Hey folks, welcome to twenty-twenty-one. This tuesday was my first post of the year, so now it’s time to address the year that’s gone and what my resolutions are for the year ahead. Though I don’t think that it’ll surprise any of you to know that last year was a complete and utter mess.
If anything, I’d say that I deserve a pat on the back just for surviving twenty-twenty. But let’s have a look at what I was supposed to be doing with the year anyway.
Continue readingHappy thursday, folks! It’s been a while since my last inedible post but, now that we’re heading into december, it’s time for my yearly, pre-christmas recap. That seasonal special where I go over everything that I’ve tried, throughout the year, and tell you which I would and wouldn’t recommend as gifts.
And, speaking of special, I’ve got a brand new special category today:
Sponsored Stuff:
This year, I’ve been working with The Chilli Project and, while we’re still fleshing out the details of my first affiliate link, you can now find my writing on almost all of their individual product pages. Descriptions of each of their items from yours truly.
I’ve been trying out all of their sauces and indian pickles, behind the scenes, and discussing my thoughts on each with the company’s owner, as I’ve done this job. So, while you’ve not seen any reviews of them and you won’t be doing so any time soon, I’ve had the lot and can genuinely vouch for their quality.
Their Garlic & Naga, Brinjal and Scotch Bonnet are three of the best indian pickles that I’ve ever had, positively bursting with flavour, and their old-fashioned brown sauce is just as intense, despite being their mildest, heat-wise. If you’re looking to buy for someone who likes it bold, has traditional british tastes or loves indian cuisine, they definitely have that covered but they also do plenty more besides.
I’ll be going over the lot, through the course of today’s post, but I won’t be going into too much detail on any particular item. Because, well, I’ve already done so over on their website.
Now, let’s get on with today’s recap article.
Continue readingHey folks, we’re nine days into january, now, so I think it’s time to have a look at where my blog is headed. But, before we get started on that, let’s see how I did with last year’s resolutions, shall we?
Twenty-nineteen was supposed to be my year of getting things done. Of clearing out my backlog, both blog-wise and video-wise, in order to bring you fresher content. That didn’t work.
Everything that I promised you in my previous resolution post did get addressed. I did get my entire backlog of pre-microphone upgrade videos out of the way, to allow for better audio quality in the future. And, while I didn’t upload every one of my reviews from Reading Chilli Fest, I did show you every product that still exists.
On paper, that’s a success, but sacrifices were made to make it happen. I still have a significant backlog of reviews from Challock Chilli Fest, on top of what I picked up in brighton this year, and the christmas videos that were supposed to go up last month won’t be seen until tomorrow.
All that I’ve done is trade one backlog for another.
Yet this year has seen a better balance of mild and extreme products than the two years before it and the look of both my site and my YouTube channel has improved. Plus, while I’d like to manage more of them, my mini-recipes do seem to have gone down well.
In short, last year was a bit of a mixed bag – Neither success, nor failure, but a bit of both.
So it’s thursday again, everybody and it’s the first thursday of december. Finally time for my yearly, pre-christmas recap. And, unlike with my previous lists, I’m not going to be changing the format up at all.
Ordering by type, so that readers could skim to the section(s) that most suited their gift giving, has proven itself rather more work than ordering by time or heat but, personally, it’s what I’d rather read. It’s a much more useful sorting method.
So, pay attention to the bold headings, stop and read if you see something inspiring, poke the product names to see my full reviews and give the company names a click to go straight to their websites (UK brands only and only if they have one). Plus, don’t forget to check my top product summaries at the end for the very best of the best.
Happy thursday again, folks. We’re now into the latter half of november and the christmas season is rapidly approaching but it’s not quite time for my yearly recap yet.
Instead, today sees me focus on somebody else’s list: Bauce Brothers’ Craft Hot Sauce Hot 100.
Now, in case you aren’t aware, Bauce Brothers aren’t just anyone and this isn’t just any selection of sauces. The company specialise in hot sauce subscription boxes – Much like the one that Flaming Licks sent me – giving them a far greater awareness of independent and artisan producers than your any normal food news outlet.
This is the first list of its kind where I feel like the makers have truly held the necessary qualifications but, even so, there’s more to most sauce makers than just a single product.
Today, I’d like to take a little time to look at the producers I know who’ve made the list, whether I think that they deserve it or not and what I make of their wider range.
Perhaps it’ll give you some gift ideas.
Hey folks, today I’d like to talk to you about a recent purchase of mine.
Not another sauce though, or even anything edible. No, today I’d like to talk about my mood ring.
A silly piece of jewellery which, supposedly at least, measures small fluctuations in the wearers mood and signals it to the world. But that’s not what it really does.
Or why I bought it.
Happy white day, everyone! I wasn’t planning on doing a thursday post this week but then some rather exciting news reached me and I just had to write one.
Today’s post is, as today’s holiday is, a direct follow up to this year’s valentine’s day feature on the Chilli Alchemist. Because, I’m delighted to say, that post no longer properly reflects the situation.
Ahoy there, maties! It’s valentine’s day and I’ve got some explaining to do after that piratical greeting but first, if you’ll let me, I’d like to be serious for a moment.
You see, this year, this very day, a company that I love is going out of business. One that’s close to my heart. One that’s been with me since the beginning.
As I mentioned in my introduction to them, the Chilli Alchemist were a real favourite of mine. Folks who made some of the most delicious and delightfully wacky products out there. Who were a big inspiration for me becoming a reviewer. And who were kind enough to help me out with popping candy samples when my own finances were at their lowest.
They were small, yet successful and have had a huge impact on both my cooking and my life as a whole but, at the end of today, they’re going away due to the owners’ declining health.
So I’d like to recommend that you slide on over to the link in my sidebar to check them out and try something from their range. Perhaps their delightful matcha sauce or the Book of Melliculus – A gift set of all four of their amazing popping candy flavours.
And, if you’re getting here after the fourteenth of february 2019, why not check out one of their parting recommendations instead? That’s what I’m going to be doing for the rest of today.
Hey folks, it’s 2019 now and, having finished off a series that I started in 2018 just this week, I figure it’s time to look back at my plans going into the year. To see what I’ve accomplished, what’s still to come and what changes I want to make, if any, this time around.
Here goes.
Hey folks, it’s christmas shopping season again and, while I’m a little more prepared this year, I’m sure that at least a few of you still need my advice. So, this being the first thursday of december, it’s time for the third of my yearly recaps.
Recaps that, for those of you who’re new to this site, focus heavily on the giftability of the sauces and such that I’ve tried that year.
Last year, I introduced the idea of ordering those products by type, rather than time or heat, and I intend to do the same again today. So, if there’s a certain sort of item that your friends or family will particularly enjoy, feel free to skim ahead until you catch the appropriate topic heading. I’ll put them in bold specially.
But, before we get to what I’d recommend as a gift, let’s kick off this year’s summary with what I wouldn’t.
Oh, and click the sauce and company names for my reviews and their sites (if they’re in the UK), respectively.
