Baker Days

I love cake! There I said it. I can take or leave most foods but there is something about cake, the taste, the sweetness, the deliciousness that transports me to another world. 

Living in a small town I find when looking for a cake for a special occasion there isn't a lot of choice. Sometimes you want something personal and unique for that someone special, so where do you go for a cake like that?

Well Baker Days is a company that I can recommend for that special cake.




What I like about Baker Days is that you can personalise your own cake with almost any design. You can add a name to their template design or even upload photos or a new design yourself. From letterbox cake to large party cakes they have something for just about everyone.

They even offer Next day delivery if ordered before 2pm at a modest charge of £4.99 and free delivery if you don't mind waiting a little longer.

I was lucky enough to be sent a letterbox cake to try for the purpose of this review.

I was asked what design I wanted and as my son gave me a fabulous painting for my birthday I decided to have this design on the cake.


The cake came quickly and it was exciting to open it. The letterbox cake came with a celebration card and the cake was delivered in a tin to keep the cake fresh.


The letterbox cake was enough for about 4 people. You can choose from sponge cake to chocolate cake, fruit cake and even gluten free and wheat free cake.

The cake I had was a lightly spiced carrot cake. It had a sweet icing and tasted very fresh and delicious.

The have a range of cakes from Anniversary and Birthday cakes to Congratulations cakes, New Baby cakes, and everything in between. So when you are looking for your next cake for a special occasion have a look at the Baker Days website for a unique and meaningful cake for that special someone. 

James Martin Hand Mixer Review by Wahl

Wahl is a company that has been trading since 1919 with the advent of the first practical hair clipper. Today it has over 2200 employees worldwide. With over 90 years of category leadership Wahl have broken into new boundaries with electrical styling products and the ever popular James Martin kitchen appliances.

James Martin the celebrity chef has given his name to a range of stunning kitchen appliances by Wahl.  James is a regular face on TV programmes and is known for Ready Steady Cook and is the current presenter of Saturday Kitchen. I was lucky enough to meet him years ago at the Good Food Show and saw a demonstration of his cooking skills there. James is a very personable presenter and is know for making tasty and easy to follow dishes.



The range of James Martin Appliances for Wahl  includes mini choppers, steamers, spice grinders and food processors amongst others with the emphasis on design, style and function.

I was sent the James Martin electric whisk to review. You can buy this at Argos and it is priced at £24.99. 



The James Martin Hand Mixer in Silver

When I opened the box I was initially struck by the silver colour of the mixer, it looked very stylish and felt lightweight but still solid in my hand. It comes with a James Martin DVD to improve your cooking skills. It has five variable speed settings and a turbo boost when you want that extra power. It comes with whisk attachments and dough hooks. What I also liked about it was that it has an easy unlock mechanism for the attachments. 


I personally feel the hand mixer is a great combination of style and practicality. I used it to make a nice, light and fluffy omelette. I would think it would be able to tackle a range of mixing challenges such as meringues, bread mixing, souffles and cake mixes. It has dishwasher safe parts and a two year guarantee. 

So if you are looking for an electric hand mixer with a touch of style and class or other small kitchen appliances why don't you check out the James Martin collection by Wahl.  I like the look of the steamer as I have been wanting to get an electric one for a while. What appliance do you like the look of?

My Secret Kitchen Review

Shhh have you heard of the best kept secret around - I'll tell you but only you... My Secret Kitchen?

My Secret Kitchen is about getting together with friends, inspiring them to host a tasting, discovering new recipes and sharing exciting new idea. What better excuse than to get friends together with a glass of wine and some tasty food. They supply the invites, help with the guest list and on the day turn up early to prepare the food. Think of it like an Ann Summers party without the lingerie and sauciness but with indulgent food instead!

To be a host has its benefits, including free products and gifts. All the information is on their website here. You can even become a consultant and earn money running parties for My Secret Kitchen.

So you may be wondering what the food is like? If I said outstanding, would that give you some idea?

Actually I have been given two delicious looking items to try - the Chocolate Brownies and The Beer Bread Mix. But it's not just any Chocolate Brownie mix - it's the Ultimate Chocolate Brownie mix - yummy. 


The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie mix was easy to do and came with simple instructions. You need to add butter and eggs to the ingredients, mix and bake in the oven.


It came out soft and gooey and very moist. I may have undercooked it slightly so I took it out of the tin and placed it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. When it was cooled I cut it up and myself, son and husband tried it. Wow! Gooey, moist, chocolatey heaven. That's all you need to know. Well actually I have a confession, I couldn't wait for it to cool and may have had a nibble beforehand!

I now have the Beer Bread Mix to try. Again the instructions look easy to understand and the ingredients look of the utmost quality. One of their concepts is that they make and present food in a simple honest fashion. The labels are easy to read and understand and they never use artificial colours or flavours.

They have lots of tasty products on their website from Thai dressing with Kaffir Lime to Secret Firecracker Chilli Spices, from Maple Caramel Sauce to Secret Vanilla Pudding Spices. They also have a great recipe section for inspiration. So if you fancy a tasty party in the comfort of your own home, with some great gifts why don't you check out their website now. I'm off to make the Brown Bread Mix, wonder if I can wait until it cools before I try it? For more reviews check out my Blue Coffee Box review here.

Home Treats Giveaway - ends 25/03/2013

Now and again comes along a lovely new website that makes you think WOW I love the items here! Home Treats is one such website that I was lucky enough to come across recently.




This great new website has lots of lovely gifts and home products for your home, whatever your style. 

The website is easy to navigate and you can shop in Categories, Colours, Styles and Occasions amongst other options.

Whether you are looking for that perfect something for your home or a special present for someone, a wedding gift or Mother's Day present perhaps, you could do with checking out their website today.

Home Treats have given me a £20 gift voucher to give away to my readers. So if you won what would you spend it on?

One of the first things that caught my eye was this cute heart cushion, very girly!

£13

I have lots of family photos scattered around the house and I love this set of photo frames with a sea theme, which is particularly apt as I live in a seaside town.


£14

If you are a Domestic Goddess or Delia Diva then what about these cute oven gloves in a pretty spotty and floral print?

£7

Another lovely Home Treat that I like is this super door mat with a retro feel. I wonder if the Queen has one?

£20

As you can see they have some great gift ideas, at reasonable prices too, and everything looks really great quality. So if you have a couple of minutes spare, I hope you will enter my competition to win a £20 gift voucher.

To enter please go through the steps of the Rafflecopter application and one thing more - Good luck!

Competition is open to over 18's, UK only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Easter From Guylian

Guylian the luxury Belgian chocolate company, have some lovely gift ideas for Easter.
Guylian chocolates are sold in over 100 countries across Europe, Asia, Australia and America and are one of the top ten selling boxed chocolate brands. All Guylian chocolates are produced in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium where up to 75 tonnes of Guylian chocolate can be produced daily. You know that with Guylian you get chocolate that is renowned for quality and taste.

Their Easter eggs are delicious - I know as I was allowed to try them, all the in the purpose of research of course! In fact, I can officially say they are "Eggtastic"!



The Easter egg I tried comes with scrummy 'seashells'. These are Guylian's signature chocolates filled with a smooth praline. And did you know that Guylian's Sea Shell and Sea horse praline chocolates have been awarded with 3 gold stars by the prestigious International Taste and Quality Institute.These stunning Belgian chocolates are meant to be savoured. Made using only the finest Mediterranean hazelnuts, which are roasted and caramelised to perfection then blended with premium Belgian chocolate. The egg in this box is a dreamy smooth milk chocolate, just simply delicious.

It's also good to know that this company has ethics. Guylian provides vital long-term support for Project Seahorse which is dedicated to preserving marine life work around the world.


Project Seahorse and Guylian agree on the importance of seahorses as a sign of quality – whether it's for fine Belgian Chocolates or for healthy oceans, and each time you buy a box of Guylian Belgian Chocolate Sea Shells and Sea Horses, you are helping to save seahorses and the seas. See more at www.projectseahorse.org.

But, back to chocolates. They also do an Easter Bunny box, which is filled with smaller chocolates, perfect sizes for little ones to share or to have as a little treat with a cup of tea.



If you want to buy some of these fine Belgian chocolates you can check out their website and at the moment if you spend £20 online you get free delivery too, (this is an offer that can be removed at any time). Guylian chocolates are available from all major supermarkets and selected independent stores nationwide. So if you want to give the best Belgian chocolates and help the environment check out Guylian - go on you know you want to!

Marvellous Murad For Mother's Day

Not sure what to give the mum who has everything? This year why don't you give her the gift of beautiful skin. Murad the skin care company has some fantastic ideas for Mother's Day, and I am going to share with you today some ideas from one of the best kept secrets in skincare.

So what is Murad all about? 



Murad was founded by Dr Howard Murad M.D. who as a dermatologist, pharmacist and researcher, has devoted his life to making beautiful, healthy skin attainable for everyone. 

What is special about Murad you may ask? Well its skincare products target problem areas and actually work! Acne and spots, Anti-ageing and cellulite are some of the concerns women have and Murad skincare products are developed with active ingredients to improve skin tone and target difficult areas.

The gifts they have that are perfect for Mothers Day include The Ageless Beauty Starter kit, a lovely gift with trial size products for a taster of what the brand can offer, and the Perfect Balance Kit, with products to Target, Repair, Hydrate and Protect.
Ageless Beauty Starter Kit

Murad have kindly offered me the chance to try the Age-Diffusing Firming Mask for the purpose of this review. This luxurious rich mask works by restoring a firm resilient tone to the skin and helps relieve dehydration. Made with Brazilian Fruit Extracts, Shea Butter and FirmQ2, it plumps lines and eases wrinkles and had a tightening and lifting action.


Age-Diffusing Firming Mask

To use the Age-Diffusing Firming mask, you spread it over clean skin, and leave it on for ten minutes. Then rinse with warm water and pat dry. For best result use it 1 to 3 times a week. What did I think of the mask? It smells lovely and the texture is gorgeous on the skin when I applied it. It has a tightening action and feels like it is really doing you good. It will be interesting to see the affects on my skin over time, I can see I will have to report back! This product isn't cheap but like most things you get what you pay for. Murad is firmly based in the luxury skincare market and is wonderful quality for the price. Your mum would love it as a luxury gift for Mother's Day.

So why don't you look at the Murad website to buy a perfect gift for your mum, with a range of products targeting problem areas there is something for everyone. She will thank you for it make no mistake!