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Ricola

May 1, 2014 by Erica Hughes 6 Comments

It’s lovely to be able to write about a brand that I have been using for over 20 years. I first Ricola’s herbal Swiss sweets when I spent several months in Switzerland as part of my year off. I came home from my Swiss adventure with the ability to ski; a working knowledge of the German language; a taste for herbal tea; and a liking for Ricola. Since then speaking German, drinking herbal tea and always having a pack of Ricola in the car or my bag have become a regular part of my life (sadly the skiing proved a much more expensive pastime).

Recently, Ricola kindly sent me a lovely box filled with a selection of their sweets. This sort are sugar free which I like because I don’t have to worry about the calories, plus they are better for my teeth. There were four flavours in the box:

cranberry
lemon mint
mixed berry
liquorice

Now I’ve been a fan of the cranberry, lemon mint (more lemony than minty I think) and mixed berry flavours for quite a while, and I often buy them along with the original flavour, which I think I like best of all because it is the one that I used to buy in Switzerland. The liquorice is a new one on me and I was a little uncertain about trying it as I am not a big liquorice fan. It was quite pleasant though and it’s not necessary to be a liquorice fanatic to like it as it’s got a smooth, rounded flavour. I don’t think I’ll be buying the liquorice flavour in future, just because I prefer the other varieties, but it was nice to try something a bit different.

Ricola is keen to celebrate this year’s National Herb Week and National Honey Week on the 7th May with their Honey Herb Swiss Sweets. I’ve not tried these, but I’m liking the sound of the combination of rich honey and the Ricola’s unique blend of thirteen herbs.
Like the rest of Ricola’s range, Ricola Honey Herb Swiss Sweets are bursting with natural goodness, so as well as the herbs, including Lemon Balm, Thyme, Mallow and Lady’s Mantle, which are cultivated in the Swiss Alps, they contain only natural colours and flavours, and are suitable for vegetarians.

Freixenet Winery and Tour

April 30, 2014 by Erica Hughes 4 Comments

Earlier this month we were in Barcelona on a trip that I won that was sponsored by Freixenet on the Tesco Wine Club website. The sponsors, Freixenet, really looked after us well and we were given a personal guided tour of the Freixenet winery, including a step by step walk through of the process by which sparkling wines like Cava are made, and then treated to a lovely lunch and wine tasting session.

Freixenet (it’s pronounced “fresh-eh-net” in case you were wondering), is best known for its Cordon Negro cava wine, in its distinctive black bottle. It is, to this day, a family owned company that grew from humble beginnings in rural Catalunya. The roots of Freixenet stretch back to 1861 and are embedded in the history of two longstanding winemaking families: the Ferrers and the Salas, who joined forces following a marriage. Today Freixenet are world leaders in sparkling wines which are made using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle.

As the Freixenet winery is located in the town of Sant Sadurní (about 45km from Barcelona) and the train from Barcelona stops just metres away, the winery has become a popular excursion for visitors looking for a day out of the city. It’s reasonably priced and under 8s are free. Tours are in either English or Spanish and you should check for times before you make your trip. Each tour lasts about an hour and a half.

The tour includes:

A video about the history of Freixenet in a mini cinema(This takes about 10 minutes and gives you a good overview of the company’s history and their importance within the Spanish wine market).
A guided tour of the Freixenet winery which was built in 1922. Here you get to learn about the cava-making process, plus how to it is stored and served.
A tour of the winery dating from the 1970s and 80s on a miniature train. This reminded me of a James Bond movie for some reason. The scale of the wine storage facility is amazing.
A glass of cava (grape juice for children) and the opportunity to taste other products from the range as well as different snacks.
A visit to the lovely gift shop. You can buy wine of course, but there are also lots of other products associated with the Freixenet brand and wine production in general.

It’s a fascinating experience and a great way to learn more about wine growing, wine regions and wine production. You also get to learn a little about the history of wine making and how Freixenet are innovating the wine production process, while maintaining the traditional quality levels.

Sushi From Tesco

April 30, 2014 by Erica Hughes 3 Comments

We love sushi and have even tried making it ourselves. It’s quite time-consuming though and you need to buy fresh ingredients, so we don’t often get round to it. Sometimes we visit a sushi restaurant, but it’s nice to be able to get a fix in at home too. So I was pleased to be able to try out Tesco’s sushi range.

Buying sushi from Tesco couldn’t be easier. You can buy the trays in the chilled aisle. We tried two trays:

Smoked salmon, prawn, duck and chicken
Smoked salmon, prawn, tuna, crab, surimi and mackerel

I adore smoked salmon so those rolls were real winners with me. I think of the two selections I preferred the one with more fish in it. It was great to get such a wide selection of fish at one time and that’s something we almost certainly wouldn’t have managed if we’d have been making our own. I prefer the sushi rolls with the stronger tasting fish as I like their distinctive flavours. Tesco’s selection of sushi is freshly prepared to a high standard and I’d certainly consider having them again.

Cielo Taste of Italy Giveaway

April 9, 2014 by Erica Hughes 1 Comment

Recently, I reviewed our lovely dinner at Cielo, Brindley Place, Birmingham. Now I can offer readers the chance to experience the food and atmosphere of this quality Italian restaurant. Winners will get to sample the Taste of Italy menu. On arrival you’ll be served a Bellini, which is just about my favourite champagne cocktail. To nibble on there’s a selection of artisan breads and marinated mixed olives.

Once you’re settled, you can choose from a range of three starters, three mains and three desserts. My pick of the starters would be the Porcini and Oyster Mushroom Risotto, but there’s a meat and a fish choice too.

Main courses look tempting too with a Fillet of Farm Assured Beef with Chunky Chips or Lemon Sole with a White Wine and Lemon Butter Jus. What’s particularly generous is that the vegetarian option is any vegetarian choice off the à la carte menu.

As for dessert choices, there are some of mouth-watering options. I’d be torn between the Raspberry Pannacotta and the Dark Chocolate Fondant, but there’s also a cheese option if you prefer. To finish there’s coffee and petit fours.

The Taste of Italy menu costs £65 per person. I have a dinner for two from this menu to give away.

Competition Terms and Conditions

1. No bulk, third party or automated entries.

2. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older.

3. The winners will be chosen by a random draw.

4. The winner will be notified by email and will have a week to claim their prize. Should they fail to respond within this time, an alternative winner will be selected.

5. Promoter is responsible for fulfilling the prize and full contact details of the winner will be passed onto the promoter.

6. Competition closes on 23 April 2014.

7. The winner will need to book in advance and restrictions may apply.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cielo Restaurant Review

March 31, 2014 by Erica Hughes 37 Comments

Duo D’Anatra

We hadn’t been to Cielo for a few years. I can’t remember exactly when, but I’m guessing 3 or 4 years ago and that wasn’t our first visit by any means, so this is a well established eatery. For a restaurant to survive that long in the bubble that is Brindley Place and Broad Street, says a lot I think. So many restaurants come and go and only succeed in drawing in custom for a short time, by coming up with some sort of novelty factor or going for heavy discounting.

Cielo is at the upper end of the middle range of restaurants, just a step below a fine dining establishment. As my husband works nearby, we often walk past in the evening and it usually seems to be pleasantly busy. It’s the sort of place you might pick for a family celebration or a date night out with your other half.

Bistecca Al Gorgonzola

I started with the Gamberoni All’Aglio, a dish of pan-fried tiger prawns, which were sautéed in white wine, with fresh chopped parsley, chilli and garlic butter. The prawns were nicely cooked, but needed a generous coating of the white wine cooking liquor to pick up on the flavours. If you love duck, like my husband, then the Duo D’Anatra is a real treat. There’s a confit of Gressingham duck which uses the flavoursome leg meat to good effect. The other way the duck is presented in the form of a ‘bonbon’. Served with a Swiss chard salad and a Grand Marnier reduction, this is a memorable dish and one that I think we’ll be ordering again.

For my main course, I was in a hungry mood so I opted for the gutsy Bistecca Al Gorgonzola. Now I’m not usually a fan of blue cheeses, but the gorgonzola really went well with the sirloin steak, helping to bring out the flavours, and the chips were simply divine. It was all brought together with a complementary red wine reduction.

Tiramisu

My husband opted for the Merluzzo Al Pomodoro. This is Scotch cod with chorizo sausage, borlotti beans, garlic, chilli, basil and passata sauce. As you’d expect the sauce is strongly flavoured with these tastes of the Mediterranean. The cod was a fraction overcooked maybe, but the very slight dryness of the fish was compensated for by the depth and complexity of the sauce.

Doesn’t this Tiramisu look simply divine? It’s very much a classic take on this most Italian of desserts with its characteristic amaretto flavouring. As my husband’s favourite dessert is tiramisu, it was no surprise to me when he picked this one out off the menu to finish our meal. It’s a nicely generous helping too and beautifully presented. As you’d expect it slid down very nicely.

Crema Bruciata

Meanwhile I opted for the Crema Bruciata. This is an orange flavoured crème brûlée, served with glazed orange segments and cape gooseberries. This was delivered with a light touch and was a very elegant dessert. I’d have liked a little more orange flavour in the crème brûlée as I felt it could take a bit more. It was a gorgeous dessert though and one I’d happily order again.

Beech’s Chocolate Bars

March 27, 2014 by Erica Hughes 261 Comments

Now I’m very lucky to be working with Beech’s Fine Chocolates at the moment and I must admit I was intrigued by the idea of trying out their new chocolate bars range. The bars are nicely presented and are a lovely way to give yourself (or a friend) a quick treat.

Beech’s Chocolate Bars come in these flavours:

Dark Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
White Chocolate
Anglesey Sea Salt Milk Chocolate
Lime & Chilli Dark Chocolate
Natural Ginger Dark Chocolate

Now I’m a real dark chocolate fan and a good quality one is always a winner. Beech’s dark chocolate contains a minimum of 55% cocoa mass and is very tasty without being over bitter. The milk chocolate too has been popular. It’s a smooth, mellow bar with a thick milky taste. A revealation to me was the Anglesey Sea Salt Milk Chocolate. I was a bit nervous about trying it as it seemed a strange flavour combination. I need not have worried, it was amazing. The salt really sets off the chocolate. Very much recommended.

The good news is that I have two sets of the Beech’s chocolate bars range to give away to readers of A Little Luxury For Me. To enter simply follow the instructions in the rafflecopter below. If you’d like to order some Beech’s chocolates for yourself you can use the discount code BFC18031410 which is valid until the end of April and will get you a big 15% discount.

Competition Terms and Conditions

1. No bulk, third party or automated entries.

2. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older.

3. The winners will be chosen by a random draw.

4. The winner will be notified by email and will have a week to claim their prize. Should they fail to respond within this time, an alternative winner will be selected.

5. Promoter is responsible for fulfilling the prize and full contact details of the winner will be passed onto the promoter.

6. Competition closes on 10 April 2014.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special Spoons

March 20, 2014 by Erica Hughes 18 Comments

So what are special spoons you ask? I thought the same when I first heard about RoyalVKB’s Special Spoons Kit. RoyalVKB’s Special Spoons Kit is a set of “special spoons” with specific uses. The set includes five spoons that can be used for serving:

chilli sauce – small for spicy things (good for getting out the last bits from awkward corners of chutney jars too)
pickles (more of a fork really with those spikes to spear your pickled onion on)
olives (with holes to drain off any liquid)
pate (good for spreading humous too)
jams

There’s a spoon for all those jars that we store in the fridge. In the past, special spoons like these were a part of the cutlery canteen, but these days you don’t very often see cutlery for specific purposes. And yet, I don’t know why as it makes cooking, serving and eating so much more pleasurable when you have the right tool for the job. Every time I eat a boiled egg I miss my mother’s egg spoons which were just the right side and shape for the job.

Made from a high quality plastic, the Special Spoons are supplied in a model kit format. To use them for the first time you have to break them free from their frame with a sharp knife, scissors or just by twisting them free. At the back of each spoon there’s a notch cut out to help you balance the spoon on the edge of the jar. Coming in a choice of 4 rather funky colours, Special Spoons look fun as well as being practical.

iPhone 4 Travel Kit From MyTrendyPhone

March 19, 2014 by Erica Hughes 5 Comments

My iPhone comes with me pretty much whereever I go and it certainly comes on trips away. MyTrendyPhone offered me the chance to try out their iPhone 4 travel kit which contains all the things you need when you are out and about with your phone.

Contained in the kit are:

iPhone 4 Stylus
iPhone 4 USB Wall Charger
iPhone 4 USB Car Charger
iPhone 4 Charge/Sync Cable

Over the last few weeks I’ve been trying these out. I’ve found the car charger to be very useful and I leave it in the glove box of the car with the charge/sync cable. It seems to take longer to charge up from the car than from the mains, but on a longer journey that won’t be an issue. I discovered that my phone had died as I left the house and it was charged sufficiently to do 1 or 2 short tasks by the time I’d driven for 5 to 10 minutes. That could be handy if you are meeting someone and perhaps need to be able to pick up a text or phone call in case of delays.

I tried using the stylus at home, but preferred to use my phone without it. That said, I think it would great to use it if you were out and about in the cold and wanted to keep your gloves on. I’ll be keeping mine handy for that.

I didn’t get to use the two pin wall charger, but I’m planning on taking that on my next trip abroad. One of the issues when travelling it that charging up your phone takes up one travel plug and that can be rather restrictive. Now I can leave my three pin plug behind and just take the two pin one when I travel in Europe.

If I was getting a new phone, I’d certainly want a kit like this iPhone 4 travel kit to go with it and I rather wish I’d had it long ago because it would have been very useful.

A Garden Room

March 18, 2014 by Erica Hughes 19 Comments

Our garden has been two years in the making: the initial landscaping and then the sorting out the bits the landscaper either wasn’t supposed to do or didn’t do as we’d envisaged. We now have the bare bones of a garden, which we are starting to fill in with plants, shrubs and trees. We’ve mostly been working in our garden so far: creating it, maintaining it and tending to our veg patch. This year though we are hoping it will be the year for enjoying it.

Enjoying spending time in your garden is much easier, if you have the furniture, to let you use it as an outdoor room. We’ve just got a rather weathered table and chairs set at the moment, but we’d like to have furniture to suit our garden and how we want to use it. I’ve been looking around at garden furniture over the last few weeks trying to decide what we need.

Alongside the side of our house we have our flower borders. This is the decorative part of the garden and I’ve included lots of aromatic herbs within the planting. Here we want to be able to sit and drink it all in. A garden bench seems just the thing and we’ve been having a look at John Lewis’s wide selection of benches. Their outdoor sofa seems just the thing: always there to provide a seat and let us smell the flowers, but for lazy afternoons you can add the cushions.

Where the patio widens out, we’d like to go for a dining set so that outdoor eating can become a regular and comfortable event. A nice set of tables and chairs would let us have lunch outside with friends and we could linger round the table afterwards with a bottle of wine.

A lounger would be perfect for me. I could recline in comfort to read my book. All I’d need as a finishing touch is a side table to hold my drink close at hand. Or maybe we should opt for an outdoor lounge set, so there’s somewhere for everyone to sit and friends can come round for a chat.

Fashion Cards Giveaway

March 18, 2014 by Erica Hughes 21 Comments

Over the last few weeks I’ve been working on a project, alongside other fashion bloggers, with 123Print. Each blogger provided their fashion tips for 2014 and 123Print have pulled them all together printing them on a set of handy cards.

The good news is that I have 2 sets of fashion cards to give away on the blog. Enter via the rafflecopter below.

Competition Terms and Conditions

1. No bulk, third party or automated entries.

2. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older.

3. The winners will be chosen by a random draw.

4. The winner will be notified by email and will have a week to claim their prize. Should they fail to respond within this time, an alternative winner will be selected.

5. Promoter is responsible for fulfilling the prize and full contact details of the winner will be passed onto the promoter.

6. Competition closes on 25 March 2014.
a Rafflecopter giveaway