Monday, 6 November 2017

Tofuture Tofu Press Review - How To Make Your Own Tofu At Home

Tofuture make a great little tofu press that you can use to press bought tofu. This makes it a firmer consistency which will soak up marinade better and be more suited to stir fries. This will give you a tastier meal, but you can also use the press when making your own tofu from scratch.


The press comes in 3 parts - a deep outer tub, the insert with perforated base to let the whey drip out and the clip on lid. The lid clamps on securely at the sides using rubber bands, which have 3 different positions depending on what you have in your Tofuture press at the time.

Sunday, 5 November 2017

Steenbergs Organic Taste Of Baking Gift Bag Christmas Present Giveaway

Steenbergs Organic are a family-run Yorkshire company passionate about the environment and those who live in it. They are committed to Fairtrade and provide organic spices, loose leaf tea and organic cooking ingredients full of flavour and aroma, each with a known provenance, so you can be assured you get only the best. And they're one of my favourites.


I am truly delighted to have been sent the gorgeous Taste Of Baking Jute Bag gift set, which arrived beautifully packaged and opening it felt just like Christmas to me! This is not only a practical jute shopping bag, it is crammed with exciting goodies.


The Taste Of Baking bag is full of of Steenbergs baking ingredients, as well as a set of 3 very special T&G /Sophie Conran designed wooden spoons and a huge Steenbergs Tea Towel.

Saturday, 4 November 2017

The Game Of Things Christmas Present Giveaway (age 14+)

The Game Of Things is a truly hilarious game for 4 players or more. It's very easy to play, but does often lead to answers which could be a bit risque or rude, so it's recommended for age 14+ only. Players secretly write down the answers to questions, and it's up to everyone else to work out who said what?


The Wooden Box is a lovely tough and it makes this a really excellent present. It feels special, it protects the contents well and it'll look good on the shelf for as long as you own it.


Inside the box are the game cards, scoresheets, answer sheets and pencils, as well as instructions. The answer sheets are serrated, so once you've written your answer, you can cleanly tear it off to pass to the reader.

Awesome Little Green Men (age 6+) Christmas Present Giveaway

The Awesome Little Green Men are 2 troops of small collectible Army Figures. They aren't all men and in fact half of them aren't even green, they're blue! My 7 year old will happily tell you just how awesome they are though...


There are several different sets to collect, each with mystery figures and the smallest is the individual Blind Box with one figure, a dog tag and a collectors sheet.

Friday, 3 November 2017

Lumie Bedbug Bedtime Nightlight Christmas Present Giveaway

We recently reviewed the Lumie Bedbug and it's absolutely excellent. Sleep optimised lighting for children, soothing them while they go through the bedtime routine and making it easier for them to drift into a high quality sleep.


My 7 year old loves his Lumie Bedbug because when he wakes during the night, one button click will turn on the nightlight and once he's ready to go back to sleep, he can turn down the light, set the timer and drift off before his room descends completely into darkness.


You can read my full Lumie Bedbug review here - we are still just as happy with it as we were when we opened the box. Although the recommended use is for babies and younger children, it's incredibly useful for anyone who is likely to wake during the night, or who has trouble settling off to sleep.

SmartGurlzUK Siggy Scooter And Doll (age 5+)

At The Brick Castle we love science and we love the fact girls are getting their share of interesting science toys too. SmartGurlzUK are a new company who are passionate about getting girls into coding and engaged in tech toys from an early age, and they've come up with a really cool way to do it, creating a unique toy that supports STEM learning.


This is an interactive self-balancing robot scooter and doll that connects via Bluetooth to a tablet or phone via a free app. It has a range of features from remote control free-play, instructional coding challenges, games and coding area (using block code/ scratch approach). The range of features means it’s suitable for all ages from 5 to 16 years.

Chicago Town's The Pizza Kitchen review. Fresh Deli Crust with plenty on top!

Chicago Town have added 4 new pizzas to their range with The Pizza Kitchen. These deli-style pizzas have thick toppings on a unique, freshly-baked deli-crisp crust. They asked if we wanted to take part in their promotion. I didn't even have to put it to a family vote.


My family love pizza and Chicago Town are a regular choice here. I know everyone will fill their bellies and I will receive no complaints! It's the one guaranteed all-round crowd-pleaser, plus cooking and washing up are a breeze. Pizza night is an even bigger treat for me than it is for everyone else...

Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Carcassonne Family Tile Game Review (age7+)

Carcassonne is a modern classic. A beautifully illustrated tile game that feels as if it's always existed, based on the real walled French city of Carcassonne and with a storyline as old as history. Carcassonne is very easy to learn and suitable for 2-5 players aged around 7+. Using hexagonal tiles players build cities, cloisters, roads and farms, claiming points for completed builds and continuing until all the game tiles are exhausted.


We're reviewing the updated edition and as well as the inclusion of Abbots, it is different because the illustrations are brighter and more detailed. The box itself is gorgeous and a great smaller size for shelf storage. Open the box and the redesigned tiles don't disappoint.

Black Peas

Black peas are a local delicacy to us and really not to be missed. Around this time of year they're all over the shops and everyone is talking about them. If you haven't been to Lancashire or North Manchester though, you may never have even heard of them...


Just like green peas, black peas are a legume, and they're eaten boiled into a mushy pea. They've loads of names including Parched Peas, Mapple Peas, Chestnut Peas and Pidgeon Peas, but generally they're just Black Peas. They're actually Purple Podded Peas and they are slightly less sweet than green peas, with a hint of nuttiness and a firmer texture, so they maintain their shape better. Their skin is soft and thin and breaks down well when they're boiled, which is another benefit over mushy green peas.

Sunday, 29 October 2017

NIKKO Air Race Vision 220 FPV Pro Drone with FPV Review (age 14+)

We're getting quite proficient at drones now and our latest review is the NIKKO Air Race Vision 220 FPV Pro Drone with FPV. This is a larger drone with camera and a first for us - the option of a first person view, via a specially designed 4.3" full colour LCD screen and the optional headset which are included in the pack.


The box claims it'll be an easy to use drone, with six different one touch stunts, variable flight modes and variable speeds, so it offers lots to the novice as well as the experienced pilot. NIKKO's partner the Drone Racing League is the global leader in professional drone racing.


Inside the really sturdy reusable storage box are your 30cm (12") drone itself plus rechargable 7.4v Li battery and USB charging cable. The LCD Screen and attachment for controller, Controller (plus option of joysticks or pads), FPV goggles, SD card, 4 x AA batteries for FPV screen and 4 x AA batteries for controller and of course, spare blades.