Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Divine Chocolate for Easter Treats 2014.
‘Divine is the only Fairtrade chocolate company which is 45% owned by cocoa farmers.
While Fair trade ensures farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa and additional income to invest in their community, company ownership gives farmers a share of Divine’s profits and a stronger voice in the cocoa industry.’ (Divinechocolate.com)
Fairtrade – this is a sure way of offering help to those who are not as privileged as ourselves. When I buy tea, coffee and chocolate I am usually scouring the shelves for a brand with the fair trade stamp. I will generally be spending £1 extra but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope you are as self conscious – you need to take the step and switch to choosing fair trade products when they are available, it makes such a difference to the communities who work to put our products on the supermarket shelf.
I love chocolate although I wish I didn’t, I expect I am not alone in this!
However, ‘A little bit of what you fancy does you good’, my granny always said, so I allow myself to indulge at Easter. With the entire population shopping for chocolate at Easter think of the vast difference we could make if we all choose our eggs from companies supporting fair trade.
In 1999 Divine Chocolate was awarded “Millennium Product” status from the Design Council for the innovative structure and functioning of the company. This is but one of the many awards this fantastic and thoughtful company has won.
The Divine offices are based in Tower Bridge, London. I will be in London shortly and looking forward to a visit!
Back to chocolate – my favorite thing ever!
Divine have the best tasting Easter eggs ever, I know this as it’s only manners to test a sample – isn’t it? I did not manage to eat the entire egg, as my family were more than willing to help. The chocolate was delicious and very smooth with a rich aftertaste. The little mini eggs inside the egg were scrumptious and I had no problem keeping these all to myself! Yummy.
The large chocolate eggs are available in milk and dark chocolate and retail at £10. Packs of little coloured speckled eggs are priced at £4.25.
Aside from the delicious taste of this chocolate, why not choose these eggs this Easter for reasons much greater than the tasting experience?
“Those who impact positively on the lives of others shall forever live in the memory of the heart.”
PCK Buah, President, Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union.
The popularity of Divine has grown and grown and their chocolate can now be found in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.
The full Divine Easter range is available from independent retailers nationwide, the Divine online Shop www.divinechocolate.com/shop and the following retailers:
- The Dark & Milk Chocolate Luxury Eggs are available from Booths, ethical Superstore Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado, Oxfam and Waitrose.
- The Dark & White Chocolate Small Hollow Eggs are available from Booths, Ethical Superstore and Oxfam. The Milk Chocolate Small Hollow Egg is available from Booths, Ethical Superstore, Ocado and Oxfam.
- The Mini Dark, Milk Chocolate and Praline Eggs are available from Booths, Ethical Superstore, Tesco and Oxfam. The Mini Speckled Eggs are available from Booths and Oxfam.
- The Milk Chocolate Dubble Egg is Available from Ethical Superstore and Oxfam.
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
‘Wildabout’ and ‘Lindt’ for Mother’s day.
There seem to be so many Mother’s Day gift ideas around this year, I am spoiled for choice. All the suggestions I have received to feature on Pampered Presents are equally worthy. As a mum myself I love getting flowers and chocolates on Mother’s Day, it really is hard to beat. How about one website with some perfect Mother’s Day combinations already put together for you? Have a look at www.wildabout.co.uk
‘Make Mother’s Day truly memorable with the ultimate gift comprising of ‘The Classic Beauty’ bouquet and Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection. A sophisticated combination of exquisite flowers, featuring mango calla lilies, burnt orange roses, hypericum berries, spray roses, ranunculus, and astilbe with complimenting foliage. This premium bouquet is accompanied by the finest selection of Lindt traditional Swiss praline chocolate masterpieces, forming an indulgent treat for the leading lady in your life’ (Wildabout)
This is truly a gorgeous gift combination and I really hope hubby reads my blog!! Hint..
I Adore Lindt, they are the best chocolate makers ever. I have tried almost all of their collections and couldn’t pick a favourite. To receive these flowers along with Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection would make every mum feel special. The chocolates come in a beautiful gold leaf effect box with the chocolates contained inside featured on the back. I can’t get enough of the ‘Cornet d’Or’ and the ‘Pointe de Chocolat’ is so yummy as well! The prices are listed below and very reasonable for what is received.
The Classic Beauty
Small bouquet + Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection 145g £60
Medium bouquet + Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection 215g £75
Large bouquet + Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection 445g £100
Visit www.wildabout.co.uk for further information.
Health and Beauty, Pampered Foods
LighterLifeFAST at Superdrug.
I have to raise my hand and admit I have tried every diet under the sun. Truth is, I just adore food, in particular sugary food which is not good! The health benefits of staying within an acceptable weight and not exceeding your recommended BMI are well researched and documented. Even with this knowledge, most of us find it extremely difficult to find a diet plan and stick to it for more that half a day. My diets always start first thing in the am and by lunchtime I crave my chocolate bar. Discovering LighterLifeFAST has helped with my sugar craving as I can continue on a diet plan while having delicious chocolate bars which do not taste like dry wafers – like some others do. 
With LighterLifeFAST you can have 4 ‘portions’ daily. These range from spaghetti bolognaise, vegetable soup, pasta, and various chocolate/toffee bars. These are pre-packed and easy to make up. They are even easier to eat! The banana shake is yummy. 
LighterLifeFAST food packs contain all we need to keep fit and healthy while encouraging weight loss as well. With 28 vitamins and minerals in every portion, I was not left craving certain foods as a result of lack of certain key vitamins and minerals. The packs are priced at around £8.49 and £8.99 and available exclusively from Superdrug stores. There are over 800 stores in the UK and Ireland nationwide or shop at www.superdrug.com For further information visit http://www.lighterlifefast.com/
Gift Reviews, Health and Beauty, Pampered Foods, Teenage Gifts
Revive Active.
January began with a boost for me as I was introduced to a new anti-aging health supplement called Revive Active. I have been taking one sachet daily and I feel fabulous, this is definitely a keeper!
With over 26 ingredients all carefully thought out and researched, Revive Active works to boost everyone’s immunity and energy levels and, very importantly, helps fight off aging.
‘Key ingredients include Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10), L-Arginine, L-Citrulline, L-Carnitine, Magnesium as well as Vitamin K2’ (Revive Active)
I take my Revive Active every morning. The sachet contains powered ingredients which can be mixed into a glass of water or juice. I prefer mixing with water and this tastes perfectly OK, it makes a very refreshing orange and mango flavoured drink.
If you feel your system is in need of a ‘boost’, try Revive Active for one month and you will be an impressed as I am.
Revive Active ‘is endorsed by leading medical professionals, nutritionists and naturopaths, including leading celebrity Nutritionist Vicky Edgson. With over 15 years’ experience running private nutritional therapy clinics in London and the author of several well-respected books on best-practice nutrition, Vicki Edgson has been working with Revive Active almost since its inception and is a self-professed supporter of the product, often recommending it to her patients’ (Revive Active)
Revive Active is caffeine and sugar free. Available from www.reviveactive.co.uk with free delivery to Uk and Ireland.
RRP £59.85 for one month supply, discounts available on website with multiple purchases.
Health and Beauty, Pampered Foods
Superdrug Health – Vitamins.
Superdrug, my first port of call when I need day to day essentials. There are over 800 stores in the UK and Ireland over 200 of these stores have pharmacies on site.
At a Superdrug store and online you will find a range of vitamins from well known brands. Multibionta, Seven Seas and Bassets vitamins can all be found at Superdrug. I have recently tried some of the Superdrug own branded vitamins.
These tend to be much cheaper than the other brands but several of them contain exactly the same ingredients. It was therefore a bit of a ‘no-brainer’ for me to choose Superdrug own brand as value for money rates highly when I am choosing products.
For example, if you are looking for a great ‘all rounder’ family multivitamin, Superdrug A-Z Chewable Multivitamin and Minerals has got to be unbeatable value for £2.99!!
This supplement is ‘specially formulated to provide a balance of multivitamins and minerals to help maintain overall good health and nutritional balance’ (Superdrug)
I have tried to coax my kids into taking supplements for years and they have never agreed on the same one until now. Thankfully I seem to have found the perfect multivitamin as even my 6 year old doesn’t complain when taking this every morning – Superdrug’s ACDE Jellies.
These contain all your little ones need to stay healthy and fit so they can get up to all the mischief they enjoy so much.
‘Vitamin D is needed for normal growth and development of bones in children.
Vitamins A & C contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
Vitamin E is an anti oxidant that contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress’ (Superdrug)
Moving from vitamins to another necessity, toothpaste! This is another instance where Superdrug performed very well. The childrens toothpaste for ages 2-6 yrs caught my eye as there was a lovely big crocodile on the front with super looking teeth.
This is the sole reason my son lets me brush his teeth now – I told him this was the toothpaste crocodiles use! I have to admit I was being ‘clever’ at first, but this really worked!
The toothpaste helps fight plaque and decay and is suitable for children with just the correct amount of fluoride. Very well priced at 59p!
Visit your local Superdrug or shop online for an unbeatable range of vitamins and other essentials at a great price.
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Rolly’s Brownies for Valentine’s Day.
Rolly’s Brownies are famous for their ‘home-made’ taste, having featured in The London Evening Standard, Vogue and The Sunday Telegraph and Glamour Magazine.
Pampered Presents loves all things home-made, locally sourced and as natural as possible. We are therefore proud to have Rolly’s Brownies, once again, on site. These super gorgeous Brownies are made in Weymouth, using local ingredients – free range eggs of course and organic flour.
Baked to order, you cannot get fresher and I was so excited when mine arrived in the post. They came in a tube and in an inner box so they were in perfect condition. The box was lovely – they say we taste first with our eyes!! That is so true. These were expertly presented and on opening, the smell was delicious. My brownies were especially packaged for Valentine’s day. Beautiful orange flavored brownies packed in a long box with a pink sleeve printed with the words ‘Made with Love’.
Rolly’s Brownies can customise their deliveries with gift cards, I think this is a great idea and they would be a delicious gift to send to the ‘foodie’ in your life this Valentine’s Day.
Each box contains 6 pieces weighing over 400g. There are many flavors to choose from; chilli, orange, caramel, cranberry and double chocolate, etc.
More information about Rolly’s Brownies and its services are available at
http://www.rollysbrownies.co.uk/
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Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Tanqueray London Dry Gin.
Anyone for cocktails? Following our holiday to Barbados a few summers ago – (10 yrs ago!) I have had a keen interest in making cocktails and drinking them. We purchased a ‘Cocktail Recipe Book’ at the airport and it has never managed to make its way to the back of the cupboard like the ‘healthy eating’ cookbooks! I detest vodka so a lot of our cocktails are made with gin.
We have moved from one variety of gin to another but on trying Tanqueray London Dry Gin, we have continued to purchase this particular brand. This gin has a unique full flavour I have found hard to equal with other leading brands.
‘Tanqueray London Dry Gin has an elegance that sets it apart from the rest and a flavour that shines in sophisticated cocktails and vibrant gin and tonics. Its great flavour is achieved by the blend of the finest botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica and liquorice’
(Tanqueray London Dry Gin press release)
If I have intrigued anyone to try this gin, I have included 2 recipes below. Both are simply fabulous and I cannot pick a favourite.
Tanqueray Raspberry and Lavender fizz
Ingredients:
25ml Tanqueray London Dry
15ml Lavender Liqueur (Raspberry liqueur also optional)
Top with Prosecco
4 x Fresh Raspberries
Method: shake all ingredients together and pour into a coupette, top with prosecco and garnish with a raspberry or rose petal.
Tanqueray Clover Club
Ingredients:
35ml Tanqueray London Dry
15ml Raspberry Syrup
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
Dash of Egg White
Method: shake all ingredients together and strain into a martini glass, garnish with a raspberry.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, why not try one of these cocktails and present it to your loved one when the kids are in bed? Better still, why not book a nice meal out and have one of these while waiting on a taxi like I plan to!
The non-alcoholic liquors are not expensive and neither are fruit juices so go on, treat yourself and your partner to a bottle of Tanqueray London Dry Gin this Valentine’s Day and surprise yourself with the delicious cocktails you can put together – just like a pro!
I must mention that I also find this gin goes down rather well with tonic water!
RRP £21.50 Available from most supermarkets and off licence stores.
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Hungryhouse for Valentine’s day
Did you know you are more likely to ‘get lucky’ this Valentine’s day if you don’t have to leave the sofa? !! (Hungryhouse)
Hungryhouse offer a solution to the problem of wanting a tasty meal delivered to your door without having to look through lots of menus from takeaways.
‘Hungryhouse is the UK`s premier online platform for takeaway and food delivery. With more than 10,000 restaurants on our platform, ordering food delivery from your local takeaway has never been easier. From Birmingham to Glasgow, London to Manchester, Hungryhouse has partnered with the finest takeaway restaurants from across Britain so you can find and order a delicious takeaway in minutes’ (Hungryhouse)
I love the Hungryhouse app. We can order our favourite takeaway in seconds with no looking for numbers and calling individual restaurants. The app allows for instant access to a brilliant choice of restaurants, easily found when you submit a postcode and search.
With new restaurants added daily, the choice is vast and they have all tastes covered. Choose from Asian, Chinese, Indian, Pizza etc. Hungryhouse have it all at the touch of a button.
Payments are online so no looking for cash to give a delivery man when he comes to the door!
Vouchers are available from £5 to £75. The perfect gift for a quite Valentine’s night in together.
For further information visit www.hungryhouse.co.uk
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
Guylian Chocolates for Valentine’s day
If you are thinking of purchasing chocolates for Valentine’s day this year you are probably thinking of taste, familiarity and choosing something well packaged and nicely presented. The last thing on your mind would be conserving sealife? Yes, thought so.
This was news to me too, but when you buy a box of Guylian Belgian Chocolate Sea shells, you will have all the qualities you are looking for. However, you will be helping save seahorses and the seas. (RRP £10 for 375g box)
‘Project Seahorse is dedicated to preserving seahorses and other marine life throughout the world. Guylian provides vital long term support for this crucial work and has been a major partner since 1999. Seahorses function as flagship species for a wide range of marine conservation projects. These magical but fragile creatures are a good indicator of healthy coastal ecosystems, meaning that saving the seahorses = saving the seas! See more atwww.projectseahorse.org.’ (Guylian)
Another favourite of mine would have to be the hazelnut praline hearts. Presented in a heart shaped box, these will definitely be well received on Valentine’s day. I adore praline and these are delicious. A combination of mouth-watering chocolate and crunchy hazelnut praline, these are the perfect combination of taste and romance.
Available from all major supermarkets. RRP £3.99 125g box or £1.49 for 50g box.
Guylian produce excellent quality chocolates in Belgium and import these all over the world. They have been in the chocolate business since 1960 and still use traditional recipes from those times. When you choose Guylian you won’t be disappointed.
To keep up to date with Guylian news, competitions and offers on a daily basis see http://www.facebook.com/GuylianChocolates?ref=ts
Visit www.guylian.be for further information.
Gift Reviews, Pampered Foods
La Signorina Chocolates
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching with a reflective rise in the sales of both flowers and chocolates. However, if you are looking for something which stands out from the crowd, have a look at La Signorina Chocolates.
Founded by Maria-lola, a chocolatier and successful business woman, these are sure to impress. The chocolates can be bought for individual occasions and also for large functions such as weddings and birthday parties. The choice is pretty unusual, have you ever held a life size chocolate shoe in your hand? Cinderella, eat your heart out!
The chocolates shoes come in different styles and are made from a variety of different chocolate. The heels are finished in different colours and flowers are used to embellish. My sister is a shoe fanatic and I have one of these shoes to give to her on her birthday. The shoe arrived beautifully presented in a gift box and I was speechless when I opened it. I was not expecting the shoe to be as big – almost full size!
My shoe is moulded from white and dark chocolate with co-ordinating flowers on the front and to finish the heel. It looks absolutely amazing! I have also had the luxury of sampling these chocolates at a wedding recently. Each place setting had a little box with 2 La Signoria chocolates inside. The chocolate is like none other I have tasted and I like to think of myself as a connoisseur – I adore chocolate! I always choose fair-trade chocolate as making this simple choice makes a huge difference to people’s lives. All La Signorina chocolates are from a fair trade source, thus adding to the appeal for me.
Along with wedding favours and shoes, there are Chocolate Chess Games. The chess pieces are expertly moulded in white, milk and dark chocolate. These are guaranteed to impress.
Have a look on the website www.lasignorina.co.uk for further information.
‘Diana’ Chocolate Shoe RRP £40.00
‘Chocolate Chess Game’ RRP £60.00