When this month's Degustabox arrived, I glanced at the theme of the box and it seemed like a perfect match for the weather to me. With temperatures dropping and drizzly rain and wind replacing the seemingly never-ending summer sun of the past few months, Movie Night seemed like the perfect way of spending an evening or a Sunday afternoon, snuggled under a blanket on the settee. Bring on the snacks ! We have the choice of sweet or savoury in the box.
My top pick for movie snacks is this bag of Aero Caramel Melts (RRP £1.75). I love the smooth, bubbly texture of Aero bars and these buttons have a caramel flavour that makes them seem extra delicate and luxurious. They come in a "love to share" bag but I'm happy to hide these away and scoff them all by myself ! Available at major supermarket chains.
If you fancy a savoury snack, you might prefer Chipoys Fire Red Hot (RRP £1.99). This is a popular brand of American snacks made in Mexico with rolled tortilla chips. As the flavour name suggests, these are totally hot, spicy and intense. The kids liked them but I thought they were just too fiery ! Available across independent and convenience stores as well as on Amazon.
Love Raw Peanut Butter Cups (RRP £1.89) are a vegan version of the popular snack made of peanut butter wrapped in milk-free chocolate. As with all products from the brand, they are free from palm oil and artificial ingredients. They are also gluten-free. Juliette gobbled them up and declared them delicious. Available at Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado, Amazon, Loveraw.com and selected independents.
Caleño Tropical Non-alcoholic Pre-mixed Cocktails (RRP 2 x £2.50) are the perfect drink for a glitzy night out minus the hangover or a more special option for the non-drinking driver of the group. We got the sharp and fruity Passion Fruit Martini and the sweet and tropical Pineapple Pina Colada, both of which were deemed delicious. Available on calenodrinks.com and Amazon.
Kellogg's cereals (RRP 4 x 70p) in individual packs always seem extra special to me, probably because they remind me of the variety packs that I used to love when I was a kid. In the Degustabox, we got four different varieties, Special K, Rice Krispies, Coco Pops and Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, which are my favourites. Other size packs are available at all major supermarkets.
Knorr Quick Soups (RRP 2 x 75p) are ready in minutes and are perfect as a quick lunch or snack. The kids like them as an after-school snack to tide them over until dinner. They're also great for warming you up on a cold day. We got Tomato and Cream of Vegetable with Croutons, while other subscribers got Chicken or Chicken Noodle. Available at ASDA.
Frutrip Fruit Purée Squeeze (RRP £7.50) is a product from Jeju Island, South Korea. It provides two flavours : hallabong ginger (hallabong is a citrus fruit native to Jeju Island) and green tangerine lemon. This nifty product can be consumed in a variety of ways, as a dessert, a dressing, an ice sorbet, a cocktail base or a topping. It is a pure product with no added water or artificial flavours. Available on UK Amazon.
Knorr Hairy Bikers' Spicy Stock Pots (RRP £1.90) are a quick and convenient way of adding a deep, rich flavour to chillis and casseroles. Perfect for adding a kick of heat to beat the chilli over autumn and winter. Available at Ocado, Waitrose and Tesco.
Peppadew Sweet Piquanté Peppers (RRP £3.25) combine a sweet and tangy crunch with a mild heat. Each pepper is de-cored by hand and can be munched straight from the jar or chopped and added to salads, pasta or pizzas. They're great for adding a bit of zing to plain meals. Available in major supermarket chains.
Simply Cook Jerk Chicken (RRP £2.50) is from a range of products designed as a great way of getting out of a cooking rut and injecting some excitement into mealtimes. 140+ chef created recipes in the range only need half an hour or less to provide dinner on the table. You'll need to add 4-6 fresh ingredients but all the magic comes in the little pack. Other subscribers received Nasi Goreng or Cajun Jambalaya kits. I love this way of adding some excitement to dinner without extra hassle or inconvenience.
Tilda Sticky Rice (RRP £1.54) is this month's Product of the Month and it's ideal for use in sushi or poke bowls. With its subtle flavour and sticky texture, it's ready for use in just 90 seconds in the microwave. It is gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The girls will love this for using with their sushi kit. Available in major supermarket chains.
Very Lazy Teriyaki Paste (RRP £2) is part of the range of cooking pastes designed to give you "Maximum Flavour, Minimum Fuss" in the kitchen. The sweet and savoury paste is perfect added to chicken, beef or pork to create a richly flavoured dish in minutes. It's not a product that I would have bought but having tried it, it's great to keep in the fridge for when you need a meal after a long day at work. Available in Sainsbury's, ASDA and Morrisons.
According to the leaflet in the box, I should have had a gift pack of Love Corn Sea Salt Flavour but it wasn't in the box. I actually thought the kids had gobbled it up without telling me, but they've promised me that they didn't ! We've had this product range before though and love the taste and texture of the crunchy corn kernels.
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.
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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.