Wednesday 30 November 2016

Green Tea Tips









Home Tester Club is the world's biggest grocery-product testing, reviewing & sharing community. If you check #hometesterclub on instagram you can find lots of photos from club members around the world. I am one of the enthusiastic Home Tester Club members from the UK. My latest test product was Tetley Pure Green Tea.


I enjoyed Tetley Pure Green Tea, it is a really tasty and full bodied green tea. I did not like green tea before, because it always tasted bitter for me. At least I discovered I made it wrong and ruined the tea. You must use around 80 degree water. If you  boil the water to 100 degree it makes the tea unpalatable, bitter. Luckily I have a kettle with outside thermometer. If you have a traditional kettle, just boil the water and wait 2 minutes before pouring it over your tasty Tetley Pure Green Tea filter. Tetley advises on the pack do not add milk to enjoy it, just sweeten with sugar if needed. My advice is add cinnamon and a little milk to your Tetley Pure GreenTea to create unique taste.





Sunday 27 November 2016

Brioche Pasquier









I was being selected as a party host of Team Come Round’s exclusive Brioche Pasquier campaign. They sent me a huge party pack with lots of treats focused on breakfast.



Brioche Pasquier is a traditional French Family Bakery Since 1936. Today, they still follow the same baking methods that the founder, Gabriel Pasquier, used to deliver Brioche Pasquier’s unique taste. These recipes are free from artificial colours, flavours and hydrogenated fats. Great - Brioche Pasquier is good for us!



I have tried Brioche Pasquier products before, because they have fantastic marketing. They give away coupons (click here to print 35p off your next purchase of any product), run competitions (enter Advent Calendar Competition 2016) and have on pack promotions. I prefer brands which try to entertain and motivate customers. Brioche Pasquier makes me feel a valued customer.



Anyway the best thing in Brioche Pasquier products, that these pastries are delicious. I wake up happier if I can have Brioche Pasquier for breakfast and coffee in my favourite Brioche Pasquier mug.
My favourite pastry is the unique Sliced Brioche Loaf, I have never had so tasty thing in my toaster before. You can eat it with butter, jam, peanut butter etc. there are endless possibilities. They even advise you on the pack to try it as a sandwich with vegetables, but I think, it is not for me. I usually do not like to mix sweet and salty. Erm, unless it is salted caramel or sweet & salty popcorn. Maybe I should be more open and try brioche loaf ham and cheese sandwich.



Brioche Pasquier has a wide range of tasty products.

I have got one pack of 8 traditional French all butter croissants. These are best enjoyed warm. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C and warm for 2-3 minutes. These are perfect with sweet spreads or butter, but I enjoy them plain as well with a nice cup of hot drink.



Pain au Chocolat is my second favourite. These are made with a brioche dough which is worked into a light puff pastry and filled with a delicious dark chocolate. One pack contains 6 individually wrapped pastries. I prefer them on the go. They sell even Pains au Chocolat Crème Pâtissière, which is similar to Pain au Chocolat filled with extra pastry cream – tastes like custard. Me, personally, prefer Pain au Chocolat.



Pain au Laits are very light and airy mini rolls, 8 in one sachet. You can toast them or just use your favourite spreads. I love it with butter & strawberry jam or butter & honey - the choice is always though. Perfect breakfast pastry, one never enough.















Monday 21 November 2016

Whiskas Is Better Than Ever







Meet our Brands online petfood test panel offered me to try Whiskas 7+ Poultry Selection in Gravy for free. I was more than happy to take part in this exciting project, because my indeed extremely picky cat loves to try new food. She must try even human food, but in 90% she does not like it. I had a little fear what will be her reaction to Whiskas Poultry Selection, because she did not like Whiskas wet food before. But we did give it a go.



It was a very big surprise when she started to eat everything from her bowl very quickly. She even enjoyed to chew on bigger pieces. I always like to give her 100% complete and balanced cat food. I believe Whiskas with over 50 years’ experience knows well what is good for my little darling.



Her favourite is the Turkey one, because this flavour is less common than Chicken or Poultry. Duck comes last in the row, because it has darker meat. Yes, choosy Muzu prefers white meat.

Me, personally liked the smell of Whiskas 7+ Poultry Selection in Gravy, it smells like human food (or even better). No, I have not been tempted enough to taste it.


This Meet our Brands product test came out really well and I am happy to repurchase Whiskas 7+Poultry Selection in Gravy in the future.





Sunday 20 November 2016

Drink Good. Feel Good.










I have been specially selected to be part of Come Round team’s unique campaign. They sent me a free party pack with lots of Feel Good Drinks. My family, friends and me were more than happy to try these new  and seductive drinks.



First of all these bottles look very nice and bubbly. It makes me smile to look at them. I love real gals bottles these make home parties more sophisticated. You can find Feel Good Drinks even in small plastic bottles to carry the goodness everywhere with you.



FeelGood Drinks are colourful without added artificial colours. These drinks are 100% natural. They come in lots of flavour, you can always try something new. Natural is not boring! My favourite flavour is Apple, Elderflower & Water. I love also Lemon, Elderflower & Water and Orange, Mango & Water. Anyway I am happy to drink any flavours. You can choose even between still and lightly sparkly. It is fantastic! I do not like carbonated drinks, but these light bubbles refresh me. Feel Good Drinks are even perfect mocktail ingredients. Try some good recipes:


The most important fact is that The Feel Good Drinks Co. never adds any sugar to their drinks. It is a guilt free pleasure. The sweetness of these lovely drinks comes from naturally occurring sugars, which is essential to our bodies. Never distract sugar totally from your diet. Human body uses naturally occurring sugar to fuel exercises and fuel our mind. Feel Good Drinks are beneficial in schools, gyms and offices.



FeelGood Drinks do not contain sweeteners. I am really happy with this, because lots of sweeteners contain milk sugar, which causes very unpleasant reactions by people allergic to dairy.
FeelGood Drinks contain merely fruit juices from concentrate and crisp, clear water. It tastes similarly delicious as pure fruit juices but the taste and the consistency is lighter so these drinks quench your thirst better.
FeelGood Drinks contain less acid as pure fruit juices, because are diluted with water. These drinks are more suitable for people who suffer from heartburn. If you feel stomach discomfort after drinking your breakfast juice swap it for FeelGood Drinks and enjoy breakfast time again.


I am really happy that Come Round introduced me The Feel Good Drinks Co. I cannot imagine healthier and tastier drinks. I believe if I drink good I feel good.









Tuesday 15 November 2016

Sheba Classic Soup










We took part in Meet our Brand Sheba Classic Soup with Ocean Fish Fillets and Vegetables cat food test. My cat, Muzu, liked the product. The truth is, she likes Sheba Select Slices in Gravy better, but she licked her bowl clean after ocean fish soup too. She ate liquid first and finished with meat after 1,5 hour waiting. I was impressed, because the product has tempting smell and same consistency 1.5 hour after the opening. My cat usually does not eat “old” food from her bowl, only freshly opened from a new clean bowl.



Sheba Classic Soupwith Ocean Fish Fillets and Vegetables could be a great variety when she is bored from her usual food but I would not feed this as a main meal.



Sheba Classic Soups are very healthy because contain vegetable and lots of liquid. I believe pets should consume lots of liquid to be healthy. Muzu is mad about vegetable. I always try to find her cat food with added vegetable pieces.

The sachet is easy to tear open, liquid does not spills, does not make any mess. It is only 40g, so I do not need to store opened sachets – my cat eats always small portions.
I love the design and colours. Sheba’s new design is the best!





Sunday 13 November 2016

Gnocchi with Sweet Poppy Seeds







I enjoyed my latest Orchard at Tesco project – Love Food Hate Waste. I was more than happy to spend my coupons on wonky veg and fruit.




My life mission is to save as much as I can on food and cooking. Did you know that the average UK family wastes £60 of food a month, that is over £700 a year? I am happy to use wonky veg and fruit because shape and size makes no difference in taste. We cannot control how fruit and veg grows, so Tesco Perfectly Imperfect is a range of fruit and veg that have grown a little wonky but are still absolutely delicious.
Potatoes come in all shapes and sizes. Save the wonky potatoes! Use my recipe to transform wonky potatoes to a tasty gnocchi.





Ingredients

1kg peeled potatoes
350g self-raising flour (could be gluten free), plus extra for dusting
3 whole eggs
Pinch of salt




Preparation

Boil peeled potatoes. Do not need to cut for pieces. They should be soft, but hold together.


Mash boiled potatoes.



Mix all ingredients together with your hands. The dough should feel a little sticky. If it is too runny add more flour. Be careful, do not add too much flour, because your gnocchi will be chewy and undercooked.



Roll the gnocchi dough gently on a lightly dusted surface. Cut the gnocchi to around 3-4 cm pieces. It takes a little longer time – switch on your radio.



Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Tip the gnocchi into the water. When, after 5-6 minutes, they float to the top, scoop out using a slotted spoon or small sieve.



Grind sugar a poppy seeds in a blender. Should have flour like consistency.


Season gnocchi with a good amount of sweet poppy seeds.








Saturday 5 November 2016

Endless Looks with La Palette











Being a panel member at L’Oreal Paris la belle famille is a real enjoyment to me. It is delightsome to try new make up for free. The best part is, that you can try even products you think at first are not really for you then you realise you cannot live without them. Exactly this situation happened with me after receiving and trying L’Oreal Lip Palette by Color Riche. I had chosen the Nude Lip Palette to make a little change, because I have lots of red lipsticks.



I thought I will try the product then put it in the drawer and use only seldom, when I need a little change in my look. Do you know the feeling, right? But I have fallen in love with this magical lip palette. I must carry this everywhere with me. It has all the colours I need to make a natural but sensual look.



It is hard to believe such a fantastic product exist. There are 6 different shades, a designer lip brush and a mirror in a compact case. It fits even a mini clutch bag. It is very easy and discrete to apply anywhere. This case looks very precious has shiny gold surface. I love this look.



I have dry lips so lipsticks make my lips even dryer after few hours wearing. It is why I prefer tinted lip balms for long time wearing. The only problem with tinted lip balms that the shades do not have intensity. I often blend lipsticks with lip balm to have the desired look. L’Oreal Lip Palette by Color Riche totally solved my problem. It wears so light and has very creamy consistency. The exquisite formula, combining unique creams and intense pigments gives me the richest colour and care in one. It hydrates my lips perfectly and has real rich lipstick colours. It is long lasting and does not flakes. I do not need to worry how my lips look after some hours wearing. I just reapply or blend with different shades when I feel so. Lip Palette by Color Riche gives me endless looks.



How to create an on-trend ombre look:

-Use a lighter shade on the centre on your lips to create the illusion of fuller lips. (no more painful lip fillers needed)

-Use a darker shade on the outer corners of your lips.

-Blend the shades together with a lip brush for the most precise application.

-Enjoy the compliments!











Wednesday 2 November 2016

Slow Cooked Chicken Soup









I took part in Love Food Hate Waste Program courtesy of Orchard at Tesco.
This brilliant campaign helps with some hints and ideas to help reduce food waste in my own home, with recipes to use up leftovers, hints to understand what food labels mean and how to make the most of my fridge and freezer space.



Tesco sells Eat Fresh, Keep Fresh Chicken, which enable you to use one chicken breast today and keep the other fresh for another day. I find this idea fantastic.

Here is my slow cooked chicken soup recipe. Perfect winter warmer! It is very easy to prepare just make sure you cook it for around 4-5 hours. Longer is better.

Ingredients

-      5 bigger carrots
-      3 parsnips
-      1 medium onion
-      1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
-      1tsp sea salt flakes
-      1tsp whole peppercorns




Preparation


Cut chicken fillets to 4 pieces. Peel carrots, parsnips and onion. Tie parsley leaves together with string.



Put all the ingredients in a bigger pot and pour with 2.5L water. Season with salt and peppercorns. Leave to cook for around 4-5 hours on low temperature. Stir occasionally.




When the soup is cooked properly filter the liquid. We eat only the meat, carrots and parsnips. All other ingredients are only for seasoning.


If there is any leftover portion and freeze it. I have always some portions in my freezer. It saves me money and 4-5 hours cooking.