Archive for Tesco
Pears at teatime
As I was flicking through this month’s edition of Livingetc, I was delighted to spot the pear teapot pictured above. It’s not something you see very often, but as it happened, I had seen another last week, so pull up your chairs and pop on the kettle dear readers: here comes a special pears at teatime blog post.
The receptacle above is from Matalan, and you can grab yourself one instore, or online (here) for a mere £10. Total bargain. The website explains that there is a range of coordinating items available, and all the kitchenware, including the teapot, is microwave and dishwasher safe. Definitely a crucial selling point in our house.
Just for harmony’s sake, it might be pleasing to add one of the above Twinings green tea with apple and pear bags into said teapot. I haven’t sampled this flavour yet, but it is on my to-try list. If anyone has any reviews of this variety (does it actually taste of pear, for example?), then please feel free to leave a comment below.
And if you like pears, but prefer a more sleek, minimal, Italian approach to your tea set design, then perhaps the Alessi Fruit Basket Teapot above is more your cup of tea (sorry, ahem).
Speaking of cups, if you missed the blog post all about pear print mugs and cups, just click here. And if you absolutely have to run with the whole pears at teatime theme, then you’ll need a wipe clean pear print table cloth to mop up dunking disasters (unless that’s just me?). This one is from Tesco direct and it’s only £12.
Now, has the kettle boiled yet?
Orla Kiely pear bag giveaway #2
I know I know I know. I’ve already done the exact same giveaway. But I found some more of these superb bags in Tesco last week and couldn’t help but indulge in a bit more competition malarkey.
In case you missed the last giveaway, here’s the nitty gritty on the actual prize: Orla Kiely’s recent collaboration with Tesco resulted in the superb specimen above – an exclusive, limited edition, collectable, reusable pear print bag. And it’s the first of a range of Orla Kiely bags to be sold in Tesco in 2011. Oh yes, there are more to come.
For those of you who share my love of all things Orla, and who’ve not yet tracked down your own bag, here’s a chance to win one pain-free, without losing an arm and a leg in an online auction. Not only is it totally gorgeous, the bag is made from really good quality cotton and jute (bonus – sustainable shopper) and has flamingo pinky-orange handles that are strong and not too long. Perfect for a a trip to the gym (see the fab-tastic Katgotthecream blog), or, for storing your toddler.
And the best bit by far is knowing that the sale of these bags has helped to raise money in support of two charities: CLIC Sargent - the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity – which aims to raise £5 million so that children with cancer can spend more time at home and less time in hospital; and Orla Kiely’s personal charity, the Royal College of Art, which funds bursaries for textile students.
To enter, just leave a comment in the box below and subscribe to the blog updates on the homepage. The subject is “your favourite pear product”.
For an extra entry, simply tweet the following: “I’ve just entered the brand new @owlsandpears Orla Kiely pear bag giveaway and so can you: http://wp.me/pTCMb-ey”
The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on Sunday 27th March and the winner will be announced on the blog the next day (having been chosen by random.org). Check back then for details, or else make sure you have subscribed so I can contact the winner individually. If the winner doesn’t respond within 7 days, a new one will be chosen.
If you’re in the mood for some linky goodness, then please feel free to link to this giveaway on you own blog, go for it – the more the merrier. Here’s a short link:
http://wp.me/pTCMb-ey
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Orla Kiely Scribble Pear bag giveaway
Right, I’m back from the blog wilderness, this time with a bag. Apologies for the lack of recent postage – twas a busy festive period, followed by a break abroad sans internet. But as a result I have a small mountain of inspirational material with which to fill owlsandpears.com over the coming weeks and months, and I hope this giveaway will make up for the tardy start to 2011.
So, obviously, I had to start with the most exciting news to hit the pear world in recent months: an Orla Kiely collaboration with Tesco, which has resulted in the superb specimen above – an exclusive, limited edition, collectable, reusable pear print bag. And it’s the first of a range of Orla Kiely bags to be sold in Tesco in 2011. Bated breath all round.
When I read on the OK twitter feed (@orla_kiely) that these bags would be on sale for £4 each at selected Tesco branches from December last year, I embarked on several frenzied and yet completely futile expeditions around South London to locate one. In the snow. With a very tetchy toddler. Just when I had abandoned all hope and resorted to eBay, a lovely friend managed to hunt down a whole pile for me last week (Hayley, you rock). There was only one thing for it: share the good fortune and organise a giveaway.
I know that many owlsandpears.com readers share my love of all things Orla, so for those of you who’ve not yet tracked down your own bag, here’s a chance to win one pain-free, without losing an arm and a leg in an online auction. Not only is it ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, the bag is made from really nice quality cotton and jute (bonus – sustainable shopper), has flamingo pinky-orange handles that are just the right length for nonchalant shoulder-wear and buggy clips alike, and could easily fit the contents of a moderate supermarket session, with room for a Wottle too.
And the best bit by far is knowing that the sale of these bags will help to raise money in support of two charities: CLIC Sargent - the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity – which aims to raise £5 million so that children with cancer can spend more time at home and less time in hospital; and Orla Kiely’s personal charity, the Royal College of Art, which funds bursaries for textile students.
Getting back to the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment of up to 50 words in the box below and subscribe to the blog updates on the homepage. The subject is “Why Pears” and a winner will be chosen from the first 60 comments using the spin-the-pear method (me, spinning a pear on a clock face: it works, seriously).
The deadline for entries is midday GMT on 14th Feb and the winner will be announced on the blog that evening – check back then for details, or else make sure you have subscribed so I can contact the winner individually. If the winner doesn’t respond within 7 days, a new one will be chosen.
Obviously, if you’d like to tweet about the giveaway, or link to it on you own blog, go for it – the more the merrier.
Pear and chocolate cake pots
Seeing a poster advertising the delectable chocolate pear pots (as seen above) at Tesco’s Real Food outlet and website today, has encouraged me to include another foody post. Especially as the blog stats suggest that one of the most popular bits of owlsandpears.com is the post about Sophie Dahl’s toffee apple and pear crumble. The recipe for this beauty of a dessert is extremely straightforward, but so as not to infringe any copyright, I am directing you straight to the relevant Tesco page for detailed instructions on how to put the ingredients together. And may I suggest my absolute favourite cocoa powder when you’re following the recipe? It HAS to be Green & Black’s.
If you’re looking for an alternative pear dessert, check out this recipe with the rather wonderful title of ‘Baked Pear Parcels with Lemon Chamomile Sauce‘ from the USA pears website (which, incidentally, includes loadsa pear-licious ideas).
