Almond Dream Vegan Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

As much as I enjoy living a dairy free life, I must admit that I do miss some things. The thing that I probably miss the most is ice cream. I can't begin to express my jealousy when I see everyone tucking into the latest flavour of Ben & Jerry's whilst I am stuck here with sorbet. Don't get me wrong, I love the taste of sorbet and how refreshing it is, and I wouldn't go back to eating dairy but like everyone I do miss things. 

That is enough of my moaning though because now I have discovered something that has changed my life (okay, maybe an exaggeration but stick with me guys because I will get to the point eventually) Almond Dream ice cream. 

The ice cream itself is lovely and minty without tasting like toothpaste, it is so creamy and delicious, you would never realise that it isn't made with dairy! The chocolate chips were evenly mixed throughout the tub, something which can be major problem for some brands who have all of their flavouring clumped together in one bit. It is just such a delicious ice cream. The melt is very good, it doesn't go icy like you normally find with non dairy ice cream. 

We know how much ice cream is loved by the kid in all of us, and as the weather turns there is no better treat than curling up on the sofa to watch a movie and dig into your favourite ice cream.

Now you can get stuck into a rich and creamy tub of Dream ice cream that is Free from Dairy and Gluten. Spoilt for choice from Salted Caramel, Praline Crunch, Velvety Vanilla or intense Mint chocolate chip the range is made from Almonds which makes it so rich and creamy and suitable for vegetarians and vegans too!

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 154 per 1/4 of a tub

Buy Again - YAAASSSS!!!

Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream

This review is courtesy of my mum because I don't eat dairy. So thank you darling mother, I appreciate the sacrifice that you had to make! 

Her first reaction was that it was absolutely magical. When I asked her to elaborate she was initially lost for words because she said that it was just so good. The ice cream itself is creamy and caramelly, this worked incredibly well with the deliciously moreish chunks of cinnamon bun. The chunks of cinnamon bun were more like cookie dough which was a bit of a let down because it was expected that it would be more like the brownie batter that you get in the brownie ice cream. 

The cinnamon shone through beautifully, it had enough spice to add intrigue but paired with the perfect amount of sweetness so that it feels indulgent, yet light enough to eat the whole tub in one go, if you were inclined to do so that is!

My brother enjoyed this ice cream paired with a caramel apple cake, he said that the combination was perfect and the ice cream had enough flavour not to be overwhelmed by what you pair it with, whilst being subtle enough not to be the only thing that you can taste. 

Overall this was a win in my household and I am only sad that I couldn't join in myself, but as you will see in my next few reviews, I have found some tasty alternatives!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - No

Calories - 273 per 100g

Buy Again - Yes

Fruit Bowl Sea Shapes

I am a sucker for anything cute. Seriously, you wouldn't think that I am nearly twenty years old... So here is another review of something adorable and predominantly aimed at children, but you know what? Things aimed at children are often more fun, initiative and sometimes even more healthier than their adult counterparts! Because there is such a big emphasis on things being natural, low in sugar, and free from all sorts of crazy additives.

Anyway, I have bored you enough with my lecture to make me feel better about me preferring children's snacks, so onto the review!

As you will have worked out, these were all natural chewy fruit snacks in the shape of sea creatures. They contain enough fruit to classify them as one of your five a day which I think is pretty impressive seeing as they are only 18g! You can really taste the fruit in it and it was quite strong so each bite was sweet and full of flavour.

Rating - 8/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 52

Buy Again? - Yes

Propercorn Smooth Peanut & Almond Popcorn

Popcorn is easily one of my favourite foods (as you will have noticed from my excessive popcorn reviews...) So I jumped at the chance to try this brand new Peanut & Almond popcorn from the incredible brand that is Propercorn. 

First off I am going to comment on the packaging because it is honestly stunning. It is minimalist with a good helping of style. I just love it and I think that it epitomises the brand as a whole. 

I can't get over how unique this flavour is, I would never have thought of having nutty popcorn, and not just the obvious peanut, but the under-utilised almond too! Now, the only question is, does it live up to expectations? 

Well the short answer is oh dear lord yes! It surpasses my expectations. It is creamy and nutty as though you are eating nut butter with the delicious fluffy, bouncy crunch of popcorn. It is so well done, the coating is even throughout and there wasn't a single unpopped corn in any of my bags, which is really impressive because in some brands there is more unpopped corns that there are popped!  

This bag felt so indulgent, I can't believe that it is only 120 calories because it tastes so good! It is just divine and I love it. Plus, it is fabulously vegan! 

Rating - 9.75/10

Calories - 120

Vegan - Yes!

Buy Again - YES!!!

Branston Spaghetti

When I think of spaghetti, my mind immediately goes to Heinz, and I would never think of deviating from Heinz. They are a tried and tested brand whose recipe has been perfected, but today whilst perusing the shelves in my local Tesco, I came across this tin of Branston spaghetti. I was intrigued, what could Branston bring to the plate (pardon the pun, but I couldn't resist) that other competitors could not? Because surely you can't really vary spaghetti in a tomato sauce all that much. 

So I opened the tin, with a little apprehension, and emptied it into my bowl and cooked for three minutes so that it was piping hot. The spaghetti itself was short cut which I think that I preferred because there is a better sauce to pasta ratio. The sauce had an interesting flavour to it, it wasn't your usual overly sweet tomato sauce, it had more depth and flavour to it, it sort of had a bit of a Branston kick to it which worked really well, initially I wasn't too fond of it but after a few spoonfuls I started to really enjoy it. There was a bit of a spice to the sauce and this overall helped make this an enjoyable addition to any meal or even as a meal in itself because I did find it to be very filling!

Rating - 7/10

Vegan - Yes (as far as I can tell)

Calories - 

Buy Again? - Probably

Nak'd Strawberry Protein Crunch Bar

Nak'd is quite easily one of my favourite brands out there. They offer such a wide range of products, each with a delicious and often innovative flavour to them. But whilst having such a healthy reputation, they still manage to taste so incredibly good. This is what I live about them, they dispel the myth that healthy food can only be bland, flavourless, and boring!

So that's enough preaching from me, now onto today's review- Nak'd Strawberry Crunch Bar and this is what Nak'd have to say about it.

Our Nākd Strawberry Crunch bar is every bit as yummy as you would expect from smooshing real strawberries together with fruits, nuts and protein crunchies, resulting in a seriously satisfying texture and long lasting tingly sweetness. What makes our new Crunch bars so special is the protein that we pack into each and every one of them, providing an irresistible crispy crunchiness that keeps you fuller for longer. With 100% natural ingredients, no added sugar or syrups and free from just about everything that could cause a fuss- including being free from wheat, dairy and gluten, this is a gorgeously yummy and nutritious snack that we’re sure you’ll love!

The bar is a little smaller than the other bars, it weighs only 30g rather than the usual 35g but if I'm honest, you can't really notice the difference because it looks just as big and it is still as filling so I really wasn't too bothered. 

The crunchy bits in it are really good because they add an interesting texture to them which helps to set it apart from the usual bars.

The strawberry flavour was lovely, sweet, and easily identifiable as naturally strawberry, something which is quite rare for most foods. 

Overall I loved this bar and enjoyed it with my breakfast, I felt full and satisfied until my lunch several hours later so I would strongly recommend this bar!

Rating - 8.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 107

Buy Again - Definitely!

M&S Souper Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

I really dislike soup. Like, I seriously hate everything about it. It has no real consistency to it, it is often like water, and it normally smells strange. So you will probably be thinking, ‘Why oh why is she reviewing soup if she hates it so much?’ But friends, stick with me here and do continue reading my review for it is fraught with twists and turns that would put even Agatha Christie to shame! 

I began off as a sceptic, I didn't even want the soup but my mum had kindly bought it for me as a treat because the weather is getting colder. I was far from excited at the prospect of having soup for my lunch. 

I put it into the microwave with plenty of reservations, but these seemed to slowly fade away as the smell of paprika and spice creeped through the kitchen, I felt myself warming to the idea of this soup, I thought, at least it will taste okay.

The real change happened when I poured it into my pretty bowl and I was engulfed by the tempting aroma and I was shocked at just how thick it was, with massive chunks of sweet potato and loads of black beans and red peppers. My eyes lit up and I finally began to feel excited at the prospect of my lunch. This excitement only increased as I took my first spoon full. I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed this soup, it was incredible. It was laden with vegetable and a thick and satisfying chilli sauce. There was enough heat to add a kick but not so much that it made it an unpleasant experience. 

Overall I absolutely loved this soup and I would definitely consider having this soup again and I would even venture out and try some other soups from Marks & Spencer’s!

Rating – 9/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – ?

Buy Again - Yes

Skittles Crazy Sours

I know this may sound absurd, but I have never actually had Skittle's before. They had just never really appealed to me, and when i finally did develop a slight curiosity for them I realised that they weren't actually suitable for vegetarians! And, as expected, when I knew that I couldn't have them I only wanted them more... 

So my mum treated me to not just one bag, but three so that I could get the whole Skittle experience. I am a big fan of sour sweets so I decided to try the 'Crazy Sours' first.

I shall go through them by flavour and colour because there is a good chance that I have got the flavours wrong... (The see no evil monkey emoji would have been perfect here, but I am a professional so I shall refrain).

Green (Apple)

I am pretty certain that this flavour was apple, and it was the very first one that I tried. I am glad that I went with this because it tasted a lot like a deliciously tart and crisp Granny Smith Apple! It was sour enough to make your mouth water, but not so much that it was painful to eat, so definitely a win in my opinion.

Orange (Orange)

Even I could identify that this flavour was orange, and if I'm honest, this was by far my least favourite flavour. It tasted really artificial and I found myself leaving most of them out if I'm honest or giving them to my Mum to eat. So this flavour wasn't too great and I think it could do with being taken out of the mix and replaced with a more interesting flavour like pear or perhaps even lemon & lime! Comment below with any better alternatives!

Pink (Raspberry or Strawberry)

This was my favourite flavour, I loved that they had a sour tang that helped to cut through the very sweet flavour of some berry-I am not entirely certain what berry, but I am confident that it was a berry. I think that his was my favourite flavour but I actually really enjoyed all of the flavours so it is only a slight favourite.

Purple (Blackcurrant or Blackberry)

This flavour was a bit sourer than the other flavours but again it worked well, the fruitiness came through well and I enjoyed this flavour, whatever it was.

Yellow (Pineapple)

This was a really nice flavour and probably the strongest in its sour flavour, but this was probably because pineapple is naturally a sour fruit. The flavour only intensified as you chewed away at it.

Rating - 8.25/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 218

Buy Again - Yes!