Category Archives: Kitchen

Fantastic Quality Magnetic Weekly Whiteboard from Tesco allows you to Plan for the Week ahead with ease

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Hello and Welcome to my blog!
Today I am writing up another product review for you from a recent purchase that I really felt the need to shout about.

The Tesco Magnetic Planner Board was only £3.00 in my local Tesco Extra store. Not only is that great value for money, but it is high quality throughout. As a whiteboard it’s both easy to write on and easy to see with the contrast in white board and black pen.

Inside the cellophane you get the white board planner with the seven days of the week and space to write on the other side. You find two magnetic strips with sticky tape attached so that you can align them and stick them down to suit your needs. Having this board on the fridge in the kitchen is a great idea for keeping track of meals. But you may want to use it for appointments or children’s activities, it’s so versatile.

I bought this to be a meal planner, and was pleasantly surprised when I opened up the pen to find that not only does it write well and smooth, but it has a sponge attached on the lid part so that you can use it to rub writing out once you’re done! That means no more wasting kitchen roll towels cleaning off the board! Another big tick for me! You can also recycle the cellophane the board comes wrapped in at your local Tesco too.


Something else very useful is that the pen does have a designated stand and loop to go into at the top of the board, however there is also a magnet attached to the pen lid squared off part too! Meaning you can even have the pen anywhere on your fridge. Handy!

My final thought about this planner is how well it’s design has been thought out, it doesn’t take up too much space because it’s only 16cm wide by 23cm high. Even if you have a small kitchen like I do, it’s still ideal. The only way I would see you needing more of these would be if you had many children and you wanted to keep track of each one with multiple activities and appointments, which isn’t a bad thing at £3 a board you could get several.

As a mother who has a son with multiple food allergies I always write down the meals that we have had either together or separately because if any reactions were to occur I can refer back to the board that way. I have chosen to buy this so that I am not using as much paper, as I had previously written out my meal planners for the week on a Sunday and then clipped them to the fridge. This board is far more practical and if plans change it is easy to alter it too.

My Final Product Review Scores

Quality 5✩
Product Design 5✩
Product Cost 5✩
Features 5✩
Versatility 5✩

That’s a score of 5/5 and it means I highly recommend this product.

My TOP TIP would be to use this as a meal planner, you can also do one
board per child as an activities board, you can have one board as a family
board which looks at appointments and schedules. The list is endless but
you can decide what you would use yours for, and now thanks to me you
know where to find one!


Thank you for reading this product review today, I hope
I have inspired you to get a planner of your own.

Let me know what you would use yours for!

This product is my Monday Mum Hack for Monday 20th of February
too, why not check out my video on my Instagram.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Sabrina’s Chunky Pasta Sauce Made in 5 Minutes

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Sometimes all we want is a quick evening meal after a long day, so we decide on a fast cooking protein and/or carbohydrate like pasta but we then need a sauce. Only we open up the cupboards and find no jars in sight! Well fear not if this is you every once in a while! Because with my 5 minute sauce you’ll be serving up your food in no time!

Pop your pasta or rice or whatever else on to boil in the background. Then search your fridge and cupboard for any of the following items;

Tomato Puree
Salsa (Mild or Hot)
Chopped Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
Italian Herbs or Herbs you like or Garlic too
Vegetables – Frozen or Fridge in rough chunks
Onion – Diced (Optional)

Step 1. If you have any onion fry this off in a saucepan until soft.

Step 2. Add 200ml of water to the saucepan now and add a small cup of chunky vegetables per person, easy if it’s out of your freezer but in case it isn’t… Any veg will do like peas or carrots! Just make sure if it’s fresh it’s washed (and carrots peeled) and then cut into small chunks. Add more water now just enough to cover the vegetables and bring it to the boil.

Step 3. While your veggies cook you need to make the sauce part, take all of your chosen ingredients out and put them next to your cooker, also get a tablespoon to measure with. Open any tins that you have like chopped tomatoes and wait for the veg to soften.

Step 4. Once the Veggies are soft carefully drain the water away from your saucepan, then place it back on to the cooker and begin to add the sauce elements.

Step 5. Add in 2-3 Tablespoons of Salsa, 2-3 Tablespoons of Tomato Puree.
Season to your taste with herbs, pepper, garlic etc. A sprinkle of salt is all you need.

Step 6. Mix this all together and now add in your chopped tomatoes, stir well, then return the saucepan to the heat and cook for another couple of minutes until it is hot throughout.

Step 7. Serve with your chosen accompaniment like Pasta, Rice or a Meat like Chicken.

Sprinkle some (I have Dairy Free) Cheese on top too if you like! Delicious!

Thank you for reading this Recipe Blog Post today!

I hope you have a great start to your week.

If you make my chunky pasta sauce I would love to know what you thought of it!

There are tons of Recipes here on my blog, check out the category here
called Sabrina’s Cooking in Minutes.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Organising your Kitchen Drawers has never been easier with the Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Organiser

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Today I am bringing you a brand new product review, my first purchase of 2023!

Featuring the DrawerStore Organiser from Joseph Joseph.
Purchased on Amazon for £26.39. (Price Correct as of January 21st 2023).

Product Information: Available in Grey, Blue, White/Green.
Product Details: Only suitable for Drawers with a depth of 8cm or more.
Dimensions: 38.4cm Length by 39.7cm Wide and 5.3cm Deep.
Additonal Information: There are several of these DrawerStore items in
different sizes and for different uses such
as cutlery, whole drawer, knives only etc.

Sabrina’s Top Tips!

Always measure your own drawers and cupboards and work out the cost for the product versus how many centimetres of product you are paying for. This product was worth it for my drawer because I am not wasting any space. However there are many similar products on the market that may suit your space better, plus Joseph Joseph do smaller organiser trays as well! So always weigh up all your options before you buy and get out that ruler or tape measure.

Picture from Amazon

This was the situation in my kitchen drawer before I made the purchase. It was full of baby spoons and a copious amount of medicine spoons and syringes. I needed a clear out and to reorganise because types of items were all mixed together, like my sons cutlery with the adult cutlery, and so on.

My Drawer set up prior to this Joseph Joseph product purchase.

For a while now I have been reorganising my kitchen and the space within it. The issue is that I live in a small cottage which only has three rooms downstairs. I have no utility area, so my kitchen is three things in one room. It is my food prep area, my utility and my storage room for everything from food and drink, and cat food to cleaning products. I also only have 3 drawers in the room too, so maximising the space that I do have in those areas is vital.

I’m someone who loves to cook and often bulk cooks too. So I have plenty of different knives and utensils, as well as my usual cutlery. My Jamie Oliver cutlery set is my absolute favourite and I use them every single day.

I had a voucher for Christmas for Amazon, and I had been looking at getting something from Joseph Joseph. This brand is incredible for their sturdy and space saving gadgets and kitchen utensil related products. I already own two other useful items from their range, and I had seen the drawer organiser and hoped it would fit my old fashioned kitchen. Success for me because the measurements I had done worked out, so I went ahead and ordered it.

When I removed it from the Amazon box just two days later I was happy with the quality, the plastic is very strong and durable which is what I needed. I took off the packaging to recycle it and be able to give the organiser a good clean with some antibacterial spray. Once that was done I looked it over and decided where I wanted to put some of the items from my drawer, although the organiser does suggest cutlery in some spaces which are allocated with little icons.

After cleaning out my current drawer space I slotted in the Joseph Joseph piece and I got to work with the organising of it. Pleased that I was able to fit every single item from my previous draw tray and even have room to spare. I also allowed me to see just how many things I could recycle, like the fact I had managed to accumulate 17 medicine spoons, 7 Calpol syringes and several baby spoons that my son no longer needs. I kept a couple of each and tossed the rest into my plastics recycling tub.

Allocating the items was simple and they slotted into the cutlery spaces with ease, all except for the Table Spoons, the larger ones did take a little manoeuvring but I got there in the end and I was pleased with the end results. It didn’t take me more than twenty minutes to do my drawer change over, and I am left with a more organised space that is much easier to find what any of us want.

I decided to place the things that my son uses (and often helps himself to) at the front in the right corner so that he could reach them easy enough. Placing the things I use least often such as Soup Spoons, Dessert Spoons and Dessert Forks at the back corner. The drawer is designed for Table Spoons, Forks, Knives and Tea Spoons in that ascending order on the left moving towards the back of the organiser tray. I would personally and usually like to have my tea spoons at the front, so this is my only bug bear with the tray. Otherwise it has been a fantastic addition to my kitchen whilst I remain vigilant on how to save space and create better organisation in other parts of the room.

My completely reorganised drawer with Joseph Joseph organiser.

Overall I would like to rate the item 4/5✩

Would I buy it again? Yes

Would I recommend it? Yes

Overall the item is strong, durable and it fits the dimensions of my relatively small drawer which is excellent. I think the icons for the items should be slightly different on the left of this tray however. One of the main items we use in the United Kingdom is a tea spoon, it doesn’t make sense for these to be in the very back slot of the tray. Other than this I highly rate this organiser tray. You may have a larger kitchen and larger drawer than I have, in which case accessing the final part of the try might not be an issue for you. If you have a smaller drawer like me please check the depth of your drawer before buying, luckily mine was 8cm, but anything under 7cm will likely cause the cutlery to become stuck due to the angle of which they are laid out in the left side of the organiser. If you look at my photograph below you will see what I mean, and about the tea spoons disappearing at the back of the drawer. I actually may end up putting some with my sons cutlery at the bottom right corner for ease of access. I thought the cost was a little expensive but you are getting a branded item and it is of high quality in a manufacturing sense. The features are also good regarding the icons and the shape in which the tray is designed in which to maximise efficient use of space.

My Final Scores

Durability 5✩
Product Design 4✩
Product Cost 4✩
Features 5✩
Product Quality 5✩

My son can now safely help himself to anything in his designated section of the organiser.

Thank you for reading this product review today.

I hope you have a great rest of your week!

If you have questions about the product then please leave me
a comment and I will do my best to answer them.

See you again soon I hope!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Testers Review of the Breville VBL248 Blend Active Personal Blender in Pink

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Hello! I’m Sabrina! And I am an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of an online review. I thoroughly test products and take photographs of them before submitting my findings and honest thoughts over to Argos. This latest campaign was to test a brand new Breville Blender and I jumped at the chance to do so, mainly because I hadn’t replaced an old blender when it broke around three years ago.

#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity


I have written this article about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and it is my honest review about the product listed below. I have already submitted my review to the Argos Website, and it has been accepted on to live public view when this blog post has been published. Please see my review on this screengrab below from the Argos website. All words and photography below this screengrab are my own.

Product Name: Breville VBL248 Blend Active Personal Blender in Pink (also available in Green)
Product Price: £23.00
Product Link: Argos Website

Product Information: Two 600ml Plastic Bottles BPA Free. Two Super-Seal Leak Preventing Lids with Carry Straps. 350W Blender Unit. Stainless Steel Bladed Bottle Base (Screw on Top), Blades Suitable to Crush Ice and Frozen Fruit. Only Suitable for Cold Liquids and Food Stuffs. One Touch Easy Blending. Bottles are Marked with ml for Ease of Use. Base Unit also available in Green. 0.6 Litre Capacity. Base requires Mains Electricity Supply.

Description from Argos:

Enjoy smoothies, juices, protein shakes and more on the go with the Breville Blend Active. This single-serve blender features a powerful 350W motor that smoothly blends frozen berries and ice with juice and other liquids. The blending occurs in the top of the bottle so nothing gathers in the base, while the one-touch action delivers perfect results in seconds; ideal for busy weekday mornings before you head out to work, school or the gym.

Make healthy, delicious smoothies, frozen juices, protein drinks and more.

One-touch blending action delivers perfect results in seconds; a quick and easy way to your 5-a-day.

My Honest Opinion

I have really enjoyed testing this gadget, and as someone who eats a lot of fruit anyway, it was nice to consume my five a day in a different way for a change. I enjoyed coming up with various smoothies and shakes over the several days of testing this product. I only had one minor issue with it and that was the electric cable from the base unit was a little short, but that’s also my bugbear due to the fact I don’t have many plugs in my kitchen as is. So I have since rearranged my counter top now so that my Blend Active can remain at easy reach. I did my first go on the top of my oven hob which wasn’t going to be practical, so I moved things around. I have used the Breville Active every day so far since I received it. It wasn’t as noisy as I thought it might be, and it was so quick to set up and easy to use too.

The bottles are really nice to hold, and the ml on the sides allows for ease of preparation of the smoothie and also tells you how much you’ve created and drank respectively. You could divide one full smoothie of 600ml into three 200ml glasses and give them to your children in a morning. Or you may wish to consume the entire bottle yourself at home or on the go, the decision is totally up to you.

Due to getting a limited word count when I submit my Argos Review I always like to elaborate some more on my blog. So to answer some of the questions other people have had online; yes the device is only mains powered so you will need access to a plug in order to use it. The blending button needs to be held down in order to blend or to pulse your chosen ingredients, however it also doesn’t take very long at all to blend those items, I think the longest that I did one smoothie (with Vegetables in) was for around 45-50 seconds. Usually 30 seconds was plenty enough time for the fruit I was using to become smooth. If you don’t like fruit seeds you could strain your smoothie through a sieve, into a jug and then pour it back into your (rinsed bottle or spare second) bottle, however it is convenient to simply smoothie up and drink. Finally yes it is going to have some noise to it being a mechanical device, but I have a mini food processor half the size and that is way louder than this Breville blender, so overall the noise for me wasn’t an issue, plus if you’re only making noise for a single minute tops, it’s not going to disrupt the neighbours is it.

Overall I would like to rate the Breville Blend Active 5 stars.

Performance 5✩
Features 5✩
Noise 4✩
Design 5✩
Additional 5✩

Performance is excellent and the quality of the end result is consistently very good.
Features are great such as the leak proof lids and the ml on ergonomic large bottles.
Noise is very good for a loud gadget, it’s not quiet but it’s speed makes up for the noise.
Design is great, a compact base unit and everything fits so well with arrow indicators to help.
Additional star is for BPA Free Plastic and the Recipes in the Booklet to get you started.

Thank you for reading this review, I hope you have enjoyed it. You can purchase this product or read more about it by looking online from Argos, I have left the link in the product description above.

If you have any questions about this Personal Breville Blender then please leave me a comment below or on my social media posts and I will do my best to answer with the knowledge I have gained from reviewing this product.

Don’t forget to check out my social media to see this in action too!

Thank you.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Tester Review of the Haden Highclere 4 Slice Toaster

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I am very fortunate to be an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of a review. This month I was offered an item that I jumped at a chance to own. It is a beautiful 4 Slice Toaster made by the UK based brand Haden.

#ArgosTester #ArgosTesters #ArgosTestersCommunity

This post has been written by myself about a product that I have been supplied for free, in order to test and then review it. This is my experience with said product and my honest review about the product that is listed below. I have already submitted my product review to the Argos Website when this post has been published.


The Haden Highclere Toaster is a great example of British Quality. It has been manufactured to a high standard with clean lines and a beautiful steel look to compliment the metal elements of a toaster. The addition of the Cream colour casing makes it a perfect appliance to slot into any kitchen. It is also available in a pale cyan blue colour but from Haden direct at the moment.

This fantastic 4 slice toaster has wider slots than most other brands meaning it’s perfect if you love a tasty fat crumpet or a tasty thick wedge of toast. Your products won’t get stuck when popping up out of this well designed appliance. I love how it has smooth rounded edges; everything I have had previously is very square. I think it’s a rather feminine looking Toaster, and I really like that about it. The whole piece is beautiful with the steel having reflection of the area surrounding the toaster. I have the cream version and it compliments it very well.

I am most impressed by the look of the piece and the width of the toasting slots. Now I can enjoy tasty crumpets without waiting for them to get stuck! And it goes well in my kitchen because of its very stylish design. Cream goes with everything doesn’t it? The toaster doesn’t take up loads of room on your counter top either, which is great news, so you get the wide toasting slots and a compact design. What more could you want? I know I am extremely satisfied with this product and I will always enjoy using it.

Product Name: Haden 197252 Highclere Toaster 4 Slice – Cream
Product Information: 4 Slice Toaster, Available in Cream or Blue, Haden was Established in England in 1958. This Toaster has two removable Crumb Trays, Reheat and Defrost Settings, Cancel and 6 Browning Settings.
Product Price: £44.99 (Correct as of 30th August 2020)
Product Link: Argos Website


Argos Tester Submission

The Haden Toaster is beautiful, I love that its rounded design has some great features. With wider toasting slots it means my crumpets never get stuck now! I like the easy functionality of it with Reheat & Defrost buttons. Overall it’s a Toaster that will go beautifully in any kitchen with its stylish metallic & cream finish. I found that toast was crisp & golden in no time. I’m really happy with the excellent quality of this Haden appliance and I hope it lasts me a very long time.

My Favourite Aspects of the Product

✩ Wide Toasting Slots
✩ Superb Manufacturing Quality
✩ Sleek and Smooth Design with Curved Sides

✩✩✩

If you have any questions about this product and you would like to ask me about it then please do! Either leave me a comment or ask me on one of my social media posts, and I would be happy to help you out.

Have a great bank holiday weekend!
And thanks for visiting my blog Severn Wishes today.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Tester Review of the George Foreman Fit Grill. A Great Grill Ideal For A Small Kitchen.

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I am very fortunate to be an Argos Tester, this means that I often get items sent to me for the purpose of a review. This month I was offered an item that I jumped at a chance to own. It is a very useful kitchen appliance and a new version of the well known brand that most people have heard of, George Foreman.

This post has been written by myself about a product that I have been supplied in order to review it and test it. This is my experience and honest review about the product listed below. I have already submitted my product review to the Argos Website when this post has been published.

Product Name: George Foreman ¦ Fit Grill ¦ Small

Product Description: Whether you are short on time to cook or short on space in your kitchen, this speedy to heat up Fit Grill can help you to cook up your favourites, without them sticking thanks to the non-stick coated plates! It has a slim space saving design too!

Product Details: All in one Electric Grill with solid plates. Wipe clean only (non removable) and features a tilting base and a hinged lid for ease of cooking and cleaning. Can be stored flat or along one side.

Product Information: The Worlds No.1 Electric Grill Brand. 30% Space Saving on the previous grills of this type and size. It heats up 160% faster than its previous models and is also two times easier to clean.

Product Link: Argos Website

(Please be aware that when I submitted my Review of this product this brand new type of Grill was not yet available, some Argos stores were still selling the old version. This one shown in my images is the brand new type of Small “Fit” Grill and will be widely available very soon).

My Review was done during the first week of July 2020.

My Product Review

My latest review is a kitchen appliance one. I was excited to try the brand new George Foreman Fit Grill. With only a small kitchen I chose the small version of the grill, because I want to be able to use it regularly even after my Review is complete. It doesn’t take up much room at all and this new version is slimmer than the previous version, easier to store away in a cupboard between uses.

What is Inside the Box?

George Foreman Fit Grill – Small (Power Cable Attached)
Plastic Drip Tray
Instruction Manual and Recipes Book

How to Use and Maintain this Grill?

This Grill is firmly attached to all its main parts except for the washable Drip Tray. Everything else needs to be kept away from water and other heat sources. Your Grill does not have detachable plates and therefore needs to be wiped clean after every use. You can adjust the grill using the feet situated beneath it, do this before you start cooking. This is so that fat and juices from your food run down and into the drip tray, which you slide underneath the front end of the Grill. I used a damp cloth to clean mine.

My Experience using the Grill

It isn’t often that I would grill in the way you would do on a BBQ for example, I would usually do burgers and sausages in my oven. But when I opened the manual of this George Foreman I was surprised to find out just how many items you can safely cook on this awesome little grill.

From your usual meats and meat free alternatives like Chicken Breasts, various types of Burgers, various types of Sausages, Steaks, Bacon Rashers and Pork Chops! The George Foreman Fit Grill also allows you to cook things like halved Peppers, Whole Flat Mushrooms and Sandwiches. Other items you can cook include Fish, Asparagus, Haloumi and Lamb Chops. Almost anything goes so long as you follow the cooking guidelines for your food.

I was eager to try the cooking of these products out for myself and so I began with meats and went on from there. Of course because the Grill was new I needed to gently and carefully wipe the plates inside it with warm water and dry with a nonabrasive cloth afterwards. Once clean I plugged it in and let it heat up. It is a very simple appliance to use.

I was impressed with how quick the grill heated up to the optimum temperature. The thermostat light is Green and is situated on the top and lid of the grill informs you that it is ready to use when the light goes out. They recommend always wearing an oven glove or mitten around your hand which you use to open up the grill, and using tongs in order to place your food down on the plates. This is because the whole appliance gets very hot and it is better to be cautious. You should also use tongs and nothing that is metallic so you don’t scratch and damage the grill plates.

There are handy cooking times and food safety practices inside the instruction manual which was great to know, and also a few recipes to get your started. The guide is just that, a guide, and you should always look at the packaging your food comes in and compare it with the George Foreman manual times.

I can see me using this Grill regularly; I have so far cooked Beef Burgers, Pork Chops, Bacon Rashers, Onions and Peppers on it. I have to say that all of which cooked well, some quicker than if I had used my oven, and they tasted good too. You do need to be in attendance with a grill like this, you cannot leave the room. What I did was prepare other aspects of my meal while keeping an eye on the meat. Because they don’t take very long, you also might need to flip them over half way into the cooking, plus don’t forget the drip tray! Just in case it was getting a bit full up of fat.

Overall I’m very happy that I chose to Review this George Foreman Fit Grill. It is slim and compact which is ideal for single people or those with a small kitchen. The plates are fast reacting and it heats up in no time ready for use. It is also easy to clean and maintain so long as you deal with it soon after cooking your food. I managed to fit two burgers and two chops side by side, so there is more than enough room on the plates to cook food for two people if you wished to.

My Argos Tester Review Piece for the Website

This grill is excellent for those who want a healthier way to cook food fast. It is a slim & compact appliance that heats up in no time. It has more than enough space on its plates to cook two burgers or small steaks at a time. Easy to clean & maintain & with adjustable features like its hinge & the angle of cooking. It is versatile with what you can grill & for most things is faster than using a preheated oven. I look forward to experimenting & grilling a variety of foods in the future.

Thank you for reading this review piece today. If you have any questions about this product leave me a comment and I will answer them if I can. If you are interested in this item please click the link above that I gave in the Product Description, they will take you directly to the Argos website.

Have a great day!

✩ Sabrina ✩