product review Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

Product Review – Savisto Ice Cream maker

August 25, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

I have always fancied trying my hand at making ice cream and this week I got the opportunity to review an ice cream maker from Savisto. This particular one was red (the same as my other kitchen appliances) and everyone in the house was excited to try it out.

The first thing that is important to note, is that making ice cream does need an element of forethought and preparation. The base of the ice cream maker needs to go in the freezer at least 12 hours before you want to make the ice cream – and the mixture you’re using to make the ice cream, needs to be mixed up and chilled too. Since the one we tried actually required heating milk and cream together, cooling and then chilling took the same amount of time as freezing the base (basically overnight).

Once we decided on the flavour we wanted to make (honeycomb), we bought the ingredients, placed the base in the freezer and mixed up the ingredients. As I mentioned before, the mixture needed to cool so it was all left overnight and made the next morning. The ice cream maker comes with both instructions and an ice cream recipes book so it was nice to not have to go looking for ice cream recipes.

Actually making the ice cream is super easy. Take the base out of the freezer and place the mixture into the bowl. Add the whisk to the lid and place (lock) on top. Plug in and turn on. You then just press to start and you’re away. The bowl mixes the ice cream for the set time (automatically set to 40 minutes) and once it’s finished, your ice cream is made.

When the ice cream is first made, its very soft scoop (which I loved). However we placed it in an old ice cream tub (I’d saved it and washed it out, knowing we would make ice cream during the week) and placed it back in the freezer to set a bit more. Later on, I used another recipe from the back of the recipe book to make some sauces and we served it up as desert after dinner.

So how would I rate the ice cream maker? It was pretty awesome. Set up and preparation were easy, other than needing to know you wanted to make ice cream at least 12 hours in advance. Making the ice cream took only 40 minutes and there is a chute on the lid so you can add ingredients towards the end (we did this with the honeycomb). The ice cream maker does all the work so you really don’t have to do anything. Once its done you can just scoop it all out and place into a tub to store. Cleaning the ice cream maker was also really easy and I just rinsed it under the tap and its now ready to go again.

Hari Ghotra Curry Kit review

November 19, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Last week we were treated to a wonderful handmade curry, partly owing to the Hari Ghotra Curry Kit we were sent to review. Since Lamb Bhuna was one of the first Indian dishes that I tried, I picked this particular spice/curry kit to try. While we wouldn’t usually eat lamb as it’s pretty expensive, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go all in!

The curry kit is made up of three bags of spices and instructions. You need to purchase a few extras, such as meat, onions, garlic, tomatoes etc. but the main flavourings come from this kit.

The kit comes with very clear instructions, which tells you what to do, which bags you need and when to add your ingredients. The first thing is to fry up the contents in bag one. It didn’t take long and just needed to brown off the various ingredients. Once done, it needed to be left to cool and then ground up with a pestle and mortar.

Obviously there are a lot of steps from start to finish and I won’t go into them all. You start with onions, add garlic and so forth. Though the recipe called for tins of chopped tomato, Chris and I aren’t keen on tomatoes and instead I added passata – which gave the same tomato taste without the chunks. Anyway you add the spices and ingredients as told, eventually adding the meat. After that you add a lid and leave to simmer down to a much thicker consistency.

When it was finished, the curry looked like this and it smelt amazing. Chris and I coupled the curry with rice and naan, making it the perfect homemade curry. You can use a rice aroma cooker to have perfectly cooked rice.

Hari Ghotra offers loads of different options for curry kits and I would definitely like to try some more. While nothing will beat the ease of ordering butter chicken and cheesy naan from the local Indian takeaway, this was a lot of pleasure to work on, making the home-crafted meal taste even better for being put together with time and care.

Parcel Genie – gift your friends

July 16, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

This week, I discovered a new app that I had never heard of before. Already I’ve used it four times and I have a feeling it will get a lot more use! Have you ever heard of Parcel Genie? It’s available in the app store for free and once you load it up, the basic concept is sending little gifts to your friends and loved ones.

First you pick the gift you want to send. There is a really large choice of gifts, most around £3-4 but ranging up to about £8-9. All prices include the postage too, so what you see is the price you actually pay. Add your friends mobile number and a personalised message if you want to, then move on to the payment. You can pay via Paypal or Debit and Credit card and it literally takes just a minute to do.

Next your friend will get a text message. This part can be a bit confusing because it looks like the text came from you, but hopefully your friend can figure it out! Your friend will then need to reply with their delivery address and Parcel Genie do the rest.

As I mentioned, I’ve used the app four times so far and from my experience of it, the gift is usually dispatched the very same day, if its done early enough I assume, and arrive the day after that. My mum, my partner and my best friend Amy, all got theirs the day after I ordered them.

As you can see, all the boxes are packaged really beautifully and they look like a lovely gift when they arrive. Of the three gifts I’ve seen so far, all fit through the letter box which is also a bonus and will save anyone a trip to the Post Office if they’re not in when the post arrives!

On top of all this, the app offers a shake function where you can win a discount on certain days. It also offers a tracking system, a reward card etc. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this app and like I said, I’m sure I will be using it a lot in the future.

However, you may be wondering what you will do if you don’t own a smartphone and can’t download the app! Well good news. Parcel Genie have just launched a new text website, that enables you to have many of the same features, without needing the app.

The site works almost exactly the same as the app. You go to the website, pick out a gift and then text Parcel Genie with what you want and who you’re sending it to. They will confirm the address with your friend and send out the gift. At the moment there isn’t as much choice on the website as there is on the app but its still a great idea. Send a little gift, on the go, in only moments! And even better. First time users of the website/text service will get a 50% discount too. What more reason do you need to give it a go?

Nurofen Express Heat Patches*

July 15, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

I was recently sent some Nurofen Express Heat patches* to try out which I figured would be great as my partner Chris is ALWAYS suffering from muscular pain, especially in his back. Since I often get tension headaches myself, I’ve used Nurofen many times before. I was eager to give these patches a try and see if they would help.

The packets comes with two heat patches inside, each individually wrapped. The patches become activated when they come into contact with the air, so it’s important you keep them sealed until you need them. However whenever you do need them, just open up the pack, pull off the strip on the back (to reveal a sticky side) and then place onto your skin, wherever the pain is. You could also explore natural remedies like kratom, which can be found in places like happy hippo meridian.

I was fully expecting to give these patches to Chris to use, but surprisingly the day after they arrived, I developed my own issue to try them on! For no reason I could think of, the top part of my chest started hurting. It was a really tight feeling that I at first thought was to do with my asthma. However I realised after a short while, that the problem was clearly muscular and the pain was so bad that it caught me every few moments when I moved. I ended up using the patches to ease the pain before considering a chiropractic machine for relief.

After dropping the kids off at school, I decided to try out one of the patches. I pulled it out of the pack, removed its strip on the back and placed it on the upper area of my chest. It felt a bit like a large plaster, made up of two tea bags! Strange description I know, but that’s sort of what it looked like.

After a few moments, the patch started to warm up. It didn’t get hot at any point though, just warm. Though it felt a bit restricting wearing it (just like you’re conscious of a plaster when you wear it), it wasn’t uncomfortable. I soon pulled my t-shirt back down and tried to ignore the fact the patch was there.

Though it definitely wasn’t a miraculous instant heal, I did end up forgetting about the pain – perhaps because I wasn’t moving as much and therefore I wasn’t aggravating it. A few hours later I needed to go out, which meant driving and at this point I decided to remove the patch as it pulled on my skin during the maneuvers. It came off fairly easily which I was glad for as I’ve always hated removing plasters. Though initially I was distracted by driving, picking the kids up from school etc. I realised later that the pain had actually gone altogether. The thing which had caused me at least two hours of pain that morning, prior to using the patch, was completely gone and didn’t return.

It was by sheer fluke that I got to review these patches within a day of them arriving but I am so glad that I was able to. Though Chris will no doubt end up using the other patch in the packet, I’m definitely going to head out and buy some to keep in the medicine cabinet. These patches worked great for me and I would recommend them to anyone.

Unicorn Horn – Lush Bubble Bar Review

February 20, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Transferred from Twice the Mum when closed.

Last week I went to London for the Game of Thrones Exhibit and while I was there, I treated myself to a bit of a shopping trip. Part of my shopping haul was a couple of Lush items and this week I got to try one of them out! Today my post is all about the Valentine’s special item – Unicorn Horn – a bubble bar made just for the love season and sadly its gone again now!

Lush described this bubble bar as:

Sweet dreams are made of these

Sink into a magical bath filled with beautiful essential oils, colorful candy stars, sparkling glitter, rainbows and dreams. Gorgeous pastel colors and a shimmering luster create enchanting pink waters with silvery trails sparkling through it – just like the dazzling pools in magical forests that unicorns can be found bathing in. Lavender, ylang ylang and neroli create a unique and uplifting fragrance as you surround yourself with mounds of bubbles that will leave you feeling perfectly serene.

The bubble bar itself is so visually appealing – the colours and the design are so catchy and definitely pull you in to make a purchase. This is the only Valentine’s range product that I actually bought and that says it all really, since I technically banned myself from buying any!

Once in the bath, its fairly regular and dare I say, boring. However glitter and fizz and sparkle isn’t everything so that’s not really the point. The smell was lovely, though actually not what I’d expected. To be fair I hadn’t read the description and a sniff didn’t give much away. But once it was in the bath I definitely got hit by the lavender smell and while its lovely, I don’t really do lavender.

I love the look of this bubble bar and the bubbles and feel of the water is exactly what you expect from any Lush product. For me it wasn’t one to buy again but that’s only because I’m not a lavender fan. Honestly, looking as beautiful as it did, I would have wished it had sweet scents and verge on being like a candy mountain – but maybe that’s just me!

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Wednesday Wishlist – Weight Loss

January 28, 2015 by Bel 2 Comments

For weeks and weeks now I’ve been wanting to make a wishlist – Disney, or Florida planning, just something. However I seem to always end up busy on a Wednesday. Today I’ve found the time and I’m going to give you my Wednesday Wishlist of Weight Loss products and supplements.

Obviously it goes without saying, that Weight Loss itself is on my Wishlist. I’ve been trying to lose weight now and while it’s been slow going, I’m gradually getting there. I have 20lbs more that I’d like to lose before my Florida holiday happens, but even if I don’t manage it, I’ll keep on going when I get back. However, if you really want to have significant weight loss in a short period of time, you might want to consider undergoing a weight loss surgery or taking prescription weight loss supplements to help you achieve the flat stomach of your dreams. Here is my wishlist of things I’d love to help me on this journey!

A. Trainers – these particular pair are from Asda and they are a really reasonable price. I’m not really one for labels and brands, so these at £8.00 from George are just perfect. They’re bright and they scream “GET FIT!”. B. FitBit – Have you ever heard of FitBit? I hadn’t until I started using My Fitness Pal. They are a great way to track your fitness and even better they sync with the My Fitness Pal app, which I use to count my calories. As my phone is sometimes too clumpy to carry around with me, or I’m wearing something without pockets, I’d like to get a FitBit – either the zip type or a bracelet. However with prices starting at £30 and going upwards of £100, its just not something I can afford at the moment. C. Leggings – alright, so the Hogwarts part of this isn’t essential, but what a good excuse to get them. These particular leggings are from Hot Topic and as you all know, I have an addiction to that place. When going for a run or working out in the lounge, it would be good to have something comfy to wear. I don’t know about you but I always find tracksuit bottoms to shrink in the wash!

D. Diet Books – At the beginning of my diet, I just tried calorie counting but still eating what I wanted. However since the beginning of this year I’ve switched to Rosemary Conley’s G.I. Diet. It’s a diet I’ve used twice before and always found to be successful. I’m currently cooking meals from her books G.I. Jeans, Ultimate G.I. Jeans and G.I. Hip and Thigh. To give me some motivation, I’d like to also purchase one (or both) of these books – The Fab Diet and Amazing Inch Loss Plan. E. Xbox Games – The girls have been playing Xbox recently and more importantly they’ve been using the Kinect. We barely put the Wii on any more and so I’m finding it hard to motivate myself to use it. I’ve been thinking if I bought a Fitness game for the Xbox, perhaps I’d be more likely to use it. I think a Zumba fitness game would be good for that. F. Stepper – I once had a stepper machine and I actually used it a lot. This would be good for just standing in front of the TV (sorry, I know that’s terrible, but true) and getting in some exercise! G. Leg Weights – I also used to own some of these and while I can’t honestly tell you if they worked or not, I feel like they would be a good (and easy) way to tone my legs, while pretty much getting on with my every day. They’re easy to just put on in the morning and then get on with the rest of the day.

As well as the things I’ve listed, I’d like to get myself swimming some more and also out on a run again. I have this awesome top from House of Fraser, by Lorna Jane, which I wore last time I went for a run. It sells for £29.00* and reads “Follow Your Dreams” on the front, then “Your Dreams Know The Way”. I liked it because I felt like is sounded Disney-esque.

The bright colour made me feel energised as soon as I put it on. I coupled it with some tracksuit bottoms (that really have seen better days) and a blue jacket. I then strapped on my arm phone holder, pulled on my trainers and went for a run.

Though it was cold outside, I was definitely warm enough while I was running. At the same time, when I got home I felt really warm, but not sweaty. I love this top and it was definitely a great pick. I’ve actually been looking to get myself some trousers or shorts to go with it but I couldn’t decide which so it’s not on the wishlist!

Cross your fingers for a Weight Loss this Friday – look out for Get Fit Friday, to find out!