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Joseph Joseph Scoop Colander
by Autarkis
Okay, so I'm not the best cook in the world. I have a tiny kitchen, which I loathe, and I cannot wait to move house. In the meantime, I have to make do with what I have. When it comes to cooking, the portions are generally small, as there are only the three of us. Often, I may just cook something for myself or my son. This means I don't ... need huge kitchen tools in order to make and serve food.
I don't generally go out of my way to look for kitchen wares. In fact, I only buy the bare minimum basics, as I don't believe in buying kitchen goods for them to just take up space, which is limited. The problem is, I frequent Amazon often, and generally come across quirky items that I wouldn't knew existed, and would never need either. However, having said that, some quirky things can be fun. I do consider purchases carefully, in order to try not to waste money. When I happened on the Joseph Joseph Scoop colander, I knew I had to have it. I had never heard of the brand before, or seen any of their wares. I could see that this was a good piece of equipment that looked like a good quality item.
To begin with, the Joseph Joseph range produce fun and colourful kitchen utensils that makes cooking and serving food easier. The vibrant colors and fun design is what got me. The colander is available in different colors including green, black or red. I went for the green one, and not because it was the prettiest, but because it had the biggest discount at the time. I liked the green, but price always wins over. With a hefty discount, I was swayed into buying the colander. At the RRP of £10, this is something I would have admired but not actually purchased.
Check on Amazon for prices and grab a bargain. I paid under half the RRP and just taking a quick look I can see the current price on Amazon is amazing. Be quick - grab a bargain! When the colander arrived I was happy to see it was, in fact, a good quality item that looked the business. Lightweight, being constructed from toughened nylon and a good size measuring in at approx. 34 cm by 12 cm by 5 cm. It can be hung up to be part of the kitchen, or stored away when not in use. I have nowhere to really hang it, so it sits on top of the cutlery tray.
It is marketed with the idea that it is ideal for scooping out hot food from a pan without the need to lift or drain off hot liquids. The colander can be submersed into temperatures up to 240°C/480°F, impressive. This makes it ideal for serving hot foods right from the pan without struggling with draining. Great for serving small portions and plating up with ease. It can be used to scoop out deep fried foods or boiled foods, making it a great little tool to have in the kitchen.
I often have to make pasta for my son, as it is one of his favourite foods. Making a small serving of pasta means that I can easily scoop without having to remove the hot pan from the stove. The water drains away quickly, and the food remains in the colander and is easy to serve onto the plate. It is also great for scooping boiled vegetables from the pan with ease, leaving the pan in situ to cool. This also helps to save time when you want to get the food straight onto the plate, and avoids burning fingers.
Another use I have for this trendy colander is for washing small fruits. When I have a generous handful of grapes or blueberries I can easily place them into the colander and rinse them under the running tap without losing any. This is one of my favourite uses for it. I love the fact that it is small, yet it holds a good portion of anything you want. The design being a scoop makes it ideal for serving as well as straining or rinsing foods. The long handle makes it easy to manage without having to come near hot pans and the likes.
This is not just a quirky kitchen utensil; it is a functional tool that has many uses. The compact size is great for storing, and easy to use with the long handle. The realistic size makes it easy to wash also. I have always needed a colander for such tasks, but find they are cumbersome, difficult to use and take up too much storage space. This means that a regular colander usually becomes redundant for these reasons. The quirky design and neat concept of this colander scoop is a good one. It makes serving and preparing food easy and fun, with the added benefit of being able to scoop and strain hot foods.
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Dr Oetker Fun Baking Cases
by Twizzley94
As an avid baker I do enjoy making my creations look pretty and appealing to whoever I am making them for. I decided to get these as a treat to myself at easter as the only ones in my cupboard were cheap plain ones which I thought were too boring for the occasion. I got the ones on the right of the picture, the ones with flowers on as I ... thought this was more eastery.
For £1 for 75 cases are not the cheapest of options, especially when they also provide 100 cases for 55p in their range. However, in comparison with going to a specialised baking shop such as Lakeland where you can easily be spending £2/£3+ for fancy baking cases, these don't look too bad of a price. I do find it hard to part with money on items that you know you are going to essentially just throw away, but these have added a special touch to my baking creations.
I got these to hold crispy cakes for easter and I added coloured eggs which matched the colour of the case it was in. My family adored this aspect and the self satisfaction I got out of there compliments was brilliant. I have used Dr. Oetkers 55p plain cases before and I can tell you these more expensive ones are a step up. Not only are they coloured and printed but also the paper is of a much better quality. The cheaper ones you can almost see through and easily ripped. However these are much thicker and sturdier you almost don't need a tin to hold them in shape when you add whatever you are adding to them. I have since used them for fairy cakes and the cake doesn't stick to the paper and it is very easy to peel the wrapper away, whereas the cheaper ones could get stuck on particularly overbaked bits.
Overall, these cases are of brilliant quality and add a lovely touch to your cakes. It really helps brighten them up and make them look more appealing. So even if you've burnt your cakes they don't look too bad if they have a pretty print on them! Definitely recommend. They are cheaper than other fancy cases and they do the job perfectly.
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Disney Princess Flip Top Tumbler
by xmum2threex
When we visited Disneyland I was looking for something convenient to put juice in for my children, as one of the tips we received was that juice could be very expensive. While shopping in Matalan I came across these Disney juice bottle and decided they would be perfect for us to take along with us. At £2 each they were very reasonable ... for a Disney related product and so I picked three of them up.
The cups all come in different Disney designs and look very attractive. We have the Cars version and the Disney princess. They are all very detailed with pictures of Rapunzel, Belle and Cinderella so a choice of princess for your child to enjoy. They are bright in colour and all very attractive for a young child. The cup is a good size. We found it was perfect to last a morning walking round the Disneyland parks, and since returning my son has used his to take juice to school. It is big enough for him to use with his pack lunch and he often still has a quarter of the cup left when he returns from school. The juice stays surprisingly cold inside of the cup so even sitting in a bag for a while.
I did expect this to be more of a sport style cup. With a nozzle for the juice to be dispensed from I expected it would need to be tipped up to release the liquid. Actually it works as a straw which was perfect for my younger children, and it meant less chance of spillages while out and about. This also means if it does manage to become open and tipped on its side it still does not leak. Of course it is not invincible and if you tip it upside down it will leak, but it just makes it a little more spill proof.
My one downside is the button that releases the cap of the drinking bottle. It has a full protective lid that clips over the straw of the bottle to both keep it clean, and to stop it from leaking. It is great they thought of a way to stop the juice from tipping out , but it is just a little stiff at times. There is a small button to push in which releases the cap with a satisfying click. This is even a little stiff for me to do so my children found it impossible. It needs to be pushed right in, and although it has loosened with constant use it can still be stiff at times. My son is now able to do it independently, but it has taken a lot of persistence and practice.
It has a large strap that is perfect for your child to be able to place it around there shoulder and carry it along with their school bag. This can also be removed very easily if it is not needed, but this made it perfect for carrying around the parks with us. The cup is very easy to clean and the screw top lid provides easy access to the wide neck of the bottle to add the juice. It is a quick and convenient way of making up a drink for days out for pack lunches. The drinks cups still look as good as knew without any scratches or marks to the bottle. They have been dropped a number of times and are still in great condition.
I would highly recommend this drinking cup. It looks pretty so my daughter loved it while it is still practical for outings or using for school. It holds a fair amount of juice, and we find it enough if we are going for a picnic. It does keep drinks fresh enough to last a few hours even stored in a bag which I was surprised about and it has saved us a lot of money in the long run with cartons and such. At £2 I was a little worried just how well it would last, but so far it is in perfect condition without any scratches or markings.
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