Luxury Silk-filled Mattress Topper

Luxury Silk-filled Mattress Topper

I was asked to review a single bed size silk-filled mattress cover from www.silkbeddingdirect.com ,  I was actually quite excited as our spare single bed is a bit old now and uncomfortable, so it would be great for my cousin when she comes to stay.

Well when the package arrived I was really surprised! The packaging was certainly luxurious and I hadn't even opened it yet let alone laid on it!

The mattress topper came neatly packaged in a zip-up bag, the bag is sturdy and perfect for if you need to store the topper (or anything else).

As I carefully unfolded the topper you could feel the quality, I forgot it was a silk 'filled' topper as the material of the actual product is really soft and silky.

There are motifs sewn into the fabric as a design and each corner has a good strong band of elastic to hold the topper in place on the mattress.

 So there I was stroking the fabric and then I realised it was silk-filled, there's a tiny zip next to the care labels which lets you peek inside to see and feel the actual silk ... how cool is that!!
(Just to spoil it for you it's reallllly really soft 😊)

So up I went to fit it onto my single mattress, it went on easily and stayed put when I refitted the sheet.  The elastic held tightly and it didn't slip which was good compared to other brands I have used in the past.  The mattress felt smooth and there were no lumps or rolls under the sheet.

I gave it a good test by rolling around, turning over, shuffling up and down the bed ... it didn't shift.

My cousin stayed the weekend so I purposely didn't mention the topper, she asked if we had brought a new mattress as it was really comfortable and she had slept well all night.

So how do you clean the topper? You don't.  All it needs is airing a few times a year, if you do get spills on it you can carefully sponge it with mild fabric cleaner, but apart from that you should never wash it as it could ruin the silk inside.  Full care instructions are on the care label next to the small hidden inspection zip.

We are impressed, great packaging, quality fabric has been used and it is well made. The topper is comfortable and practical.

Prices are competitive and different sizes are available.  We tested the single bed size  www.silkbeddingdirect.com/single-bed-mulberry-silk-filled-mattress-topper-143-p.asp but I am looking to purchase a king size for our bed in the near future.

For more information please visit: www.silkbeddingdirect.com

Dark Walnut 12 Bottle Wall Wine Rack

Dark Walnut 12 Bottle Wall Wine Rack

I have been reviewing a wine bottle storage rack which holds 12 bottles from Expovinalia, a company from Spain who specialise in wine storage solutions.

The rack measures 8cm x 8cm x 85cm, the unit contains the screws and fixings ready for you to anchor it to a wall in your kitchen or entertaining area.

The product is really sturdy, with no sharp or pointy edges.  The ends of the unit are rounded and sanded so that it looks sleek and sophisticated.  Each bottle hole is expertly drilled and equally spaced apart, again the edges are smooth.

The rack is very sturdy, but is also very light in weight.  It is made from pine wood, then stained to a dark walnut colour.  This makes the product look much more expensive than what it actually costs.


At present I am having a new kitchen extension built onto my house, so I am unable to fix the unit to the wall, however with the construction of the product I see no issue with the unit when I come to fix it up later.

You can purchase the wine rack directly through the Expovinalia store at amazon.co.uk they also have a wide range of wine storage solutions available for different sizes and wine storage capacities. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/expovinalia-250530-Wall-Wine-Rack-Walnut/dp/B01G3TENWW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496999747&sr=8-2&keywords=250530

At present (June 2017) the 12 bottle wine rack is retailing at £34.07 with FREE Delivery in the UK from the Expovinalia Amazon store.

You can also send them an email to either purchase from them direct or to ask for more information:  Comercial@expovinalia.com

(The cost directly from Spain is 45 euros with postage included).

A very good product, sturdy, sleek and practical.
The company also has good communication and great customer service skills.  

Paul Hollywood Baking Mix

Paul Hollywood Baking Range

Paul Hollywood from The Great British Bake-off (plus other shows about bread, cakes, pies and pastries) has brought out his own bread based mixes so we can knead his dough at home and make masterpieces in our own kitchen.

I have tried:
Luxurious Cheese & Rosemary Scones to which you need to add an egg, 80g butter and 180ml of milk.

White Plaited Loaf Mix to which you have to add 40ml of Olive oil and 340ml cool water.

Garlic & Herb Tear 'N' Share Bread Mix  where you add 50ml Olive oil and 320ml of cool water.

and

Barm Cake Roll Mix which needs 40ml Olive oil and 345ml of cool water.

They are surprisingly easy to make, but you do need strong arms (or a dough attachment for a mixer) and you need to follow the insructions about how to prove the dough.

For a mix they are useful as it saves you weighing and measuring, adding yeast etc... but they do take a while to make.  They are not instant and you have to mix, knead, cover, prove, knead, cover, prove etc... etc.. exactly the same as if you are making bread from scratch.   So put aside an afternoon if you would like to try making your own Paul Hollywood creations.

Tastewise - spot on!  We really liked them.  I wrapped the barm cakes (I call them rolls, my husband calls them baps) in a bag and they did keep for a few days.  The Garlic Tear 'N' Share was eaten by the family in one go (I was quite proud of that one!).

Each mix bag makes one large loaf or 8 good sized scones/rolls/barms/baps.

Please check http://bakingmixes.paulhollywood.com/ for ingredients and allergy advice for each product.  All details for each product are on his website including the nutritional information.

I was impressed, they took a bit of time, but they are quite therapeutic to make and its interesting to see how big they rise as you prove them :) 

Martha White Muffin Mix

Martha White Muffin Mix

Since 1899 Martha White has been a trusted name in Southern kitchens, providing folk with the highest quality products.  Martha White has been a trusted name in MY kitchen since 2016 when I discovered the mixes in Walmart in the USA.  I popped some in my trolley and brought them back to the UK with me, my cousin kindly sends me a few through the post to keep my cupboard stocked.

http://www.marthawhite.com/baking-products/muffin

There are a lot off different flavours and varieties, including Gluten Free mixes and Whole Grain Muffins.  I like the everyday varieties which only require 1/2 a cup of milk to mix them up.

They are simple to make, just tip the contents into a dry mixing bowl, add the milk and mix throughly.  I prefer to use my electric whisk to make sure the mixture is creamy and lump free.

Each pack makes on average 6 large muffins or 10-12 smaller cupcakes.
You have to bake them for 12-14 minutes or until browning, I normally keep putting them back in until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean.  It all depends on how big you have filled your muffins with muffin mix.

Each pack is a different flavour I have tried Chocolate Chocolate Chip, (White sponge) Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, Blueberry, Apple Cider, Apple Cinnamon, Wild Berry, Blueberry Cheesecake and Lemon Poppy seed.
The only version that I haven't liked so far has been the Lemon poppy seed, mainly because I don't like poppy seeds because they get stuck in your teeth.  My favourite has been the Blueberry Cheesecake as they tasted like blueberry but had a slightly sour cheesecake taste.  These were lovely warm!

In the USA they eat them warm with butter, I have tried this and it is ok. However in the UK we usually eat them warm or cool just as they are, or sometimes with a swirl of buttercream icing.

On average per pack each serving (muffin) is around 160 calories.  Quite high but as a treat and as part of a balanced diet I can't see an issue.  All packs state that they are a good source of Calcium with 5 vitamins and iron.

Most packs state that they contain Egg and Wheat.  They may contain Milk (well they definitely will once you add in the 1/2 cup milk) and soybean ingredients.   So avoid them if you have any allergies with any of the ingredients.   

More information is available on the Martha White website:
http://www.marthawhite.com/baking-products/muffin