All posts filed under: Food & Drink

Arapina – best chocolate cake in the world?

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I’m going to say something that I’m sure a lot of you will disagree with. Are you ready?…….. I don’t like chocolate cake. There, I’ve said it. There are of course a couple of exceptions. I love flourless chocolate cake and gooey chocolate brownies. OK, I should maybe just say that I don’t like chocolate sponge cake. Or at least I didn’t think I did, until an Arapina chocolate sponge cake waltzed into my life. Last week I took delivery of a 600g round chocolate cake, a very dark and plain looking cake, which sat in an aluminium foil cake tin. I opened up the case, grabbed a knife and began slicing. It was hard to slice into clean pieces as the top was gooey and the middle crumbley but I managed to scoop out a couple of slices and dish them out to colleagues. I then took a spoon and began to tuck in myself. The first mouthful was a revelation – the lightest and tastiest chocolate cake I had ever come across. I …

Healthy sweets, cereal and calming tea

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This post is dedicated to three products that have ticked my taste buds recently. You only need to have seen a few posts on this blog to know that I have an incredibly sweet tooth. But as much as I would love to sit and eat copius amounts of sweets on a daily basis, I am fully aware of the negative effects of sugar. So when the information from Bittersweet came through recently it caught my attention for more than one reason. Firstly, the packaging is pretty and secondly, the large range of sweets is 100% sugar free. I was intrigued to see if Bittersweet has managed to create a range of sweets that taste as good as they look and can still satisfy my sweet tooth. I tried the Ripe Pear Drops, Fluffy Marshmallows and Cherries. I popped a pear drop into my mouth and for the first second I could tell the difference but all of a sudden I thought I was sucking on the real thing. The fluffy marshmallow was also very …

I released the Kraken

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UPDATE – This is how clueless I am about rum – I was told shortly after I posted this that Jack Daniels is whiskey, not rum. Well, I don’t like whiskey either! Enjoy the read. Laugh if you want.. 😉 I’ve never been a fan of rum. I was first introduced to it with a strong Jack Daniels and Coke in my early party days, perhaps at a cheap bar we used to frequent as school kids in my hometown of Nottingham, and after one sip vowed I would never touch it again. It got to the point that even smelling it from someone elses glass or on their breath was enough to make me wretch. As I have grown older and have been able to afford to visit better quality bars, I have come to realise that not all rum drinks should taste like Jack Daniels and Coke. Perhaps the Coke was a problem – I can’t touch Vodka and Coke, but one of my favourite drinks is Vodka and Soda. But then again, …

Montezuma’s Real Chocolate Club

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The post arrives. The thump as it lands on the doormat is louder than usual so I run to check what has arrived. My eyes light up when I see a long thin cardboard box branded with a logo that I instantly recognise. My Montezumas Chocolate Club box had arrived. I was quick to open the box to check what goodies lay inside. I found three sets of truffles, which were sat on three different flavoured solid chocolate bars. The idea is for lucky recipients to try out new creations before they go into the shops, if they make it that far. Each month boxes are themed and the theme of my box didn’t take long to figure out. Eton mess, apple crumble and lemon meringue truffles sat on top of a milk chocolate bar with salted peanuts and butterscotch, a treacle tart milk chocolate bar and a dark chocolate bar with orange and whole hazelnuts. Being a huge pudding fan, this theme couldn’t have been better suited to me. The boxes make perfect gifts …

Riverford Organic veg box

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Thank you to Riverford Organic Farm for sending me a medium veg box last week, in perfect time for my dinner party. The box contained the following veggies: Orla potatoes, carrots, red onions, cauliflower, butterhead lettuce, brussel sprouts, sweet potato, January king cabbage, vine tomatoes and red and yellow peppers. We were able to feast on nearly all of it at the dinner party but we reserved the tomatoes and lettuce for our sandwiches with the left over beef the next day. I love the concept of the veg box – fresh produce picked from the field and delivered straight to your door. No faffing at the supermarket, no unnecessary travelling, just simple, honest veg. And delicious at that. Read my previous post on Riverford Organic Farm to hear more about why I love veg boxes. A medium Riverford Organic Farm veg box costs £15.45 – see here for the wide array of boxes available to order online.