Friday, 28 October 2022

That's Food and Drink: Asda announces new vegan range for Christmas

That's Food and Drink: Asda announces new vegan range for Christmas: From mains that have the festive wow! factor, to luxurious desserts to delectable and morish party nibbles, Asda’s new range of vegan Christ...

Wow! Biggest Mince Pie ever from Asda!

Is this the biggest Mince Pie ever? Quite possibly!  

It's ideal for Christmas parties and get together over the festive season. It's Asda’s new Extra Special Giant Mince Pie is a showstopping wintertime must-have.

It's new for this Christmas season, Asda’s Extra Special Giant Mince Pie which is deliciously prepared fresh in-store and serves six people.

The launch forms a part of a 15-strong mince pie range including a selection of boozy mince pies, too.

It's available as part of Asda’s largest Christmas range to date, in-store and online from now on.

Christmas just isn't Christmas without mince pies, is it? 

This Christmas, Asda has launched the king of mince pies The Extra Special Giant Mince Pie. The giant treat costs a very modest £4.50 and is enough for six people, thus making it perfect for festive get-togethers this Christmas and New Year.

The mega pie sees an all-butter shortcrust pastry filled with fruity mincemeat infused with brandy and port for the perfect bite. Wrapped in an orange zest-infused casing, this giant treat is bound to impress all mince pie lovers.

As we have already mentioned, it is an integral component of Asda’s 15-strong mince pie range, the range also includes a fine selection of boozy mince pies, perfect for getting the party started or continued!

Asda shoppers can opt for three tipple-tastic flavours, there's Sloe Gin, Irish Cream and Spiced Rum. They are available in packs of six for just £2.25.

Ideal for Christmas get-togethers, the Extra Special Sloe Gin Mince Pies are a gin drinker’s paradise, featuring mincemeat laced with sloe gin and encased in a rich all-butter shortcrust pastry pie.

For something a little bit special, Asda’s Extra Special Irish Cream Mince Pies are rich, velvety, and luxurious and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser this Christmas. Or for those who like a more classic pairing, the Extra Special Spiced Rum Mince Pies won’t disappoint, filled with rum-soaked mincemeat with a hint of spice.

For lovers of a classic, ASDA’s Signature Special Indulgent Mince Pies (£2.50) are a great choice. These traditionally tantalising mince pies come with an all-butter pastry and are generously filled with luxurious fruit mincemeat with citrus peel and a touch of Valencian orange oil, laced with cognac brandy, Portuguese ruby port and a dash of orange liqueur.

And it doesn’t stop there. Perfect for the big day itself, Asda’s Extra Special Indulgent Top Mince Pie Crumble (£2.50) serves as the ultimate treat! This all-butter shortcrust pastry is filled with Bramley apple and toffee and topped with a caramelised pecan nut crumble, offering a wonderful fusion of family pudding favourites.

Asda shoppers can pick up Asda’s new mince pie range online and in-store now. What’s more, the retailer is running an offer from now until the end of the season, giving customers the chance to buy any two packs of Asda’s Extra Special Mince Pies for £3.50 – a tasty saving of £1.

What’s more, with every purchase of the ASDA Extra Special 4 Extra Indulgent Mince Pies (£2.50), the ASDA Extra Special 4 Apple & Pecan Crumble Mince Pies (£2.50) and the ASDA Extra Special 4 Crumble Top Mince Pies (£2.50) shoppers will receive £1.50 in the Asda Rewards cash pot (offer runs from 1st November to 23rd November, 2022).

www.asda.com.

Great news, parents! Top 10 toys for Christmas are more affordable than in recent years

Yes, there's some good news for parents, grand parents, uncles and aunts, because now the average price of the top 10 toys for Christmas chosen by experts at Tesco will be more affordable this year. 

In recent years, interest in electronic toys in particular has forced the average price of a main Christmas gift for youngsters up to between £60 and £90. 

This year Tesco’s toy experts have chosen their top 10 based not only on their current popularity and desirability but they've also factored in the affordability also, to help parents during the current relatively tougher times. 

Although the toys are not listed in any particular order, there's one expected to create the ‘wow’ factor this Christmas, the Pokémon Sword and Shield Astral Elite Trainer Box which goes on sale early next month, November and is expected to be on many kids’ wish lists. 

Tesco Toys Category Manager Anne Borrett said: “We know times are really hard out there at the moment so our team of toy experts have created a top 10 list based on a number of factors that will not only put a smile on kids’ faces but also their parents’ and carers' too. 

“Over the last few years we’ve seen a lot of more expensive hi-tech toys dominate the Christmas market. 

“In the list there are toys for all budgets but more than half of them are priced between £30 and £45.”  

Tesco’s top 10 toys for this Christmas are as follows: 

Pokémon Sword and Shield Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box £42.50

This brand new Pokémon toy is their latest collector’s set and features collectable cards, booster packs and much more.  

The Pokémon Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance Elite Trainer Box includes everything a player needs to outshine the competition in battle!  

Barbie Chelsea Playhouse £60

The Barbie Chelsea doll and her friends have their own playhouse with three levels so there are many play spaces plus a transformation area that unlocks secret play areas. 

Miraculous Switch N’ Go Scooter £43

Race around Paris with Miraculous Ladybug on her Switch N’ Go Scooter. The transforming scooter comes with a 26 cm replica doll of the popular kids’ TV cartoon heroine. 

Zuru Smashers Dino Island Giant Skull £37

Break into the skull to discover 30 hidden surprises while searching through candy cotton foam and super stretchy slime in this epic adventure for ages three and over. 

LEGO Super Heroes – I Am Groot £45

Kids get to build their own version of the Baby Groot model figure from the Marvel Studios Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 

Marvel Studios 3D Puzzle – Iron Man’s Helmet £30

Marvel fans can build this fantastic three dimensional puzzle version of the superhero’s helmet. 

Cocomelon Boo Boo JJ Doll £43

The Cocomelon Boo-Boo JJ Plush is designed to teach kids aged 2-3 years that mishaps are ok. The toy teaches youngsters how to make JJ feel better when a mishap happens. 

LEGO Super Hereos Batmobile £90

Inspired by the latest version of the Batmobile from the 2022 The Batman film, this toy will offer kids a thrilling challenge to build a true to life model of the famous car. 

Fisher Price DJ Bouncin' Beats £45 

A musical learning toy to allow youngsters to have interactive fun with colourful lights, motorised action and more than 75 songs, sounds and phrases that teach the alphabet, counting, colours and much more. 

Squishmallows (7.5” Plush) £9

One of the most popular toys in recent years, the Squishmallow is a cuddly plushie toy that comes in many designs and themes with new versions being released every month. 

Tesco’s Half Price Toy Sale which started at the beginning of October runs until Nov 2. All toys in the sale have been discounted by 50 per cent with some costing as little as £7.50 when bought with a Tesco Clubcard.  

To check these out and buy visit www.tesco.com.

Stage an Amaryllis race this Christmas

An Amaryllis race? Yes, and it's a great fun activity, too!

Just buy two potted Amaryllis plants and gift them to two people and get them to race them before Christmas.

You don't have them to buy them from any particular place, a garden centre, a hardware store with a gardening section such as Wilko, or a supermarket such as Morrison's, Tesco or Sainsbury's, etc, or from shop that uses eBay or Amazon to sell their plants, or who has their own, dedicated online garden shop.

You and they will have a lot of fun. You could give the winner a special prize, too!

Amaryllis racing is a long and honoured sport in my wife's family.

You can also buy them here https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/garden-amaryllis-orange-queen-hippeastrum-pack-of-three.

Someone special in your life? Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has their ideal Christmas gift

A spokesperson said: "Here at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust we love sustainable and high quality stunning products.

"Firstly there are our playful Don Fisher bags which make a fantastically stylish gift. 

And what about the Original Duckhead Umbrellas?

Therese are available in a range of fantastic colours and prints, each umbrella is made from nine plastic bottles! A super cool and quirky gift that is totally on trend and environmentally conscious.

Also, when you buy through the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, all profits go straight into conserving wildlife and wild spaces in the county of Yorkshire and make a difference with your Christmas shopping this year.

You can make your Christmas gift purchases at www.ywtshop.org.uk.

Take Ten Christmas Crackers

Almost every UK family and household celebrates Christmas with at least one (or more) boxes of Christmas crackers.

At Annabel James you can opt for any one of their many fantastic designs. Or even buy several of the different designs?  

There are Christmas crackers in sets of six: from traditional tartan or pheasants, luxurious pine cones in sophisticated blue, white and gold, blue tit and passion flower for bird lovers and gardeners, to the whimsical Carousel crackers in bright circus colours and more.

All of the crackers are fully eco-friendly are guaranteed to have no plastics in them and come complete with a joke, a hat and high quality little gifts.

However, for when six crackers isn't just enough, the super luxurious Watercolour Tree Christmas crackers come in boxes of eight and there are twelve crackers in the box of 12 Days of Christmas crackers.

Don't forget Not your pets this Christmas! There are individual crackers for kitties , complete with a special raffia pet mouse gift, and a choice of two crackers for doggies, both contain a rope ball and a paper hat. And as Annabel James is conscience of the special needs of your pets, there is no noisy, scary snaps in the pet crackers to protect their delicate ears.

You can make your purchases here:- www.annabeljames.co.uk

However, there is more to Annabel James, they have a wide range of luxury lifestyle items from their special on-line boutique offering interiors and garden accessories and gorgeous gifts, beautifully wrapped and delivered.

So they are an ideal place to purchase some nifty Christmas gifts for the people and pets in your life!


Looking for unique Christmas gifts? Chisel and Mouse have the answer

To be honest this is the first time I have come across such a stunningly interesting idea.

Chisel & Mouse make and sell very special plaster architectural models, unique mantle piece and wall art.

Chisel & Mouse love architecture, they are on a mission to model the world's most iconic buildings and cities.

A spokesperson for Chisel & Mouse said: "We combine modern and traditional techniques to sculpt our models, we have over 100 models from eight countries and we re continually expanding our collections.

To check out their range and to purchase some exclusive gifts for the people in your life who matter to you visit them at www.chiselandmouse.com.