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!)

Ape Coconut Bites

First Impressions

Coconut has become such a boring thing, with it being relegated to the role of health food or the forgotten chocolate in the quality street box. 

I never tend to hold out much hope when something claims to be deliciously coconutty. But alas, I have not yet given up! I came across these whilst picking my snack in my Boots meal deal, and I was intrigued. Where thy sweet? Where they savoury? Or perhaps a mixture of both. 

I quickly grabbed them, rushing to the till to buy them and munch on as soon as I got home. 

The packaging is quite fun, with a playful feel to the design. The colours worked well to play on the traditional colours associated with coconut flavours (anyone actually know where this has come from...?). The font was great, both easy to read, whilst still giving you a feel for he brand and what they stand for. I really enjoyed this. 

With a variety of brilliant claims, such as high in fibre, and one of your five a day, I couldn't find a reason to resist.

On to the review

The serving size is pretty good. It doesn't look particularly generous at first, but it becomes apparent that a little certainly does go a long way with these. 

They were crunchy, and crispy, making you chew them thoroughly thus prolonging the munching. The flavour was delightful, totally natural and incredibly moreish. The coconut thankfully shone through beautifully, with the slight sweet and salty undertones only working to highlight this. This balance of flavours was done to perfection. I was left feeling satisfied and filled whilst drinking my coffee. 

Final Thoughts 

Overall, I think that these are simply brilliant. They work well as a mid day snack, or just part of your lunch instead of something like crisps. Plus, unlike crisps, they count as one of your five a day! 

I really want to try the rest of the range and find out if they are just as good, I have high hopes!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 148 per 30g pack

Buy Again - My new meal deal staple!

Green & Black's: Velvet Editions

First Impressions

What exactly does velvet mean in terms of food? Is it just a meaningless buzz word to draw us in? Or maybe it has a lot more substance? about it in terms of perhaps the connotations regarding the word velvet: luxury, the sublime, opulence, etc.

I don't know, but I feel as though I am about to find out with this new range from Green & Black's. The packaging is certainly luxurious, with its all new card cover, gradiated colour design and embossed gold writing. I really love these touches to the packaging, especially how they maintain this style throughout the range.

Green & Black's are committed to sourcing their ingredients, particularly their cocoa from ethical and sustainable means through the Cocoa Life program. Click here for more details!

I think this is an important message and ethos to have behind a company so large and built on a luxury image.

Both the mint and the raspberry hazelnut flavour are vegan friendly, free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. The bars come in 90g so they are just 10 less than the standard bars, although you would probably struggle to notice its absence.

On To The Review

I shall start with the mint flavour because that is the first one that I tried. The chocolate was of a good quality, with a high cocoa percentage of 70%. This is pretty standard for Green & Black's and nothing to be too excited for. The excitement starts when you get to enjoy the melt and the enhanced flavour of mint shines through. I can only assume that the addition of peppermint oil is behind this luxurious experience. I really enjoyed this bar. The fresh and almost zingy flavour made it easy to enjoy and eat.

The raspberry hazelnut was a different experience I thought, certainly not a bad one, but quite different. The texture of the chocolate was smooth and delightful, but with an interesting texture due to the blended raspberry and hazelnut pieces. I really loved this, and thought that it helped to create little bursts of flavour. A very clever way of distributing flavour, whilst keeping the bar interesting. The tart berry was a great contrast against the rich chocolate, with a little earthiness with the hazelnut.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed this new range from Green & Black's, but I am absolutely devastated that the salted caramel flavour is not vegan! Obviously, I'm pretty happy that I have two flavours to choose from, so I can't complain too much, especially because they were so delicious!

I would definitely give these a massive thumbs up, and look forward to any other future flavours that they are bringing out!

Rating - 8/10

Calories - 619 per 100g

Buy Again - Yes!

Tesco FreeFrom Millionaire's Dessert

First Thoughts

Tesco, are absolutely on fire at the moment what with all their specifically designed and targeted Free From products. It is really quite refreshing to have quite so many vegan friendly, or gluten free (if that is indeed the issue you are faced with), items so readily available in supermarkets! 

I know what you are probably thinking. There are absolutely blooming LOADS of FreeFrom products available now, but the issue that I have with many of these, is that they are so difficult to actually get hold of, and really rather expensive a lot of the time for a one time try with the possibility of them just not being that great. 

So, for these to be so affordable and easy to get hold of, I must commend you Tesco, jolly good show! What I am even more impressed with, is the size of the whole range. Seriously, there is so much now available, and I am trying to get through all the various products available to review. 

On To The Review

Salted caramel layer topped with biscuit and a chocolate mousse.A rich and indulgent dessert of digestive biscuit made with oats, a rich salted caramel sauce and topped with a luxurious dark chocolate mousse

I like the packaging here. It is really snazzy how they have given it a luxurious feel with the clear plastic pot. It adds a nice edge to the dessert which quite you dont find often with FreeFrom products, with their packaging usually being pretty bland and boring if I'm honest. Tesco have totally created a fabulous overall appearance to the pudding. I love that you can see the layers of the pudding aswell with the clear pot, another lovely little touch from the Tesco product design team (seriously smashing it out of the park guys!)

The top layer is a super thick chocolate ganache. This was undoubtedly my favourite layer by far. It was incredible! The taste was rich and luxurious, it melted wonderfully in your mouth and you could really appreciate the quality of this vegan alternative. The harder chocolate layers worked wonderfully with the caramel. The caramel was rich, and I'm sure this was one of the coconut based parts of the pud, because I could definitely taste coconut undertones to it. 

Now, the biscuit base was a tad disapointing. I found it to be quite cakey, and it didn't really taste anything like shortbread beause it was simply too sweet. I think that it needed a slightly salty flavour in order to balance the rest of the sweetness. Perhaps that is my personal preferences, but I think that it needed a lot more crunch and substance to it, because this could have easily been a show stopper of a pud.

Final Thoughts

 

 

Overall, I really did enjoy this. Lets be honest, what isn't to love? You've got caramel, chocolate, and a somewhat biscuitey base. I am actually kind of craving this now after writing this review, so it must be good to manage that! 

I can't wait to see what else Tesco bring to their range, and I have my eye out for some very exciting new vegan goodies on the market, so stay tuned to find out more!

Rating - 8.5/10

Calories - 244

Buy Again? - Going to have to!

Hotel Chocolat Tiddly Pot Dark

First Thoughts

I'm going to be honest here. I have never actually tried anything from Hotel Chocolat before, despite having religiously used them as my go to for presents! Utterly ridiculous, I know, but as of today, all that has changed. I'm not entirely sure why I have put this off for so long. Perhaps because I wasn't quite sure what vegan chocolate they had on offer, and if it would indeed, be worth the hype or as wonderful as everyone says it is. 

I opted with something simple, an adorably named, 'Tiddly Pot'. The name alone had me won over if I'm telling the truth, well, that paired with the simply beautiful pakaging. I love the swirls and how they are quite fun and frivolous, whilst still being adult enough that I can feel uber sophisticated whilst munching these... Or maybe that is just me?

The little pot is a good size, not too large, so this could be a fabulous evening treat, or something to pop on your desk to munch throughout the day (or perhaps all at once). 

On To The Review

The pot was well filled, impressively so actually, no gaping voids where chocolate should be! There was a subtle smell of cocoa, I enjoyed this and quickly began to tuck in! The chocolate is undeniably of an excellent quality. The melt was almost divine, releasing flavour and a taste sensation as the chocolate melted more, and more. I am actually shocked at how well they melt, and how smoothe the melt was. The whole munching was completely and utterly luxurious. The subtle undertones of vanilla were wonderful, this managed to alleviate the bitterness which dark chocolate can have, and instead intensified the cocoa flavour. 

Final Thoughts

 

I really enjoyed that they were small drops of chocolate rather than a big bar type of thing, otherwise I end up eating far too much, far too quickly! I don't know why I haven't tried Hotel Chocolat before, but I am going to ensure that I try as much as possible now because if a simple tiddly pot can be so incredible, then I cannot wait to find out what other delights they have to offer!

Score - 9.5/10

 

Calories - 537 per 100g

 

To Buy or Not To Buy? - YES

Nush Almond M*LK Dairy Free Yogurt

First Thoughts

What an absolutely brilliant brand name! I could not help but smile when I saw the name, it is short and catchy, with a fun feeling to it. In other words, utterly delightful! 

Another little detail, that I couldn't help but notice and instantly love. Instead of using the typical astrix, they use a lovely little almond instead. This is done in order to legally get around calling it 'Milk' (Click HERE to read the article!). 

Nush keep their packaging minimalist and easy to take in. I personally am a fan of this, as it doesn't make it an effort to read, whilst still being aesthetically pleasing. I decided to find out a little more about Nush as a brand, because if I'm totally honest, I knew absolutely nothing. So I ventured onto their website and did a little reading.

The Milk

Our delicious rich and creamy Almond Milk Yoghurt is made using our own artisan almond milk, freshly prepared each day in our factory. We make our own almond milk so we could control how much almond the milk contains. Unlike shop bought almond milk that can contain as little as one percent almond, plus many unfavourable fillers. Our milk contains a very high concentration of almonds and truly lives up to its name.

We do not add anything but almonds and filtered water to our milk.

This is then mixed with vegan yoghurt cultures to ferment and produce a rich and creamy, live dairy free yoghurt that we believe to be one of a kind.

I know that I have prattled on quite a bit about the product itself, but I feel like this brand, seeing as it is quite new or unknown (at least to me), deserved a bit of explanation. I always enjoy things like that anyway, leave a comment down below if you would rather less prattle, and more review!

On To The Review

The yogurt was incredibly thick and creamy, something which you do not often find with vegan yogurts. I have found this to be particularly true when it comes to nut M*LK yogurts, so I am very impressed by the thickness alone. This thickness instantly created a luxurious feel, that worked beautifully with the naturaly rich flavour of the blueberry. The blueberry added a sweetness to the yogurt that balanced the ever so slightly tart base flavour of the yogurt itself. I enjoyed this because it prevented any hint of the yogurt tasting artificial (a major irritation of mine!). 

The serving size was quite hefty, and cdertainly left you feeling satisfied without the bloat. There is no rubbish in these, and only natural ingredients. I actually really enjoy this fact. I've noticed that quite a ot of vegan products recently have a lot of crazy sounding ingredients, and I do realise, that just because something isn't natural, does not mean that it is bad! 

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really quite enjoyed this yogurt. It was one of my favourite high quality vegan yogurts, which the price tag did indeed reflect. At £2 this is a bit of a pricey thing to try and risk not liking. Thankfully I thoroughly enjoyed this because it felt like a delicious treat to have every now and then. 

I would absolutely love to try their other flavours of yogurt because their Caramel and Hibiscus sounds incredible!

Score - 8.5/10

Calories - 125 per pot

To Buy or Not To Buy? - Definitely worth a try!

Nak'd Cocoa Coconut Bars

For frequent readers of this blog, you will all be aware that I am an absolutely, MASSIVE fan of Nak'd as a brand. They never fail to impress me with their innovation, their flavours, and their overall ethos as a company. They bring out new products and constantly expand their ranges on a regular basis, never letting anything become stale, but without releasing the same thing just for the sake of it.

 
This time they have brought out a Cocoa Coconut bar. A classic combination which we all know and love, found in various guises and forms. A simple partnership, but effective when done well. Nak'd have ventured into this flavour area before, with their immensely popular Nibbles range. I thorouhly enjoyed that interpretation, so I couldn't imaine not loving the bar version.

And indeed, I blooming well did enjoy it! It tasted utterly delicious. The bar looked like a typical Nak'd bar. Brown, quite squidgy, but somewhat firmer than some of their other flavours. I suspect that this is due to the coconut for some reason or other, obviously this wasn't a bad thing and it had absolutey no impact upon the lovely flavour.

The bar had a good amount of flavour in every bite, hitting you with the fresh coconut sweetness, mixed with the slightly bitter cocoa taste. This was perfectly balanced in the way that it prevented the bar from being too sweet. They are surprisingly filling, and kept me going on a traumatic eight hour train 'adventure'. My boyfriend, in a state of absolute starvation, accepted my offer of sharing my Nak'd bar. He was a bit confused, having never tried them before. He seemed surprised by the flavour, and how natural it was with the coconut tasting so fresh and delicious. He liked the texture and reluctantly stated that he wouldn't mind trying another flavour, maybe a sweeter one.

So basically, like almost every other Nak'd product, I absolutely loved this and can't wait to munch my way through another few boxes...

Rating - 9/10
Vegan - Yes
Calories - 133
Buy Again? - Another box is already in my stash!

Tesco Vegan Mini Milks

Was there anything better, than coming home from a long and tiring day of school, to look in the freezer and see a fresh box of Mini Milks in there ready to be devoured. But as I grew older, and my diet changed, Mini Milks sadly left my life, and in their place was a void. I tried various hings, convincing myself that this would be the same, or that drinking chocolate soya milk would be just as good. Alas, this wasn't quite the case. So instead i went without for many years, that was, until last week!

The incredible people of Tesco, have really stepped up their game, making vegan and free from food less of an anomaly, and a lot more exciting and fun! Finally, I no longer have to scour the Internet, searching for crazy recipes claiming to recreate childhood favourites (with the results often being less than great...) Now, on to the review!

The box is pretty simple, but still pleasant, Tesco seem to have gone with a no messing about kind of thing. I do like this, because it doesn't alienate any audience, it isn't too manly, feminine, or childish. Clear and too the point, that is the best way to describe it, and in this case, I really do thing that it works.
Unlike actual Mini Milks, these only come in two flavours: strawberry and chocolate. This is a bit of a shame, but in all fairness, the vanilla flavour was always a bit boring-delicious, but boring. I decided to go with the strawberry flavour first because, well, I like strawberries!
The faux Mini Milks looks identical to the ones from my childhood, the smell was subtle and sweet, again just as I remembered. This whole thing was like a nostalgic blast from the past, which I couldn't help but smile at. So I began my munching without any further delay.

It is actually unnerving how much these tasted exactly like I remembered. There was a natural strawberry taste that really cannot be beaten when paired with the creamy milk flavour. A bit like eating a frozen strawberry and cream kind of thing. I really loved this one and found it to be delightfully refreshing, especially during these random and unexpected heat waves that we keep getting in good old Blighty...

I have slightly less excited views on the chocolate one, mainly because I always find chocolate flavoured ice cream to be quite disappointing, with it tasting cheap or just plain rubbish. This however did exceed my low hopes, and had quite a lovely flavour to it overall. The chocolate was more cocoa, with it not being overly sweet, and the creamy milk flavour was what shone through. In this case I think that this was for the best, as it prevented the chocolate/cocoa from tasting cheap and uneventful. So good job Tesco!

Basically, I really blooming loved these, and think that they are absolutely brilliant! They don't taste like 'diet' food, or strange, as some people (wrongly) expect from free from food. Instead they are packed full of flavour, and an absolute delight to enjoy!


Rating - 8.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 30 for chocolate, 31 for strawberry

Buy Again? - DEFINITELY!