Coco Pops Multi-Grain Mini Biscuits

When I saw these Coco Pops Multi-Grain Mini Biscuits I couldn't resist picking up a pack, especially once I had checked the ingredients only to discover that they are vegan!  No dairy, no eggs and, no honey. So I thought that these would be a perfect snack for me to enjoy with my lunch, plus I can convince myself that they count as healthy as they contain the buzz word, ‘multi-grain’. 

These are basically a rebranding of the Special K Mini Breaks, but I don't particularly mind because I used to love them! Especially the lemon ones, they were so incredibly moreish and felt as though they should be higher in calories. 

Now, onto the current version for a review. These have a good crunch to them that is quite satisfying when paired with the flakes of oats scattered across the top, the cocoa flavour shines through very nicely and you can certainly identify that they are meant to be chocolate flavoured. Basically I really enjoyed these and found them to be a very satisfying treat to enjoy guilt free. Don't be put off with the rebranding which is aimed at children, it is a tasty snack that all ages can enjoy because they are sweet, but not cloyingly so.

Rating – 8.5/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 101

Buy Again? – Yes! 

Twining's Cherry Bakewell Green Tea

Green tea is often synonymous with health and well being, it is believed to contain antioxidants that can prevent certain types of cancer, it is also proven to have the ability to increase your metabolism thus helping weight loss. Some of the claims attributed to green tea have less evidence to support it than others but it certainly can't do you any harm to enjoy a cup or two a day. 

Unfortunately, green tea is quite an acquired taste and many people are put off by this and can't manage to drink it as it is without adding copious amounts of honey. Again, nothing wrong with honey but this simply isn't an option for vegans or those that just don't enjoy the taste of honey. That is why I think flavoured green tea is a wonderful product, especially when they have such unique and delicious sounding flavours.

I won't bore you any longer, so I shall get onto the actual review! The packaging is absolutely lovely, I liked that the main colour was green with pink accents, presumably to represent the cherry? The smell of sweet almond hits you as soon as you open the box and it is very enticing, it smells remarkably like an actual cherry bakewell, but I thought it best to not get my hopes up too much regarding the flavour because I often find that with fruit teas, they smell heavenly but in reality they taste of hot water no matter how long you allow the tea to brew. 

But I was pleasantly surprised to take my first sip and for it to actually taste quite like cherry bakewell! It is a subtle flavour, but certainly identifiable, especially in the aftertaste. It was a nice change from regular green tea as it lacked the usual bitter taste that puts most people off. I can't believe that this is only one calorie a cup and I was surprised that is was actually vegan. I expected for there to be some honey or lactose in it but thankfully not!

Rating – 8/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 1

Buy Again – Yes!

Rainbow Drops

As you will have worked out, I am a massive fan of all things sweet, so you can imagine how much I would love the sugary puffed rice delights that are Rainbow Drops. 

Basically, they are crunchy, crispy, sugar coated rice snacks that come in a variety of colours. 

They are absolutely delicious providing you have a sweet tooth and a craving for nostalgia. Both of which I have. 

I really enjoyed these as a treat because they remind me of being little and my mum letting me have a rare sugary treat. They are also surprisingly low in calories considering how moreishly sweet they are, in an 80g bag only 215 calories. 

Rating - 8/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 215

Buy Again - Yes!

M&S Lemon Metingue Mini Bites

I don't typically review supermarket brands, I'm not entirely sure why but I am going to start to now because I couldn't not share this delicious treat with you all! Lemon Meringue Mini Meringues. They are perhaps the most magical thing I have ever eaten. If you like lemon then you will love these, they were chewy, crispy and so deliciously sweet. They had a slight tang from the lemon sherbet topping. I can't put into words how good these were, I can only urge you all to go out and buy them to try for yourselves!

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - No

Calories - 395 per 100g

Buy Again - Yes!

Two Chicks Chirp Snack

I am currently on a bit of a health kick trying to eat more protein and do a bit more exercise so my attention was instantly grabbed when I came across these high protein snacks called 'Chirps', which is one heck of a cute name if you ask me, but only fitting from a company as fabulously named as 'Two Chicks'. As you will have worked out from the name, they specialise in egg based products, they have found a niche in the market and utilised it brilliantly. They describe these snacks as; 'A snack with the bite of a crisp that was high in protein and lower in fat and carbohydrate. Chirps contain egg white which is one of the highest quality protein sources available.'

Now, onto the review.

Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

I rather enjoyed these, the snack itself was very crunchy so if you have dodgy teeth I would be careful! The flavour was good, the black pepper was evenly distributed so every bite had flavour. The salt was very subtle but you could taste it so it was overall an enjoyable snack.

Rating - 8/10

Smokey Jalapeño 

These were definitely my favourite! The smokey flavour reminded me of a  spicy barbecue which was really nice, the jalapeño added a good kick to the snack which helped to set it apart from the regular crisp offerings. The spice was perfectly balanced, not too hot but not too mild.

Rating - 8.5/10

Sour Cream & Chive

I let my brother try this flavour because I'm lactose intolerant, I trust his opinion so hopefully he will be on par with me! 

He said that these were rather nice, he also commented on how crunchy they were. Overall he said that they had a good flavour to them and were evenly coated.

Rating - 7/10

Dark Mint Chocolate M&M's

M&M’s are a brand that I often about as they aren't suitable fir vegetarians because of a food colouring called E120, so you imagine my shock and glee when I checked the ingredients if these only to realise that it did not contain it! My mum had bought me these as a treat from American Soda, I was still a tad wary so googled every ingredient just to confirm that it was indeed safe to eat and indeed it was. I enjoyed these as part of my evening snack and I was very excited to try them because I often find myself in a bit if a rut eating the same things over and over again.

They were dark mint chocolate coated in a crispy candy shell, the chocolate was lovely and wasn't so dark that it would alienate regular chocolate fans, the mint flavour shone through very nicely and reminded me of Benedict’s Mints. 

Overall I really enjoyed this treat, it was nice to have a bit of variation from my usual! 

Rating – 9/10

Vegan – No

Calories – 210

Buy Again? – Yes 

British Lion Egg Fried Rice Recipe with Additional Egg Allergy Information

This week I have for you another recipe, this time it is the classic that is egg fried rice. It is perfect either on its own or with chips and curry sauce. The kind people from the British Lion Egg Company asked me if I would like to collaborate with them to create an egg based recipe, and upon asking my family which they thought would be best, my egg fried rice won outright. So hopefully you will enjoy it just as much as they do! It is important when cooking with eggs that you be very careful, ensure that they are stored appropriately and within date, use your judgement and if the egg doesn't look or smell right, then there is probably something up. For more information check out the following link.
Egg Allergy


You Will Need

1) 200g White Rice
2) 400ml Water
3) ¾ Tablespoon of Bouillon
4) 3 Eggs
5) Sesame Oil

Instructions
1) Wash rice thoroughly in cold water and drain.
2) Cook rice in 400ml of water and bring to the boil, once it it boiled add the bouillon or stock, cover and  simmer for twenty minutes.
3) After twenty minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed, take the pan off the heat, fluff it with a fork and leave to stand for several minutes.
4) Crack three whole eggs into a bowl with a good helping of sesame oil (about one and a half tablespoons). Whisk the eggs and oil  until combined.
5) Add another tablespoon and a half of sesame oil to the pan and ensure it is coating the pan.
6) Empty the rice into the pan and fry it off for a minute.
7) Pour in the egg and oil mixture, but do not stir it! Instead allow it to cook as though it is an omelette.
8) When the bottom of the egg has cooked and taken in an omelette consistency, then begin to break it up into smaller pieces ad you would with scrambled egg.
9) Ensure that all of the egg is cooked.
10) Empty the contents of the pan onto a plate and serve with soy sauce.

Yushoi Snappea Rice Snacks

The ever so kind people at Yushoi sent me a pack if each of the new flavours of their unique, healthy and nutritious snack. Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks are baked, free from nuts and dairy, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, high in protein and fibre and have no artificial colours, flavourings or MSG….And there are less than 99 calories per bag or per serving!  Incredible but true

Lightly Salted
I really enjoyed this flavour, the salt was very subtle and worked really well with the slight hint of pea. I know that sounds like an odd combination but it really worked very well. They were so light and crispy. These honestly have to be the most innovative snack I have had in a long time! It is so unique and work brilliantly.
Rating – 9/10

Smoked Salt & Szechuan Pepper
Salt and pepper is a flavour combination that is rarely well done. It is either far too peppery and completely unpalatable, or it is so salty and you cannot taste anything else. But this is perfectly balanced. I really enjoyed this flavour and it was well done, a great take on a classic combination.
Rating - 9/10

Sweet Chilli & Lemon
I was initially a little concerned with trying this flavour, mainly because I'm not the biggest fan of spicy food- or at least food so spicy that you can't taste and enjoy the actual flavours because all you can feel is this burning and tongue numbing agony. Anyway, these chilli and lemon snacks were actually really good. I was very impressed with them. I could clearly taste the chilli and there was a very subtle hint of lemon there too which cooled it down.
Rating – 8.75/10

Soy & Balsamic Vinegar
I was intrigued by this flavour combination, never before have I seen. Perhaps I am just ignorant and oblivious to the world around me and this is a classic flavour pair. I suppose this is a high class version on salt and vinegar? Anyway, moving swiftly on…
These tasted lovely, I am really glad that they used balsamic vinegar rather than malt vinegar because it added a nice sweetness. Overall, this was really well done and was a good snack to enjoy with my lunch.
Rating – 9.25/10

Green & Black's Maya Gold

Green & Black’s is well known for being a widely available and affordable good quality chocolate that offers an impressive variety of vegan products. Some are rather unique indeed, specifically the Maya Gold flavour. It is described as using orange extract for a, zesty note, which marries perfectly with the nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.

I really enjoyed this bar, it had a very sophisticated flavour to it and it certainly isn't one for children, with its subtle spices and hint of citrusy orange it is very rich. The dark chocolate is of a high quality and the taste is lovely, warming and luxurious. I only needed a measly 25g to satisfy my craving! 

Rating 8/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 140 per 25g

Buy Again – Yes!