Meridian- Black current jam

I'm not a huge fan of jam. I don't have fond memories of jam sandwiches and, to be honest, Victoria sponges always endured a thorough forensic scrapping: leaving more cake than filling. However, since I've eaten less sugar, I've looked out for jams as a way of giving me a hit of fruit and sweetness without being terrible for me. I always buy jams free from added sugar, so when I saw this offering from Meridian on the Holland and Barret website, I added it into my basket and looked forward to the arrival of my refined sugar free treat. 

Barely had the postman handed it over than I whipped out my teaspoon and had a taste. 

Taste: I was initially struck by how thin the jam was. I gave it a stir to see if it thickened up but it didn't. Unfortunately, my gusto to try it was completely shattered. This jam was just a complete let down. Thin, warty and tasteless, it had a remote hint of sweetness that tasted artificial: for all the fact that it's a completely natural product. It didn't particularly have any flavour and it most certainly did not taste of black current :-( I tried it on toast but it was even more of a let down. It just made the bread kind of...wet. 

I much, much prefer the Dal Four natural jam range and will most definitely be saving my pretty pennies  to purchase that in the future. 

Free from: gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, refined sugar, egg, soy, yeast. 

Where? Holland and Barrat in store and online. 

Scor: 2/10

Orgran- Outback animal chocolate biscuits

I'm a sucker for animal shaped biscuits. The Cadbury chocolate animal biscuits occupy a special place in my childhood memory heart. When I saw these allergy free ones in my local Home Bargains store recently, I jumped at the chance to try them. Quite literally, actually, what with them being right on the top shelf. 

First impressions: what an impressive list of free-from ingredients! Free from gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, nuts and yeast. They're also Vegan to boot. Hoorah! I then checked the calorie contents. I don't know why, but I just expected them to be sky high. Well, blow.me.down. 6 little biscuits come in at a minuscule 68 Kcal. Each pack has approx 10 servings. 

Look: Now, I *think* the biscuits are meant to be animal shaped. I'm no zoologist but I think even Darwin himself would struggle to identify what exactly these little cookie critters are meant to be. I think I can just make out the kangaroo and crocodile but the other little creature has left me a bit bewildered. Looking at the box I think he's meant to be a possum but I think it's safe to say he definitely got the short end of the cookie cutter straw. Regardless, for such a tall order as making something free from so many allergens and the problems that come with cookie consistency in free from products, I think they've done very well to get any sort of shape at all!

Taste: They're really lovely. They remind me of cereal like Wheetos, and we all know how easy they we to eat. Straight out of the box. By the handful. They taste quite cocoa-ish, have a nice bite and don't taste like they're free from so many components of a regular cookie. They're not going to set your tastebuds alight, but they are tasty enough to warrant repurchasing. They're also not overly sugary sweet in taste which is just right for me. 

I know these are ultimately aimed at kids, but they've certainly ticked all the right boxes with this big kid: low cal, allergen free and moorish to boot. They're certainly not healthy, but then they don't claim to be. I'd have no hesitation in buying them again for big or little kids, allergy kids or not.

FreeFrom: Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Egg, nuts, Soy, Yeast. Suitable for Vegans. 

Where: HomeBargains (UK) -I got them for a bargainalicious 49p! They do sell some products on Amazon. 

Score: 7/10

Lovemore-Chocolate Bourbons

Chocolate bourbons have always been my nemesis. Even in my happy biscuit munching childhood days of yore,chocolate bourbons were always a biscuit I'd side step. Not because the thought of a delicious chocolate cream gently nestled between two chocolatey biscuits didn't appeal to me, but because, for some reason, the little blighters always gave me stomach ache. It didn't matter the make, the country of purchase, what time of day I ate them or whether I ate them standing on my head: I just could not escape the dreaded stomach cramps. I'm still not entirely sure what caused them (although I do have a problem with butter icing, so...?) so when I found I needed to eat gluten free, chocolate bourbons didn't even enter my vortex of foods I'd miss. I also have to say that, as well as the pain factor, I found them a rather dry, crumbly and pointless addition to the biscuit tin, predisposed to softness and just generally a damp squib. 

When the chaps at Lovemore so kindly sent me some samples to try and amongst them I noticed a big box of chocolate bourbon's staring up at me, I could feel myself getting prickly. So, we meet again, my old foe. After realising just how ridiculous I must look talking to a biscuit, I decided to cut these guys some slack. Wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and egg free: the only thing these guys had in common with their brethren was the name and shape. Not all biscuits are created equal, so I decided to throw away my prejudices and give them a go. 

First impressions were good. The biscuits felt great, very sturdy with no threat of crumbling under pressure (ho ho). They smelt mildly chocolatey but not the coco deliciousness of the O'Choco. 

I split the biscuit in half and there was the filling. Or rather, where was the filling? As you can see, the actual content was rather sparse. Unfortunately, things didn't look up much from there. The flavour was, like the filling, lacking. It tasted mildly of coco but thee was a strong hint of rice flour rising through. This isn't surprising as it is the first ingredient on the list, but it just didn't have the nice rounded 'gluten free biscuit in disguise' flavour of the O'Choco. As such, I couldn't really taste the filling either. 

It's such a shame as I had high hopes for these biscuits after being completely blown away by the O'Choco and loving their Jammy Wheels (review to come). I'd like to see the product with more filling to see of that helps it along. As it stands, it's a biscuit that's so close to being there it just falls a little flat. Although my stomach didn't turn in pain, it didn't do jumps of happiness either. Sorry!

FreeFrom: Gluten, Wheat and Dairy and egg. 

Where: Lovemore website, Waitrose stores

Score: 4/10

Morrison's- FreeFrom Spaghetti

Ah, who could forget that romantic scene in Lady and the Tramp when the two young pup's noses meet over a delicious plate of good ol' spag bol. Ah <3 Actually, it's more 'argh' for me given that film will forever be marred by the memory of *those* Siamese cats. *Shudder*

Spaghetti was one of those foods I knew I'd sorely miss when eating Gluten Free. In the name of all things bloggable, I've taken it upon myself to try every brand I can find. The first to face my tastebud challenge is by Morrison's.

The packet weighs in at 500g which makes it comparable with most gluten filled counterparts. If you're used to eating GF then you'll be well aware that GF products tend to come in much smaller sizes. A serving is 75g dry which should work out at 150g when cooked. A serving comes in at 258 calories. 

The spaghetti is a lot yellower than most non GF spaghetti's, but this is very common amongst the GF spaghetti brethren due to the high cornflour content. A big tip when cooking GF spaghetti is to use the biggest pan you have. GF spaghetti really enjoys plenty of room for a good swim around. Too small a pan and you'll more than likely be left with a solid spaghetti wedge rather than nice individual strands. Another factor I've found is to give the spaghetti a little extra cooking time. I find 14 minutes allows the spaghetti to be cooked through and loses the slightly chewy edge that GF spaghetti can have. 

Morrison's offering certainly stepped up to the mark. It cooked well, didn't stick together, wasn't chewy and certainly tasted great when immersed in my tomato and bean sauce (recipe coming up!). It wasn't exactly like 'normal' spaghetti but I think that when eating gluten free, you have to refrain from comparing like for like and just appreciate the GF food in its own right. 

This offering was tasty and ticked the boxes, but, alas, I'm still waiting for a spaghetti to give me my Lady and the Tramp moment. 

FreeFrom: Gluten, Wheat and Dairy

May contain: Egg (although I didn't have any reaction)

Where: Morrison stores

Score: 6/10

Lovemore- O'Choco Biscuits 125g

I genuinely do not know how I'm writing this review given I'm currently riding the waves of a biscuit fuelled high. I like to consider myself as someone capable of moderation. In fact, it's a concept I've applied to many aspects of my life: study, exercise, tidying my room as a teen. Everything in moderation. Where I do not have the power to exercise such constrain appears to be in relation to biscuit consumption. I think becoming sensitive to so many food stuffs has left me so fearful that anything I find that I can eat will be taken away, that I scoffaffle the whole lot with greater speed than Mr Bolt. Must work on this.

However, having just downed the entire packet of LoveMore's O'Choco biscuits, I have absolutely no remorse what.so.ever.

Lovemore foods are a big player in the Free from market. Part of the larger Welsh Hills Bakery, the company has beven ruling the bakery roost since 1956. Whilst they've been busy making and supplying gluten free products since the early 2000s, their own Freefrom range launched back in 2008. You'll now find their products all over the globe which is no mean feat for a bakery nestled in the glorious Welsh hills.

But now, for the review. I could just say, these biscuits are delicious: go out and buy them. Quite honestly, that would suffice. But for true review's sake, I shall elaborate a little more. There's no escaping their resemblance to a certain famous chocolate and cream cookie. Their website describes them as having 'that definite American look and are award winning.They are made with Indulgent chocolate and have a soft vanilla cream centre'. Now, I have to be honest and say that I am no fan of the infamous Oreo biscuit. I always find they taste a little burnt and are way too hard in texture. These O'Choco's have somehow managed to take away all the aspects I dislike of the gluten filled counterpart and send chocolate biscuits to another level. The biscuit has a good snap, doesn't fall apart, tastes super rich and chocolatey and the cream filling compliments the dark chocolate biscuit by bringing a smooth vanilla flavour that never, ever tastes too sweet. Even after an entire packet. 

I'd be very tempted to crush them up and use them as a cheesecake base, if I ever manage not to devour them all in one sitting.

As I (Lelly) cannot eat dairy or eggs as well as Gluten and Wheat, these biscuits are a godsend. At least to my tastebuds, if not to my waistline. 

I'd definitely recommend these biscuits to anyone, regardless if they have food allergies or not. Happy crunching! :)

Free From: Wheat, Gluten and Dairy
Ingredients: No Egg
Contains: Soy

Price: £1.68 on their website
Where: Lovemore, Amazon, Ocado and various supermarkets and stores. 
Score: 9/10

*These were sent to me as a sample and all views expressed are my own*

Yogi Tea- Choco Aztec Spice (organic)

It's Chriiiistmaaaaaaaaas!

Oh yes. You'd have to have been walking round in a blindfold (naughty ;) ) to have not noticed the festive season is well and truly upon us. Personally, I can't get enough of it. I'm absolutely not one for the commercialism of Christmas and I won't wax lyrical about the Christian meaning, but I will say that I love the spirit of Christmas. People coming together, people giving their time, love and affection and the transformation of drab, greyish centres into colourful, brightly lit spectacles.

Another addition to the Christmas tradition in recent years appears to be the Festive Hot Drink. Walking down the high street you'll spot people caressing the FHD, breathing in the sweet aromas of toffee nut, gingerbread, or pepperminty hot chocolatey goodness from brightly coloured cups. I, however, am loathed to part with my pennies for a gratuitous shot of syrup and a liquid dose of my daily calorie allowance. Don't get me wrong, I have sampled the wares, and last Christmas went quite potty for a certain chain's Toffee Nut Latte. However, when I got my bank statement through in the New Year and totted up just how much these 'treats' had cost me, I vowed not to let the festive season drain my bank balance, like I drained those paper cups, again.

So, this year I have decided to make my own little drinks and sample some flavoured teas. I had a voucher for Holland and Barrett so decided to pop on down for a festive freebie. The first on my list was this offering from Yogi Teas. Choco Aztec Spice (organic) promised to 'inspire feelings of joy with each cup'. A bold statement there, indeed.

I left the tea bag in for the full seven minutes, as recommended on the box. It did suggest adding some sugar or milk to taste but as I'm not too fond of overly sweet drinks I skipped the sugar and added a drop of soy milk. I had a quick taste of it 'neat' so to speak and, to be honest, I don't think the soy milk added or detracted anything, so I will make my observations hence forth.

The tea smelt delicious. It truly smelt like a little gingerbread man had taken a bath in my cup. As I took a sip I was initially hit by the ginger, then the spice with notes of chocolate coming through. Rising up at the end were the more liquorice notes. As I don't drink alcohol, I've never really had a multi faceted drink, but this really was something. I found myself really thinking about and enjoying each sip, rather than glugging it down mindlessly. I enjoyed my tea with a little square of dark chocolate and felt like I was having a real treat at a fraction of the calories, and cost, of the high street counterpart.

I would thoroughly recommend this tasty treat. At £2.19 and 17 tea bags per box (not 15 as stated online), it works out at  12.8p a cup! I won't do the price comparison for the big chains, but that's one heckofalot of pennies Yule save (ho ho ho).

Price: £2.19
Where: Holland and Barrett
Score: 9/10

Kallo- Organic Original Puffed Rice Cereal

I've enjoyed a very tempestuous relationship with breakfast over the years. As a child I devoured Weetabix coated in a small plantation's worth of sugar. Then, as I went through my teenage years and early twenties, things turned sour. There just wasn't enough time to pimp and prime myself and feed my stomach. Something had to give and my immaculately applied green sparkly eyeshadow certainly wasn't it. One thing I have realised over the years is that I am definitely more a brunch kinda gal. I'm not a big one for breakfast nor lunch but a brunch suits me just fine. This somewhat long winded waffle explains why I don't tend to buy much cereal. However, I recently got lured by these brightly green packaged Puffed Rice cereal by Kallo and thought I'd give them a go.

Unlike their sugar coated pixie endorsed comrades, these little grains of rice hit your bowl without a snap, crackle or pop in sight. They are 100% rice and nothing else. I popped them into a bowl with some soy milk and took my first bite. They were pleasantly quite nice. Given they really are just puffed up little grains of rice, they had a lovely 'wholesome' flavour. They were, as to be expected, very plain so I added a small handful of raisins which worked really well, adding a sweet chewiness each bite. Given they don't have any coating they do tend to go soggy quite quickly and I wasn't too keen on them once saturated but given I tend to hoover up my food quicker than Monsieur Dyson, this wasn't really a problem.

I did try to make chocolate crispie cakes with them but, unfortunately, the lack of coating meant the little rice grains went very soggy in the chocolate so I wouldn't recommend using them for baking. All in all, I'd say these were a surprise hit. I would definitely consider buying them again and, when sticking to the portion sizes, a bag can last a whole week.

Where- Most supermarkets
Price - £1.80
Rating- 8/10