Wednesday 25 December 2019

Jamie Noms Through Christmas | McDonalds Festive Menu 2019

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new Jamie Noms Through Christmas post. Sadly, this is the last one. I thought that, today, I would talk to you all about McDonalds Festive Menu 2019. I'm sure that you've seen the amazing Reindeer Ready adverts.

A golden M on a red background on a bright background

Chicken Deluxe 

'Two tender Chicken Selects layered with creamy Emmental cheese. Topped with a zesty tomato relish and cool mayo.' - McDonalds Website

Sadly. there were good things and bad things about this product. I'll start with the bad, and, then get into the good. The Bad thing about this burger, was, that it was pretty much two Selects, and, honestly made it feel less like a burger. Especially when the Selects have a tendency to fall out easily and then you're just eating bun and stuff. The contrast between the cool Mayo and the Relish was really nice. The Relish had a bit of a sweet vibe going on, which meant that the cool cool mayo accentuated the sweetness and made everything feel harmonious within this burger. The Cheese added a bit of Goo, which I always love, which made the burger experience that little bit more enjoyable. I'd try it again but id be careful when it comes to ensuring that the Selects stay in the actual burger...

Cheese Melt Dippers Sharebox 

'Twelve camembert dippers coated in a crispy crumb.' - McDonalds Website

I love anything that is deep fried and Cheese based. My stomach might not, but my soul and my brain definitely do. These were delicious, but, I would definitely mention that it is best to have them whilst they are still warm as they aren't as delicious when cold. I love the contrast between the smooth milky Cheese, against, the crisp outer shell of the Dipper. Crunchy and smooth, mmm. What I love more, is the, flavour contrast against the cooling milky Camembert, and, the tangy/slightly sour Tomato Dip which gives the whole thing a good amount of Zing. If I could get the Dip on its own to use on everything, then I would!

Mint Matchmaker McFlurry 

'Soft dairy ice cream swirled with Mint Matchmaker pieces and chocolate mint sauce.' McDonalds Website.

This was a weird one for me. I love Mint, but this was a sort of Mint that punched me in the face and told me that 'IT'S CHRISTMAS!' The fab part about this McFlurry was the sauce. Dark Chocolate with a subtle touch of Mint. The Chocolate stood out the most to me. I loved this because every so often, it ensured that you had a little bit of a break from the strong hit of pure Mint flavour from the Matchmakers. I loved the sort of nubbly texture that the Matchmakers provided against the smooth ice Cream. I would definitely try this again just for the Chocolate sauce alone. This McFlurry would go great with maybe a Toffee Latte/Hot Chocolate I feel.

Millionaire's Donut

An indulgent iced caramel doughnut with gooey caramel filling, topped with biscuit pieces and a dark cocoa drizzle.

I loved this, even, if on the whole I got very big Krispy Kreme vibes. The dough itself tasted like it had been home made which is an amazing thing. I love when you can tell the dough from donuts has been made and freshly fried. It just gives it an different dimension of flavour to it. The biscuit pieces added a tiny bit of crunch on top, but kind of made the whole thing messy as to eat. Sometimes, I love that, but if I was walking and eating this, which some may do to the office, then this wouldn't be such a great point to the product. The main part of the show was the ooey-gooey Caramel Filling. Rich, buttery and thick. Oh, I would pour this on anything and everything as it is that good.

Have you tried any of the McDonalds Festive Menu? Let me know down below!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Monday 23 December 2019

Jamie Noms Through Christmas | Iceland Festive Menu 2019

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new Jamie Noms Through Christmas post. I thought that today, that I would talk to you about Iceland, who are infamous for their Christmas ranges.

Now, with University and everything happening lately, I've only had the time to try one savoury thing from Iceland's Seasonal Range, and, three different desserts from the Iceland Seasonal Range. There won't be any images of them as it was a while ago. I could email the PR, but, with most PR teams it takes a while due to them being busy at this time of year, and I want this post up before Christmas is over and done with.

Iceland in orange chunky font on a bright background

Festive Pie 

There is no description for this, but this is literally a Christmas Lunch in a Pie. I loved all of the different elements, I loved all of the veg, the meat, the creamy sauce, But my main big problem is that, it was kind of small... I was expecting something kind of bigger, like a sort of Quiche size, not a Pie a size of my palm really. The pastry against the smooth silky sauce was amazing. If it was any bigger than it was then I think it would have been one of the best pies I've had ever.

Black Forest Cheesecake 

If you love Black Forest things, then you will love this! The Cheesecake base was crumbly but still somewhat crispy which was a great contrast against the smooth creamy filling. The Cream Cheese was a beautiful blank canvas for the dark sour Cherries. The Chocolate cut against the sourness and rounded off the whole Dessert. I loved it and the Cherry flavour wasn't too pronounced or too sour which made it great for everyone, as, sometimes I'm not the biggest fan of Sour Cherries. A great dessert to round off any night.

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake 

Sadly, you can't whack this one, but, you can definitely tap it... If you love Chocolate Orange flavoured things, then this is right up your street. The Orange flavour in this was more realistic than synthetic which I quite liked. The filling of the Cheesecake had a slight set Jelly feel to it which was unusual, but, I quite liked it. It gave me quite big Jaffa cake vibes, which, is never a bad thing in my eyes. If you like something with a fruity kick for dessert, then, definitely give this one a try!

Passion Fruit Cheesecake

This was quite simple. Passion Fruit Puree as a topping, and a Cheesecake as a base. The Passion Fruit created a Fruity and Zingy contrast against the sweet creamy Cheesecake. I loved how sort of Zingy and Sour it was as it just made you want more. It's a great to enjoy at this time of year as everything is laden with rich flavours at this time of year, and, something like this dessert would definitely cut through all of that. Give it a try and let me know what you think down below!

I hope that you've enjoyed this Jamie Noms Through Christmas post. I hope that you come back next time for another post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Sunday 22 December 2019

Jamie Noms Through Christmas | KFC Festive Menu 2019

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new Jamie Noms Through Christmas post. I thought that today, I would tell you all about the KFC Festive box Meal that I tried from the KFC Festive Menu.

'KFC’s brand-new Festive Burger is making its Christmas debut. Packed with a succulent Original Recipe fillet, a crispy hash brown, a delicious sage and onion stuffing mayo and topped with a tangy cranberry dressing and a layer of cheese. Why suffer through a dry Turkey Sandwich?' - KFC UK Website.

A large circular light brown chicken burger with dark red cranberry sauce and white may with yellow cheese and golden brown hash brown between two golden brown bread buns in a white box on a light brown rectangular table on a bright background

The Burger 

The Burger was an intriguing new concept for myself and KFC. Turkey Sandwich, KFC style. I loved the Crispy Chicken against the sweet thick Cranberry Sauce, as its vibrant juices mixed with the sweet sauce. I also loved the Mayo, as every so often, you got a pop of creaminess which was then followed by a hit of Sage and Onion. This was great as every pop was surprising on the palette. My main problem with the Burger was that the extras weren't needed that much. The Bacon was a tad flimsy, and only really added a hint of meatiness to the burger, whereas the Hash Brown in my opinion, didn't add anything at all. This was a bit of a shame, as I love Hash Browns! The Cheese added a tiny bit of Goo, but, it didn't contain that much Goo to the point that you could notice it so it seemed a bit pointless having it within the Burger.

Chicken 

I adore the Original Recipe Chicken from KFC. It's crispy and slightly spicy, as, the batter is coated in those infamous herbs and spices. I just adore it and it went beautifully with the sweetness of the burger. There was nothing wrong with the Chicken, but, it's a staple that Ive had many times before at the well known Chicken franchise.

Fries 

Sadly, the Fries/Chips, were the most lacklustre of the Box Meal. I love KFC's Fries, but, I did request Festive Fries, and they didn't taste any different than the normal fries. Honestly, these were kinda soggy and just meh overall. I think that if they had a little bit more crisp then it would have made them even better. I'm sure I only got normal fries, so, if you've tried the Festive Fries, then let me know down below!

Have you tried any of the KFC Festive Menu? Let me know down below! 

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Saturday 21 December 2019

Jamie Noms Through Christmas | Starbucks Festive Menu 2019

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new Jamie Noms Through Christmas post! I thought that today I would talk to you all about the Christmas items at Starbucks within the UK. As, 3 of the 4 Red Cups were the same as last year, I've decided to mainly focus on the one that was new for 2019 and a couple of food items that I tried when trying the new Red Cup.

Two cylindrical plastic cup with domed lids filled with chocolate drinks with white cream next two light golden brown treats on a white circular plate on a brown wooden table on a bright background


Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate/Frappuccino

'Delicious mocha sauce is blended with ice, marshmallow syrup, topped with marshmallow flavoured whipped cream and finished with a caramalised sugar topping.' 

I loved this I liked the flavour contrast between the dark chocolate drink, and, the sweetness and charred flavour of the Toasted Marshmallow. I did wish that there was a lot more Marshmallow flavour in the drink, as it reminded me more of Chocolate Pudding, that it did Marshmallows. I did love the tiny crunch from the Caramelised Sugar that was on top of the drink! I also do think that it could be topped with some actual Toasted Marshmallows to evoke the flavours within. However, I understand why they didn't to try and ensure that they could keep it Vegan.

Twinkle & Sprinkle Salted Caramel Cupcake

'Butterscotch cupcake, caramel sauce filling, salted caramel buttercream topping.'

Okay, this was amazing! The Cupcake had a strong yet sugary Butterscotch taste to it which made the treat moreish. The sauce in the middle added great texture against the thick buttercream and the slightly crumbly Cupcake. I did wish that the Caramel Sauce was a little bit more cooked or with some salt in, as, I am a big sucker for thick flowing Salted Caramel. The buttercream was great and ended the sweet treat on a high. Sweet but not sickly.

Cran-Merry Cheesecake Muffin

'Vanilla sponge muffin with cranberries and white chocolate pieces filled with Mascarpone cheese.'

This was great. The Cream Cheese gave the Muffin a bit of a tender crumb, but, also gave the Muffin a bit of a Creamy taste. I loved the freshness of Cranberry against the sweetness of the Muffin, but, I do wish that there was a bit more flavour when it came to the Cranberries themselves. I also love the name of this one as it ties in so well with the Christmas Season. Who doesn't love a Christmas based pun?!

Have you tried any of the items from the Starbucks Festive Menu? Let me know down below!

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

Saturday 14 December 2019

Spraying The Junk In Your Room | Lush New Perfumes December 2019

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new post! Lush have released some new scents lately, so I thought that today I would talk to you all about them. 

Six glass rectangular bottles with white labels with American Cream, Pansy, Lord of Misrule, Ginger, Rose Jam, Junk in black font on a bright background

I think that the best way to start off and then talk about my opinion of the scent and if it reminds me of anything.

American Cream 

DRF Alcohol Perfume Water (Aqua) Glycerine Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone Vanilla Absolute Clary Sage Oil Lavender Oil Benzoin Resinoid *Anise Alcohol *Benzyl Benzoate Coumarin *Geraniol *Limonene *Linalool

This American Cream perfume is amazing. I feel like over the past year or so, the scent of AC has changed from Strawberry Milkshake to Violet. This kind of mixes both of those scents into one. It has a big hint of creamy vanilla that blends into Strawberry for me which then blends into a muted sort of Violet smell. I also tried the Solid version. This has a more Strawberry scent which then blends into Vanilla. I think that this would be great for an everyday scent or something to evoke the beginning of Summer with, as, England symbolises Strawberries and Cream with Spring-Summer and this is the epitome of that sweet dish. 

Pansy

DRF Alcohol Perfume Water (Aqua) Glycerine *Limonene Bergamot Oil Orange Flower Absolute Rosemary Oil Galbanum Oil Labdanum Resinoid Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone Benzyl Benzoate Butylphenyl Methylpropional *Citral Coumarin Oakmoss Extract *Farnesol *Geraniol Hexyl Cinnamal Hydroxycitronellal *Linalool

This is meant to be very similar to The Olive Branch Shower Gel. In my opinion, it's not. (If you smell it, let me know down below). It's very sweet at first and then it blends into a very spring like Floral scent. I kind of love it, but, I was surprised. I think if you like anything floral based then you will absolutely love it. 

Lord of Misrule 

DRF Alcohol Perfume Dark Sumatran Patchouli Oil Water (Aqua) Glycerine *Limonene Black Pepper Oil Vanilla Absolute *Anise Alcohol *Benzyl Alcohol *Benzyl Benzoate *Citral *Coumarin *Eugenol *Farnesol *Geraniol *Linalool

Honestly, the Liquid smells exactly the same as the Shower Gel, or Bath Bomb. The Vanilla hits you and then the Patchouli instantly punches through and makes you instantly feel like its Autumn, no matter when this scent is sprayed on you. The Solid has a more punchier scent of Patchouli, as the Vanilla is more muted. 

Ginger 

DRF Alcohol Water (Aqua) Perfume Glycerine Mimosa Absolute Bergamot Oil Ginger Oil Sicilian Red Mandarin Oil Geranium Oil Sandalwood Oil  Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone *Benzyl Alcohol *Benzyl Benzoate *Benzyl Salicylate *Citral Citronellol *Eugenol

I didn't think that I would love this, but oh my god I seriously do. It's Woody, Fruity and Spicy all in one go to me. The Mandarin Oil comes through first when you spray it, then the Ginger Oil and Sandalwood come through at the same time which gives you sort of a Warm scent. I think that this would be amazing for any time of the year, but, if you love scents that are warming or give you a bit of a pep then I definitely advise you to give this a go. If you like the Ginger range, then, you will love this. 

Rose Jam 

DRF Alcohol Water (Aqua) Perfume Glycerine Citronellol Geraniol Pakistani Rose Absolute Rose Oil Geranium Oil Sicilian Lemon Oil *Citral Coumarin *Eugenol *Limonene *Linalool

I love everything that is Rose Jam, to the point that I wore all the Rose Jam possible for Birthday Drinks this year, and, my friends Abbey and Michelle could smell this from a mile away. if you love the Body Spray or the Shower Gel, then, imagine that but slightly muted and softer. If you think that Rose Jam is a bit too strong, then I urge you to smell this as I think that you might like this a little bit more than the rest of the Rose Jam family. 

Junk

DRF Alcohol Perfume *Limonene Sicilian Lemon Oil Water (Aqua) Glycerine Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone Green Mandarin Oil Rosemary Oil Sage Oil *Citral *Geraniol *Linalool

I have saved the best till last. This scent is amazing to me. It starts off as Blue Raspberry (imagine the sort of Blue Raspberry flavoured slushy drinks you can find in most UK based cinemas. After ra couple of mins, it turns into a sour Blackcurrant scent. I just think that its absolutely amazing! If you like anything that is fruity or sour, or like something that has similar vibes to The Comforter, then check this one out!

Have you tried any of the scents mentioned above? Let me know down below!

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

Friday 13 December 2019

Jamie Noms Through Christmas | Greggs Festive Menu 2019

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new Jamie Noms Through Christmas post. I thought that today I would talk to you all about, some of the new Festive releases from, Greggs. (Yes I will be admitting my love for the Festive Bake throughout this post. If you don't like them, or, haven't tried them before, then comment down below (so I can try and convert you)!

A blue rectangular box with Greggs in white bold font with found small orange squares on a bright background


Festive Bake

This may seem bias for this post, but I love Festive Bakes. Festive Bakes get me in the mood for Christmas, and, honestly they light my soul up every time that I see one or enjoy one.

The description of the Festive Bake is, 'Combining succulent pieces of Chicken Breast Pieces, Sage & Onion Stuffing, and, Sweetcure Bacon, in a creamy Sage & Cranberry Sauce. All encased in Golden Puff Pastry, with a crunchy Crumb topping.' - Greggs Website.

What I love about it is, that the succulent Chicken, Bacon, and little nuggets of Stuffing work against the creamy sauce and the crunchy topping, not only in the form of a contrast between textures (the soft meats against the smooth sauce, against the gorgeous crunchy topping), but also taste wise too.

When you take the first bite, you instantly get the hit of the soft as silk Chicken, then the crispy slightly salty Bacon, and then, a punch of the seasoned Stuffing comes through. After this, a wave of the creamy and Smooth sauce washes over your tongue like a coastal wave on a beautiful day. The creamy taste is instantly defeated by the punch of the tangy Cranberry sauce which makes your tongue slightly tingle and crave more. After the tidal waves of the mouth have calmed, the crunchy sort of herby coating and the crisp buttery Pastry hit the tongue and end the Bake on such a high note that leaves you wanting more.

Get one before they go.

Christmas Lunch Soup

The description of this one is, 'A festive soup made with smoked bacon, chicken, turkey, sage & onion stuffing, pork sausage, vegetables, herbs and spices.'

This one was a weird one but, I kind of enjoyed it. Again, you get the mixture of the meats as soon as you tasted it and then the Sausages and Stuffing, and, then the Veggies and other things. I enjoyed it and loved how the flavours were complex. I think that this is an amazing soup to start a cold winters day off with.

My main problem with this soup, was that there wasnt enough flavour. I realise that this sounds really stupid due to the meats and veggies giving some form of flavour, but I wanted more. Honestly, I wanted it to punch me in the face, just like the Festive Bake does.

I'd definitely recommend that you try this at least once this Holiday Season.

Pigs In Blankets

Everyone loves Pigs In Blankets, and oh, so do I!

Sadly, for Greggs, these weren't the best Pigs In Blankets that I've had in my lifetime. They were kind of bland and overdone for my liking. Everything was crisp and the whole point of a PIB is that you get the softness with a slight char of the Sausage and the crispiness of the Bacon. The aftertaste was a peculiar one too. It wasn't meat but instead was Black Pepper, even though, there wasn't the biggest of punch of Black Pepper when trying them.

A cylindrical white tub with a blue Greggs logo with Greggs in white font and pigs in blankets in dark bold font on a bright background


Have you tried any of the Greggs Seasonal Range? Let me know down below!

Thanks for reading another Jamie Noms Through Christmas post.
Jamie x