Wednesday 29 November 2023

Degustabox November 2023 review


I can't believe we're at the end of November already ! Temperatures have dropped dramatically, we're busy scouring the shops for Christmas gifts and we've already got the Christmas tree up. Foodie choices have shifted towards soups, casseroles and other winter warmers and our regular Sunday afternoon entertainment is now watching a film cosily snuggled under a blanket on the settee. When this month's Degustabox arrived, I was looking forward to lots of tasty treats to devour in the run up to Christmas. Here's what was hiding in this month's box.

 

Forest Feast Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds (RRP £1.50) are as delicious as they sound. The almonds are oven roasted with their skins on before being drenched in Belgian dark chocolate, sprinkled with salt and dusted with cocoa. This gives them a delicious sweet-salty flavour which is very moreish. One nibble is never enough ! They are a lovely treat that are both vegan-friendly and gluten-free. They are available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Amazon and Fine Food independents, in both on-the-go 40g packs and 120g share packs.

Double Dutch Lemon (RRP £1.20) is a bold flavoured citrus drink that has been dubbed bottled sunshine. It is a combination of lemon, lime and quassia, which offers more piquancy than the traditional quinine. Its bright sparkly taste can be enjoyed on its own or as a mixer with Pimms, vodka or whatever other cocktails you may be enjoying over Christmas.


Nissin Demae Ramen Chicken (RRP 65p) are perfect for Pierre who loves tucking into instant noodles when he's on his own for lunch. They are quick and simple to prepare and Pierre loved the flavour, which is reminiscent of Japanese ramen dishes. Other Degustabox subscribers received Tonkotsu Pork flavour, which sounds deliciously different. They can be enjoyed as they are, livened up with leftovers  or incorporated into other dishes, including soups and stir-fries. Available in major supermarket chains.

 

Heinz Spicy Parsnip Soup (RRP £1.70) is perfect for a quick meal when you are fighting off a cold or you need a break from all the festive over-eating. The sweet parsnip flavour is topped off with a combination of warming spices including chilli and red pepper. It's comforting and perfect for beating the chill on a cold winter's day. Made with no artificial colours or preservatives, it is available at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Iceland, ASDA and  Ocado.

Kelloggs Rice Krispies Honey Multigrain Shapes (RRP £3) are a new choice at breakfast time that turned out to be very popular here at The Madhouse. The box proclaims that they are a daily source of vitamins and iron and they contain 30% less sugar. We decided that they are great as a festive breakfast as the shapes seem to include Christmas trees, stars and gingerbread men. The honey flavour was a big hit too. Available in the major supermarket chains.

 

Plantastic Tomato & Chargrilled Pepper Creamy Pasta Sauce (RRP £2.80) is a rich and indulgent sauce made with coconut milk instead of dairy options. Absolutely perfect for those on a veggie diet, it's a great product to stash in the cupboard for whenever you may need a rapid meat-free meal but can also be added to leftover chicken or turkey for those who do eat meat. Also available in Spicy Cajun Tomato and Caramelised Onion & Sweet Potato flavours. You can pick it up in Tesco or Morrisons.

Kühne Gourmet Gherkins with Herbs (RRP £3.55) are the perfect accompaniment for livening up the endless post-Christmas turkey sandwiches so they have been tucked away until next month. They add a lovely crunch and sharpness that perfectly accompanies dishes such as leftover meats and potato salads. Gourmet Gherkins, which also come in Honey or Chilli varieties, are the winners of a Great Taste award. Available at Waitrose and Ocado.


Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (RRP £1.90) are a quick and simple way of adding depth of flavour to anything from soups and casseroles to chilli and gravy. Just plop the contents of a pot into your cooking, allow it to melt and stir it through. It's that simple and you don't have to worry about getting a perfectly smooth consistency as you do with stock cubes. They are gluten-free and can be used in vegetarian, vegan and meat-based dishes. They are available in all the major supermarket chains.


Love Corn Smoked BBQ Crunchy Corn (RRP gift) is a little gift that was missing from last month's box but it was well worth the wait ! We love the flavour and the totally moreish crunchiness of the snack. It is made by roasting whole corn kernels off the cob and it is totally delicious.


SlooOW Stone Oven White Baguette ( RRP £1.60) is a partially-baked loaf, made with 100% natural ingredients, that just needs to be finished off in the oven at home to provide you with an authentically flavoured, fresh bread stick with an appealingly crispy crust. The bread is given more than 24 hours to rise which presumably explains why it tastes so good. It can be enjoyed on its own to accompany a meal, slathered with garlic butter or filled with tuna, ham or maybe some leftover turkey. You'll be amazed by how fresh it tastes, straight from the oven. It's available at Tesco and Co-op.


PhD Smart Bar Cookies & Cream (RRP £1.50) is a half-sized bar but it's the perfect size for on-the-go snacking. Containing 10g of quality protein and only 1.1g of sugar, the super soft protein centre coated in gooey caramel and protein crispies is utterly delicious and Pierre gobbled it up in seconds ! Available at PhD.com.


Saving my favourite (and the Product of the Month) for last, Terry's Chocolate Mint (RRP £1.50) is a new twist on the old favourite, the Chocolate Orange. Whack it, peel it and tuck in, as with its orange cousin. I love chocolate oranges but the flavour of this new tasty treat makes it another winner. Available in the major supermarket chains and perfect for stuffing in your kids' stockings.

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 :

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.

Sunday 26 November 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 47


Tomorrow, after work, the roofers should be fixing our roof. Hopefully everything will start to dry out then as we have a small amount of mould appearing in Juliette's room. After sorting out Pierre's room and the passage, it seems to be going round and round the house without ever getting fixed. Hopefully this will be the end of it. *Fingers crossed* Apart from that, I'm still in the midst of filling in school reports and going to class meetings. Once that's all done in a couple of weeks, I can't start looking forward to Christmas. We might be putting up our Christmas tree this afternoon actually. It's a week earlier than normal by why not ?! Here's this week's menu plan.

Monday

lunch- Provençal chicken with rice and ratatouille

dinner - battered fish with chips and peas

Tuesday

lunch- breaded chicken with mash & beans

dinner- meatballs with pasta

Wednesday

lunch- pork in tomato sauce with rice

dinner- leftover meatballs with chickpeas and couscous

Thursday

lunch- school canteen for me, Pierre can use up leftovers 

dinner- fishfingers with rice and veg

Friday

lunch- pasta bolognese

dinner - chicken fajitas

Saturday

lunch- after a long week, I think we deserve a Deliveroo !

dinner- cottage pie

Sunday

lunch- roast dinner

dinner- leftovers

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

Monday 20 November 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 46


I'm still rushing around trying to sort out the roof at the moment. The original roofers don't work with individual customers any more, just big council blocks, and another company eventually got back to me to say they couldn't do it. I think (fingers crossed) I've managed to find someone to do it today, but the only bad news is, we have to wait a week for them to come out. Unfortunately it's still pouring hard at the moment 90% of the time. Typical !  I'm just heading into the busy end-of-term time at school too. We got the parent-teacher evenings out of the way last week. Next week is the first of the class meetings looking at exam results, prospects and advice for pupils and parents. Before then, I have to do my last exams and fill in the school reports. Always a busy time. All of that explains why I'm so late getting this week's menu plan out ! Here's what's on the cards this week.

Monday

lunch- chicken in cream with rice, peas and carrots

dinner - battered fish and spicy potato wedges

Tuesday

lunch- Sophie's coming back home for a doctor's appointment so I'll catch up with her for lunch somewhere

dinner- BBQ ribs, rice and coleslaw

Wednesday

lunch- paprika pork, mixed beans and rice

dinner- chicken fajitas

Thursday

lunch- school canteen for me, Pierre can use up leftovers 

dinner- chicken burgers, pasta and sweetcorn

Friday

lunch- leftover chicken burgers in leftover tortilla wraps with guacamole, tomatoes and rice

dinner - pork filet mignon with roast potatoes and carrots, covered in gravy

Saturday

lunch- after a long week, I think we deserve a Deliveroo !

dinner- chilli con carne and rice

Sunday

lunch-  chicken in tomato & veg sauce with pasta

dinner- leftovers

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

Sunday 12 November 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 45


This week went absolutely fine, until the end of the week. Just as I was coming out of work on Friday afternoon, the kids sent me a message to say that there was water coming in through the roof in Sophie's loft conversion in several places, then going through her floor and coming out through the light in Pierre's room below. They set up a load of buckets to catch the water but the floor was soaked. The insurance office is shut until Tuesday as it's a bank holiday weekend (which I forgot about until I went there on Saturday morning !) so I'll have to wait a while. I'm not sure if this is an add-on to the insurance claim for the roof from the past storm (still waiting for the reply from the expert to allow the claim/work to go through to replace some missing tiles since March !) or if it's a new one from this latest storm. On top of all that, Sophie has just had a blood test and discovered she has diabetes so she's in hospital for a few days while they get her insulin levels sorted out. Talk about a nightmare weekend ! Next week is a busy one with two parent-teacher evenings, which I could do without, but I'm sure we'll make it through somehow ! Here's this week's menu plan.

Monday

lunch- sausages with potato smileys and sweetcorn

dinner - Pierre will be at football training so I'll knock up some baked potatoes with beans, bacon and onions

Tuesday

lunch- quick jambalaya

dinner- pasta bolognese using a jar of sauce for an instant dinner after work

Wednesday

lunch- crispy sesame beef & rice


Thursday

lunch- school canteen for me, Pierre can use up leftovers 

dinnerMary Berry's 15 minute pasta sounds like a quick dinner when I get home from work late

Friday

lunchchicken parmesan with rice and sweetcorn


Saturday

lunch- after a long week, I think we deserve a Deliveroo !

dinner- chicken fricassée with rice

Sunday

lunch-  Monterey chicken with couscous & salad

dinner- leftovers or cheese on toast

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

Sunday 5 November 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 44

I'm back ! We've just been enjoying a visit to Hastings to see my parents and sister so I haven't been menu planning for a while. It was lovely to catch up with everyone, despite the crappy weather. Then my dad came back with us for a few days to do some much needed painting and decorating around the house. It all looks so much better now. He's left and it's time to start getting ready to go back to work on Monday. Time to get back into routine ! I've bought back lots of lovely seasoning sachets to try out over the coming weeks.

Monday

lunch- I'm thinking there should be leftovers from yesterday's roast gammon

dinner - steak, rice and peas

Tuesday


dinner- chilli con carne with rice

Wednesday

lunch- I'm thinking there will be leftovers


Thursday

lunch- school canteen for me, Pierre can use up leftovers 

dinner- meatballs with pasta

Friday

lunchNadiya's Smoky Meatball Stew  (with the other half of the meatballs) with couscous

dinner - Mary Berry's quick and simple sausage supper with potatoes should fill Pierre up nicely after football training

Saturday

lunch- leftovers, I think

dinner- another football session requiring a big dinner so The Real Greek Kokkinisto Warming Beef & Tomato Stew with rice sounds perfect

Sunday

lunchchicken supreme with rice and sweetcorn


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

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