Kent's Kitchen

Kent's Kitchen is an online stockist of quality, authentic food kits for foodies who want amazing food but don't have the time to make it from scratch.  Healthy, delicious ingredients are sourced and combined to give homecooks a shortcut to create gourmet meals quickly and easily. Just add a few components and you 'll be serving up culinary creations that are sure to impress.

I was given the opportunity to try out some products from Kent's Kitchen.  They have a great range of meal kits and risotto mixes, as well as gravies, stocks, sauces,  rubs and marinades.  I picked a Korma Meal Kit and a Wild Mushroom Risotto Mix.

The Korma Meal Kit comprised of a pot of curry paste, a pot of curry spice and a pot of garlic infused oil. All you need to do is add coconut milk, vegetables and chick peas to make an authentic vegetarian curry that generously serves two. It retails at £2.50. I love the presentation of the product.

The Risotto Mix contains a blend of gourmet ingredients including Arborio rice which cooks up into a delicious, rich, flavoursome risotto.  Just add water and a knob of butter.  For an extra special meal you can add cooked mushrooms. One pack is enough for two generous starters.  It retails at £2.40.

I love the idea of being able to make gourmet quality meal without the fuss!  My foodie daughter Meg is home from university over Easter which gave me the perfect opportunity to make us a delicious risotto for lunch.  It was as simple as melting a knob of butter, coating the rice, gradually adding 600ml of warm water until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is softened.  We added cooked mushrooms before serving.

The result was a deliciously flavoured risotto with a deep mushroom flavour and a peppery kick.  Megan who  enjoys good food said it was as good as risottos she has had in restaurants.  It served us both easily with a generous portion each.  I was really impressed that we had such a tasty, hearty lunch for just £2.40!

Kent's Kitchen stocks eleven different meal kits for Thai, Indian and Chinese cuisines.  The Risotto is available in five flavours which includes the wild mushroom and a vegetable variety which are both suitable for vegetarians.

Check out the website for more information on the company and the complete range of products which are available to purchase direct.  Postage and Packing is free on orders over £20 so you can stock up on  their delicious handmade and homemade products.  Everything is made, mixed, packed and labelled by hand.  You won't find any artificial additives, preservatives, flavourings or colourings. Kent's Kitchen can change the way you cook offering shortcuts to culinary magic.

Kent's Kitchen have a Facebook page too...pop across and say hello!!

E-Cloth

E-Cloth is a range of environmentally friendly cleaning products that allow you to clean around the home using nothing more than water!  Research has shown that using an e-cloth with water removes over 99% of harmful bacteria.  This is excellent when you have small children in the house, keeping things hygienically clean without the need for harsh chemicals.

If you were to ditch the chemical cleaning products you could save over £100 every year!  Using an e-cloth is quicker, easier and more environmentally friendly.

When I was sent an e-cloth to try Inside the Wendy House I was a little sceptical.  We are so used to using chemical sprays, creams and liquids that the thought of using water alone to clean seems quite strange.  However, I was more than willing to give it a go, especially as I suffer with psoriasis on my hands which is made worse on exposure to cleaning products.

The General Purpose Cloth costs £4.99 from stockists including John Lewis, Lakeland, Homebase and Tesco.  It is suitable for cleaning all hard surfaces and can tackle thick grease.  It is a versatile all round cleaning cloth.

I've been using it instead of using chemical cleaners.  This video shows how I've got on.

As you can see I am really surprised at how well it did the job using only water. I've used it on a whole range of different surfaces and it is really effective.  It even removed the grease on my extractor fan.  Impressive!  It saves time and money,   is kinder on my family and the environment and gives great results, killing over 99% of bacteria.  They are machine washable.

For more details visit the website where you can also purchase from the range. (Free p&p when you spend over £10).

Follow e-cloth on Twitter for chat, news and competitions.

Making Pink Cut-Off Shorts with Dylon

We were lucky enough to be  sent a selection of goodies from Dylon to try out Inside the Wendy House.  One of the products that was included was Dylon's Fabric Dye for Hand Use.  They come in 24 vibrant shades including Sunflower Yellow, Tropical Green and Flamingo Pink.  Each sachet contains enough dye to transform smaller items.  You just need to add water and salt to permanently change the colour of your chosen items.

With the economic climate taking its toll, and with the importance of trying to re-use and recycle  in order to help the environment, brands like Dylon can help by revamping any old, tired wardrobe.  Clothing that may have been thrown out can now be given a second lease of life.

With the help of Dylon's Flamingo Pink Dye, we transformed a pair of old white jeans into a fun and funky pair of cut-off denim shorts for Kizzy.

She enjoyed helping me and it was a very easy process.

The colour was vibrant and bright, and the dye took really well.


Here is a video of what we did!

Dylon also produce some great craft products for getting creative with fabrics.  Fabric pens and paints will let you unleash the inner designer and add colourful embellishments to personalise clothing, make unique t-shirts or add 3D sparkle to your jeans.  We'll be vlogging about our attempts soon so watch this space!

Check out Dylon's Facebook page for competitions, news and fun!

My All Grow'd Up Cup

Freddy was sent a "My All Grow'd Up Cup" from Happy Holly Daisy Ltd.  I didn't know what to expect and assumed it would be just another child friendly beaker...but when it arrived it was very, very different to anything I'd ever seen before.  The cup was shaped like a cute elephant!

The beaker comes with a holder which has suction pads on the back making it able to attach to shiny surfaces such as car windows or fridge doors.  It also makes a funny trumpetting sound when the cup is put into the holder which had Freddy grinning from ear to ear!  

The beauty of this cup is that it helps nurture a sense of independence in your toddler.  Having the beaker to hand in the car or at home allows the child to take their own drink, return it to the holder and know where it is when they need another sip!  It gives them a sense of responsibility for their own drink and they are rewarded by the trumpeting noise when they replace it.

The beaker had a screw on lid which was very secure, and a flip up spout.  The suction pads attached firmly to the window.  It is a very unique novelty beaker but it also allows your child to help themselves to drinks. This is especially good when you are in the car, reducing the need to turn around to give your toddler his beaker, which is obviously dangerous if you're the one driving!

It is easy for Freddy to use and he takes delight at making the elephant noise.  He seems very impressed by the face on the beaker and is sure to turn the cup when he drinks so he can look down at the elephant.  It is a clever and fun design!

The "My All Grow'd Up Cup" retails for £12.99 online and is available in pink, lime green, orange and blue.

It has won its first industry award for best feeding product in the Baby and Nursery Trade Awards.

Available to purchase online at Happy Holly Daisy Ltd and from Tesco Direct, Amazon, Letterbox, Halfords, Party Pieces and Parents Supermarket.

What's Rubbish?

We've been sent Orchard Toys What's Rubbish? game to review on behalf of Izziwizzi Kids for #playfest!
It's a game for 2-4 players aged 5-10 years old, which is based on recycling.  The idea of the game is to collect cans, bottles, clothing and paper to put into your Recycling Bins while avoiding the litter bugs!  Things that can not be recycled end up in the fabulous 3D wheelie bin.  It's a fun game which carries an important message!  Here is our video review.

It is available from Orchard Toys for £11.50.

Pom Bears

We were sent some Pom-Bear "Teddy Shaped Potato Snacks" to try.  We received a multi-pack with two packs each of original, salt & vinegar and cheese & onion.

Fun Teddy Shapes

Multi-pack Flavours

Pom-Bears are made from a dough using potato powder which is then fried in quality sunflower oil.  The Pom-Bears are very lightly salted with 0.23 g of salt per 19g pack. (Daily Recommended Allowance is 4g for a child).  They are Vegetarian Society Approved and just 97 calories a pack.

As an occasional treat, Pom-Bears are fun and tasty savoury snacks.  The teddy shapes are cute!  Kizzy enjoyed trying them and really liked the crunchy texture.  They make a good alternative to regular crisps.

Check out  Pom-Bear World, the interactive website for children with games, downloads and also product information for parents!

Inch Blue Shoes

Inch Blue make handmade soft leather shoes for babies and children up to 5-6 years old.  With beautiful designs and high quality workmanship, Inch Blue are a breath of fresh air in a world of mass production.

I was approached by Inch Blue asking me if I wanted a pair for Freddy to try out.  I picked out a few designs that I liked and was delighted to receive the fantastically funky Guitar Black/Cheetah pair from the Rock Star range!  Perfect for my little rock baby!!

They are lovely, beautifully made from soft leather which allows Freddy's feet to breathe.  They make perfect shoes for playing in.  They allow flexibilty, have non-slippy suede bottoms and are really comfy and well fitting.  Freddy uses them indoors and out and they look fabulous and very cool!

The shoes Freddy received retail at £17.00 and were size XL (18-24 months).  They arrived in a clear plastic presentation bag.  They would make a fantastic present for any little rocker!  My guitar playing husband and teenage daughter absolutely loved the design!  There really is a design for everyone in Inch Blue's extensive selection of gorgeous shoes.

Thank you Inch Blue!

Like Inch Blue on Facebook for fun, chat and competitions.

*We received the shoes as a gift and were not asked to write a review in return.  But because we loved them so much, we wanted to share our thoughts with everyone!*