Today's Review: "The Brazilian" Mango Mandarin Lucozade

I'm all for a new Lucozade flavour every once in a while, and there have been some very nice limited editions in the last few months. Now there's another one, this interesting mango and mandarin flavour, which has released alongside a Brazilian Guava Lucozade Sport. I'm not really a fan of the still stuff though, so I picked this fizzy glucose treat.

On paper (plastic), this was a good flavour for me. I love orange Lucozade, and I've been a fan of their tropical flavours in the past too. This bottle promises to combine the best of both worlds, and I must admit it does it extremely well. The mango flavour is bold and juicy, with the perfect hint of mandarin to create a flavour quite different from your regular mango drinks. The drink is as refreshing as Lucozade always is, and gives that nice kick of energy too. This is another great, bold fruity flavour from Lucozade, but it might not be around for long, so grab it while you can.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Walkers Sensations Sweet Indian Spices Popcorn

I may have said I couldn't wait to try more flavours of this Sensations popcorn yesterday, but I certainly wasn't expecting to find another one on the shelves today, especially as I picked up the others over a week ago. But here we have it, a third flavour of Sensations popcorn, and one that bridges the gap between sweet and savoury, sweet Indian spices. 

Indian spices? Seemed odd to me too, and yes, this is in fact a curry popcorn. I wasn't expecting to like it nearly as much as the other flavours, but actually it's equally fantastic. There's a lovely sweet, sugary base flavour, and the curry powder mixed in is really delicious. A nice hint of spice, but an overall sweet and interesting flavour that works really well.

I've been really surprised by Sensations popcorn. I can heartily recommend every flavour, so if you see them, grab a bag and chow down.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Walkers Sensations Popcorn

The popcorn revolution continues, and now even Walkers are getting in on the game. Sensations has been a pretty prevalent brand of crisps for a good few years now, touting its bold flavours with an element of sophistication. So what better name to put on some interesting varieties of popcorn?

First I tried this thai sweet chilli popcorn, obviously based on the popular Sensations crisp flavour. I've had many savoury popcorn flavours now, and while some have had a nice spice to them, I can't say I'd had a dedicated chilli flavour before. Thankfully, this one works extremely well. The spice is bold, but not overwhelming, and works fantastically well with the soft, slightly crunchy popcorn kernels. This is a very flavoursome popcorn that is extremely moreish.

Walkers haven't just jumped onto the savoury flavour bandwagon though. Here is a sweet flavour with somewhat traditional roots, but with a twist. I've seen bags of salt and sweet popcorn combined popping up recently, but this flavour takes things one step further by throwing some cinnamon into the mix. You may have seen me mention before how cinnamon is one of my mortal food enemies, but in recent years I have grown to quite enjoy it in certain foods. However, I wasn't expecting to enjoy some popcorn loaded with the stuff. Thankfully, this flavour is also fantastically crafted. The cinnamon is certainly noticeable, but somewhat subdued by the saltiness. It's spicy, salty, sweet all in one, making for a fantastic original flavour.

So there you have it. If you're crazy for all this new popcorn lining the shelves, make sure you don't miss out on the Walkers Sensations. Even if you're not a fan of traditional popcorn, maybe these interesting flavours will change your mind. I know I certainly find them tasty, and I hope there are more varieties to come.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Hoppy Bunny

Easter is a fantastic time for companies to cash in on as many chocolate varieties as they can possibly push onto the shelves, and it seems Cadbury are really going for it this year. They have an abundance of new Creme Egg goodies, and now there's a new Dairy Milk bar thrown into the mix too. Well, I say new, but it does look surprisingly similar in concept to the Winter Wonderland bar they released but a few months ago for Christmas. 

Indeed, it is the same idea, although instead of the interlocking milk and white Christmas trees (well, I say white, more like white coated), we have what is pretty much a standard Dairy Milk bar with little white chocolate bunnies on top. That's pretty much all there is to this bar, it's nothing special, just a seasonal rehash of something they tried last year. It's certainly a very nice bar, but we all know Dairy Milk is nice, and anyone who's had Winter Wonderland knows what to expect here. Points for tastiness, but again, the white chocolate is only superficial, so it's not all that special. Now, if they were to bring out a Dairy Milk bar with Creme Egg or Mini Egg chunks inside, that would be a little more interesting...

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tesco Fiery KX

It's been a while since I've tried a new energy drink, in fact it doesn't seem like anything interesting has been released in a while. Normally it's just another fruit doused in taurine and caffeine, but today I found something I've never seen before. This is the new variety of Tesco KX, a ginger flavoured energy drink.

I have a strange relationship with ginger. I never enjoy it much when I eat it (or drink it), but every so often I have a craving for it. I've dabbled in ginger beer on several occasions over the last couple of years, but I always find it much too fiery for my liking. If I wanted to burn my throat I would have just downed vodka or hot sauce. So I wasn't expecting much from this little can apart from being utterly unrefreshed and immediately seeking another drink to take away the burn.

However, I must say that this drink is pretty damn nice. I can't personally in good conscience give it full marks, because it's still fiery and that's not really my bag, but it's a much more subdued flavour than any other ginger beers I've had in the past. It's a nicely spicy tinge, and the energy drink side really does kick in to take the edge off. It's perfectly drinkable, and I dare say it was actually quite refreshing despite its fiery nature. I certainly wouldn't choose it again over the more traditional fruity energy drinks, but if you're crazy for ginger beer, and require chemical intervention to keep yourself alert, this is the perfect drink for you.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Frijj Cookie Dough Milkshake

I do enjoy a good milkshake. Vanilla, while generally considered bland, is one of my favourite flavours, but I certainly don't mind trying new ones. So I was happy to find this new cookie dough flavoured Frijj milkshake. I like Frijj, I like cookie dough, what could go wrong?

Nothing, as it turns out. This shake is as smooth and creamy as any other Frijj you can pick up, and the flavour is exactly like that of cookie dough. I don't know how they've managed it, but even there are even hints of the sticky, doughy texture in the flavour, despite the shake itself being smooth. It's like a marvel of milkshake engineering, and it may even knock vanilla off my top spot of Frijj flavours. If you see a bottle, give it a go.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Wonka Bottle Caps

When it comes to interesting, tasty candy, you can't really go wrong with Wonka. Nerds, Gobstoppers, even chocolate bars, most everything I've tried is pretty damn nice. So I didn't hesitate in picking up these soda flavoured sweeties.

They come in five flavours: orange, root beer, cola, cherry and grape. Well, apparently they do anyway. You see, these aren't very flavoursome at all. They're like Love Hearts, but somehow simultaneously harder and chalkier in texture. There is a slight hint of flavour, but it's mostly just a dry experience. I was trying to try all the flavours, but by the time I got to an orange candy that tasted like TCP I had to give up. So yeah, I wouldn't recommend these.

My rating: 0/5

Today's Review: Muddy Bears - Milk Chocolate Covered Gummi Bears

Do you like chocolate? Of course you do. Do you like gummy bears? Of course you do. So here's a box that combines the best of both worlds. Chocolate covered gummy bears! What could go wrong?

You might have already turned your nose up at the very idea of this, but sometimes it helps to have an open mind. Perhaps not in this case however. Sure, it's an interesting food concept, but in practice it's just a bit weird. Think chocolate raisins, but chewier and with a variety of strange flavours. The darker, reddish colours almost seem to work with the chocolate coating, but the other colours don't really taste nice at all.

As intriguing as these sounded, I wasn't expecting them to be particularly nice. Turns out I was correct. It probably doesn't help that the chocolate, and the gummy bears themselves, taste quite cheap. You could probably make some better quality ones at home with some Haribo Gold Bears and Cadbury chocolate, but let's face it, why would you want to?

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Reese's Sticks

I'm a big fan of Reese's. From Pieces, to Peanut Butter Cups, to Nutrageous, they know how to provide me with my chocolate peanut butter fix. So I was quite excited to find a new chocolate bar that promised me chocolate, peanut butter and wafer goodness. What could go wrong?

Well, nothing really. This is a nice bar. The peanut butter is as flavoursome and creamy as ever, and there's a generous chocolate covering. The wafer is also nice and fluffy. But it certainly isn't a new favourite for me. Reese's other offerings are gloriously peanutty, and it seems the wafer is this bar just kind of subtracts from the potential flavour. It's a nice bar or the sake of variety, but everything else Reese's is probably much more worth your time. Reese's Sticks are good, but not great.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Creme Egg Biscuits

New Easter products abound. Today we have an interesting merge of Cadbury's Creme Egg and their range of biscuits. All the other biscuits they've brought out have been pretty damn good, so I was looking forward to trying these, even after being slightly disappointed in the Creme Egg ice creams.

Thankfully, these are awesome. There's a nice thick biscuit layer on each side of the filling, which is exactly like the fondant you'd find in your regular Creme Egg. For me, it's actually better in biscuit form, as I often find the filling of a Creme Egg a bit too much, so having a smaller amount, surrounded by some very nice biscuit all coated in Cadbury chocolate, makes this a fantastic Easter treat.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Caramel Mallows

Marshmallow teacakes are a tasty British institution. I can't say I go out of my way to buy them, but if I'm offered one I can't say no. Tunnock's are usually the go-to brand, but today I spotted these Cadbury Mallows, with the added ingredient of caramel. They sounded good to me, even if my last experience with Cadbury chocolate and marshmallow was a bit mediocre.

Well, these are quite nice, but nothing overly special. The marshmallow is nice and fluffy, the biscuit base has a nice crunch, and the chocolate coating is as good as Cadbury can be, but the caramel doesn't really add to the overall flavour, because there's not much of it. The other ingredients may be tasty, but when they're all put you're left with a regular old marshmallow teacake. Nothing special, especially when compared to the interesting stuff Cadbury have been bringing out lately. I'll certainly polish off the packet, but I won't go out of my way to buy more in the future.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Smucker's Goober Grape Peanut Butter & Jelly

Peanut butter and jelly is an American institution that seems to be reviled by the entire rest of the world. I must admit that when I first heard of it I was pretty appalled, but the time came when I was curious, and when I ventured to America I could easily pick up a jar of Smucker's Goober, which has both in the same jar, and spread it liberally on some bread to find out what the fuss was about.

I could go into detail about the terminology of jams and jellies between the US and UK, but for any Englishmen out there, this jar does not contain jam in the traditional British sense, nor jelly in the traditional British sense. It's sort of like a jam, but very smooth, with no pips, and I am glad for that, because any other texture would mean that putting it with peanut butter would be an abhorrent idea. I'm sure many of you think that even putting this kind of jam with peanut butter is pretty disgusting, but I say don't knock it until you've tried it, and I actually do enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from time to time. This Smucker's peanut butter is smooth and creamy, and mixed with the jelly, while certainly an acquired taste, contains a nice fruity kick that makes the whole experience quite sweet and filling. 

This spread may not be up there with Nutella, or even solo peanut butter in my eyes, but it's certainly a tasty treat if you fancy something different. Don't just dismiss the idea of peanut butter and jelly, embrace it, and spread it on your bread. You might be surprised.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Phileas Fogg Texas Buffalo Wings Popcorn

There's definitely a popcorn revolution underway at the moment. I've been finding all kinds of weird and wonderful savoury popcorn flavours, and now both Walkers and Phileas Fogg have brought out their own interesting flavoured popcorn. I went for these, because while spicy popcorn was quite alluring, the prospect of both spicy and meaty popcorn was too much to resist. Buffalo wing popcorn? Surely that can't be good. But popcorn is a lot more versatile than it seems. Your standard crisps, for example, are quite solid, and have a distinct texture and flavour that sometimes gets in the way of the flavour. Popcorn, in comparison, is very light and fluffy, and when rolled around in the flavouring of your choosing, allows you to experience it in all its glory. 

This is probably why you never see sweet flavoured crisps, the crisp is a purely savoury treat, but popcorn can go either way, and it's great to see companies starting to put out some fantastic new flavours like this one. The full impact of the flavour is present in every kernel, and it's all at once saucy, meaty and spicy. It's got a great creamy texture, with a spicy kick that kept me going back for more, and the popcorn itself did nothing to impede the rich flavours that were coming out of the coating. At the end of the bag I could safely say that I'm all for savoury popcorn flavours, and I can't wait to try the others that Phileas Fogg have brought out. 

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Hershey's Kisses Santa Hat

It's still Christmas, right? Well, no, but that means I can pick up all these Christmas themed snacks for a fraction of the price. Here we have a Hershey's Kiss Christmas Hat, which is just a Hershey's Kiss in festive packaging.

I always like the idea of Hershey's chocolate, but whenever I eat it I start to get an absolutely awful taste in my mouth that makes me sick. It's kind of sour and acidic, almost like sick itself. It's very strange, and I don't know why it happens with Hershey's, but obviously it means I personally rate the chocolate pretty low.

Well, I tried again with this Kiss, and it didn't taste all that bad when I started. Certainly not great, it's probably on par with the cheap chocolate Santas you can pick up in the UK. The chocolate was sizeable, and solid too, so that was a plus. But it's just not nice enough to knock already established chocolate brands off the top, especially when the flavour changed and I wanted to puke.

Hershey's may be a well loved chocolate brand in the States, but it's certainly not a favourite of mine. Even without the weird chemical reaction that seems to only seems to happen with me. It's just a bland chocolate overall.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Milk

I've been on the lookout for low carb snacks and drinks to make my diet less monotonous, and I finally perused the "alternative" milks on offer in Tesco. For those who want to drink milk, but can't or won't drink milk, don't worry, because there are plenty of milks that aren't made from milk. Makes sense right? Well, apparently so, because you can get soya milk, rice milk, hemp milk, and of course the above, almond milk. This was the lowest carb option of all, especially as it's unsweetened. Perfect for my diet, but surely milk-free milk with no sweeteners is not a nice thing to drink?

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this milk. Looking at the ingredients, it's mostly spring water, with only 2% almonds, but it still manages to have a distinctly nutty, yet somehow creamy flavour. It's not very sweet, and tastes a little watered down, but it's certainly sweet enough for me. It's low calorie, low carb, pretty much low everything, but it's still a nice change from water, and will actually give a nice calcium boost. This certainly doesn't beat good old cow's milk, but if you can't drink that, or just fancy a nice, healthy alternative, you can't go wrong with this one. Unless you're allergic to almonds...

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Galaxy Bubbles Egg

It used to be that Easter only brought about an onslaught of Creme Eggs, but in recent years there have been an influx of chocolate bars in egg form. Cadbury have contributed quite a few, but Mars have been dabbling too, so I was quite tempted when I saw this Bubbles egg. Galaxy Bubbles is the Mars equivalent of the Wispa or the Aero, because for some reason aerated chocolate tastes better. The original Bubbles chocolate bar is indeed amazing, but how does it translate to egg form?

Extremely well, actually. There's a lovely thick outer shell of Galaxy chocolate, in its smooth, creamy, gloriousness. But underneath is a solid chunk of Bubbles chocolate that simply melts in the mouth. Biting through this egg creates a lovely juxtaposition of textures, both delicious, but both melting at different rates. Making your way through this egg is a great chocolatey experience that changes as you savour it. It may not last long due to its size, but this egg is an awesome Easter treat.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Wisdom Tooth Extraction

The thing about teeth is that they're meant to grow upwards, and not at all like that one is up there. Yes, that is my wisdom tooth, or rather it was, because it is no longer growing at a complete right angle on a collision course with my other teeth. Because my dentist agreed that teeth shouldn't in fact grow that way, and so today this tooth was extracted.

No one likes to go to the dentist to have work done. Fillings are a pain, root canals are worse, hell, even a check up can result in bleeding gums. But extraction is probably the worst case scenario to come out of a dentist visit. Having a tooth yanked out for good is kind of the final destination in terms of dentistry. I'd heard a few stories about wisdom teeth coming out, and I wasn't expecting to miss it much, especially at that lovely angle it managed to grow at. So I was all for having the thing yanked out.

You see, dentists generally know what they're doing, and mine happily stuck a needle into my gums a few times until the area was completely numb. Sure, the injections hurt, but they're better than someone reaching into your face and cutting out a tooth with no concern for your feelings. So with one side of my mouth devoid of feeling, my dentist went to work extracting the troublesome tooth, first scraping off a piece of bone, and then going at it with a variety of tools.

The word "extraction" implies some kind of tactical care, like a well organised plan by an army squadron or a secret mission for a spy. My wisdom tooth "extraction" seemed more akin to roadworks. A drill was used to slice the tooth in half, before he reached in with some form of pliers and went to town prying the pieces of my tooth out. All I could do was sit there in the chair, listening to a horrendous cracking as he pulled my tooth into pieces and out of my face. But since I couldn't feel a thing, all I could do was laugh at how awful it sounded compared to how little it was affecting me. Even afterwards, while he was stitching up the wound he cut into my gums, I couldn't help but tap my feet along with "The Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News that was playing on the radio. It was, overall, a relatively quick and painless procedure.

However, the worst was obviously yet to come. I was still under the effects of anaesthesia after all, and since that's worn off I've been in rather a lot of pain. My jaw aches, the extraction area is sore and intermittently bleeding, and I have to juggle salt water, antibiotics and painkillers just to make sure it all heals up nicely. So while having a wisdom tooth out isn't bad at all while it's being done, I certainly wouldn't recommend you do it just for a giggle, as the after effects are pretty bad. Plus you'd have to fork out £50 for the privilege. 

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Creme Egg Mini Ice Creams

I can give or take Creme Eggs most of the time. I enjoy them while I eat them, but I never really long to tuck into one. But this product drew my attention in the frozen food section, they're mini Creme Egg ice creams in tiny cones. 

Yeah, I mean tiny. I could probably have fit it all in my mouth at once, but I decided to savour it. As you can see, it's like a Cornetto, but with a growth. The top is very much like a Creme Egg, but only in appearance. A chocolate shell, filled with soft vanilla ice cream with a "fondant sauce" centre. After I ate my way through this chocolatey ball, I found that there was indeed no centre at the top, as displayed on the box. Instead, I would find it further down, in the middle of the cone. The mere presence of the cone itself is a little odd. It doesn't really go well with the rest of the ice cream, and only seems to be there to facilitate holding. Not that the flavour of the rest is anything special. The chocolate is nice, but the ice cream is a little bland, and the fondant didn't really do anything to add to the flavour. Perhaps I would have grown to like it if the whole experience wasn't over so quickly, but just look how small it is. If you're crazy for Creme Eggs, by all means seek these out, but to be honest, they're nothing special. Edible, but there are a lot of better ice creams out there.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Cherry Vimto Bon Bons

Yes, I picked up not one, but two types of bon bons the other day. As well as the Sunkist I found these Cherry Vimto ones, which I certainly had to pick up as the regular Vimto bon bons are divine. I'm a fan of both the flavours of drink too, so I was expecting only good things from these sweets.

Thankfully, they are good. They start off small, chewy and powdery, but quickly explode with a fantastic fruity flavour, that actually tastes a lot like the Cherry Vimto drink. They're perhaps not quite as delicious as the blackcurrant Vimto bon bons, but there's not much in it. These are a great addition to an already tasty sweet line, what with the Vimto Skidaddles tasting pretty good too. If you see these bon bons, or any Vimto sweets really, grab them and enjoy.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Cheetos Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeño

I've tried a few flavours of Cheetos over the years, but none have captivated me more than the crunchy varieties. Whether they be regular or hot, I have no problem annihilating an entire bag at a time, which is difficult, as I can't afford to buy entire boxes at import prices, or load up my suitcase upon returning from holiday. But today I managed to find my absolute favourite flavour of Cheetos, down the road at a Tesco Express. It was a good day.

Crunchy Cheetos are, in my opinion, far superior to their Wotsit-like regular counterparts. They're knobbly like Nik-Naks, but with a fantastically bold cheesy flavour. Crunchy, filling and satisfying. The hot variety, while built the same, have a tremendously spicy kick, which has proved too much for some people I've talked to, and certainly can get a bit intense if you can't stop yourself devouring the entire bag.

The Cheddar Jalapeño flavour lies somewhere in between. The flavour is bold and cheesy, but a bit more subdued than the flavoursome regular Crunchy Cheetos, and there is a lovely spice that isn't overly hot, but certainly tingles the tastebuds. It takes the best of both extremes and blends them into what may possibly be my favourite crisp. Cheesy, spicy, delicious. If you see a bag around, I'd highly suggest you grab one. Or more, you may not be able to stop yourself.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Sunkist Bon Bons

I do love a good bon bon, in any flavour. They can be quite expensive to pick up from the traditional sweet shops, but I've managed to find some good offering in pound shops, like the Tango Blue Balls and the Vimto Bon Bons. Strangely, they are both soft drink branded. So why break the habit? Yesterday I picked up Sunkist Bon Bons.

These sweeties come in three different flavours: orange, strawberry and lemon, so it was nice to have a bit of variety compared to the other brands I've tried. Also, it's quite a variety indeed. Each flavour has its own specific strengths. The lemon is nice and tart, the orange is more subdued, yet sweet, and the strawberry is fantastically rich, bold and fruity. I only had one of each flavour, but I could have easily devoured the entire pack. These are some damn tasty bon bons, if you can find some, pick them up over the Tango or Vimto varieties.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Warburtons Cookie Pancakes

Pancakes make for a fantastic breakfast. Or snack, or lunch, and probably a good dinner too. I certainly prefer thick fluffy pancakes to the thin, flipped ones you make for Shrove Tuesday, and today I picked up this interesting variety from Warburtons. Not only do these pancakes contain chocolate chips, they contain chocolate chip cookie bits.

Yeah, cookies and pancakes, what's not to love? Well, I can't find anything wrong with them. The pancakes themselves are nice and thick, yet light and fluffy. The pieces themselves are lovely, chewy pieces of cookie dough, with the chocolate adding a nice kick. I thought the difference in textures might put me off a bit, but they actually all worked together really well. I ate mine warm, which should be the way you eat pancakes, so the cookie was gooey and delicious. These are definitely some tasty pancakes.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Day Specific Underwear

Underwear is among the oddest of things that people deem ripe for personalisation. Cartoon characters adorn boxers and socks, just waiting for someone to point and laugh, creating an awkward situation that would wreck anyone's self esteem.

Perhaps the weirdest form of novelty underwear is the 7-day set. Each pair of pants or socks is labelled with a day of the week, and the very existence of these bothers me to no end. My son has a pack of pants like this, but this one only contained five pairs, which would imply that he should go commando at the weekend. But with these five pairs, and even with seven, it would only take one disregarded wash load to get completely out of sync. What if it's Thursday and I only have pairs Saturday to Wednesday available? People will look at him like he doesn't know which day of the week it is. Which is true, as he's only three years old, but that's not my point.

The point is that people won't look at him like that at all, because hopefully no one will be staring at his pants. So why bother putting the day of the week on there at all? If I ever wanted to know what day of the week it was, I wouldn't be lifting up my trouser leg or unzipping my fly to find out, because then I would be insane. We have enough ways to find out which day it is without consulting our underwear, so why do these packs exist? I can understand emblazoning our crotches with cartoon characters and the like, but to have the days of the week just makes no sense.

My rating: 0/5

Today's Review: Wrigley's Extra Dessert Delights Gum: Apple Pie & Rainbow Sherbet

It pains me to say that I'll be laying off the snacks for a while. I am on a strict diet, but one that worked very well for me last year, so I expect to be sampling terrible foods again at a point in the near future. But for now, sugar is out, so thankfully I have some of this interesting dessert flavoured gum stockpiled from a while ago.

I found these in Mr. Simms, and while there were quite a few flavours on offer, I could only bring myself to pay the inflated import prices for two packs. Therefore I went for the flavours that interested me most: Apple pie and rainbow sherbet. Now, I mean sherbet in the American sense of the word, not the British, which is a kind of sorbet. Therefore, while I was expecting a lovely fizzy flavour, I was met with a more subdued one. It's certainly still great though, very fruity and the flavour lasts a long time. Both these gums have that refreshing kick to them too, not quite minty, but they certainly feel like they're working to fill your mouth with great flavours.

The apple pie flavour is fantastic as well. There are hints of pastry, apple, and even cinnamon, to create the perfect American apple pie experience, but in a stick of gum. Willy Wonka may not have perfected his three course dinner gum, but Wrigley's have certainly perfected the dessert gum. Both of these flavours are fantastically sweet and accurate, and are sugar free to boot. I look forward to hunting down the other flavours if they're all this good.

My rating: 10/10

Today's Review: Ribena Plus Red Apple Squash

I'm not a massive fan of plain old water, so there's always a bottle of squash handy in my kitchen. It's normally of the cheap and cheerful variety, but if Ribena goes on offer I'm always happy to splash out. So not only is the Ribena Plus range on offer in Tesco, but there are also two new flavours to try, summer fruits and red apple. I assume summer fruits will taste the same as the many other brands of squash out there, but red apple is one that interested me, as it was somewhat unique. There's always an apple and blackcurrant squash, and on the rare occasion if there is a plain apple flavour, it's normally green, so I had to give this a try.

Well, I have to say it's pretty good. It does have that kind of watered down taste that comes from being "no added sugar" and low calorie, but it certainly makes any old glass of water taste quite like red apple. It's sweet, with a little bit of tartness, and it's certainly a nice change from the regular parade of squash flavours out there. It's not perfect, but it's a nice change. 

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Edushape Floating Bath Blocks

What do you do to pass the time in your bathtub? Read a book? Squeak a rubber ducky? Cheat death by having a quick doze? Well, I used to do such mundane things, but now I can build a house while I bathe, thanks to these floating bath blocks from Edushape. 

The idea is simple, but so effective. This is a collection of foam blocks, complete with house-themed detail. There's a nice floating platform that looks like a garden, and you can simply stack the blocks on top of it. The bath water helps them stick easily, so it's a breeze to stack them up to great heights, or create a four walled structure. The blocks themselves are colourful, and pretty durable as well. We've been through quite a few bath toys in the last few years, but these blocks are one of the best we've bought. So if your baths are a bit dull, pick up some of these blocks, and become a nautical architect.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Flipz - Milk Chocolate & White Fudge

I first tried Flipz many years ago, they're quite a pricey import from America, and I can never really justify spending too much on them. Cadbury brought out their own chocolate covered pretzels a while back now, and while I did enjoy them, I still longed for these. Thankfully, my local Tesco seem to have found some excess import Christmas stock, so I managed to pick up these two sizeable tubs for a grand total of £4.

As you can probably assume from my aforementioned longing, these pretzels are mightily tasty. The regular milk chocolate variety are probably the best of the two. The pretzels may be quite small, but they're generously coated in creamy chocolate. The flavours work together so well, both sweet and salty, and there's enough coating to ensure that the pretzels don't become too dry and mushy. The white fudge variety are much the same. They may lack the chocolatey nature of the original, but the fudge coating is still generous, creamy and delicious, and gives a nice alternative if you get bored of the regular chocolate. Both these flavours are fantastic, and despite there being so many in each of these boxes, I managed to polish them off quite quickly in a gluttonous frenzy. Look out for Flipz, you'll be glad you tried them.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Tesco Soft Eating Mango Liquorice

Tesco have brought out some interesting sweets lately, and while I was there today I spotted this new bag. I'm not normally a fan of liquorice, although I do like the strawberry variety. I can't say I've ever tried mango liquorice, so I definitely had to pick it up.

The strange thing about mango is that while I like sweets and juices that are mango flavoured, I'm not a fan of the fruit itself. It has a strange, chalky texture that overwhelms the sweetness, and it doesn't sit right with me. So while I was expecting to find a much sweeter flavour in this liquorice, I was very surprised to find that it tastes almost exactly like the fruit, even down to the chalkiness. While that did lessen the experience for me, this liquorice is very moreish. It's fantastically chewy, and while the aftertaste wasn't great for me, if you're a fan of the fruit then you'll definitely enjoy chewing your way through one of these bags. Another novel sweet idea from Tesco, and while it's not fully to my liking, it's done really well.

My rating: 4/5 

Today's Review: Wrists

While they may not be the most important joints in the body, I'm pretty glad I have wrists. No matter how much I use my other joints to walk or move effectively, I still use my hands a lot of the time, and without wrists they would be a lot less useful. Even typing this, while my wrists are not clearly moving to a great extent, I am still aware that the joint is allowing my hands and fingers to move to the correct keys with some speed.

Without wrists we would be bending our arms into all sorts of weird positions to perform the simplest of tasks. Sure, it might be easy to pick things up, but catching a ball? Holding hands? Those activities would involve some weird movements that would probably cause injury. Our hands are very important, they can perform anything from picking up minute objects to punching people in the face (though I can't say I regularly partake in the latter). But without our wrists everything would be a lot harder. Without wrists we may be able to dance the robot more effectively, but everything else would just be annoying.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Doritos Jacked Chicken Enchilada Supreme & Spicy Buffalo Wings

Crisps have been around for a while, I understand that. There are still some people out there trying to make interesting new flavours, but for those who don't have too many ideas, there's always the failsafe method of making their flavours more intense. We have extreme Pringles, ridged Walkers, all designed to coat your tongue in seasoning. Now Doritos have brought out these Jacked chips, which do have some kind of different flavours, but instead seem focused on just how much taste they'll be delivering.

Well, that's what they want you to think anyway. I've read the whole packet, and there's nothing to suggest that these chips actually contain more flavouring than the average. The top right says "bigger chips, bold flavour" (bold, not bolder), and the focus of the blurb on the back seems to be that they contain "mind blowing flavour", not of any particular large degree. But these chips have "multi-sensorial flavours", and invite you to "savour the one two punch of flavour", which basically means they're spicy and taste of something else. Oh, and also, these chips are 55% heavier than regular Doritos. I'm not kidding, it says it right here:

But enough about the buzz words. This packet certainly wanted me to think I was experiencing a helluva lot more flavour, but the proof is in the tasting.

Chicken Enchilada Supreme:

"The succulent flavour of roast chicken followed by a wave of sizzling spices". Well, there is a hint of chicken in these one, but I also found them to be quite cheesy, which I guess is fitting to the enchilada part. As for the sizzling spice, I wasn't getting it. So basically, these are like the regular cheese Doritos, with a little hint of chicken. Kinda disappointing, and not really what the packaging hypes them up to be. The chips do feel heavier though, I'm not sure if it's by 55% but it's close.

My rating: 2/5

Spicy Buffalo Wings

"The first wave starts with a creamy sauce and then ends with a spicy buffalo kick". I was actually surprised at the accuracy of this, despite the rest of the buzzwords scattered around the packaging. The chips certainly taste saucy at first, and it's a pretty nice flavour. The spiciness does indeed kick in after, and while not insanely hot, it certainly works well with the sauciness to give a good all round experience. It's not the best flavour of Doritos I've had, and it doesn't have as intense a flavour as you'd expect from chips named "Jacked", but these ones are a lot better than the chicken enchilada flavour.

My rating: 4/5

So there you have it. Don't get dragged in by the buzzwords, these new Doritos aren't a flavour revolution, but they're still worth a go. While I wasn't overwhelmed with the enchilada variety, they're not really my kind of chips anyway, so others may like them. But I can definitely recommend the spicy buffalo wings. Just don't expect to have your tastebuds blown away.

Overall rating: 6/10

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Daim Eggs

Christmas is over, and that means it's time for Easter. Well, in terms of confectionary shopping anyway, Easter isn't for a few months yet. Many will complain about this, saying that it's way too soon, and it sucks all of the meaning out of the holiday. But I don't see how waiting a couple more months to pick up my mass produced consumerist chocolates will remind me of the reason for the season. Because my reason is chocolate, and I'm completely fine eating that whatever time of year it may be.

Chocolate is certainly the name of the game at Easter, so it's up to the big companies to really pull out the stops to get their products noticed. I've seen the wonderful Malteaster bunnies, alongside the traditional Creme Egg offering, but Cadbury are bringing out these little bags of Daim eggs, riding on the coattails of their success with the Dairy Milk Daim bar. It was indeed fantastic, so I couldn't wait to try these bad boys.

Unfortunately, these don't really pack the same punch. Sure, they taste a bit like Daim, but the chunks aren't as sizeable of prevalent as in the Dairy Milk bar. I was biting into each little egg expecting a satisfying crunch, but there's really not a lot there. I mean, the chocolate is certainly nice, and there's a definite Daim hint in there that gives a nice kick, but it's just not enough for me, and it makes me long for the far superior bar version. These are certainly good enough to eat, but I know Cadbury are capable of a lot more.

My rating: 3/5