Zen Giveaway ~ Cadbury Marvellous Creations Banana Candy, Peanut Drops and Choc Biscuit

What can I say ?  just when I thought they couldn't create a more interesting and unexpected flavour combination. Cadbury surprised me . A few weeks ago I was sent the new Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations Banana Candy, Peanut Drops and Choc Biscuit to sample !

First - my Zen Chocolate Thoughts

1. “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”
   ― Linda Grayson
2. “Without pain, how could we know joy?' This is an old argument in the field of thinking about suffering and its stupidity and lack of sophistication could be plumbed for centuries but suffice it to say that the existence of broccoli does not, in any way, affect the taste of chocolate.” {I still love broccoli}
   ― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars  
3. “Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces.” {Tried - too weak}
   ― Judith Viorst, Love & Guilt & The Meaning Of Life, Etc  
4. “Can I come back and see you sometime?"
   "Long as you bring me some chocolate," Gramma said, and smiled. "I'm partial to chocolate."
   "Gramma, you're diabetic."
   "I'm old, girl. Gonna die of something. Might as well be chocolate.”
   ― Rachel Caine, The Dead Girls' Dance  
5. “May your life be filled, as mine has been, with love and laughter; and remember, when things are rough all you need is ... Chocolate.”
   ― Geraldine Solon, Chocolicious 

Once we broke open the block , we devoured it ...[seriously a resealable package ]- within , thickly wrapped in smooth and creamy Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, were velvety - melt in your mouth peanut drops- to get tastebuds tingling, as delightfully as the retro and oh-so-scrumptious banana candy pieces , colliding with a hearty crunch of choc biscuit.

We shared it with family and friends. Some liked it and some commented on the strong banana flavour. It is apparently peanut butter in the drops and the biscuit crunch though not new is still delicious too.

 I wasn't so much a fan of Peanut, Toffee Crisp and Biscuit variation myself , none the less  I enjoyed the Banana Candy, Peanut Drops and Choc Biscuit but not as much with the Jelly Popping Candy Beanies !!!

I love all types of Cadbury chocolate. My favourite is still the recently added variation Marvellous Creations Clinkers, Raspberry Chips & Marshmallows. I was sent a bag of actual raspberry chips in June and they are like jaw breaking toffee mmm so good.

For more information head to www.joyville.com.au 

To celebrate that the new Marvellous Creation Banana Candy, Peanut Drops and Choc Biscuit is here to stay I have a marvelous giveaway !


FIVE prize packs each with 4 x 290g blocks of Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations Banana Candy, Peanut Drops and Choc Biscuit !

What do you think ? 

What is your favourite - to enter tell me who you would share your Cadbury with ? 

Terms and Conditions.

1. Only Australian Residents are eligible to enter.
2. Entries not answering the question will be deemed invalid. The winner will be chosen by originality and creative merit, not by chance. Judges decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
3.There are 5 packs of 4 chocolate blocks as above. (5 winners in total)
4. Entries open 22/8/13 - close 3/9/13. The winner will be notified by email, and posted to mylittledrummerboys.blogspot.com.au after they reply - Winners have 7 days to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
5. The Prize is not transferable, changeable or redeemable for cash.
6. Prizes sent out by PR firm directly will not be replaced in the event that they are stolen, lost or damaged or delayed in transit.
 
7. Subscribe to my blog  to receive MLDB updates.
8. Follow via Facebook or Bloglovin on the sidebar .

Disclaimer:  I was provided with Cadbury Marvellous Creations Banana Candy, Peanut Drops and Choc Biscuit. to review & for the purpose of hosting this giveaway and adding to my post running fuel. 
No financial payment was received.All opinions are my own.



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Stepping out of my comfort zone, Naturally - RedBalloon review

 RedBalloon review

I was stepping out of my comfort zone when I decided to choose a Scientific Naturopathic consultation for my next RedBalloon experience ...I possibly needed a detox after eating all that chocolate and fudge.

What ?

Hands up who wouldn’t want more Sleep Abundant Health, Energy and Vitality!

I‘ve always had the understanding that  Naturopathy focuses on naturally occurring substances, minimally invasive methods, and encouragement of natural healing. I wanted to know more as I travel the path to recovery .

I trusted the fact that because they were a Redballoon experience they must be reputable. In the past I may have been sceptical about some alternative medicines with my nursing background / career. I know diet and natural therapies play a big role in healing in many cultures.

I had already booked this experience when I discovered my son’s new girlfriend, was ‘training’ to be a Naturopath. [A four-year Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy degree. She was telling me how much she loves microbiology one day...not my favourite health subject ]

Interesting, hmmm, I hope she curbs his junk food addiction.

I arrived early and was given a lovely cup of green tea (Of course)

My consultation with the scientific naturopathic practitioner began with a detailed questionnaire, then a patient interview focusing on my diet and lifestyle, health concerns , medical history, emotional journey {right now especially with cancer } and physical features like height and weight, skin , BMI and muscle mass. All information basically to give her a full picture of how I manage my health. She put me at ease and listened...not like some Drs who care less about the whole person.

The information I gave , used in conjunction with my results from the testing, helped determine my health priorities. The testing package includes a zinc mineral test, (zinc is one of the most important minerals for long term health and longevity) and the highly regarded cellular health test.

I was deficient in zinc and I had a few areas to work on with my nutrition.

I’m still under the Oncology team and having Herceptin treatment every 3 weeks so I'm always going to be cautious. All the advice I received was sensible . She actually asked more questions about my health and diet then they ever have. A lot of the advice was similar to what a renown nutritionist recommended a few weeks ago.

I got feedback on the health and energy of my cells, my body composition and the biological age of my body (I have the body of a 42yr old – hurrah). My body weight was spot on, but I’m lacking muscle mass. I’ve lost muscle mass since my breast cancer diagnosis.

After my Naturopath practitioner collated the results, she gave me a tailor made program including a few nutritional/dietary changes and supplement recommendations to target my specific health concerns and assist my body in returning to full health and vitality.

When I told my husband I needed more sleep ...he agreed 110% !
He said "Turn off the computer. Go to bed earlier  – you are not sleeping in".

I've really been trying to give a go but being sick the last week with a respiratory infection has not been easy.

I would highly recommend this experience. I trusted my practitioner's advice and I purchased a few recommended supplements, though there was no pressure to do so.

Personally, I wouldn’t advise anyone ever to rely on this type of treatment alone for cancer. Serious consequences may result avoiding or delaying conventional medical care. Also, if you are visiting a Naturopath, be sure you know what kind of training and education the person has. 

Thanks to RedBalloon and Radiance Healthcare  It was so easy to book a suitable time. A day later, when I wanted to move my appointment from 3pm to 4pm  , it was no problem to change with Radiance.

RedBalloon have the ultimate in 2500 + different experiences across Australia. The variety of experiences that cater to all ages ,and lifestyles means there is something for everyone to choose.

If you can't decide on an experience buy a gift voucher. RedBalloon vouchers are perfect for any occasions ...I really don't need 217 reasons to take a mini break this winter ! One would suit me perfectly.

There is a special deal for My Little Drummer Boy readers!

• Offer: Spend $129 or more on any RedBalloon experience, and receive $30 off.
• To redeem:  Visit www.redballoon.com.au and enter the promotional code REDMUM12 at the checkout to receive your discount.
• Terms and Conditions: Offer valid until 31/12/13. Promotional Code can only be used once per person. All purchases are subject to Red Balloon T&Cs, for full details see www.redballoon.com.au/help/terms-conditions

Disclosure: Thanks to the team at Digital Parents Collective for inviting me to be a part of the Red Balloon Experience Program. I will be sharing more awesome experiences with you over the coming months. Stay tuned!  As always, all opinions are my own however the experiences are complimentary.
I paid for my own supplements.



Linking with Essentially Jess #IBOT


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Wordless Wednesday ~ We're going on an Egg Hunt

 

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Joyville ~ New Cadbury Chocolate Mousse {+ Giveaway x 5 }

If you have too little in the way of willpower I warn you to steer clear !

The latest launch in Cadbury Dairy Milk Mousse flavour variants is Double Chocolate and Raspberry Coulis ~ especially for women ~  such delicious little pillow shaped bites of nom nom melt-in-the-mouth goodness.

Let's just say I didn't can't stop at one piece of the newest addition to my long list of favourite Cadbury chocolate varieties. My DH was partial to a few pillows too.

I was sent one of each block to enchant me try ...even wrapped so creatively in coloured layers !

The raspberry coulis combines a layer of smooth, oozing raspberry encased in soft textured mousse and milk chocolate.

The double choc is chocolate mousse with a chocolate flavoured coulis. Both divine flavours produce a unique* taste sensation.

I don't know why they have a new resealable pack ? Well they do , to enjoy some now and some later ! Perfect treat to spoil or indulge (while hiding in the pantry) oneself with.

If you could share a Cadbury Dairy Milk block with anyone (or not) , who would it be / why ?

It is so delicious you might not want to share ...

The 5 winning comments - most original , entertaining or unique will win 2 blocks = one of each new flavour ! 

Australian resident /addresses only .

Extra entries if you tweet or Facebook tagging My Little Drummer Boys and leaving a valid comment but not just to say you tweeted or FB.

Closes Friday 31st August 2012.

Winners will be contacted by email and announced on this post.

PS: *Seriously, they also used titillate but I refuse too ; ) - I couldn't very well truthfully verify this claim.

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Wordless Wednesday ~ Destination - Joyville

 

A few weeks ago we witnessed spectacle the Joyville steam train decked in Cadbury’s colours rolling through Sydney’s Central, Redfern and Sydenham railway lines .

They also filmed the next stage of Joyville campaign presenting unsuspecting commuters with free chocolate at each stop. It was so much fun - I got to ride the Joyville Train ,while the Drummer Boys & Daddy were filmed in the waiting crowd.

Ps Next week I've got a NEW Cadbury Giveaway ! 

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{Giveaway} The Question is irrelevant ...Saturday by the numbers & Cadbury marvellous creations

... Chocolate is always the most reasonable answer .

These are not

 4  ~ number of cups of tea I've had while reconciling the teen's unauthorized use of my toll pass for 5 months -His personal ~ $87.06  and work related trips ~ $774.15!

Can you guess the number of trips to the bathroom ?

 7 ~ the number of times I tried to unzip a certain file before I Google'd how to do the right way

1 1/4 ~ pieces of burnt fruit toast I ate whilst doing it

602 ~ the number times I told my five years olds be shush up or close the 2 exterior doors ~ maybe less politely after 499 ...

39 ~  the no of things on my to do list this weekend

8 ~ the number of kms I am going to run later today.

 3 ~ Yes, I was sent 3 x family size Cadbury's new 'Marvellous Creations' range - Peanut Toffee Cookie , Jelly popping Candy beanies and Jelly Crunchy Bits

to be precise and a rather purple apron.

 

Marvellous Creations is the first Cadbury Dairy Milk product to be delivered from the magical and mythical land of Joyville !

Let's say I can't stop at one piece of the newest addition to my long list of favourite chocolate options.
One that combines quirky and unusual flavours to produce a unique taste sensation. My favourite is the deliciously new tongue-tingling Jelly Popping Candy beanies.

I may be watching my bottom waist-line, but if I'm honest, I really don't care some days .I'll sweat run it off eventually !

If you have too little in the way of willpower I warn you to steer clear ! The other family friendly

'joyville' option - if you want to limit yourself to just a couple of marvelously shaped pieces (be equally warned they aren't littlesquares and they aren't even sized pieces) -is to share with your chocoholic spouse , kids or even friends.


The kids love the ad ...

Onwards to the Tantalising I mean ...  GIVEAWAY

You've GOT TO get your lips hands on this !  and five of you can win three family size blocks
plus a rather Marvellously ' purple ' Marvellous ~ Creations apron of your own.

Since Marvellous Creations is the first Cadbury Dairy Milk product to be delivered from the magical and mythical land of Joyville ...

To enter  leave a comment below this post  in verse, telling me why chocolate brings you joy ?  :-) 

Be it a poem, a limerick, Haiku or a silly rhyme or whatever if you are challenged and really just want to win - remember it's a family blog too.

Crunchy, Chewy, Brown
Heavenly sweetness taste
No more once eaten

Alexandria Rios - haiku example

The 5 comments that interest me or make my hubby laugh the most will win! 

Australian resident /addresses only .

I'm feeling generous so you can enter once a day if you like as long as it's a new comment or rhyme or whatever .

Extra entries if you tweet or Facebook tagging My Little Drummer Boys and leaving a creative comment.

Closes Wednesday 30th May 2012.

Winners will be contacted by email and announced on this post.

The lucky winners are

ellierock

A farmer's Wife

Reta

Lilly

ConspiracyCat

{Disclosure: I received a 3 x family blocks of Cadbury Marvelous Creations and an apron - I assume it was to share with my family ;) - . I am sure she didn't think I'd eat it all myself - I was not compensated financially for this post. Opinions expressed in this post are all my own.}
 
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Grateful for the Things I know

I know it's been a busy week in our household ; three birthdays over in flash. (I still don't understand why some people get so antsy when I want to stop the proceeding to take photos of my KIDS or my cakes - 'pfft' to them)

... I am overwhelmed by ALL the lovely messages sent to me for my birthday yesterday on FB & twitter.It gives a warm fuzzy feeling to know that people took the time to send me a greeting. Thank you  ! . I really appreciated it ,whether URL friends or IRL friends, I heart you. I can't wait to meet some URL's friends in Melbourne.

... no matter how many new toys my boys got they would still rather play with my stuff (iPod)  and rearrange all my apps & utilities; or make a billy cart for their soft toys out a cardboard old box and the laces from the jigsaw.

...we are still eating party food . I over catered because a few people couldn't make it last Saturday and we didn't know they weren't coming.Then other visitors cancelled through the week. It was all good though.

....my school friends and their hubs loved sharing the Freddo cake with me last night who would have though 40+ somethings would enjoy Freddo icecream cake so much LOL. They had a choice of chocolate cake too.

... Max Brenner could easily drain our meagre bank account .

...it was such decadent and lovely birthday treat. I know that it was worth every $ (next time I'll take my own marshmallows and extra strawberries because my little monsters ate most of mine).

... I have some dear  friends who want nothing more than a partner and children but LIFE didn't go to plan. One in particularly struggles with severe depression because of it. I wish I could take away her sadness. It was lovely to spend some time with her twice this week. My boys love her.



Today , I am so grateful for my life, my family and my friends. I am constantly reminded that despite all the things I could whinge about I have so much to be thankful for - so I won't. Just it makes it harder to blog :) .

I also attended an event in the city this week. The homeless & destitute people do make me sad and very grateful. I hope I can give to organisations that help them.

Life can change in an instant and people you love can leave you.

Have a great weekend and make everyday count. 
What do you know this week ?

What are you grateful for ?

 ♥ Never miss a post

Celebrating Food Month ~ Coffee & Chocolate self saucing pudding

May is Food Month and I’m loving the celebrity Mini Cookbook Collection available for $2 with the Daily Telegraph newspaper every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday during May.

 

“Take 15 cookbooks from the best celebrity cooks. Add a special collector’s case to keep them in. Reduce, then serve. That's what we’ve done to create the new 15 part Mini Cookbook Collection.”

Mmm !!!

“They’re serving up something big”

Jamie Oliver's ~ Jamie Does… was the first book (free) in the collection on May 8^th.

Continuing through until  June 2^nd , Jamie is followed by a host of Australia’s favourite celebrity cooks , Gary Mehigan, Maggie Beer, Matt Moran, Kylie Kwong, Stephanie Alexander just to name a few.

Each mini cookbook has over 20 recipes, all for just $2 each.

As the website~  http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/food-month says

“... by the end of the month you'll have a library of over 350 inspiring recipes from some of our most celebrated cooks. The Mini Cookbook Collection. It's going to be big…”

I was asked to review one recipe from one book.

I’ve been pouring over my mini cookbook collection for a favourite to share with you.

Alas, I have dozens ... tantalised and spoiled by the variety and celebrities.

The smorgasbord of choice is stunning.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, in between and afters.

Any times.

I need never to cook the same recipe twice in a month again with Food Month’s Mini cookbook collection.

Reading cook books gives me great pleasure. When cooking for my family the reward exceeds the expectation when the plate is left empty.

The Mini cookbook collection is lovely to look at and has gorgeous images to tempt you.

Autumn is my favourite season of the year because as
Donna Hay says ~ There’s a crisp edge to the air ... ~

I chose the coffee and chocolate self saucing pudding to surprise my family with, and warm us up on a chilly night.

It was quick and easy to make with 15 mins preparation time,

25-30 mins cooking time and then gone in 60secs after I snapped this

I had 6 extra family guests for dinner, so I actually made 2 versions one with coffee and in the other I substituted cocoa for the children.

By the way Donna Hay’s “Seasons” is on sale Sunday May 29^th.

 

Credit

Check the Food Month website for more information and make sure you browse the sample collection available on the website from all your favourite chefs.

So who is your favourite celebrity chef from the Mini cook book collection?

What is your favourite recipe from the collection?

Sponsored by KidSpot & News Ltd Food Month

Visit these other great Food Month contributions from other bloggers
Berry Crumble 


Merguez Lamb Rissoles with Couscous & Pasta with Roasted Vegetables 

Nachos and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Roast Chicken with Pancetta and Sage and White Chocolate Cheesecake
(edited because love link sharing thanks Megan) 

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