Madhouse Family Reviews: Check out the August Degustabox

Monday, 1 September 2014

Check out the August Degustabox

I've been receiving a Degustabox for several months now but I still get just as excited as in the beginning when they arrive. You never know what's going to be hiding inside - family favourites that you already know and love or products that you've never heard of and that may even take you out of your culinary comfort zone a bit ?

Well, here's the contents of this month's box :

Mexican Dave's Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips - Having tried some Mexican Dave's Nacho Tortilla Chips in a previous Degustabox, I already know we love these. I'm thinking of trying out the recipe for Dave's Legendary Loaded Nachos, rather then just devouring them straight from the bag as we did last time !

Berry White Goji Berries with Peaches, White Tea and Echinacea Organic Drink - I love the way the recipes blend common ingredients with more exotic ones, so that your tastebuds recognise some flavours while trying to work out what the more unusual topnotes are. I wasn't at all sure I'd like this (I'm not a tea fan) but I loved it.

Caribbean Twist Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail - "A sparkling Caribbean Style Alcoholic Cocktail" - don't mind if I do ! This sounded right up my street and it was ! Just what the doctor ordered after a long day at work or running around after the kids and it's very summery and refreshing.

Fever Tree Ginger Beer and Tonic Water - I don't really get the whole idea of tonic water - apart from adding it to gin (which I never usually drink), what are you supposed to do with it? - but I am looking forward to trying the cloudy ginger beer as it's always a nostalgic blast from the past that reminds me of visiting my grandad.

Schwartz Flavour Shots Mexican Fajitas and Spanish Smoked Paprika Chicken - I love these little pots of flavour because they're perfect for when you need a quick meal and don't know what to cook. I often defrost chicken then look through the cupboards for inspiration, and these little flavour pots take up less space in the cupboard than big jars of cooking sauce. They are a mix of oil and herbs and spices and make it really simple to create a tasty meal, even if you're not very adventurous or good at cooking. I can't wait to taste these two - the Spanish Smoked Paprika Chicken sounds particularly appealing. (You can see my reviews of the Paella, Indian Spicy Jalfrezi Curry and Italian Creamy Herb Tagliatelli Flavour Shots on my previous blogposts.)

Lindt Hello Chocolate Hearts - it's chocolate, more to the point it's Lindt chocolate, so what's not to like?! As well as being scrummy, the little heart-shaped tin is very cute. These would make a perfect little gift.

Cawston Press Apple & Pear Kids Blend - I've loved the other Cawston Press products that have popped up in earlier Degustaboxes so I was keen to try this. It's made from pressed juice mixed with 40% water for a lighter taste - it was refreshing, not overly sweet and very nice indeed.

Brioche Pasquier Croissants and Pains Au Lait - The kids love these for breakfast. The Pains Au Lait can be eaten as they are straight from the pack but are even more delicious lightly toasted and spread with butter or jam. Be warned - they will burn very quickly though so keep an eye on the grill. The croissants aren't as good as the fresh, crumbly, flaky croissants fresh from the baker's but, as a store cupboard standby, they're not bad at all.

Dr Oetker Edible Wafer Cupcake Cases - What a fabulous idea ! I got very excited when I saw these. I'll have to knock up some cupcakes to try out, maybe using the Eton Mess or Violet Sprinkles from the last Degustabox.

MOMA Bircher Muesli Pot - Degustabox have innovated with a voucher for a chilled item in this box, as a bonus extra product. I couldn't work out why muesli would be chilled but it's because it's a mix of muesli and yogurt. The voucher can be used at Waitrose or Sainsburys, so I'll have to make a special trip to pick this one up. It sounds great for breakfast or a light lunch.

This month's suggested recipes are for Spanish Smoked Paprika Chicken (which seems a bit pointless because there's a recipe for that on the Flavour Shot) and Brioche and Butter Pudding, which sounds rather tasty.

I was very pleased with almost all of the products - the only thing I wouldn't bother with again is the tonic water - and I discovered several new products that I had never tried before and got quite excited about trying. It does seem to be the same brands coming up every time though so I hope they'll inject some new brands into the mix next time.

A Degustabox subscription costs £12.99 per month, delivery included. As usual I have a discount coupon code for you, which gives you a £3.00 discount when registering. The code is: BEL4A

for more information :

http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website

http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook

http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Disclosure : I received a free box in order to write an honest review.

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