April 2022 Degustabox review : UK vs International

We've just had the most amazing school holidays, chilling out, ticking things off the never-ending to-do list and catching up with family. Even better, we had days full of amazing sunshine so that we could get out and make the most of it. What could possibly make it any better? Well, how about the latest Degustabox full of tasty nibbles to fuel our fun ? Perfect !

We were immediately enthusiastic when we saw the "UK-vs-international" theme, as the kids predicted that there would be lots of tasty snacks to discover. They were right and excitedly pulled out sweets, biscuits, drinks and other nibbles ! Here's the run-down of the complete contents of the box.

Unsurprisingly, the kids immediately honed in on the Sour Patch Kids Watermelon Flavour Sweets (RRP £1.32). This is a new flavour to join the range and the kids were all big fans. It starts off with a big hit of sourness, thanks to the sour sugar coating, but this mellows into a sweet watermelon flavour. I had a few but couldn't really get past the first sour hit ! These are the first vegan-certified Sour Patch Kids sweets, and they are also made with natural colours. To quote the kids, they're very nice ... if you think you're hard enough !

Another highly-approved sweet treat, Jaffa Cakes Lemon & Lime Flavour (RRP £1.20) were quickly devoured. We love the original orange Jaffa Cakes but these zingy, citrus versions are very tasty too. The zesty lemon and lime flavour combines with the chocolate and sponge base perfectly.

 

Bitburger Premium Pils (RRP £1.65) offers a taste of Germany's favourite style of beer. The name originates from the Bohemian town of Pilsen in the Czech Republic, where it was first produced in 1842, and this style of beer has been brewed to perfection in Bitburg since 1883. You get a crystal-clear beer, boasting a light taste and a lasting foam head with extra-fine bubbles. 

We also got to try Bitburger Drive 0% Alcohol Free (RRP £0.95) which is also naturally brewed following German Beer Purity laws. I actually wouldn't have recognised this as an alcohol-free beer if I hadn't seen the label. As Bitburger say : "Sweet, roasty aromas coalesce with honey and fresh gingerbread and are complemented by ripe grain and pleasantly bitter herbs. A delicate tingly fresh taste with lasting hops and notes of vermouth are finished with a bittersweet malty flavour for the full-flavoured taste." Definitely worth giving it a go if you're the designated driver or if you just fancy an alcohol free option to enjoy.

Pip Organic Sparkling Apple (RRP £1.50) is a refreshing blend of juicy organic apples and sparkling water with no added sugar or nasties. Not only does it taste lovely, it also counts as one of your 5-a-day. 65 calories per can and well worth every one !

Knorr Beef Gravy Pots (RRP £2) are a totally simple way of recreating the authentic flavour of rich homemade gravy in minutes. My usual gravy option is a shake of gravy granules mixed into the cooking juices from a Sunday roast then diluted as desired. My initial thought when I looked at these Gravy Pots was that they would work out more expensive so I was dubious, but once I opened the pot, I could instantly smell the rich scent of roasted meat. They contain quality ingredients and real meat juices and this is what gives them such an authentic, rich flavour. They contain no added MSG and are free from artificial colours and preservatives. Definitely worth splashing out on if you want to add a rich, tasty gravy to your meal in record time.

 

Kettle Focaccia Bites (RRP £2.09) are a delicious new snack from Kettle Chips. We got Sea Salt, Rosemary & Extra Virgin Olive Oil flavour and I'll definitely be looking out to see if any other varieties are available. They are a triple baked bread bite, using real food ingredients baked into the dough for the perfect taste. They have a strong taste straight from the pack (which is what we went for as we didn't want to wait !) but you can also pop them in the oven for a few minutes, which I would imagine gives them an even stronger taste and crunchier texture.

Newman's Own French Dressing & Dip (RRP £1.85) is a zingy, vegan friendly dressing that is perfect for livening up salads or adding some oomph to leftover pasta or rice that can be reused as a quick lunch. We haven't used it as a dip yet but I could see that working well with a variety of crudités and breadsticks too. An extra bonus point, 100% of profits go to charity, so you get to feel good about what you're eating !

LU Le Petit Beurre (RRP £1.50) is a classic taste of France now available in the UK. Le Petit Beurre takes inspiration from the first LU biscuit ever made – the Véritable Petit Beurre – a delicious buttery biscuit with a hint of salt. (Other Degustaboxers got Le Petit Chocolat, which pairs a crunchy, buttery biscuit with an indulgent layer of milk chocolate.) They're a simple but utterly addictive biscuit and the advantage of the plain Le Petit Beurre is that, in the summer, it won't melt in your packed lunch !

Freedom Choc Mallow Bites (RRP £1.49) are a free-from sweet treat - they're peanut-free, soy-free, gelatine-free, egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free, so they're great if you're looking for a vegan or allergen-free product. The brand are very proud of their offering : "As Confectionery Innovators we were first in the world to launch Chocolate Coated Vegan Mallows - they said it couldn't be done! A delicious treat approved by The Vegan Society and free-from top-allergens". I don't blame them. We tried the Toasted Vanilla & Sassy Strawberry Chewy Bites Smothered In Chocolate and they were very tasty. Available on www.freedommallows.com.

Nu+cao (RRP £2.25) is a "nu" vegan chocolate bar that offers smooth, organic chocolate with no refined sugar (and less sugar than most - the wrapper says 65% less sugar), natural and ethically sourced ingredients and plastic-free packaging. On top of that,  for every bar they sell, a tree is planted so you're helping the environment too.  It's available in three varieties - Crunchy Nougat, Almond Sea Salt and Crisp & Crunch - in the Wellbeing aisle in Sainsbury's.

Finally, Sacla Rooted In Nature Sun-Dried Tomato Organic Stir-In Sauce (RRP £2.80) is, as the name suggests, a simple and time-saving product that allows you to get delicious food on the table in minutes. Stirred through pasta or rice, it makes a simple vegetarian dish in minutes - you don't even need to heat the sauce as the pasta/rice warms it up perfectly. It tastes delicious and didn't even need the addition of any extra spices. It's quite oily, presumably from the sun-dried tomatoes, so you might want to scoop some of the oil out of the top of the jar before you add it to your pasta/rice. Any leftover sauce can be used as a pizza topping or even stirred into mashed potatoes. It's made using the best organic tomatoes with no added sugar or salt.

 

 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 £9.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout. 

for more information :

http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website

http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook

http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Also now on Instagram @DegustaboxUK

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.

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 17

The spring holidays are drawing to an end and they were fab. We had ten days chilling (and wallpaper stripping !) at home then headed over for the best part of the second week to catch up with my mum, dad, sister and her boyfriend, which was lovely. It was the first time in nine months so it was great to finally see each other again. No more holidays until the summer now though - not good ! Well, there's no food in the house at the moment and Sophie will go shopping while I'm at work tomorrow, so it will all end up with whatever she comes home with ! Here's the plan though. I bought loads of new spice mixes and seasoning sachets to experiment with so fingers crossed they're nice !

Monday

lunch- I'm at the canteen - probably leftover pasta for the kids

dinner - American BBQ chicken with rice (seasoning sachet)

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me - leftovers for the kids

dinner- chicken tacos or fajitas (using one of the sachets from my win - there are all sorts of different things in the box so I'll see what we fancy. Lime chicken fajitas sounds good to me)

Wednesday

lunch-  beefburger, couscous & ratatouille

dinner- chicken or beef casserole with baked potatoes and carrots (actually I'll probably put the carrots in the casserole)

Thursday

lunch - meal with a friend for me & Sophie, leftovers for Pierre, canteen for Juliette

dinner- chicken chow mein

Friday

lunch- Sophie can sort out something as I'll be home later (or there may be leftovers to use up)

dinner - cottage pie

Saturday

lunch- sfeha (Jordanian mince-filled pizza or pastry squares) with rice & salsa/tomato salad

dinner- charquican (a dish from Chile - similar to a souped up version of cottage pie actually so I may be able to use up leftovers, if there are any !)

Sunday 

lunch- roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg & gravy

dinner- spaghetti carbonara or leftovers

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Linking up with the Menu Plan Roundup over at Cats, Kids, Chaos

March 2022 Degustabox review : Hello Spring

I couldn't help but snigger when I looked at the theme of this month's Degustabox - Hello Spring ! Well, yes, admittedly, it's the March box but we had snow just a couple of weeks ago so I don't really feel like we're ready to change seasons yet ! That said, there are lots of flowers - tulips and daffodils mainly - springing up all over town so fingers crossed, the weather won't be too far behind.

Unpacking the contents of the box, I could see the springtime influences : some chocolate for Easter, some salad dressings for moving on to lighter, warm weather meals and some snacks and drinks for long walks in the countryside. Well, we can hope !

Here's what was in this month's box.

 

Aero Chocolate Melts (RRP £1.59) are a new way of enjoying the delicious, bubbly chocolate that I have enjoyed eating for decades. These bite-sized buttons are ideal for sharing with friends and family in a simple, mess-free way. They contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and taste delicious.

Pizza Express Sweet & Smoky BBQ Pizza Dipping Sauce (RRP £2) seemed like a strange concept to me as I've never had the desire to dip my pizza in BBQ sauce, but what do I know?! Pizza Express have been making pizzas since 1965 so they must know a thing or two - more than me anyway ! This sauce is inspired by their popular Barbacoa pizza and they suggest that it offers a sweet kick to liven up a simple pizza. Well, I'll be honest, I prefer it for dipping carrot sticks and nachos in or for drizzling over chips and rice. The kids love mixing it into mashed potatoes too and it works well for jazzing up cheese on toast or a toasted sandwich. It's very versatile and very tasty, even without using it on pizzas !.

Aqua Libra Sparkling Water (RRP 2 x £1) is made by infusing water with natural flavours and a dash of lemon juice, with no sugar, sweeteners, calories or anything artificial added. You get a crisp, clear, natural fruity flavour coming through that is very pleasant. We tried Raspberry & Blackcurrant and Blood Orange & Mango, which was our favourite as it's a more original flavour. At just 4 calories a can, this is a great drink to enjoy over the summer, straight from the fridge.

 

Borna Lightly Sweetened Premium Pistachio Drink (RRP £1.99) is the first of its kind - it is in fact the only 100% natural pistachio milk alternative available - so I was keen for lactose-intolerant Sophie to try it. She enjoyed the creamy texture and the nutty pistachio taste and, as a drink, enjoyed it more than some of the other non-dairy "milks" that she's tried. It is low fat, dairy free, gluten free and enriched with vitamin B12 and calcium.

This month's Product of the Month is Exante Lemon & Coconut Snack Bites (RRP £1.49) which are high protein balls packed with plant-based ingredients. We tried the lemon & coconut flavoured ones, which were very tasty, but they're also available in an intriguing Carrot Cake variety. They're sweet and chewy and a healthier option to many of the sugar-packed snacks out there. You can get a 35% discount off almost anything at exantediet.com (until 31/12/2022) with code DEGUSTA.

Knorr Zero Salt Beef Stock Cubes (RRP £1.50) are part of the Netmums-accredited range, available in Vegetable, Beef and free-range Chicken. They are made with carefully selected vegetables, herbs and spices as well as beef from responsible farms to give you rich flavour without the salt. I will be honest - I always taste my food before serving and generally add a sprinkle of salt, pepper and spices, which rather cancels out the zero salt nature of the stock cubes, but this does allow you to control the quantity of salt that you add. They're great for adding extra depth of flavour to casseroles, soups and many other dishes.

 

Kettle Chips Sea Salt & Crushed Black Peppercorns (RRP £2.09) are a product made with real food ingredients and "nothing artificial in here", as the company proudly declares. They are crispy and not overly greasy. The kids love them and I'd say I like them, but I miss the extra tang of the usual salt & vinegar flavour. They're great to nibble on and would be perfect for accompanying summertime picnics and barbecues.

Another duo of products that make me look forward to summertime fayre and outdoor eating ... Hellmann's Caesar Salad Dressing and Hellmann's Fat Free Vinaigrette (RRP 2 x £1.25) are both great ways of zinging up salads. The Caesar one tastes rich and creamy while the Vinaigrette offers a lighter, zestier taste that only adds 7 calories per serving. Chicken salad is a great way of using up roast chicken leftovers on a Sunday night (and requires very little effort too !)

Nutriburst Plant Based Gummy Vits (RRP £22.99 / £19.99 for a full sized bottle, £1 for the 2 sachets) are a great tasting, sugar-free way of adding some vitamins to your diet. We got to try Hair, Skin & Nails Advanced Nutrition and Health & Vitality Multivitamin, which both taste very nice. These vegan vitamins are a simple way to boost your mind and body. The gummies are gluten-free, cruelty free and non-GMO. Use code DEGUSTA25 at nutriburstvitamins.com for 25% off.

 

Shreddies The Honey One (RRP £2.50) is a great tasting cereal which I love with milk for breakfast and that the kids love straight from the box as an after-school snack ! You get four layers of whole grain squares gently covered with real velvety honey. Very tasty.

Yogi Tea For The Senses (RRP £2.59) are a range of products inspired by aromatherapy and the power of essential oils. They are created using precious, naturally pure plant essences, combined with herbs and spices. We got "Natural Energy" which is white tea with lemon and bergamot oil. Other Degustabox subscribers got Pure Happiness (green tea & citrus oil) or Fresh Inspiration (ginger and mint oils). I passed these on to Sophie, who said they tasted nice.

Nature Valley Full Mix Cranberry (RRP £1 per bar or £2.90 for a multipack) is a delicious snack bar packed with different ingredients that offer a variety of taste sensations - chewy, crunchy and creamy, according to the wrapper. As you nibble your way through the bar, you'll discover cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, whole grain oats and peanut butter. It's a tasty bar and I love the multi-sensory sensation of eating it.  

 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 £9.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout. 

for more information :

http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website

http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook

http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Also now on Instagram @DegustaboxUK

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.

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 15

That's it, we've made it to the holidays - aaahhh ! Time to chill out and catch up on everything that needs doing. Like finishing the wallpaper stripping and repainting of the hallway and stairs - eurghhh ! It'll be good when it's finished but that paper is stuck on with superglue, I think ! Oh well, it'll be good when it's finally done. The girls have a weekend in Antwerp planned, so that they can go and see Louis Tomlinson in concert. Apart from that, I'm in spring cleaning mode - I want to have a big sort out, dejunk the house and tidy up the patio area ready for the warmer weather. That's the plan anyway :) I'm still dejunking the freezer too - there's so much stuff in there hiding at the back that we've forgotten about so it's good to have a clear out.

Monday

lunch- fish, ebly & veg

dinner - something in the slow cooker - blanquette de veau (veal stew) with mash & veg maybe? (as long as I remember to get the meat out of the freezer !)

Tuesday

lunch- grilled ham (with an egg on top for those who want it), grilled tomatoes and rice

dinner- Provençal chicken with pasta and coleslaw

Wednesday

lunch-  tacos (remember to buy avocadoes for guacamole)

dinner- leftovers

Thursday

lunch - crispy chicken for the kids/I'll go hunting for salmon or steak in the freezer for me, with homemade potato wedges and the rest of the coleslaw

dinner- Cajun chicken with rice (using a seasoning sachet) 

Friday

lunch- pasta with Italian seasoning (that Sophie brought back from Italy) (and probably bacon, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms)

dinner - just me and Pierre - I think we'll have leftovers to use up

Saturday

lunch- just me and Pierre - he can choose (I wafted this idea past him last week and he said McDonald's but I'll try and convince him with something a bit more exciting !)

dinner- just me and Pierre - I'm trying to think of something fun. Maybe homemade pizzas? (but he doesn't really like cheese.) Well, I have a week to come up with something !

Sunday 

lunch- roast chicken dinner

dinner- pasta bake (using the leftover chicken from lunch)

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Linking up with the Menu Plan Roundup over at Cats, Kids, Chaos

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 14

I'm back ! Things got majorly hectic so I didn't even manage to find the time to make a menu plan for the past two weeks. After filling in school reports, I had the end of term meetings for each class (late in from work every night, getting home around 7.30pm so Sophie took over on food duty) then the week after, parent-teacher evenings. On top of that, I've been tracking down a new roofer. He's been and done emergency repairs. Now the insurance need to send an expert and they can do the actual repairs. Pierre's plaster cast has been taken off his arm and he's back to school, after his week off with Covid. Juliette had her Covid booster jab. (Pierre didn't need one as he had Covid.) Things have finally calmed down, so I'm back to preparing a menu plan again. I want to start making some space in the freezer as it's looking pretty full up at the moment !

Monday

lunch- I'm at the canteen, the kids can find something in the fridge

dinner - cauliflower cheese for me and Juliette, creamy potato bake for Sophie & Pierre, with bacon and onions added in to make it a full meal

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, leftovers for the kids

dinner- chicken & veg with noodles and sweet & sour sauce

Wednesday

lunch- leftovers or chicken burgers & mash

dinner- beef or veal stew in the slow cooker with rice

Thursday

lunch - a meal with friends for me and Sophie can come along

dinner- I have a final meeting so Sophie will probably be on food duty. There's special fried rice in the freezer, with some chicken on the side to pad it out.

Friday

lunch- Sophie can sort out something, omelette maybe?

dinner - cottage pie

Saturday

lunch- maybe a trip to McDonald's or maybe leftovers

dinner- pasta carbonara

Sunday 

lunch- roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg & gravy

dinner- I think there will be leftovers to use up. If not, fridge grazing should do it.

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Linking up with the Menu Plan Roundup over at Cats, Kids, Chaos