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Posts tagged Chocolate Brownie
Degustabox February 2015
2
6 years
February’s Degustabox was one of my favourites in a good few months, with a good mix of the types of things that I enjoy eating, and new brands that I hadn’t tried before, including Whole Earth, Laimon Fresh, and Lily O’Brien’s.
The box contained eleven individual items, with a total value of over £22. Degustabox costs £12.99 each month, so this box saves you around £10, which is a pretty decent saving.
Also, this month I’ve decided to start rating each item of out 10, so you can get a better idea of which items stand out for me, and which don’t. Here are my thoughts on each item…
Lily O’Brien’s Cocoa Cookie Crunch (RRP £2.60)
Lily O’Brien’s is said to be Ireland’s ‘best loved chocolatier’, and being a chocolate fiend myself, these were without a doubt my favourite thing in the box. The bag contains a generous amount of large individual chocolates, consisting of Oreo-like cookie pieces, coated in milk chocolate. The cookies have a fantastic crunch and a deep, rich cocoa flavour, offset perfectly by the sweetness of the milk chocolate. As you can imagine, the chocolates are very moreish, and it didn’t take Charles and I long to finish the bag. I’d definitely purchase these again!
Rating: 9/10
Whole Earth Peanut Butter with Sunflower, Pumpkin & Flax Seeds (RRP £3.19)
I adore peanut butter so this was another welcome addition to the box, especially as I’ve been eyeing up Whole Earth products in Morrisons for a while now. This particular peanut butter is new to the range, and contains a mix of sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds, so is packed full of protein. The flavour is authentically nutty, as it isn’t overloaded with salt and sugar like some cheaper peanut butters are, and the seeds add a pleasant crunch and flavour. Perfect on wholemeal toast for breakfast!
Rating: 8/10
Jack Link’s Beef Snack (RRP £1.39)
Jack Link’s Beef Snack is a beef jerky style bar, which aims to be a healthy, on the go snack. Being vegetarian, this one got passed straight to the fella for him to try. As soon as he opened it I was hit with the spicy scent of heavily seasoned meat, and it also looked very greasy. Almost sweaty! Apparently the flavour was a bit of a let-down. Despite the smell of spices, he said it tasted fairly bland, and was far too chewy. Not a winner, even by the meat-eater’s standards.
Rating: 4/10
Beet It Sport Pro-Elite Bar (RRP £1.85 each)
Beet It Sport’s Pro-Elite Bars are predominantly made of oats and beetroot, and contain a high level of dietary nitrate, which is apparently used by universities around the world for research in lowering blood pressure and improving sport performance. I’m yet to try these and I want to save them for when I start running again (which will happen once Spring kicks in, honest!) I’m not sure I’d pay £1.85 for a single bar, but I’m definitely intrigued to see what these taste like.
Peanut Hottie (RRP £3.00)
I tried Peanut Hottie fairly recently and enjoyed it, so was pleased to find this in the box. Peanut Hottie is a peanut butter flavoured hot drink, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin. It’s very easy to make, very much like a powdered hot chocolate, as you just need to add hot water. When made up it looks like strong tea, but has a slightly salty, slighty sweet, nutty flavour, which is quite unusual for a drink. I really like it, but a small mug is plenty enough, as it can get quite sickly.
Rating: 8/10
Laimon Fresh (RRP £1.99)
Despite having a name that sounds like washing up liquid, Laimon Fresh is honestly one of the nicest drinks I’ve tried in a long time. It contains a mix of natural ingredients, including fresh lemon and lime juices and mint, which combine to create something deliciously thirst quenching. The fruit juices are balanced perfectly – not too sweet and not too sour – but the star of the show is the authentic flavour of fresh mint. I drank this alone, but it would make a great base for a Mojito – something I’ll definitely be trying in the summer!
Rating: 9/10
Schwartz Flavour Shots (RRP £1.40 each)
Schwartz Flavour Shots have appeared in a Degustabox before, and make for quick and easy delicious meals. Each shot contains a mix of herbs and spices, as well as sunflower oil, and are used to form the flavour base of a tasty dish. The Masala shot has a fantastic blend of spices which are full of flavour, and not too hot. I used Quorn chicken in my curry, and combined the shot with chopped tomatoes and milk, as suggested on the packaging, and it tasted great. A big thumbs up from me.
Rating: 8/10
American Muffin Company Chocolate Brownies (RRP £2.50)
American Muffin Company has created a range of gluten-free cakes and brownies, and I was lucky enough to receive the exact item I would have chosen in store – the brownies. The tub contains six individually wrapped brownies, and though the texture is more cake than brownie, they are incredibly yummy. The cake is thick and moist, and the cocoa and chocolate used is very rich, which gives them a high quality flavour. Perfect as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea!
Rating: 8/10
Melba Thins (RRP £1.39)
Melba Thins aren’t the most exciting snack in the world, but they are versatile, and work well with a variety of toppings. As the box says, they’re great for ‘night owls & early birds’. For an evening snack they’re fab with cheeses and pickles, and for breakfast or brunch they’re lovely with sweet spreads, such as jam or chocolate spread. I like the fact that the thins in this pack come in generously portioned individual packets, as they can also be taken in lunch boxes to work.
Rating: 6/10
If you fancy giving Degustabox a go yourself, you can get a £3 discount by entering code 2S7LB at the checkout. You can also follow Degustabox on Twitter and Facebook for more exclusive offers.
Naomi x
PS. You can check out the rest of my Degustabox reviews here.
*This Degustabox was sent to me for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Chocolate Treat Week: Hair
1
8 years
Hello everyone! Today’s Chocolate Treat Week post will focus on chocolate coloured and scented hair care products. I have spent a lot of time recently trying to improve the look and feel of my hair, as it tends to switch between being dull and dry or lank and greasy depending on the weather and how often I wash it. In my search for products suited to my hair I happened to discover two fantastic ones which are also chocolatey, and as such are perfect for this post. Allow me to share them with you…
Wash with… Toni & Guy Chocolate Brown Colour Reviver Shampoo
I’ve always been somewhat thrifty when it comes to shampoo, but when I found this Colour Reviver Shampoo by Toni & Guy I decided to invest as it looked and sounded too good not to. This particular Colour Reviver, in ‘Chocolate Brown’, is intended for use on natural or dyed brown hair, and claims to ‘extend the richness and depth of tone’. As a proud brunette, I like to accentuate the colour of my hair as much as possible without the use of hair dye, so I was keen to try it out.
The shampoo itself has a very thick consistency, and is speckled with bronze and golden glittery deposits, which cling to the hair to give it that ‘depth of tone’. Unfortunately, it doesn’t smell like chocolate (it has a fairly standard shampoo scent) but I suppose that makes it suitable for those who dislike strongly scented hair products.
Due to the thickness of the shampoo, it is slightly difficult to work into the hair at first, but with a bit of persistence a nice lather can be built up. The bottle says to rinse the shampoo out thoroughly to avoid staining, and that it can be used for every wash on natural hair and every other wash on dyed hair.
I use Colour Reviver with my usual Avon conditioner, and then blow dry my hair as normal. After using the Colour Reviver, my hair always has a rich, intense colour to it, is fantastically soft and shiny and moves fluidly… Almost like melted chocolate! I couldn’t get a photograph that shows just how nice this shampoo makes my hair look, but you can clearly see how shiny it makes it! It really is quite impressive. The results are hardy too… I washed my hair before going swimming today, and even after getting it wet in the pool it still looked great after it dried.
The only thing I don’t like about this product is the packaging, but that’s personal choice… I’m just not that keen on the flip lid design!
Toni & Guy’s Chocolate Brown Colour Reviver Shampoo retails at £5.80 for a 250ml bottle, but is currently on offer on Amazon for £4.06. It’s hard to find this shampoo in shops these days so the internet is probably your best bet if you want to try it for yourself!
Freshen Up with… Superdrug Chocolate Brownie Dry Shampoo
I usually wash my hair every day, but sometimes I don’t have the time or I just can’t be bothered, and that’s when dry shampoo becomes an essential. In the past I have used Batiste dry shampoo, but to be honest I never really got on with it… It didn’t seem to make much difference to my hair, other than leaving behind a white residue. So, when I picked up some of Superdrug’s Chocolate Brownie Dry Shampoo instead, I was very happy.
Like Toni & Guy’s Chocolate Brown, Superdrug’s Chocolate Brownie is for use on brunette hair as it is lightly coloured, and as such doesn’t make your hair look powdery and white! The spray has a very strong chocolate scent which doesn’t smell at all artificial – it literally smells like warm chocolate brownies in the oven! Delicious.
To use the dry shampoo you just need to spray it onto dry hair from about 30cm away, then gently brush it through, et voila! Freshened hair. A word of warning with this one though… The spray is VERY strong. I have asthma and used this in my bedroom last week with the windows closed and could barely breathe afterwards, so make sure you use it in a well ventilated area!
Superdrug’s Dry Shampoo makes unwashed hair look less greasy and gives it a bit of volume, and the results last a good few hours before you need to tse the spray again. I actually bought this on offer recently at three cans for £2.99, which is an absolute bargain as one 150ml can lasts for ages. If you’re quick, you can take advantage of this offer too as it’s still running, but even at £1.99 full-price it’s amazing value for money. Chocolate Brownie Dry Shampoo can be found in Superdrug stores, or online here.
The Last Rolo…
The Last Rolo is where I hand over the last few words of each Chocolate Treat Week blog post to another blogger. In the run up to Chocolate Treat Week I asked five of my favourite bloggers a couple of questions about their favourite chocolate treats, and today’s answers come from Tianna of Storybook Apothecary.
Can you recommend any chocolate scented, flavoured or themed beauty/fashion products?
Intrinsic Organics has a chocolate mint lip balm that is lovely! I also love using cocoa powder and honey as a face mask to get glowing skin, does that count? Lol. I’ve posted about the lip balm on my blog here.
What is your favourite chocolate treat to eat, and why?
My favorite chocolate is Godiva dark chocolate with raspberry sauce filling. It is sooo good. The rich bitter flavor of the dark chocolate with sweetness of the raspberry is to die for!
I hope you have enjoyed today’s post, and thanks for reading! Do you use any chocolate scented or coloured hair products?
Naomi x
PS. Please don’t forget to check back tomorrow for my next Chocolate Treat Week post, which will focus on makeup!
