Coco Pops Croco Copters

When the possibility of a trip to Tescos becomes the highlight of your day, you know that the monotony of revision has kicked in. I therefore decided, like almost half of St. Andrews, to head home for a little bit of TLC and to fully prepare myself, mentally and emotionally, for the looming exam period. Having foolishly booked the 09:22 train home the Monday morning following Sunday's frivolities at the Kate Kennedy Club Charity May Ball, I was absolutely delighted when upon my arrival home I was greeted by an amply stocked cereal cupboard courtesy of my loving mother. 

Indulging my inner child for a few days, I was immediately drawn to the most novel of all the cereals: Coco Pops Croco Copters. Despite the fact that it's clearly advertised and marketed towards children, I fully enjoyed my first taste of this new cereal; it doesn't taste exactly like classic Coco Pops, but nonetheless has its own unique flavour. The cereal takes a long time to go soggy and, as with Coco Pops, you are left with chocolatey milk at the end. What's more is that the plethora of games and activities to be found on the side of the box, including a word search and maze, were a great stimulant each morning, meaning that I was mentally prepared for a day's worth of revision. The only confusing thing about this cereal is the fact that each individual piece is shaped like a clock cog whereas the packaging would suggest that theme was revolving around helicopters. However, if you can find it within your heart to overlook this minor issue, i'm sure that you too will thoroughly enjoy Coco Pops Croco Copters. 

Here are my ratings for Coco Pops Croco Copters:

Crunch Factor: 4/5

Flavour: 3.5/5


Aesthetics: 4/5


Filling: 3.5/5


Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Kellogg's Corn Flakes

Easter Sunday marked the end of Lent and instead of celebrating with an easter egg or Lindt Bunny, I couldn't wait to tuck into a huge bowl of cereal. In fact, I was so excited about being able to eat cereal again that I forgot to blog about it last Tuesday and I can only apologise for my own negligence to the cereal cause. But, what did I choose as my first bowl of cereal in 6 weeks, 42 days, 1008 hours, I hear you say. There was no competition, it had to be Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

Sometimes overshadowed by more 'exciting' or 'interesting' cereals, Corn Flakes remain a solid classic that give their contenders a run for their money. Yes, they don't have any particular flavour, but sometimes all you need is something simple. This also means that you have a base upon which you can add whatever you wish, be it fruit, honey or sugar. However, I personally always opt for my corn flakes plain, enjoying the simplicity of the cereal per se, for me, Corn Flakes are the equivalent to the detox option of the cereal world. My only qualm with Corn Flakes is the time that they take to go soggy. Within about one minute of pouring the milk on, you are guaranteed to find a soggy bottom to your cereal (something Mary Berry does not approve of). For those of you who are not fans of  soggy cereal, this means that you may have to consume your breakfast as fast as possible, potentially setting you up for mid-morning indigestion. However, after a few weeks away, I always seem to forget this fact and come crawling back to Corn Flakes, only to be reminded about the speed this transition takes. Nonetheless, apart from this minor glitch, Corn Flakes do remain, in my opinion, an underrated gem of the cereal world - a bowl full of golden sunshine...

Here are my ratings for Kellogg's Corn Flakes:

Crunch Factor: 2.5/5

Flavour: 4/5


Aesthetics: 4/5


Filling: 3.5/5


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Hot Crossed Buns

I always find myself feeling extremely enthused about seasonal foods such as easter eggs, pigs in blankets and Pimm's. I, therefore, could hardly contain my excitement when I realised that Easter is just around the corner by the sheer quantity of hot crossed buns filling the shelves of Tescos. In a way, hot crossed buns hold a very nostalgic and very dear place in my heart. Every sunday morning of lent my brother and I would clamber into my mother and father's bed, teddy in hand, and devour hot crossed bun after hot crossed bun, only after I had insisted that my dear mother remove every single raisin and currant. I have since grown up and learnt to deal with the raisins, but still enjoy eating hot crossed buns in bed with my teddy, which is exactly what I did this very fine morning. 

The smell of orange, cinnamon and various spices coupled with slightly singed bread fills your house with the unbeatable feeling that spring has finally arrived. However, how you choose to eat your hot crossed bun is a question that can divide a nation. I would personally always eat my hot crossed buns warm (after all, the word 'hot' is in the title), choosing to toast it, but I could understand some people perhaps choosing to heat them in the oven or under the grill. However, I once heard someone say that they heat them in the microwave, needless to say I ended that friendship quickly... But whether you enjoy your buns hot or cold, the next big question is what condiment, if any, to top with? Taking pleasure from the simple things in life, I tend to stick to butter, but I suppose marmalade or maybe even honey would also make good options. It is this versatility that makes hot crossed buns a perfect treat for anytime of the day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. This also means that around this time of year I end up devouring them, packet after packet. Perhaps, in the words of Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls, "we're going to need considerably bigger buns".

Overall I would give hot crossed buns a rating of 4/5

Porridge

We are in the midst of lent and cravings for what we have given up are starting to set in. Some dive into the challenge of 6 weeks without chocolate, others perhaps try and better themselves as a person by going gossip free for 40 days. I, however, have decided to undertake a real personal challenge, giving up cereal for the whole duration of lent. Initially I thought I would make a swift transition from cereal to toast for breakfast, but then I remembered that I don't particularly enjoy eating toast every single morning. This has therefore led to the diversification of my breakfast choices, trying many vast and exciting breakfast foods. So, once a week, I intend to blog about a different breakfast option other than cereal for the whole 6 weeks of lent. After all, variety is the spice of life...

To ease me into this transition I have initially tried and tasted the pseudo-cereal, porridge. This is a hearty breakfast with slow release energy to keep you going until lunch time. It's versatility knows no limits as it can be made exactly to personal preference; it can be made with water, milk, as thick or runny as you like it. And once you have chosen your base you can start on the toppings. Some opt for a classic honey or maple syrup swirl, others like to add fruit and/or jam, and for those of you who believe less is more, porridge can be enjoyed simply as it comes. This morning I chose to have banana and honey upon my porridge and it was delicious. This combination adds a subtle sweetness to the simple base and you feel good because it counts towards one of your five a day. In my opinion, porridge is so great that it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No matter how you choose to have your porridge, I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed; how could you when it's texture and flavour depends upon your own personal preference? I will certainly be eating a lot more porridge  in the coming weeks... 

I would give porridge an overall rating of 4.5/5

Pancake Day

Today is Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, Le Mardi Gras. Whatever you like to call it, it's one of the few days that many of us actually decide to eat pancakes for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. However, this one day can divide a nation - what sort of pancake to have, what to top it with, sweet or savoury, American style or French crêpe? Unfortunately this year I am unable to participate in my local Olney Pancake Race that has been running since 1445, however, in celebration of this time old tradition, I have decided to scrap cereal for a week in favour of a traditional French crêpe.

Given that I had my crêpes for breakfast, I opted for the classic lemon and sugar to kick start my day, swiftly moving onto a filling of Nutella topped with the finest Spanish raspberries to be found in Aldi. However, there are many more toppings to be had: maple syrup and bacon, banana and toffee or even ham and cheese, to name just a few, the limit is your imagination... No matter what you choose to top you pancake with, the crucial, age old question still remains: to flip or not to flip? Fortunately for me, my flatmate has many talents in the kitchen, saving me from having to scrape my breakfast from up off the floor. But for those of you whose 'tossing' needs a little more practice, I would suggest heading out to some sort of eating establishment to get your pancake fix for the day. 

Obviously pancakes are not a cereal, therefore I won't be able to use my standard ratings today. In my opinion, pancakes are a very versatile food that can be changed according to personal preferences, taste and the time of day. 

Overall I would give pancakes a 4.4/5 stars. 

Nestle Toffee Crisp

These days it seems like all cereal companies are trying to recreate chocolate bars in cereal form. Firstly, Nestle gave us Lion cereal, recently moving onto the transformation of the classic Toffee Crisp Bar into a breakfast cereal. The 'New' banner over the top of the box immediately drew my attention when faced with the daunting prospect of the cereal aisle in Tescos. However, I myself was a little cynical of Nestle's most recent conversion. Yes, it would be like Christmas come early for all Toffee Crisp fans if you could have your favourite chocolate bar in a different form morning, noon and night, but the cynic in me couldn't help but question exactly how does one turn a chocolate bar into a cereal? Therefore, my dear friend Holly took the plunge and bought me a box of Toffee Crisp Cereal on the basis that I would review it. So here it is...

What I couldn't help but ignore was the healthy stance that Nestle are trying to give this cereal. On the top of the box they claim that Toffee Crisp Cereal is a source of whole grain and provides 8 vitamins and minerals, among which is vitamin D. This may all be true, however, it seems like they have employed this technique to make mums, or dads (this is the 21st century) feel less guilty about giving their children a chocolate bar equivalent for breakfast. Personally I feel that there is nothing wrong with starting the day to a bowl of chocolatey goodness, I've been eating all sorts of cereals for the past 19 years and look at me now! But, if it does make you feel slightly better, then I guess you are having a chocolate cereal that is good for you, in a roundabout way. Nestle have just used their pre-existing Crunch cereal but given it a slightly chocolatey-toffee flavour and added a few extra toffee balls. It was my flatmate who drew my attention to the fact that they bare a slight resemblance to maggots, but don't let that put you off; the flavour is quite subtle so it's not too sickly. It also stays crisp for a good 10 minutes meaning that you can eat at a leisurely pace and could even watch the entire soap feature on ITV's This Morning!
Although I enjoyed my bowl of Toffee Crisp, I wouldn't say that it was the equivalent to the chocolate bar per-se. Maybe Nestle should rebrand this as a new cereal in itself, that way perhaps consumers would feel more inclined to try a cereal that isn't a derivative of a chocolate bar.
Here are my ratings for Toffee-Crisp Cereal:

Crunch Factor: 4.5/5

Flavour: 3.5/5


Aesthetics: 2.5/5


Filling: 3/5


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Kellogg's Coco Pops vs Morrison's Choco Crackles

Valentine's day is fast approaching and instead of heading out for a wonderfully romantic meal with my other half, this year I have turned to another love of mine, the love of cereal. It would only be fitting that on the most romantic day of the year, I chose one of my all time favourite cereals, Coco Pops, but this week I have decided to try something new. Yes, I have already tried and reviewed Kellogg's Coco Pops, gaining an overall score of 4/5, but I thought how would they compare to Morrison's own brand version or the chocolatey cereal, Choco Crackles?

The packaging of both cereals is very similar, each opting for a yellow background with brown writing accompanied by some sort of cereal critter. Kellogg's have stuck with the well known Coco the Monkey, gracing the boxes of Coco Pops since 1963, whereas Morrison's have created a 'Pac-Man-esque' Choco Crackle Monster. Nonetheless, when placed next to one another on the shelf, you could very easily reach for one and not the other by mistake. But how does the actual cereal compare? Choco Crackles are a lot crispier than Coco Pops. This is perhaps not so great initially, but it does mean that the cereal stays crunchier for longer. However, the actual flavour of the cereal contrasts dramatically. Coco Pops have a much more chocolatey and more enjoyable flavour. On a positive note, both cereals leave the milk tasting chocolatey at the end. For just an extra 70p, I, personally would always go for Kellogg's Coco Pops in the morning, however, if towards the end of the semester when my student loan is suffering from numerous tickets bought for fashion shows and balls, I would be perfectly happy eating Morrison's Choco Crackles as a substitute.
Here are my ratings for each cereal:

Kellogg's Coco Pops             Morrison's Choco Crackles


Crunch Factor: 4/5              Crunch Factor: 4.5/5

Flavour: 4.5/5                  Flavour: 3/5

Aesthetics: 3.5/5               Aesthetics: 2.5/5

Filling: 3.5/5                  Filling: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 4/5             Overall Rating: 3.5/5