ZICO Chocolate Flavoured Coconut Water

I know what you guys are thinking........

"Chocolate flavoured coconut water?? Bleurghhh that can't actually taste nice?!"

But fear not, my readers!! Hopefully this review will help change your mind and query your beliefs!

So last week I was just casually meandering around my local Home Bargains when I came across these bottles of ZICO chocolate coconut water for 49p! YES, that's right only 49p! I have to admit though, that my first thoughts were 'This looks a little odd' and 'Will this actually taste nice?'.....but for 49p I thought what the hell! And plonked it in my basket to review for you guys!

"ZICO Chocolate Flavoured Coconut Water"

ZICO promotes all their coconut waters as containing 5 electrolytes (Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Phosphorus)....and also incorporates as much Potassium as found in a banana....in the words of ZICO -"giving it that extra OOMPH!"

Described on their website as; "A delicious combination of 85% coconut water from concentrate, an irresistible natural chocolate flavour and other delicious ingredients. ZICO chocolate is a great source of sweet, sweet hydration. Plus it has half the calories and sugar of the leading chocolate milk!" 

And if that still doesn't tempt you to buy this...then how about the fact that this bottle only contains 80 calories?....and is gluten-free, lactose-free and dairy-free!

"80 Kcal per bottle (400ml)"

So ZICO recommends that this delicious drink should be consumed chilled....as such this little beauty has been sat in my fridge waiting all week for me to finally get round to trying it! After giving it the recommended shake, I twisted the cap and looked down into what appears like a muddy chocolatey water based drink....which even I'll admit doesn't seem too appetising! However, never judge a book by it's cover.....

"Naturally a rich source in Potassium which helps maintain normal muscle function"

Taste wise, the best way I can describe this drink is saying that it tastes like watered down chocolate milk......this is definitely a good thing though!! It actually tastes really, really nice!

Now those people out there expecting it to taste like chocolate milk will be sadly disappointed! This drink tastes much thinner, which is most likely due to the lack of creaminess that the milk supplies! However, the dash of coconut milk in this drink does give it that added silky smoothness which really ensures this drink tastes good!

There are also some fantastic recipes that can be found for this chocolate flavoured coconut water (and their other flavours) on their Facebook recipe page found here.

One of the best recipes I have found that I look forward to trying is called 'ZICO in the middle':

• 1 cup of ZICO Chocolate flavoured coconut water
• 1/2 cup of Ice
• 1/2 Banana
• 1 Tpsb. of Almond Butter (or Peanut Butter)
• 1 square of Dark Chocolate (or for the 'real deal', try a pinch of Cacao nibs or a few Cacao beans)

Blend together all the Ingredients and enjoy!

"Drink Well. Think Well. Renew Yourself."

In conclusion, I am extremely pleased that I decided to take the plunge and buy this product!....I'm that pleased with this drink that I went back to Home Bargains and stocked up on some more yesterday! This is extremely good as a post-workout drink to refuel, and I think it would be a great 'pick-me-up' to re-energise when I'm ill and even a nice treat whenever I get that sweet craving for something chocolatey but don't want to feel guilty!

I definitely recommend this product to everyone! Whether it's used for sports and fitness purposes or diet purposes, it definitely seems like an all round drink that can suit many peoples needs! After some research, I have found that ZICO have many flavours of coconut water including; Pineapple, Passionfruit and Strawberry and Banana....Unfortunately, unless purchased on Amazon or other websites these drinks only seem available across the pond from us! 

However, when I went back to Home Bargains yesterday to stock up on these Chocolate flavoured waters they did happen to have the Mango flavour in stock! So I brought one of them too!....So don't be surprised to see a review of that shortly....and hopefully more varieties will pop up in some of our retailers soon!

Would I buy these again? YES!

Domino's 'One, Two, Free' Deal

So after an especially long week we decided to treat ourselves to a nice and easy take-away on Saturday night....this then lead to a debate over which take-away to have....but since as a family, we've never had a Domino's take out we decided to take the plunge and order one!

After plugging in our postcode online I was directed to a very simple and easily accessible site where a number of options were available for order. The best option I found was to click on the 'deals' tab, where a number of combinations and deals were available!

After a long, heated discussion we finally decided on the 'One, Two, Free' deal which is described as 'One large pizza with two free sides'....which cost us £12.

We quickly decided that the best option for the Pizza was the CYO (Choose Your Own) option....where you can choose up to nine free toppings for your pizza. We decided on:

• Double Mozzarella Cheese
• Single Chicken Breast Strips
• Single Cumberland Sausage
• Single Green and Red Peppers
• Single Mushrooms
• Single Pork Meatballs
• Single Red Onions
• Single Smoked Bacon Rashers
• Single Sweetcorn

And our two free sides were the Cheese Twisted Dough Balls (6) and the Chicken Strippers (7).

Once we had picked all our toppings and sides, I was directed to enter our address and a time for delivery, so I picked for our meal to be delivered within 45 minutes and voila!....our meal was ordered!

One of the things I found incredibly useful about Domino's was the 'pizza tracker' that they had on the website, which meant that I could track at what stage our pizza was at!

"Your pizzas are in the oven"

"Making sure everything is perfect!"

"We'll see you soon"

This online 'tracking' process allowed me to see that our order had been placed, and then allowed me to follow the stages that our order was at! Whether it was in the 'prep' stage or the 'quality control' stage.....this online tracking is a fantastic system in place by Domino's!! 10/10!

Now onto the actual food!!

The food did arrive more or less on time...give or take five minutes....but is five minutes too important!?!?!?...Nahhhhh 

"DROOLS"

Before even opening the boxes, the smells emanating off them were mouthwatering!....and driving us all crazy with hunger!

I'll start with the Cheese Twisted Dough Balls (6) :

Described as; '6 fresh dough pizza rolls brushed with garlic oil, filled with 100% mozzarella and cheese and herb sauce'

"Twisted Dough Balls -Cheese"

Opening the box, I have to admit I was disappointed at the appearance of my dough balls!...As you can all see in the image above, the cheese and garlic filling had leaked out of all the 6 balls, and in the top left corner, one looks to be burnt!.....However, thankfully taste wise these twisted dough balls were awesome!! They were very garlic-y....possibly too garlic-y for my taste....however my brother was enamoured with them and couldn't stop pinching everyone else's! 

Chicken Strippers (7) :

Described as; '7 Chicken breast goujons, coated in crispy breadcrumbs and served with dip (BBQ)'

"Crispy Chicken Strippers"

Sadly, I feel I was yet again disappointed with these 'chicken strippers'! The image of them on the website shows them with a lovely crispy coating containing some nice juicy chicken....which definitely tempted us to have this as one of our sides! However, when we opened the box the chicken strippers barely resembled those on the website! The taste of these goujons were pretty average I'm sad to say! I have better chicken goujons in the freezer.....to be honest these goujons tasted undercooked to me! Which is probably why they aren't that extra bit crispy as described on the website!

Finally, onto the pizza!:

"Create Your Own Pizza -9 personal toppings included for free!"

If that pizza doesn't get your taste buds tingling then I don't know what will!

After all our toppings, this pizza was certainly fully loaded with flavour!......and I would be lying if I told you that we didn't all moan at our first bite!

This pizza was absolute heaven! The toppings all complimented each other perfectly, and I would definitely recommend getting double mozzarella instead of just the single!

However, the best part of this pizza for me was the base!....The base and crust of the pizza had that nice crunchy crust and texture that you would expect of a pizza, but inside it was incredibly light and fluffy which made for an amazing pizza experience!!

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this deal to everyone! A single large pizza by itself costs £16.99 alone at Domino's....whereas this deal includes two additional sides and only cost us £12! ....if that is not a bargain then I don't know what is! However, I would be looking at choosing different sides next time in hopes for something better!

For my first Domino's experience, I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the pizza, but dissapointed at the state of the sides!....The amount of options on the menu however means that if I decide to have another Dominos then there are many more options to choose from!

Would I buy these again? The Pizza: YES
                                            2 Free Sides: VERY UNLIKELY

"Oloves" Olives Review

This review has been a long time coming! Sadly with the problems I experienced with my blog, this review was unfortunately deleted....so now it's re-written and ready for the world!!

I was incredibly excited to be asked to try and review some of the new Oloves Olives range! I have a huge soft spot for Olives, so to be asked to review some was a dream come true for me! These Olives came in three varieties for me to try; Hot Chilli Mama, Tasty Mediterranean and Lemony Lover.

Over the past few years the UK consumer market has experienced a revolution of sorts, and consumers now tend to eat on the move or look for snacks and food they can eat on the go. Which I can 100% relate with! I am always looking for something that's tasty, healthy and compact to take with me on my day!
"Oloves" Olives are a new range of tasty, alternative snacks that come in three varieties and have less than 50 calories per every 30g pack.
Now if that isn't tempting for you my readers, then how about the fact that these packs need no refrigeration and have an 18 month shelf life? Still not convinced? Well.....Furthermore, Oloves are all natural, naturally low in saturated fat and as well as being gluten free, dairy free and wheat free they contain no nuts and no major allergens! .....I was extremely looking forward to trying these!

"Three Fantastic Flavours: Hot Chilli Mama, Tasty Mediterranean and Lemony Lover"

As you can see from the image above there are only two packets!.....This was due to my inability to resist eating the Tasty Mediterranean flavour....I'm so weak!
I've got to admit though, after trying all three flavours, the 'Tasty Mediterranean' flavour was by far my favourite!
Described as 'Pitted green olives with Basil and Garlic' these Olives were tempting me as soon as I opened up my package!
One of the things I love about these little 'snack packs' of Olives is that they are already pitted and don't come with any excess liquid...this helps with the ease of access when on the go and makes them even more fabulous!
Taste wise the 'Tasty Mediterranean' flavour was wonderful, the Basil and Garlic seasoning made the Olives extremely moreish and honestly? I could have consumed another packet or two of them, they were that good!

The next flavour I tried was the 'Lemony Lover'. Described as 'Pitted green Olives with Lemon and Garlic', I took these to university with me to try as a little 'pick me up' in the afternoon!
Initially I wasn't sure about this flavour....The Olive tastes lovely and is then followed by the tang of the lemon......but before I knew it my hand was searching the bottom of an empty packet! A good sign?.....I think so! Whilst this was not my favourite flavour, I definitely would try it again, maybe combined with something that would neutralise the tangy flavour of the lemon?

"Lemony Lover: Pitted Green Olives with Lemon & Garlic"

"Lunchbox friendly"

"No nuts, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Dairy & No major Allergens!"

Last, but certainly not least is the 'Hot Chilli Mama' flavour......this flavour I left till last as I am a bit of a baby when it comes to hot and spicy food!....I like my food mild and these Olives described as 'Pitted green Olives with Habanero Chillies' definitely did not fit what I was comfortable with! But I am a blogger and privileged to review these Olives....so I sucked it up and tried these as a starter one evening with some flat bread and hummus.

"Hot Chilli Mama: Pitted Green Olives with Habanero Chillies"

"Only 50 Kcal a bag....and each bag is guaranteed at least 10 Olives!"

Taste wise.....I've got to say I was pleasantly surprised! I was expecting an intense chilli explosion in my mouth, but instead all I experienced was a mild kick from the Habanero chilli flecks...which contrasted nicely with my hummus!
I was extremely surprised with these Olives and would definitely buy them again! For some people, who can taste and enjoy intensely spicy food, they may find these chilli olives 'lacking'....however, those people out there, who like me, enjoy a slight kick to their food but nothing too intense will love these Olives!

"High in Loveliness, Low in Calories, No Stones & No Fuss"

Overall, I am a HUGE fan of these Olives! Not only are they extremely low in calories (only 50 calories a bag) they are the ideal snack for people on the go! No mess or fuss, literally rip open the edge of the packet and pop the Olives in your mouth!

Since sending me these flavours last year, Oloves have introduced more exciting varities! These include;

Basil & Garlic - Plump, succulent green olives lovingly marinated with a sprinkle of zingy Basil and Garlic.

Chilli & Garlic -Juicy plump olives bathing in spicy Harissa and fragrant Garlic.

Lemon & Rosemary - Fresh green olives infused with Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic.

Chilli & Oregano -Big Juicy olives seasoned with a little cheeky Chilli, Garlic and Oregano.

I DEFINITELY look forward to trying these new flavours....because i'm sure that if they taste half as amazing as those i've just experienced i'll be in heaven!

If you're looking to try some of these fabulous Olives (which I suggest you do!) then you can find them stocked in Wetherspoons, Holland & Barrett, Shell Service Stations, Palmer & Harvey and Superquinn Stores. Also look out for these fabulous Olives on Airlines such as RyanAir, Thomas Cook and Thomson Airways!

For more information on these tasty Olives you can visit Olove's amazingly colourful and interactive website here or you can follow/contact them on twitter here.



I received this product in order to produce an honest review, and all views/opinions expressed are completely my own.



Would I buy these again? 100%....no 150%.....I'll definitely be on the look out to try the other flavours!


Until next time!

xo

NEW! Walkers Pops: Melted Cheese and Crispy Bacon & Original

*Peeks from behind laptop screen*

Hello? Is anyone still there?

....I cannot even begin to explain to you guys how hellish the past few months have been!

Without giving too many excuses, it has literally been crash after crash for my blog since before Christmas!....which has been awful! Recent posts that I have created were sadly deleted with no explanation....but there is a bright side! *fingers crossed* things are hopefully back in working order now and I can start posting my reviews once again!!


Now onto better things!.....I was contacted recently by a representative of Walkers and asked if I would like to try a new brand of crisps they had created.

'Walkers Pops' are a brand new creation from Walkers which merges their expertise in flavour innovation with science to create a healthy air-popped snack, with 50% less fat than the average crisp on the market!

Thomas Barkholt, Marketing Director at Walkers said: "At Walkers we set out to create a delicious new family snack. Walkers Pops are air-popped rather than fried, providing all the taste but with 50% less fat"

....Air-popped crisps are becoming quite popular at the moment, simply for the fact that they do provide less fat and are a healthier alternative to other crisps on the market, which I'm sure not only appeals to the average person, but also to families wanting to take into consideration their children's health and diets.

This new brand of 'air-popped' crisps from Walkers are available in four exciting flavours; Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon, Original, Sour Cream & Onion and Prawn Cocktail. For the purposes of this review, I was sent packets of both Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon and Original.

Firstly, I'll start with the Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon flavour!

"Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon"

These crisps come in 23g bags and contain 102 calories. To be 100% honest the idea of 'Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon' crisps does not sound entirely appealing to me!....especially since I'm not a huge fan of bacon! However, for this review I sucked it up and was willing to try them to give you, my lovely readers, an honest review! (how cheesy was that??)

So.....First impressions opening the packet I was immediately hit with a strong 'cheesy' smell, while not entirely unappealing....it did  make me feel hesitant over how these would actually taste!......And shape-wise I actually really love the look of these crisps! They are relatively large disks of air-popped, Walkers goodness!

"102 Kcal per 23g bag"

Taste wise they do taste quite different from your average crisp and are actually quite nice! After a couple of crisps the flavour does become a bit too strong, possibly a bit too strong for my simple tastes!! But overall this is an extremely tasty flavour!

"50% less fat than the average crisp"

Onto the Original Flavour!

"Original Flavour"

Once again this flavour comes in a 23g bag and contains 102 calories!....And one of the things that puts me slightly off these crisps is the calorie content! For a supposed '50% less fat than the average crisp' you would have thought the calorie count would have been less....especially for such a small bag of crisps?

"102 Kcal per 23g bag"

Now straight onto the actual crisps! Upon opening the bag I was hit with an strong salty smell.......reminding me of a very strong bag of ready salted crisps!
Taste wise I actually really, really like these crisps! They are quite salty so the small 23g bag is just enough to satisfy those crunchy crisp cravings you have, without indulging too much!

"Four exciting new flavours"

Overall, I think the concept and design of these crisps are amazing! I do prefer the taste of the Original than the Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon flavour.....but both flavours have incredibly strong seasoning so whichever flavour you decide on you will be in for a treat!
I definitely look forward to trying both the Prawn Cocktail and Sour Cream & Onion flavours!

These crisps are available in multipacks of 6 for an RSP of £1.99 and are also available in single 23g bags with a RSP of £0.63.

For more information on these cracking crisps and other new Walkers ventures, you can follow Walkers on twitter here.


I received this product in order to produce an honest review, and all views/opinions expressed are completely my own. 


Would I buy these again? Yes definitely!! I look forward to trying the other flavours too!

Until next time!

xo