the same mouthful.

Delivering all you need for a tasty treat, new Cadbury Crunchums deliver an unpredictable chocolate taste that unexpectedly works.

Tyrrells Beach Barbecue,Pork Crackling review

Tyrrells known as 'posh crisps' have launched a new crisp and some pork crackling for summer and sent me some to try. 

Now in keeping with the upper class snacks, we took ours posh camping or glamping to Manor Farm near Alton, its a Feather Down Farm and the perfect surrounds for trying the new Tyrrells.

Barbecue crisps are not my favourite, but I had to try and actually kept dipping in to the bowl for more. Chris the barbecue flavour fanatic,its usually his first choice loved them. These will be great for picnics and barbecues, a very light natural taste.

But his eye was on the crackling bags and so were mine. We had no electricity for the week, without TV,radio and laptops, conversation was the main enjoyment.

Chance to really discuss the important questions. 

Why were they called scratchings in some counties, what were the origins? Lack of Google prevented us finding out until now.

Who had the rights to try the pork crackling more?

Him being a Yorkshire man, apparently home of the pork scratching,he felt it was up to him to try them and fully realise their value!

I pointed out they were called Aristo- Crackling, not what I would necessarily put with his northern roots, he then said as an Irish girl, I was a fine one to talk!! Before it became a race riot,we settled on another question.

I offered that being the reviewer, so I had more right, he pointed out he was as much a reviewer, so we then decided we would share.

Oh and it is believed that pork crackling originated in the  Black Country where they were widely consumed by the working classes. The pork crackling (pork scratchings) date back to the 1800s, when families kept their own pigs as a source of food. 
 In order to not waste any element of the pig, due to the scarcity of food, even the off cuts of fat and skin were fried for food. Thanks Wikipedia!

The crackling are gorgeous,melt in the mouth tasty, just the right crunch, soft and bacony. I liked the original flavour, Chris loved the crackling with mustard, it has a real kick.

This was our debate concluded, I suggest if you love pork crackling you grab some bags.

A TASTE OF SUMMER WITH TYRRELLS

BEACH HUTS, DONKEYS AND DECKCHAIRS

Tyrrells crisps, the premium English crisp brand is taking consumers on a nostalgic trip of donkey rides and deck chairs with their new limited edition Beach Barbecue crisp.  Smoked paprika, tomato, cumin, cayenne and garlic combine as a smoky tribute to the jolly optimism of the English seaside barbecue - without a burnt sausage in sight. Available from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and independent retailers, Tyrrells Beach Barbecue will have an RRP of £1.99 for 150g and 69p for 40g.

The English can always be counted upon to brave the blustery beach, bathe in the freezing sea and indulge in a cornet or two of ice cream, so to celebrate these great seaside traditions, Tyrrells is using the Beach Barbecue pack to showcase its latest social media competition; Win a Beach Hut- For Your Garden  The prize will engage and entertain Tyrrells’ followers through Facebook and Twitter and weekly winners will also be in with the chance of winning some covetable Cornishware prizes.

Oliver Rudgard, Marketing Director of Tyrrells says “The beach hut giveaway is a fabulous prize and reflects the peculiarly English character of our brand.  As an additional nod to the nostalgia of English seaside traditions, we've designed the pack to resemble a beach hut, with wind-blasted paint and all. Facebook is such an important communication channel for us and we're confident our Beach Hut campaign will entertain and recruit new followers over the summer months'.

'A CRACKLING NEW LAUNCH FROM TYRRELLS'

Tyrrells, the premium English crisp brand, is broadening its premium snacks range with the introduction of new Aristo-Crackling hand-cooked pork crackling. The double-barrelled 'corker of a porker' launches this week in two flavours - Traditional and English Mustard. Tyrrells Aristo-crackling packs are available in 50g Clip Strip and SRP formats and on pre-filled 30g backing boards.

Distinguishing itself from other pork crackling snacks, Tyrrells Aristo-Crackling is double cooked to give a lighter, crunchier texture and only uses pork from the poshest British reared pigs such as Hampshire, Duroc and Large White.  Each bite is reminiscent of proper home-cooked Sunday roast pork crackling.

Oliver Rudgard, Tyrrells Marketing Director commented; "With the launch of Aristo-Crackling we have built a more discerning tier above the humble pork scratching. By only selecting crackling made from the finest British pork, double cooking it to give a light crunchy texture, applying quintessentially English seasonings, such as a fiery English Mustard, and supporting it with our signature black and white packshot photos to add a 'posh pigs' twist, we have arrived at the most deliciously indulgent snack."

Tyrrells Aristo-Crackling launches end of May with independent retailers across the country and in Sainsbury and Waitrose in June. RRP: £1.19 for 50g and £0.99p for 30g

Disclosure - Tyrrells sent me a pack of each to try,I was not offered any payment to review,my opinions are my own.

Snack Happy Challenge with California Almonds

I need all the energy I can muster, looking after my Granny full time,with a family and just life.

I'm trying to eat and drink more healthily, my meals are pretty good, I recently took up the water challenge with Brita and that still is helping, as I lost weight with Slimming World I am also keen not to snack unhealthily but really do need a top up boost during the day. I need to eat more now to maintain my weight,lots of energy is used up for me now and I know that grabbing chocolate or biscuits may lead to weight gain and bad habits.

California Almonds invited me to take part in a healthy snacking campaign and I took them up on it, the aim is to encourage women to form a healthy snacking habit and feel the benefit in just three weeks. 

Three weeks later and I definitely feel the difference, I have more energy, my low time is about 4pm. I am usually flagging and this is the time I actually need to be moving, cooking meals, chatting to Granny to keep her motivated. Then the family come home from work and need to chat. So for me the almond snack packs were very beneficial. 

Just at the time I need energy they really did do just that. The handy size meant I had a pack on me most times. I could munch on them while doing something else.

The moment is all too familiar - your tummy rumbles, the pangs take over and you just have to eat something, anything.  Let’s face it, often in these situations, what we grab isn’t the most nutritious or satisfying and can even leave us feeling frustrated about the choice we’ve made.  There’s a really smart, simple solution: a handful (approximately 30g) of almonds, enjoyed as a snack, daily. Take the new Snack Happy Challenge with California Almonds to form a healthy snacking habit, and with the help of experts, discover just how easy it is to include naturally delicious, nutrient-packed almonds as a healthy snack option. 

A recent study[i] from Leatherhead Food Research reveals that a woman’s daily total energy intake is the same, whether or not almonds are consumed as a mid-morning snack.  This is because when women ate almonds as a mid-morning snack, they ate less at their next meal(s) compared to when they didn’t have a snack[ii].  What does this mean for busy women who are always on the go?  It means that they can enjoy naturally delicious and ultra-nutritious almonds as a snack, between meals, without worrying that they will consume more calories than if they had not snacked on almonds. In addition, it was demonstrated in the Leatherhead study that when women snacked on almonds mid-morning, they had significant reductions in cravings for salty, fatty, sweet or savoury foods at their next meal(s)[iii], indicating potentially healthier food selections at these meals!  

Armed with this research, California Almonds, along with personal trainer and author, Bridget Hunt, nutritionist Amanda Hamilton and psychologist Anjula Mutanda, have created the Snack Happy Challenge.  It encourages women to eat a tasty handful (30g) of nutrient-packed almonds every day for 21 days, the time it can take for a habit to form, without worrying about over-eating.

Try almonds as your daily snack or perhaps if you don’t normally snack, give it a go as the body of research on almonds continues to grow:

·         Researchers[iv] discovered that people who included 63g of almonds a part of their diet, did not gain weight and that whole almonds provided a daylong feeling of fullness[v].

·         An additional study[vi] published this year found more good news; almonds have approximately 20% fewer metabolisable calories than originally thought. Meaning a handful or a 30g serving has just 138 calories versus the 173 calories listed on labels.

The Snack Happy experts will be giving women a helping hand by sharing their advice on healthy snacking on-the-go, how to stay in shape and achieve a healthy body and mind. Information will be housed on the Almond Board of California’s website, where women can sign up and find ongoing tips from Bridget, Amanda and Mutanda. 

Personal trainer and author of Six Pack Chick, Bridget Hunt said: “Often people think that snacking isn’t good for them, but in my experience, it’s quite the opposite. Almonds pack the tasty, satisfying crunch and punch I need to keep me going whatever my day may bring, so it’s one less thing for me to worry about.  I am getting behind Snack Happy because it’s a simple habit that makes a real difference. I simply decant a handful of almonds every morning into a sandwich bag or tin and keep it in my handbag. It means I have a deliciously nutritious snack ready for when hunger strikes!”    

Almonds offer natural goodness in every bite. As a natural source of protein and fibre, almonds are high in nine essential nutrients, including vitamin E and calcium – making them the perfect, nutritious snack that women can take anywhere and eat at anytime.

For further information and to join the Snack Happy Challenge visit www.AlmondBoard.co.uk 

 California Almonds has asked me to take part in the Snack Happy Challenge. They have provided me with all I need to complete the challenge. For more information about healthy snacking please visit www.AlmondBoard.co.uk

Tracker White Chocolate Chip Bar Review

Did you know that Tracker bars were the first cereal bars created back in 1986. Mars have just launched a new flavour,White Chocolate Chip and sent me some to try. Luckily they arrived before my  21 day healthy snacking challenge,however,at 125 calories a bar I am not going to worry.Chris pounced on the bars he was addicted to Tracker bars as a teen he said and  was opening and chomping immediately.

He commented that they were still as chewy and gooey as he'd hoped, he said they were smaller than he remembered, but then he is a bit bigger than the skinny teen I met!!

I took a little more time over mine,the bar is jam packed with chocolate and crunchy roasted peanuts, it has an oaty flavour and it is very soft, chewy but with a good crunch. The bar is very filling,so if you are watching your weight and still need a sweet bite,this is a good choice. Trackers are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

All in all a nice addition to the range.

With nearly 4000 Tracker bars eaten every hour in the UK, Tracker continues to be one of the nation’s favourite snacks, and it’s no surprise - packed with quality ingredients in every bar, Tracker not only tastes incredible – it’s also the ideal outdoor treat, whether it be to keep energy levels high on a family bike ride, as a quick boost before footie practice, or as a tasty reward after a day stomping through the mud in wellies; this is the must have rucksack snack. 

World Pistachio Day Giveaway

Wonderful Pistachios have teamed up with Given To Distracting Others to help celebrate World Pistachio Day by giving readers some really interesting info on women's snacking and a chance to win a more healthy snack.

Sounds good to me, so get reading and entering below!

World Pistachio Day was on February 26 2013, Wonderful Pistachios, has taken a look at working women’s snacking habits with some revealing results...

• Women will put on almost a stone in the first year of working in an office
• Two thirds of women go to work with good intentions to eat healthily but fail
• Less than two per cent of women succeed in their aim of only eating healthy snacks every week
• 9.58 am is the average time that most workers have their first snack
• Four in ten women say they indulge in at least two unhealthy snacking sessions every working day
• Twenty per cent of women admit to buying treats to gain popularity
• One in six women say their co-workers seem to talk about food all the time, with the average experiencing more than 23 minutes of food-related chatter each and every day

But, just under half of all female workers say that snacking cheers up their day with one in seven saying that it is their absolute highlight.   And, a snacking boost proves essential to six in ten workers who claim it helps productivity.

For people looking for a tasty healthy snack, Wonderful Pistachios are a great option.  A 30-gram serving contains 160 calories and provides a variety of different vitamins and minerals.

What’s more, the empty shells act as a reminder of how many we have already eaten acting as a visual cue to stop overeating.

Here are some things that you might not know about the pistachio nut…

• One of the oldest flowering nut trees, humans have eaten pistachio nuts for at least 9,000 years.  Pistachios are one of the only two nuts mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 43:11).  
• The Queen of Sheba loved pistachios.  In fact, she demanded that the entire region’s pistachio harvest be set aside for her.  
• The green colour in pistachios comes from the important antioxidant, lutein
• In China, the pistachio is known as the “Happy Nut” because it looks like it is smiling.  Often given as a gift during the Chinese New Year, pistachios are a symbol of health, happiness and good fortune. 
• Pistachios contain only 3-4 calories per nut - they also offer vital nutrients including more than 30 different vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients making them a great guilt free snack.
• During the cold winter months, people in India snack heavily on pistachios as they are believed to be a ‘hot food’ capable of warming the soul.
• Israel’s seven million people consume nine million pounds of pistachios each year, making it the world’s leading per-capita pistachio consuming country at more than one pound per person.   
• California is the leading producer of pistachios worldwide producing more than 400 million pounds of pistachios each year.
• In Russia, legend says that anyone who hears the crackle of an opening pistachio nut will soon find success.
• One of the most popular sayings in Mexico is “Quiere el pistache pelado y en la boca,” which means wanting everything the easy way (“He wants his pistachios shelled and in the mouth”).
  
  
  
  
  

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Fudges New Improved Biscuit Review.

I love Fudges biscuits, I am a fan already and could not really see how they could be improved, well apart from more in a box!! Well they must have heard me as there are more flapjacks in the new box, they also improved the taste and texture of those and three others in the range.

I have been happily munching on the range this week and I love the lighter cheese straws, the chewier flapjacks have a lovely sweet flavour, I loved them before and I love them more now.

The cheese straws are great with a glass of win, I cannot stop nibbling them though.

I like the more rounded flavour of the Marmite Biscuits, if you love Marmite you will adore these.

Well I was wrong they could improve the range!! Thanks Fudges!!

Hitting shelves in January, Fudges Flapjacks dipped in Belgian Chocolate (RRP £2.99), Marmite Biscuits (RRP £2.35), Cheese Straws (RRP £1.65) and Cheese Straws with Cracked Black Pepper (RRP £1.99) will be available from most major supermarkets, delis, farm shops and the Fudges online shop

(www.fudges.co.uk)

Sharphams Park Review

Sharpham Park is a range that I see in the shops and apart from their shortbread, I have not tried more.

So to receive this fab selection was a chance to put that right.

But first I had a question, mainly what is spelt? 

Sharpham Park must know this is a popular question as they have a whole range of facts on their site.

So just to give you a bit of background as well as for me here is what I learnt

Spelt is a primitive form of wheat, developed when goat grass (aegilips squarrosa) was cross pollinated with emmer wheat (triticum dicoccoides) in the so called Fertile Crescent about 9000 years ago.

The key difference between spelt and wheat is the molecular structure of the protein in the gluten, which is shorter and more brittle and therefore easier for the body to break down and digest.   This is why many people who suffer with a wheat intolerance can digest spelt without difficulty.

For a myriad of facts including wheat intolerance and the history of spelt visit the website

http://www.sharphampark.com/about-spelt/spelt-facts

With this in mind I was eager to try out a couple of the goodies. I decided to use one of the Risotto Mixes for lunch. It was so easy to make, cold water and a heavy based pan, 20 minutes later a lunch for two. 

The taste was not as nutty as I imagined, having read the description, I love the texture, really plump grain all puffed up and the pumpkin, onion, carrot, celery with garlic and herbs. It was really filling this is half the portion and I could not finish it.

I had planned to tuck into the sweet goodies for dessert, but I was still comfortably full until dinnertime.

I am glad I waited to eat them, the Chocolate brownies are melt in the mouth good. Really soft,full of good tasting chocolate and they are incredibly light and moist.
The granola bars are again,soft, moist sweet and syrupy. Very filling too.

I have yet to use the wholegrain flour, there is a great recipe for Banana Cake on the side, which I would like to make.The website has some lovely recipes to look at and you can add your own.

http://www.sharphampark.com/about-spelt/spelt-recipes

Sharpham Park mention this 'Spelt has a Glycemic Index of 30, which is low and a huge health benefit. This kind of food produces only small fluctuations in our blood sugar levels, and reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It is a key to long term health and assists sustainable weight loss as you feel fuller for longer.'

Sharpham Park have just launched Great British Spelt Recipes. This free online recipe collection is part of their campaign in partnership with Bowel Cancer UK to raise awareness of how a high fibre diet can be beneficial in the fight against Bowel Cancer. It launches on 1st April (National Bowel Cancer Awareness Month) but if you want a sneak peak then head to www.greatbritishspeltrecipes.com. 

Research into bowel cancer has identified that a healthy diet is a significant factor of lowering your risk of bowel cancer. A high fibre diet is one of the elements to ensure good bowel health and a large number of Sharpham Park products all contain healthy high levels of fibre.   

Tyrrells Swanky Veg Review

A LAVISH LAUNCH FROM TYRRELLS WITH NEW ‘SWANKY’ VEG RANGE

Tyrrells is a brand that says fun to me, I have had fun times eating the crisps, picnics, Christmas watching a movie snuggled up with Chris. 

Tyrrells website is always a great place to visit, they have funny images, great little competitions and entertains me. Obviously main reason I like Tyrrells is they produce blooming good crisps.

I first tried the vegetable crisps at one of the BBC Good Food Shows, I thought I wouldn't like them to be honest, vegetables and I have a had a few fallings out, especially when I was a fussy child.

I was surprised that I liked the carrot, beetroot and parsnip, I was amazed that considering I do not eat beetroot in its first form, I actually found them to be tasty.

Now Tyrrells have produced Swanky Veg, they are a lovely colour, purple carrot, yes purple.I had some in my veg box before and they throw your mind a little.

The Candy Striped Beetroot, look like sections of a lollipop and the golden parsips really attractive.

Now these are being promoted as snack for those of a nobler birth, but this commoner loves them, with a cheese sandwich they are perfect. I also tried with salsa, sour cream and hummus at the weekend and between us they did not last too long and I am afraid to say,there wasn't any delicate posh nibbling!!

Just when you thought those chaps at Tyrrells couldn’t become any more colourful they come up with Swanky Veg, a marvellous new super-premium vegetable crisp range.

Tyrrells Swanky Veg crisps are an exotic mélange of some of the world’s most lavish veggies, with just a pinch of sea salt to let them sing. Candy Striped Beetroot, Purple Carrots, Blue Potatoes and Taro crisps combine to deliver a snack suitable for those occasions that call for an altogether nobler nibble.

Tyrrells Swanky Veg takes shared snacking to a more entertaining level by encouraging consumers to venture beyond the traditional crisp or nut selection with a range that includes Candy Striped Beetroot, Purple Carrot and Taro crisps that look simply amazing in a bowl!

The Swanky Veg range is available initially from Waitrose and quality independents, RRP of £3.29 per 125g pack. The three variants include:

• Taro, Golden Beetroot, Purple Carrot
• Orange Sweet Potato, Golden Beetroot, Carrot and Parsnip
• Candy Striped Beetroot, Red Beetroot and Blue Potato

For more information please visit www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk