Book Review : Performance Anomalies - Victor Robert Lee

I wasn't sure what to expect when a review copy of Victor Robert Lee's Performance Anomalies landed on my doormat. It comes from publishers Perimeter Six, whose tagline is "Stories that make the brave world yours", and is described as a "provocative novel of intrigue". Hmmm curiouser and curiouser !

We are rapidly introduced to the hero (or anti-hero?) of the story, the rather mysterious Cono. He's a very perplexing character full of ambiguities and unknowns - he's a loose cannon who claims to belong to and work for no country so it's hard to know what he believes in and what his hidden agenda is. He's a loner who seems to travel the world, responding to cries for help from his few friends (and with friends like these, who needs enemies?) or getting out of hot spots when things become too dangerous. We learn that he is an orphan and that he witnessed his father killing his mother as a child, which maybe explains how he was drawn into working for random dubious organisations and governments around the world with no sense of belonging anywhere. He also has a strange gift (or curse, depending on how you look at it) - he has a hyper-fast neurological system which enables him to see things in slow motion, giving him almost super-human reflexes such as dodging speeding bullets and reacting to things that nobody else has even noticed yet. I could see him being portrayed on the big screen by someone like an 80's-style Arnold Schwarzenegger !

I have to admit, much of the political background went slightly over my head. The novel explores the expansion of Beijing’s imperial reach into Central Asia, and the takeover of Kazakhstan, areas which I'm not overly familiar with, but I know the current tension over China's desire to expand territorially makes it very topical.

I was more touched by the drama going on on a much more human level. Cono has a hard time time trusting anybody but once he has a friend, he is loyal to a fault, especially when this loyalty frequently seems to be sadly misplaced. The tales of human despair and betrayal add a deeper level to the more "Boys' Own action story going on in the foreground, complete with jihadists, explosions, secret arms caches in caves and damsels in distress who need rescuing.

It's an interesting read and Cono is an intriguing character who I would like to see reappear in subsequent novels because I'm sure there is a lot more to discover beneath his enigmatic exterior.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £15.31

Hardcover: 290 pages

Publisher: Perimeter Six (20 Dec 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1938409221

ISBN-13: 978-1938409226

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Book review : Talking To The Dead - Harry Bingham

Book review : All The Bananas I've Never Eaten - Tony Williams

Book review : Silenced - Kristina Ohlsson

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND LUSH COSMETICS CALL FOR CLIMATE REVOLUTION

Two iconic British brands – Vivienne Westwood and Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics – will support the Climate Revolution during the first two weeks of January 2013. In 104 Lush shops across the UK, customers will be invited to protect the environment by signing up to the revolution.

Climate Revolution is an uprising designed by Vivienne Westwood. Participants will be invited to petition, act and protest for a more sustainable future.

Mo Constantine OBE, Co-founder of LUSH Cosmetics says,

“These are the weeks when every shop in every shopping centre across the world is screaming sales. We have chosen to propel Vivienne Westwood’s initiative - Climate Revolution - into the High Street instead. It might seem strange that the Climate Revolution is being called for by members of the beauty and fashion industry, but Vivienne is right when she says that we must begin today, because tomorrow is too late.

Both Lush and Westwood have always had invention at heart, and a certain disregard for the rules. We’re proud to make Climate Revolution our New Year’s resolution.”

Dame Vivienne Westwood says,

“I was impressed by Lush – it’s run like a family business with the earth and its people as the priority. They have over 800 shops across the world without having spent any money on advertising! I like the attention they give to the amount of packaging they use and the communities from which they source their products.

I’m excited that 2013 begins with Climate Revolution, from 104 windows on the UK’s busiest shopping streets. And it gives me hope that the High Street can help pioneer a more sustainable world.”

Hilary Jones, Ethics Director at LUSH Cosmetics, says,

“All of us - individuals, businesses, institutions and governments - need to find ways to minimise our impact so that when we are gone, the planet remains for the next generation.

Never before has a generation held sway over the very future existence of our planet and we need to face up to that and take responsibility.”

CLIMATE REVOLUTION will be hosted in Lush shops until Monday 14th January 2013

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Re-uz eco-friendly bags review

Duracell reveal the secret of "undead" batteries in time for Halloween !

Did you know you can recycle disposable nappies?

Re-uz eco-friendly bags review

Since pretty much all supermarkets have now stopped giving away flimsy, single-use plastic carrier bags, most people have invested in at least a few reuseable bags. Here at The Madhouse, we have quite a large collection, mostly made up of jute or fabric bags or supermarket bag-for-life type bags. The fabric and jute bags are not great when it's raining, especially if you need to put them on the ground, or for wet things like swimming kit, and the bags-for-life are bulky and unglamorous. When Re-Uz got in touch to see if I'd like the try out their bags, I was keen to see what they've come up with.

I was instantly impressed by the colourful, funky designs - there are loads more to choose from on their website though so if you don't like these styles, don't be put off, you can choose from anything from dogs or cats to bold geometric patterns, mock croc or a striking black-and-white skyline design. The actual bag comes folded up in a small pouch, which is what you can see in the photo. The pouch mesaures about 11cmx11cm and I've placed it next to a mug to give you an idea of scale.

Once unfolded, you get basically a carrier bag-sized, shower-proof bag, measuring 29cm x 36cm x 14.5cm. That's the absolutely ideal size - you can fit LOADS inside it but it's not too bulky to carry comfortably when it's full.

I used one to pack up absolutely loads of bulky books (from Sophie's book win) because I knew the plastic carrier bag that they were in would split and break if I tried to pick it up. I was amazed to see that the whole lot fit in one bag - it's like a Tardis in there ! The handles are comfortable to hold and they're wide so they don't dig in. The bag is designed to be held in your hand or on your shoulder and is ideal for shopping but also for stowing away all the essentials you need when you go out for a day out with the kids.

The pouch has a little clip on it allowing you to attach it to the bag when it's in use so that it doesn't get lost, but I fold the pouch up and stick it in the inside pocket in the bag instead. I love the bold designs, the wipe-clean material and the sturdiness of the bags so they've become my shopping bag of choice now.

Re-Uz have a variety of other types of bags available, including tote bags, cosmetic bags, gift bags and wine bags. They're well worth a look.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £5.99/£6.99 for a Re-Uz Carrier

for more information : http://www.josoblu.co.uk/store/pc/viewcategories.asp?idCategory=146

Disclosure : I received a couple of Re-Uz Carriers in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Did you know you can recycle disposable nappies?

Duracell reveal the secret of "undead" batteries in time for Halloween !

EcoGrill barbecue review

Pumpazing review

Juliette hasn't been feeling very well today. She's very pale and wanted to spend all day in pyjamas. I think it's just down to being over-tired from New Year's Eve because the Madhouse Mini-testers ended up staying up until 1.30am (I thought they'd fade way before that !). But despite being under the weather, she couldn't help but laugh her head off when she played with Drumond Park's Pumpazing game this morning !

The rather strange blue contraption in the photo is Zingy, the main part of the game and, to be honest, that's all that most kids need to amuse themselves - oh, OK, I admit it, it makes me giggle too !

He has two arms (or ears ? That's what Juliette thinks they are !) that you pump in and out, and this makes the Zingers - the coloured ball things that you insert into his head - fly off. They go really high and really fast and even though you know they're going to pop off, they still make you jump each time, hence the giggling ! Make sure you don't have anything breakable in the vicinity when you're playing because they go flying with quite some force !

Juliette and Pierre had great fun playing with it straight from the box so I let them get on with it for a while, before informing them that there is actually more to it than that ! If you insert batteries, it also makes funny boing and zing sounds. Every now and then he will shout "Uh Oh" too. If you're playing it properly (rather than just having absolute hysterics making them zing all over the room !), you pump the arms to make a Zinger pop then pass it on to the next player. If he says "boing" or "zing" you're OK but if he says "Uh Oh" you lose one of your cards. Once all four heads have popped off, you press the re-set button and reload them then gameplay resumes until there's only one player left with any cards. For older children or larger groups of players, you can also change the rules so the player is out of the game when it says "Uh Oh".

Most of the time, the cards/rules aren't even used though. The Madhouse Mini-testers just laugh manically as the heads zing everywhere, making it quite an energetic game, so it's a good way of burning off some excess energy !

*** STOP PRESS - I've just noticed that it is currently on sale at amazon for £3.69 but there is only one left in stock so get over there quick - that's amazing value ! ***

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £19.99

Disclosure : We received a Pumpazing game in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

WaggleTagz 3D Tagz Studio review

Drumond Park LOGO What Am I? review

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Stuffed Turkey Paupiettes with Aunt Bessie's Pork, Sage & Shallot Stuffing Tray

You may remember a little while ago I took part in BritMum's #HalfTermLinkyChallenge with Aunt Bessie's, in which all participants received some vouchers for Aunt Bessie's products. I decided to use one to try out their Pork, Sage & Shallot Stuffing Tray, mainly because it was half price in Sainsbury's so only cost £1 ! It looked tasty in the shop but, once I got it home, I couldn't decide what to do with it. The packaging suggests popping it in the oven for 40 minutes from frozen and using it as the perfect accompaniment to a special roast meal, but I decided to use it as stuffing, either for vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, ...) or chicken breasts so I defrosted it. Well, Madhouse Daddy Mike went shopping this morning and came back with turkey fillets so I decided to use those to make Stuffed Turkey Paupiettes.

Turkey fillets are bigger than chicken fillets so folding up a portion of stuffing was easier, but you could use chicken or even bacon or pancetta if you've had enough of poultry!

A quick sprinkle of barbecue seasoning over the top and they were ready to go in the oven for 40 minutes while I sorted out the risotto that I was serving it with.

They kept their shape really well and the flavours perfectly complemented each other. The stuffing also helped prevent the turkey fillets from drying out. It's definitely something I'll be making again and, despite  being really quick and simple to make, it looks impressive enough to serve at a dinner party too.

for more information : http://www.auntbessies.co.uk

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

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Riso Gallo Quick Risotto review

Last month, I won a fabulous selection of Riso Gallo risotto products from their Facebook page and today, we've been trying out some of their quick-cook options.

First up was the Risotto Pronto Verdure with Summer Vegetables. You just need to add the contents of the 175g sachet to 225ml of cold water, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 12 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.

As it's made with dehydrated vegetables, you are never going to get the delicate flavour and texture of fresh vegetables but if you're short on time (or have very little fresh produce in the fridge, as was the case here at The Madhouse when we got back from visiting the family over Christmas and New Year), it is a great store cupboard stand-by that makes a perfectly acceptable risotto with very little time or effort.

As the Risotto Pronto pack contains two servings, I also tried out a sachet of Risotto Expresso, which can be prepared in the microwave or on the hob. I went for the microwave option, as I was already preparing the Pronto pack on the hob, and followed the instructions, adding 100ml of water, then microwaving it for three minutes and leaving it to stand for one minute.

Flavour and taste-wise, the Fantasia di Verdure (Vegetable Medley) Risotto Expresso reminded me of Tomato & Herb Ebly Express. Again, it's not as utterly delicious as risotto that you've made from scratch, slaving over a hot stove, stirring it constantly so that it doesn't burn, but for when you're in a rush and need to get something on the table quick, it's a great choice.

The 250g Risotto Expresso sachet also provides two servings. I used both packs to get five platefuls (for two adults and three children) to serve with some lovely homemade Stuffed Turkey Paupiettes that I'll be telling you about later. Everyone wanted to taste both varieites and they both got a unanimous thumbs-up from the Madhouse Family.

The Risotto Expresso contains 199 calories, 3.8g of protein, 38.6g of carbs and 2.9g of fat per 100g. The Risotto Pronto contains 346 calories, 7.1g of protein, 76.5g of carbs and 0.9g of fat per 100g dry weight before cooking. (The Expresso sachet is less dehydrated than the Pronto so it probably works out about the same once cooked.)

I'm really looking forward to trying out the rest of the products, and so far I'm very impressed, as is the rest of the family.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : Risotto Pronto £1.99 for 175g, Risotto Expresso £2.19 for 250g

for more information : www.facebook.com/RisoGalloUk

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Thanks Riso Gallo for my lovely hamper !

Sacla' Risotto Range

Meena's Risotto Al Funghi Sauce review

The Collective Dairy Yogurt review

I was lucky enough to win a voucher for a free product from The Collective Dairy on Facebook recently and have just been sampling their limited edition Christmas Pud yogurt that I picked up in Tesco's with it. 

Before I even got to the yogurt itself, I was chuckling at the cheeky message hiding on the protective seal under the lid. Call me a child but I always love it when companies do this !

But things got even better once I'd taken the protective seal off. Just look at that ! The yogurt is incredibly thick and creamy and has a slightly tart flavour that is perfectly complemented by the sweet sauce drizzled over the top. This being a Christmas Pud yogurt, the topping is a blend of plump raisins in a slightly zesty Christmas-spiced sauce.

It tastes so indulgent and moreish that, determined not to wreck my healthy eating New Year's resolution on January 1st, I only allowed myself a few spoonfuls before popping it back in the fridge.

As I was so impressed, I went to their website to find out a bit more about them and was shocked to learn that not only is it probiotic to promote good digestive health but is is 95% FAT FREE ! 100g contains 135 calories and 5g of fat, of which 3.1g saturated, so it's a much lighter option than most festive fayre.

They are expensive - the 500g pot of gourmet yogurt costs about £2.50 - but it's more on par with an indulgent dessert than a yogurt so I'll definitely have to look out for the other flavours which sound equally appealing - passion fruit, Russian fudge, cherry & pomegranate, luscious lemon, mighty mango, apple & spice, rhubarb & strawberry ... Decisions decisions !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £2.39 for 500g

for more information : http://www.thecollectivedairy.com/uk

Disclosure : I won a voucher for a The Collective product on facebook and was so gobsmacked by how lovely it was, I thought I'd tell you about it, even if they didn't ask me to !

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Calin+ Yogurt with vitamin D review

 Yoomoo Frozen Yogurt review

Good Heavens! Divine Drinking Yogurt review

Vertbaudet Washing Machine Laundry Basket review

I love finding things for the kids' bedrooms that are as fun as they are functional, and as soon as I laid eyes on this ultra-cute laundry basket from Vertbaudet, I knew that I was on to a winner. As soon as Pierre saw it, he took it upstairs, took it out of the bag so it popped up then proceeded to empty his current laundry basket into the new one. Hmmm looks like it's been adopted already then !!

It comes flat-packed and is incredibly light but surprisingly stable once it's in use because the sides are reinforced with cardboard. The porthole at the front is fastened with several velcro tabs and Pierre loves pulling it off and stuffing his dirty clothes in it, just like Mum does with the washing machine, but the top also opens, making it much easier to empty.

It's made of polyester so the surface can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. We received the purple one to review and I was impressed at how realistic it looks, but there is actually a white one that looks even more like a real washing machine. Depending on the colour scheme in your child's bedroom, you could also opt for a light green or light blue one. 

Size-wise, it's perfect for a child's bedroom. Measuring 50x35x35cm, it's big enough to be practical as a laundry basket but is also small enough for children to feel comfortable using. Juliette said that it would be great for tidying away toys or shoes too.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £19

for more information : http://www.vertbaudet.co.uk

Disclosure : I received a laundry basket in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Vertbaudet's Spring/Summer 2013 Budding Designers competition

Funky Vertbaudet baby bedding review

Madhouse Fashionista Reviews, thanks to Vertbaudet

Ella's Kitchen Chilled Desserts review

Earlier in the year, Ella's Kitchen released a new range of chilled toddler-friendly desserts, on sale in Tesco's, comprising Smooth & Scrummy Fromage Frais, Chilled Out Thick & Fruity Yoghurt and Teeny Weeny Rice Pudding. They sent through some vouchers for us to try them out but, however hard we looked, we could never find them in our local Tesco stores. This week, I checked through my money-off vouchers to see which ones needed using up by the 31st December, came across the vouchers and - success ! - finally managed to locate them. 

The range is totally in-keeping with the "no hidden nasties" ethos behind the Ella's Kitchen brand. They say : "Ella’s dairy range was especially designed to help mums + dads introduce dairy into their little ones’ diet. We’ve listened to what you really want and created products which will help at every stage of the weaning journey and include JUST yummy organic natural ingredients." The Madhouse Mini-Testers couldn't wait to try them out.

Even Sophie and Juliette, aged 7 and 11, wanted to try them out too ! The Smooth & Scrummy Fromage Frais comes in a pack of 6 x 55g pots (3 mango and 3 banana), is suitable for stage 1 weaning from 6 months and is made of "100% fromage frais + fruit puree blend, 0% other stuff". Each pot contains 48 calories. The Teeny Weeny Rice Pudding with a Hint of Vanilla is the stage 2 option (from 7 months) and comes in 2 x 60g pots. The only ingredients are 91% whole milk, 7% rice, 1% egg and less than 1% vanilla, all of which is organic. Each pot contains 52 calories. Stage 3 weaning (12 months +) opens up the option of the Chilled Out Thick & Fruity Yoghurt which comes as 4 x 85g (2 x pineapple & mango, 2 x strawberry & pear), made of 100% yoghurt, fruit puree blend and honey. The pineapple & mango flavour has 82 calories per pot and the strawberry & pear has 74 calories per pot.

All three of the Madhouse Mini-testers had the same reaction. They liked them initially but turned their noses up after half a pot. I had a taste and instantly knew why - they are much less sweet than most other yogurts that you find in the supermarket. I added a sprinkle of sugar and they happily polished off the rest and asked for more. I know that this rather defeats the object of there being no added sugar or hidden nasties but, as they are much older than the target audience, they have had their taste buds corrupted by the sweeter yogurts that they are used to. Babies who are getting their first taste of yogurt, fromage frais or rice pudding will be none the wiser and probably be quite happy to eat them without added sweetness.

I love the fact that they are 100% organic with nothing artificial added (even if I did add a small amount of sugar myself).

star rating : 4/5

RRP : yogurt £2 for 4, rice pudding £1 for 2, fromage frais £2 for 6

for more information : http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/

Disclosure : I received some vouchers for Ella's Kitchen chilled range in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Christmas dinner for tiny tummies from Ella's Kitchen

Ella's Kitchen - Organic Bakey-Bakies

Ella's Kitchen Baby Cookies

Thanks to Domino's Pizzas for our New Year's Eve feast !

Domino's Pizza recently launched a new deal where you can buy a pizza meal and also rent a movie (from current releases or their movie library that you can watch on a pc, Mac or iPad) for the perfect movie night in. I've seen lots of people saying that they want to make regularly setting aside time for a special date night with their partner or family one of their New Year's Resolutions so this would take all the hassle out of organising that. They offered to pick up the tab for us to discover the world of Domino's pizza delivery !

This is the first time I've ordered online from Domino's and it was actually a piece of cake. You can take your time choosing the meal deal that best suits you and browsing through the different pizzas available, as well as options like stuffed crusts, sides, drinks and desserts. I had already spotted lots of posters all over town advertising the "feed 4 people for £5 each" meal deal and thought that looked ideal, so, because there were a lot of us (9 people), we decided to go for two of the meal deals with a £3 upgrade for large pizzas instead of medium.

Here's our order :

1x Feed Four for £5 Each with £3 Upgrade to Large

Large (10 slices) Meatilicious

Large (10 slices) Texas BBQ®

Garlic Pizza Bread

Potato Wedges

1.25ltr Coke Zero

1x Feed Four for £5 Each with £3 Upgrade to Large

Large (10 slices) Hawaiian

Large (10 slices) House Special Roast Chicken

Garlic Pizza Bread

Potato Wedges

1.25ltr Coke Zero

1x Chicken Strippers

Price: £50.67

That took us up to our £50 budget (and our eating capacities !) so I stopped but I'd spotted lots and lots of utterly gorgeous-sounding desserts like Toffee Apple Cookies and SIX different flavours of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Another time !

That's actually a LOT of food and, even with all of us tucking in, there was a whole pizza, a whole garlic pizza bread and a few odd slices left over (which will be reheated and munched tonight so they won't be going to waste !). We had one person who doesn't like pizza so it was good to see that they also offer a variety of chicken options (wings, strips, etc) and, for those who aren't keen on the usual passata base, they have a Texas BBQ pizza with a barbecue sauce rather than a tomato sauce base. 

We had a couple of issues with the order - one of the bottles of coke was missing and they forgot to bring the receipt that I'd specifically requested - but that's a problem with the local branch, not the company. I was also slightly frustrated to see that they have the option of paying online with paypal, which is great, but my order exceeded the limit for using paypal, which was a bit of an inconvenience.

The food all went down very well though - the pizzas were generously garnished and the crusts were soft and chewy, the garlic pizza bread was different to normal garlic bread because it isn't crisp but it was nice too and the kids loved the potato wedges. The idea of being able to add in a movie rental to top off the evening is great too.

Disclosure : We were given a £50 tab to spend at Domino's Pizza in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Brewers Fayre family-friendly dining

The secret to homemade pizzas that taste like Pizza Express

Dr. Oetker Casa Di Mama pizzas review