Tesco Free From Rocky Road Mini Bites

First Impressions

I'm going to be honest here guys. The mere concept of my favourite childhood treat, being turned into a vegan delight, is a little bit overwhelming. I mean, come on, they are claiming to have mastered, biscuit, chocolate, and marshmallow?! Combining them into these adorably cute, and bitesize pieces? I mean, come on guys, this is the kind of thing we vegans dream of!

The packaging is a tad basic. It does what it is supposed to do, the pieces came fully intact and super fresh, so it did the job. There was just nothing particularly exciting or fun about it, which is a bit rubbish, but I suppose that I would much rather substance over style!

There isn't much else to say here about my first impressions, other than the fact that they smell hevanely, so without further ado, onto the review!

Onto the Review

They are exactly what they say on the package. Indeed they are bitesize, something qhich I'm normally not the biggest fan of, because obviously, one is not quite enough. But due to the incredibly rich, sweet, and utterly divine chocolate throughout these bites, the size definitely works in their favour. I think that if they were any bigger, you would just be left feeling pretty sick after munching a fair few.

The texture is fantastic. Tesco really have managed to embody all of the flavours, textures, and overall feel of a rocky road - and if I'm honest, these tasted better than any non vegan version I can remember! The marshmallow was goey and chewey, just as you would want a marshmallow to be. I found this to work really well against the crunchy crumbly biscuit that formed the body of the bite, especially when combined with the juicy cherry pieces intermingled throughout.

Each bite was a little different, which just made the overall munching experience even better somehow! A little goes a long way with these, and they are great to enjoy any time of day.

Final Thoughts

I have a feeling that you know what my final thoughts on this is going to be, but I am going to say them anyway. I blooming love them! I really recommend that you try them (and let me know what you thought!) because I think that they are an absolute win from Tesco! I think that it really is great that they are making an effort for those who either make the ethical choice to not eat certain foods, and for those who have allergies and intolerances.

Rating - 9.5/10

Calories - 505 per 100 g

Buy Again? - YES YES YES!!!

A Bit of Change Does You Good

Hello!

I just wanted to start of with a massive thank you to every one of you who has ever read my blog, looked at my posts, and taken the time to comment. You should see the way my face lights up every time I get a comment, seriously...

So, I have been thinking about this for a while, and I really want to expand this blog and what it encompasses. When I started it, my life really did revolve around food. I would wake up and start thinking about what I would be having for breakfast, obsessing over what I could and couldn't have. 

It is because of this blog that I have been able to grow. My writing ability has absolutely flourished. I have developed my own style and vibe which I am actually really proud of. 

It is ridiculous how much my little blog has helped me to change and grow, and now I want to help my blog to do the same! 

I have decided to do a bit of a blog re-boot of sorts. It will still have the same vibe and feel to it, with me  writing various reviews, but it will be on a wider range of things. This means that I shall be delving into the world of cruelty free cosmetics, toiletries, and maybe even a little bit of fashion. But generally I just want it to encompass me as a whole person and my interests as a whole, because I no longer think solely about food and what I am to eat! I will be working on promoting the blog further to develop it into its own space of sorts.

I felt like a change of name was needed, and I'm going to be honest, I was a little emotional changing this before! But I am feeling excited about what is ahead of me and what this encompasses, and I really hope that you will all stick with me on this little adventure and journey! 

Love Erin x

What's New in M&S (Vegan Friendly)

Made Without Dairy Dark Chocolate Selection

Saag Aloo

Veggie: Sweetcorn and Chickpea Burgers

Prosecco Jelly Bubbles

Veggie: Mince

A Letter To Santa Jelly Sweets

Spirit of Summer (?) Velvet Houmous

Sweet Potato Chips

Veggie: Edamame Bean Burgers

6 Month Matured Christmas Pudding

Aubergine Masala

Veggie: Chunks

Padding Treats Sweets

If you want to find more vegan things in supermarkets then follow my brand new instagram account!

Click here and follow me for more!

Words of Wisdom and Confidence

So, it has come to my attention that I am turning 22 next month, and I don't know about you, but I'm not quite feeling 22... 

But this raises the question; what exactly am I feeling? And I think that the answer to this is confident. Maybe not in terms of where I'm going in my life, or what exactly I plan to do once I graduate (the mere mention of the 'G-Word' sends a shiver down my spine!). So, if I don't feel confident in the specifics of my future, other than the fact that I am going to own at least another four cats, then what exactly do I feel confident in? Well, the answer to that my dear reader, is Myself. 

I feel confident to wear whatever I want, not exactly without fear of people thinking I'm weird, but simply not caring what they think-even if some of these outfits I look back on a week later with a hint of regret (I'm looking at you gold pleated midi skirt...) Instead, I choose to embrace being a little weird and a creative freak. I am confident enough to speak my mind and tell the world that I, Erin, am a Crazy Cat Lady! 

Let's be honest though guys, I really wasn't born with this confidence. It's taken me nearly 22 years to get to this point, and I wish that someone would have had a good chat over coffee and cake (vegan of course) to tell me some of the things that I know now. So, I have decided to do this to myself, right here, right now, with a mug of coffee in one hand and a pen in the other-cake has to wait, or I will spend my time munching that rather than doing any work, don't judge me, you know you would too!

Speaking Words of Wisdom...

THE unwanted haircut

Now, I cannot stress how important this is Erin, but please, please, please do not cut your waist length hair off into that blooming bob! Because despite what everyone told you, and promised you, it did not quite look 'cute', and nor did it suit you. You will hate every minute of having hair that short, because, let's be honest, you never wanted it in the first place! 

You broke the golden rule and changed yourself to make someone else happy, and in the process, you didn't stay true to you. Because when you finally learn to be true to yourself, you will experience true happiness. Believe me girl, you will find this out, just wait a bit longer.

*sips coffee*

Leading on from that, definitely don't allow someone else to tell you what you can't wear or allow them to make you feel bad about it either! Especially when it is your absolute favourite vintage floral dress, which you got for an absolute bargain in the sale, (£10 just saying guys). Please don't stop wearing it, just because someone said that you looked like a granny, because you know, that Alexa Chung, Queen of Granny Chic, would so have approved of such a cute floral dress! 

The moral of the story is basically, don't allow other people to define who you are as a person, or dictate to you who you can be! Because all that that will result in, is you being boring, and just not you. 

*eyes up cake*

Selfie game was strong

The last thing that you need to know is listen to yo Momma! She really does know best girl and will be there through thick and thin. Your Mum is the one who will always have your back, whilst at the same time will keep you on the straight and narrow. She will be your best friend who will spend hours listening to you go on your rants (often about the unnecessary addition of milk powder in everything...) and go out of her way to understand the importance of cruelty free living. 

Those that selfie together, stay together

But she will be the one to give you the confidence to be whoever you want to be. Pushing you towards greatness and never letting you give up on your dreams! I assure you, Momma really does know best. Trust me!

Final Thoughts

I know that these may seem a little silly Erin, but they all apply to different aspects of life! Take that leap of faith. Throw caution to the wind. Fly in the face of adversity and every other inspiring cliche you can think of, because you will find people who will love you for you (doubt all you want girl, but I'm you in several years time. I've lived it!). 

There are probably a million more things that I could tell you, but I think that I would need another ten coffees, and part of the fun in lfe is making these mistakes! Because how else will you learn that bleaching your hair blonde isn't a great idea?! (spoiler alert). So I shall sign off here, leaving you to think about these things, whilst I go and munch my cake for review research of course...

...Let it Be

Ben and Jerry's VEGAN Ice Cream

First Impressions

It has arrived, and to say I was ridiculously excited by this prospect, is a massive understatement guys. I feel like I have been waiting for this my entire vegan life (about four years now) for this to happen. Vegan Ben & Jerry's. I know guys, this is life changing. 
This has been long anticipated in the UK, but I'm going to be honest, I didn't really know what to expect. Was the packaging going to be any different to distinguish it? Where they going to release exclusive flavours for vegans? And how much are they going to push the marketing and advertising of this? 
So far there seems to have been minimal marketing, no real adverts on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and certainly no television or print ads. Personally I find this a bit disappointing, but perhaps they are waiting to establish the initial feedback and response before they fully try to push the product? Hopefully this will be the case! 
As for the packaging, it is pretty standard of Ben & Jerry's which I really love, there is nothing to make it seem strange or obviously different. I think this is a really clever idea from the brand, because it won't alienate dairy eaters or put anyone off with the sometimes dreaded 'V Word'. And as for the flavours, they have been pretty darn clever. They have done the classic chocolate brownie, brought back an old favourite in the form of Chunky Monkey, and they have created a brand new peanut butter cookie flavour! 
Okay, I think that I've prattled on long enough about this, so I shall move on to the part which we have all been waiting for; the review.

On to the Review!

Chunky Monkey
This is a banana base ice cream with chocolate fudge chunks and walnut pieces mixed throughout. The banana ice cream itself is absolutely delightful. The banana flavour is undeniable, and pretty natural in overall taste. I often find anything banana to have a painfully artificial taste to it, but this seems to avoid that pitfall (thank heavens!). This is probably because of them actually having used real banana in the ingredients. 
The main problem that I had with this flavour was how blooming sweet this was! Which although a nuisance on those days when you feel like gorging your feelings on ice cream, it does stop you from eating a whole tub in one go... 
This sweetness is somewhat combatted by the bitterness of the dark chocolate fudge pieces, and the crunchy nutty flavour of the walnuts. I also really enjoyed how these added elements created a whole new depth of textures, further enriching the whole experience. 
I'm really glad that they chose to bring this flavour back, it really is a fan favourite and tastes unique and blooming delicious!

Peanut Butter and Cookies
I'm going to be honest, this was the flavour I was really excited about. Peanut butter and cookie ice cream? Three of my favourite things all combined together in one tub AND vegan? Heck yes! 
I'm not even going to try and pretend that I didn't crack this bad boy open as soon as I got home to try this sugary enigma. Upon opening the tub, I was greeted by this delectable looking swirl which was all but calling my name. The ice cream again, was incredibly sweet. Now, this isn't a bad thing because it was somewhat balanced by the saltiness of the peanut butter. 
The swirl was well distributed and had a good amount of flavour to it. But the real star of the show here, was the cookie pieces! They were chocolatey and yummy, and simply heavenly! You honestly could not tell they were vegan. 
The main problem I had with this one is the texture. It was strangely gritty. I think this must have been from the peanut butter or the cookie swirl, not a deal breaker or particularly bad thing, but possibly a point of improvement.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I'm pretty darn impressed. They did not taste like healthy ice creams, or low fat, low sugar, or even remotely boring, mainly because, it was none of those things! They were cleverly created, and well devised ice cream flavours, and they did vegan food proud! Other than the intense sweetness, these were really delicious tubs of ice cream that I look forward to having once again! But probably when they are on offer, because £5.50 is a bit steep for ice cream.

Rating - 8/10

Calories Chunky Monkey - 262 calories per 100g
Calories Peanut Butter Cookies - 280 calories per 100g

Buy Again? - YES (When on offer)

Montezuma Black Forest Gateau Bar

First Impressions

Can we just talk about this packaging please guys? It is giving me such 60's vibes with the almost Modish Union Jack emblazoned across the front, with the font perfectly complimenting this design. I really enjoy this attention to detail, the care and consideration put into the packing and design of the brand as a whole. The name, is a little bit of a mouth full, and not quite the most exciting, but it gets the job done.
It felt quite luxurious with its cardboard packaging, strong and stable, one may even say...
The inner foil is, as with everything else, pretty darn snazzy. Once again it helps to create a feel of luxury to the whole experience, especially with their Montezuma logo tiled across it. Realistically, if this was going off the presentation of this bar alone, it would be getting a good 20/10! But we all know, that you have to have some darn good substance to go with this impeccable style!

Onto The Review

Upon opening the beautiful wrapper, I couldn't help but be enticed by the rich cocoa aroma, tinged with an almost sweet tang. This could only be the cherries. I could not delay it any longer, the munching began. The dark chocolate itself is of a nice quality, only to be expected from such a good brand as Montezuma. The bitterness of the chocolate was balanced to perfection with the sweetness of the cherry piece! It really did embody the flavour of a black forest gateau, an impressive feat I must say. The moreish quality of the bar was thankfully stunted by how incredibly rich the overall flavour was (thank goodness or I would have munched the entire bar in one go...)
The melt on the bar is fantastic, I really loved the contrasting textures, with the smooth and velvety chocolate working against the chewey cherry pieces.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would definitely recommend this bar. Whether you love dark chocolate, or simply have a mild appreciation for it, this bar is worth a try. I'm going to be honest, whilst writing about this bar, I am kind of craving it terribly (a sneaky trip to Sainsbury's may be needed to grab another few).

Rating - 8.5/10

Calories - 572 per 100g

Buy Again? - I think we all know the answer to this... (YES!)