Venison Sausages with Cranberry

I am not a supermarket snob, neither is Mr.R - which is just as well because he is the one who does all of our grocery shopping, mainly at Lidl.

These sausages were another top choice from our local Lidl.
Very tasty venison and cranberry sausages.
Mr.R cooked them a few nights ago, with a baked potato for our dinner.
In my excitement, I don't get out much, I completely forgot to take any photos of the packet, or the sausages before they were cooked. Not that raw sausages are particularly lovely to look at, unless you're a dog - I know our dog, Barley the Lurcher was most interested in them.
Anyway, here's a shot of them in the oven, and also on the plate, chopped up and served on top of the baked potato with a tangy homemade tomato and Parmesan cheese sauce.

We really enjoyed these venison sausages from Lidl.
They were meaty, had a lovely strong venison flavour, and no bits of gristle. We couldn't taste cranberry, but the decent meaty flavour and nice texture meant that didn't matter.
They were so nice, I wish Mr.R had bought another packet, or two, because our local Lidl doesn't stock this type of food very often, or for very long.
Have you tasted Lidl Venison Sausages with Cranberry?
Did you like them?

Baron de Ley, Corte Mayor Crianza, Rioja 2010 - Wine Review

The wine selection at our local Co-Op is pretty good, especially considering they don't have aisles of shelf space to stock lots of wines like the larger supermarkets are able to.
It was the Co-Op where Mr.R bought a bottle of Baron de Ley, Corte Mayor Crianza, Rioja 2010 a couple of days ago.

As we don't splash the cash when purchasing red wine; we drink far too many bottles for that kind of behaviour, we'd have to be multi-millionaires to be able to drink excellent quality red wines in the quantity we enjoy, we buy and drink a lot of budget friendly wines, and to be honest they all taste pretty much the same - they taste like - basic red wine.
That is not to say, they are bad wines. They're perfectly drinkable. It's just that they rarely have any distinctive aromas or flavours. So, as I said they simply taste like red wine, which is also how they smell - like red wine.

This wine is a Crianza which means it's aged for one year in new oak barrels, it also means it quite light and less fruity than, say a reserva. But it's still a pleasant drink.

From the label -
Coming from Bodegas Corte Mayor in northern Spain, this regal wine is steeped in the heritage and beauty that is Rioja, Spain's best known wine region and it prides itself on its high quality and distinctive style.
This Crianza wine is made from the best Tempranillo grapes, selected from high sloping vineyards. It has been fermented and aged in new oak barrels for one year, followed by an extra of resting in bottle.
The result is a confident red wine offering great balance of fruit and oak, an elegant finish and velvery tannins.

We bought, or rather Mr.R bought, I waited outside the Co-Op with our dog, a bottle of Baron de Ley, Corte Mayor Crianza, Rioja 2010.
We opened the wine.
We drank the wine.
We enjoyed the wine.
Do you buy wine from the Co-Op? 
Have you tried Baron de Ley, Corte Mayor Crianza, Rioja 2010?
Did you like it?

Aldi Carino Coconut Shampoo, and Coconut Conditioner - Review

There's nothing wrong with the budgets supermarkets in Blighty, which probably explains why they are currently more popular than ever with the British public.
Mr.R drove us to the local Aldi a couple of days ago, mainly because I wanted to buy a few bits and pieces - all beauty products.
I'd read about their well-known face serum, and thought I'd see if they had any in stock.
It was our first visit to Aldi since we've been back in the UK.

Having mentioned the face serum, this blog post is not about that, it's about the Aldi Carino Coconut Shampoo, and the Coconut Conditioner. Hahaha!
I will write reviews about the other products I purchased when I've used them enough to form a decent opinion.

Initially I'd intended to order some organic shampoo and conditioner online, but I changed my mind - I'm contrary.

I'm also seriously indecisive, and Aldi had quite a few shampoos and conditioners to choose from.
It took me three attempts at making my final choice.
Three times I picked a bottle of shampoo, and a bottle of conditioner, off of the shelf and headed toward the check-out. But then before I reached the tills, I'd change my mind and go back to the shampoos and conditioners aisle, and choose something else.
Anyway, eventually I decided that the Carino Coconut Shampoo, and Conditioner were the ones for me.
There were two other scents available, raspberry, and tea tree.
The coconut one is for all hair types.
The bottles are 400ml and cost a low low low 65p each.

I know it's ridiculous but I was getting a little flustered with my indecision because Mr.R and our dog, Barley the lovely Lurcher, were waiting outside for me. They were slobbering over the window, desperate for me to hurry up and come outside to play. Well, Barley was the one standing on his back legs, nose and paws pressed against the window watching me, Mr.R was slightly better behaved, he was just looking at me smiling. Ahh, bless them!

So, one bottle of Carino Coconut Shampoo, and a bottle of the Coconut Conditioner in my hands, and I'd made my final choice.
I paid.
Exited the shop.
We all left.

So, what did I think of the Carino Coconut Shampoo, and Conditioner?
I've used them a few times now, and I absolutely love them.
For 65 per bottle you may think the contents would be thin and watery, but you'd be wrong. Both the shampoo and conditioner are nice and thick.
The shampoo smells delicious, good enough to eat delicious, and it lathers up really well.
The conditioner also smells lovely, and easily untangled my crazy, dragged through a hedge backwards barnet.
A little of the shampoo and conditioner goes a long way.
My hair is, or should I say was before I used these products, horribly dry, and sad. But now it's much less dry, it feels soft, and looks like it's in a lot better condition.
Thumbs up!

The shampoo bottles has this written on it -
Escape to paradise with this island blend of coconut and exotic lychee extracts to nourish and add shine to your hair.
Superior ingredients + affordable price = glamorous hair every day of the week!
Hair smells and feels great!
Improves softness and shine.
Contains pro-vitamin B5. 

Shampoo Ingredients

• aqua
• sodium laureth sulfate
• sodium chloride
• cocamide MEA
• cocamidopropyl
• betaine
• glycerin
• parfum
• sodium benzoate
• polyquaternium-7
• styrene/acrylates copolymer
• citric acid
• benzophenone-4
• tatrasodium EDTA
• polyquaternium-39
• coumarin
• sodium hydroxide
• panthenol
• cocos nucifera fruit extract
• litchi chinensis fruit extract
• potassium sorbate

The conditioner bottle has more or less the same as the shampoo bottle written on it -

with the addition of -

Detangles leaving hair more manageable.  

Conditioner Ingredients

• aqua
• cetearyl alcohol
• isopropyl palmitate
• glycerin
• parfum
• benzoic acid
• cetrimonium chloride
• panthenol
• potassium sorbate
• coumarin
• sodium hydroxide
• propylene glycol 
• benzyl salicylate
• cocos nucifera extract
• lactic acid
• PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil
• sodium benzoate

So, although I initially considered buying some organic shampoo and conditioner from a website that I often use, I'm pleased I opted for the Aldi Carino coconut shampoo and conditioner instead.

I know that a lot of so-called organic products still contain nasty chemicals, and didn't want to spend a small fortune this time. And judging by the results, my hair loves Aldi Carino Coconut shampoo and conditioner.

Have you tried Aldi Carino Coconut Shampoo and Coconut Conditioner?

Does your hair love it?