Marks & Spencer Jazzie Eggs

I'm a sucker for anything with coloured sprinkles, especially when they also involve white chocolate so when I spotted these NEW M&S Jazzie Eggs recently there was no question of not trying them - dairy or no dairy. Now I've been good for #veganuary and avoided dairy as much as possible, but I just had to try these. Sorry folks - it's the laws of being a snacks blogger!

Described as "solid milk chocolate mini eggs covered in white chocolate with sugar sprinkles" these are a curious mixture of both milk and white chocolate to please fans of both. I do think solid white chocolate would have been a better choice, but hey ho! They cost £1 for a 75g bag.

The eggs are not particularly evenly coated in sprinkles; the initial handful I poured out had sprinkles on just one side of the eggs.

Taking a bite, the shell is somewhat soft with the sprinkles providing a slight crunch, giving way to the milk chocolate centre below.

It's an odd combination, the white chocolate is very milky but clashes a little with the milk chocolate and the contrast between the two somewhat spoils the overall effect. They're still very moreish and it's nice to have crunchy sprinkles with white chocolate, but I do think all white chocolate would've been better.



Overall, a nice effort from M&S at trying something a bit different for Easter, and these certainly capture the fun and novelty of Jazzie sweets in mini egg form. I wouldn't buy them again personally but I bet kiddies will love them.

8 out of 10.

Nestle Milkybar Mini Eggs (now #glutenfree!)

After my excitement over the new Nestle Orange Smarties Mini Eggs being #glutenfree (hurrah!) I further discovered that not only are the regular Smarties Mini Eggs gluten free, but so are their Milkybar Mini Eggs counterparts. Exciting times! I don't know why they needed to put wheat gluten in the originals in the first place - but there you go - it's an odd world we live in. They now contain rice starch, presumably as a bulking agent.

These cost £1 and are available from various supermarkets, although I found them in Tesco. They're your typical Milkybar white chocolate encased in a white crisp sugar shell. A simple, sugary and tasty combination!

They may not be all that exciting to look at but they sure were very tasty. Sugar is of course the most prominent flavour, followed by milk. The crunchy texture makes them more interesting than just eating plain Milkybar and keeps you reaching for one after the other, making for a very moreish snack. These may not win awards for innovation but they will certainly keep kids and big kids alike happy this Easter!

Overall, this is definitely one for the sugar lovers and anyone who's just a big kid at heart and loves some white chocolate! These are also available as a mixed bag with Smarties Mini Eggs, available exclusively from Tesco stores for £2.

8.5 out of 10. 

Reese's Peanut Butter Creme Eggs

Reese's Peanut Butter comes in an array of different shapes and sizes these days so it's only fitting that it would be put in egg form to celebrate Easter. Easter is usually dominated by Cadbury's Creme Egg but it seems this year Reese's want to muscle in on their territory. These Reese's Peanut Butter Creme Eggs can be found in Tesco and Tesco Express stores for 50p each or three for £1. They contain milk, peanuts and corn derived dextrose so don't consume if you're allergic to any of those.

The size is a little smaller than a Cadbury Creme Egg but the shape is pretty similar, albeit with some patterned grooves along the sides. I bit off the top to reveal the peanut butter filling beneath.

It tastes pretty much how you'd expect it to; firm, sweet peanut paste like you can get in any Reese's product. There's a nice ratio of filling to the chocolate, making for a sweet, nutty salty flavour explosion. It's very delicious and just the right size for a nice sweet pick-me-up!

Overall, while I don't think this will be taking Cadbury Creme Egg's sugary crown (especially with their new promotion to find a White Chocolate Creme Egg) it's still a respectable alternative for the peanut butter lovers out there.

8.5 out of 10.

Nature's Charm Condensed Coconut Milk (#Veganuary)

If you're dairy free, one of the big things you may miss from your dairy eating days might be caramel, that lovely sugary substance made from a base of condensed milk. Luckily now thanks to Nature's Charm you can get a vegan variety - condensed coconut milk! Who knew such a thing was possible?

When I saw this in my local vegan store my eyes perked up - I HAD to have it! I love coconut milk and use it in all manner of dishes, so this was the next best thing. Consisting of a mixture of sugar and coconut milk, presumably cooked together to form this gloopy thick syrup.

Opening the can, it was very thick and already looked like caramel, but with a sweet coconut aroma.

I tried a spoonful by itself, and it had a lovely fudgey coconut flavour. I had to be careful not to eat too much - it tasted absolutely delicious! This is seriously dangerous stuff and would make a good addition to all manner of things from coffee, cakes, or simpy spread on toast.

I used the rest of it to make a dairy free fudge using dark chocolate, mixing it with melted Green & Blacks and letting it set. It was very delicious and made for a super rich fudge.

Overall, this is a fantastic product and a must-have for any vegan or anyone avoiding dairy that misses condensed milk based treats. I've heard there's a way to turn it into caramel involving a pressure cooker - but you have to wait overnight, and sadly I didn't have such patience, haha!

8.5 out of 10.

Rebel Kitchen Chai Dairy Free Mylk Review

I've been playing around with coconut versions of many popular foods and drinks now, from Rebel Kitchen's Coffee drink, to Coconut Chips and Coconut Milk Chocolate. Another one to add to my list was this cold Chai Milk - or rather "Mylk" - drink, made with coconut milk and chai spices.

The ingredients are: Spring Water, Organic Coconut Milk (11%), Organic Date Nectar, Organic Cacao (2%), Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Organic Cardamom. It's suitable for vegans, caffeine free as well as gluten free.

It tasted pleasant, mildly sweet with a nice subtle chai flavour that was refreshing. It wasn't quite the pick me up I wanted though - not enough sugar for an energy boost and no caffeine - boo! But still it was definitely pleasant and refreshing.

Overall, this is a nice refreshing drink, but I would put it more in the category of coconut water rather than true "milky" drinks because it's a bit too light.

7.5 out of 10. 

New! Kitkat Lemon Drizzle (Spotted In Shops)

Just a quick comeback for Spotted In Shops as I have been very busy lately, but I had to let you all know about this new "Love it or hate it" flavour Kitkat from Nestle - Lemon Drizzle! Featuring "lemon flavour milk chocolate" coating the wafers, this sounds either very nice or disgusting - a definite marmite flavour. Strange that they didn't use white chocolate since it goes much better with lemon, but there you go! If anyone tries this please do let me know in the comments! (I can't as it contains wheat).

Available at Asda. £1.99 for a multipack. 

Love it? Hate it? Can't find it? Let me know!

Drink Me Chai Turmeric Latte Review (#veganuary)

In case you haven’t heard about the health benefits of turmeric yet, allow me to introduce you to this super herb; it's been shown act as an antioxidant, reportedly protecting against Alzheimer's disease and being anti microbial too. It's a staple of many healing diets and is what gives curry powder it's orangey hue. It can be used in supplement form as Curcumin, or a somewhat more tasty and interesting Turmeric Latte. There’s many recipes for how to make these online, but no need to bother with all that now; Drink me Chai have come to the rescue with their new Turnmeric Latte Mix!

Suitable for vegans and gluten free, this mix can be made with any type of milk but it is recommended to use a dairy free milk to get all the anti inflammatory benefits of the turmeric.

The mix consists of Turmeric (50%), Coconut Powder (45%), Cinnamon and ground black pepper.

I made it with a can of coconut milk I'd bought from Waitrose, but unfortunately it wasn’t one of the nicer coconut milks and so didn’t taste that great. Next time I plan to try it with Rude Health Coconut Milk, I'm sure it’ll be a lot nicer! I definitely got a boost from it though; and I’m pretty sure I could feel it working it’s anti-inflammatory magic.

Overall, this is a great product from Drink Me Chai and I am pleased to see a company promoting the health benefits of turmeric. I take the capsule form of Curcumin myself and find it very helpful.

If you’ve tried making this using other types of milk please do let me know in the comments!

8 out of 10.

New Nestle Orange Smarties Mini Eggs Review

I never thought the day would come but at last, Smarties have not only made their mini eggs gluten free for this Easter, they have also launched their much-loved Orange Smarties in mini egg form. Hurrah!!!

I had vowed not to touch any sweets after New Year's but I just couldn't resist the temptation of these, everyone knows the orange Smarties were the best (hence why Nestle did an Orange Smarties Sharing Tube last Christmas).

The eggs are described as "milk chocolate mini eggs in a crisp orange flavoured sugar shell" and the bag weighs in at 90g. I found them for £1 in WH Smiths. Opening the bag, the eggs looked all shiny and glossy with a sweet orangey aroma.

Crunching into one I was met with the orange shell, which was strongly flavoured and very yummy indeed. It seemed more prominent than in regular Orange Smarties, probably because of the different proportions, but I'm sure regular Orange Smarties have orange flavoured chocolate rather than shell? Anyone know? (I can't eat regular Smarties to do a comparison since they contain gluten).



The chocolate is standard milky Nestle chocolate, very sweet and non descript but it goes perfectly with the orange shells and makes for a delicious, if not super sugary, treat.

Overall, as far as Mini Eggs go these are a lot of fun and a great novelty, provided you like orange chocolate of course! I would buy these over Cadbury Mini Eggs any day since those just aren't so great anymore.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, dried whole milk, whey powder, butterfat, glazing agents (gum arabic, carnauba wax), emulsifier soya lecithin, flavourings, colours (curcumin, beta carotene).

Nutrition Information (per 5 mini eggs): 85 calories, 3.1g fat, 13.3g carbohydrates, 12.2g sugars, 0.8g protein.

8.5 out of 10.

Chocolate Tree Coconut Milk Dairy Free Chocolate (#Veganuary)

After the disappointing Loving Earth Coconut Mylk Bar, I thought I'd review something a bit tastier for #veganuary, this time it's Chocolate Tree's Coconut Milk & Sugar 55% cocoa bar. I found this in the same vegan store as Loving Earth Coconut Mylk, and it's priced higher at £4.65 for 80g, but boy is it worth the extra money.

I've tried a few coconut milk chocolate bars now in the search for something tasty, the best one so far being the Waitrose 1 Indian Ocean Coconut Dark Chocolate (which isn't really dark chocolate - it's far too creamy!). If you're vegan or dairy free I would recommend seeking that one out for sure.

Back to today's bar, the chocolate is actually split into two plastic foil wrapped bars within the main box, each containing 40g. They have a patterned design and interesting shaped blocks.

The pack description reads "An alternative to milk chocolate made with coconut milk and coconut blossom sugar. The cacao we use for the chocolate is from the community of Chililique in Piura, Northern Peru". The chocolate is made in Scotland.

Snapping the bar in half, it has quite a soft snap which I wasn't expecting. Taking a bite, it's definitely soft and smooth in texture, very melt in the mouth. And I really enjoyed it! It's creamy thanks to the coconut and coconut sugar but with a rich cocoa aftertaste, somewhat acidic and very flavoursome. I really enjoyed this, and am happy to pay the higher price for it. You can tell it's much better quality than cheaper chocolates.

Compared to the Waitrose 1 Indian Ocean Coconut Chocolate I wouldn't say this is superior, but it certainly gives it a run for its money. The Waitrose 1 bar will always be my favourite coconutty chocolate; such a shame they are always out of stock!

8 out of 10. 

Loving Earth Creamy Coconut Mylk Chocolate (Vegan)

Today's review in honour of #veganuary is for something I hoped would be a bit of a treat for someone avoiding dairy. This bar, or rather heart is made in Australia by Loving Earth with coconut "mylk" as well as coconut nectar to make it somewhat of a vegan milk chocolate. I reviewed the Loving Earth Salted Caramel last year and enjoyed it, so was curious how this would compare to that bar.

Coconut nectar is the first ingredient, followed by virgin cacao butter, coconut, and finally raw cacao beans. The bar cost me £1.75 from a local vegan store. The ingredients are certified organic and fairtrade.

Opening the wrapper, I have to say I wasn't too excited by the dusty looking chocolate. I don't know if it's a "blooming" effect or caused by being transported from the other side of the world but it didn't look great. Still, the heart shape is a nice touch so I'll let them off.

Sadly, I can't say I enjoyed the taste. The texture is rather greasy and fatty, probably because cacao butter is so high in the ingredients list, which would usually be a good thing but it's just too overwhelming. The coconut nectar isn't sweet enough to compete with it, and the overall flavour leaves something to be desired. Compared to the delicious Waitrose 1 Indian Ocean Coconut Dark Chocolate this is nowhere near as good.

Overall, I have to say this was a disappointment for me, but hopefully it's an anomaly in Loving Earth's range because I do like that they use high quality ingredients, and they do some interesting varieties such as Turkish Delight.

6 out of 10. 

Marks & Spencer Stoneless Cocktail Avocados

Now that the Christmas festivities are over with and everyone will (hopefully) be focusing on healthier ways of eating for 2018, I thought I should review these Marks and Spencer cocktail Avocados, which are available for a limited period I believe. They are stoneless, so if you're one of those unfortunate people to sustain injuries cutting into the regular variety (I know people this has actually happened to!) these may be the avocadoes for you. The skin is also edible (apparently - I haven't tried!) and they look somewhat like large gherkins. You get around five or six per pack and they cost £2.

I chose not to eat the skin, it just seems wrong. Just because you "can" doesn't mean you should! So I used a potato peeler and peeled it all off.

They tasted pretty nice; creamy and comforting, although there isn't quite as much of the creamy flesh part as in a regular avocado so it's more of a firmer chewy texture for most of the eat. They're still nice though and make for a handy healthy snack.

Overall, I have to say I would actually buy and eat these again thanks to how convenient they are, plus they're reasonably priced too. Definitely worth looking out for in this healthier snacking season - and perfect for #veganuary!

8 out of 10.