November 2019 Degustabox : Winter Warmers & Festive

It's the end of the month, which means that the postman has just delivered the latest Degustabox. This box has a very timely theme : Winter Warmers & Festive. With Christmas on the way in just under a month (eeeek!), that sounds perfect to me !

I have to admit, carefully unpacking everything for the photo, we did scratch our heads slightly and say that it didn't look particularly festive OR full of winter warmers. Apart from the matcha and the noodles, nothing is designed to be eaten warm, so the name is slightly misleading. Apart from that, it all looks very tasty though, and there are lots of new brands and flavours for us to try out, which is always a great thing.

The first thing that caught the kids' eyes was this bag of Cheeky Monkey Peanut Butter Puffs (RRP £2.29). Made with peanut butter and corn, baked not fried, they offer a healthier snack option that also caters for vegan and gluten free diets. They are a good source of protein and fibre and the palm oil in the product is from a certified and sustainable source, as recommended by the WWF. Ideal for both adults and children, the snack is also the perfect way to introduce peanuts to children over 6 months. The kids loved them.

Rebel Kitchen Dairy Free Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Mylk (RRP £1.60) is a creamy coconut drink that is perfect for those who want or need to avoid dairy products in their diet. The range of Mylk Shakes are made from plants and are 100% organic. They are also completely refined sugar free and carbon neutral, as well as containing no emulsifiers, stabilisers or additives. I'm putting this aside for Sophie, as she loves the taste of Nutella and has pretty much cut milk products out of her diet, as she is intolerant.

Real Handful Strawberry & Blackcurrant Blast Trail Mix (RRP £2 - subscribers received one or the other, but I was lucky enough to get both) is a blend of fruit, nut and seeds, infused with natural flavours. The brand promise that it is perfect to fuel your unruliest adventures, but it is great for munching in front of the telly too ! Very tasty.

Mr Lee's Noodles (RRP £2.50) is a brand that we have already sampled in past Degustaboxes and they're great for a simple meal for one or as an ingredient to add to a stir-fry for the whole family. We received two flavours -  Coconut Chicken Laksa and Zen Garden Vegetables - but subscribers got one or the other. These noodles are made using the finest ingredients and authentic recipes and have a great taste with some real zing on the tongue. Their gluten free, low sugar and "no nasties" range also includes vegan options. Available from Asda Free From and Holland & Barrett. Use code DEGUSTABOX20 for 20% off on www.mrleesnoodles.com/uk/.

This month's product of the month is Duerr's Orange Marmalade, in either Fine Cut Seville or Half Sugar Seville (RRP £1.39). Grown in Seville, crafted in Manchester, Duerr's marmalades are bursting with sunshine and plenty of zest. For a lower calorie breakfast, try the Half Sugar or for a more intense marmalade, spread the Fine Cut generously onto toast for a breakfast that packs a punch. I don't normally buy marmalade and I wasn't sure what we'd think, but I actually really enjoyed the flavour. In the past, I've also used marmalade in both sweet and savoury recipes - you might like to try Flaky Festive Puffs in the run up to Christmas or how about tucking into Marmalade Glazed Carrots alongside the turkey ? Available in Morrisons and Sainsbury's.

Pure Leaf Matcha (RRP £8.99 - subscribers received one of three flavours) offers a simple way of creating a cup, with pre-portioned, individually wrapped sachets for the perfect cuppa every time. Pure Leaf Matcha is expertly crafted with high-quality tea leaves and ingredients, giving a full flavour of Matcha, Matcha & Mint or Matcha & Ginger, which is great for warming up on a cold winter's day.

 Double Dutch All Natural Premium Mixers (RRP 75p per can or £4.15 for a pack of 8 cans) are perfect to stock up on at Christmas, for putting together with all sorts of spirits or just for drinking on their own. We got two flavours, Cucumber & Watermelon and Cranberry & Ginger, both of which tasted great. Double Dutch are an award winning range of all natural premium tonics, founded by Dutch twins Joyce and Raissa de Haas. Mixing fun (lots of tasting) and science (molecular gastronomy), they carefully pair flavour notes to create innovative drink combinations. I'll be looking out for more flavours to sample, as we really enjoyed them.

For subscribers who ticked the alcohol box option, they received a bottle of Woodstar (RRP £4). This is a crafted low alcohol drink that has been created to replace wine when you are not relying on alcohol. It is crafted by a master liquoriste and cognac maker in France, using açai berries and other fruits, botanicals and a touch of cocoa and only 1% ABV. It's lovely alongside a roast dinner, so would be great on Christmas Day. Available from Fortnum & Mason and Sainsbury's (from January).

Subscribers to the non-alcohol box received Food Thoughts Cacao Melts (RRP £2.99), from the premium range of cocoa and cacao chocolate baking ingredients. Made from the finest 'Fino de Aroma' cocoa beans for an exquisitely intense chocolatey flavour, these Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao Melts are perfect for baking, melting, drizzling and decorating. They have a really intense flavour which comes through beautifully in brownies and other chocolatey desserts, or you could even add a disc or two to chilli con carne to add a depth of flavour. I love the sound of the Mini Baileys Chocolate Tarts recipe on their website.

Pop (RRP £1.49) is all about celebrating the heroic power of the humble peanut. The manufacturers point out that peanuts are super healthy, kinder on the planet and can literally save lives, as they give 1% of turnover to charity. Absolutely packed full of whole air roasted peanuts, 7 grams of protein, lots of prebiotic fibre and 40% less sugar, they taste great. We got the Peanut Butter flavour, but there are also Coconut and Raisin & Dark Chocolate varieties available.

This Degustabox included a recipe for Chocolate Orange Cupcakes from Food For Thought, which sounds like exactly the kind of thing we'd like to make. This was a good box, with things to appeal to all members of the family and certain items that we'd never heard of and will now be actively looking out for instore.

 A subscription to Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, with each box having a value of much more than that, but the great news is, I have a discount coupon code for you which means you'll get the first box for just £7.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout.

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Disclosure : We received the box in order to write an honest review. As a Degustabox blogger, I receive all of the products that go into the monthly boxes, but subscribers may not get exactly the same selection.