Degustabox August 2024 review

"Summertime, and the livin' is easy,  fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high" ... and so are the temperatures right now. At the start of the month, we had a lovely ten-day cruise around Scotland and Iceland where temperatures only got up to about 10-12°C so the temperatures back in England were a bit of a shock ! We've been cooling down with endless cold drinks and ice creams but we've still felt like we're melting. When the postie dropped off the latest Degustabox, I was keen to see what summertime snacks and meal ideas would be hiding inside.

 

First out of the box were Apple & Raspberry and Apple & Blackcurrant SqueezeIts ( RRP 69p each). The squeezy, soft bottles remind me of drinks we used to have back in the eighties during my childhood. The drinks tasted of plastic more than anything else but I'm pleased to say, these ones taste much better. The advertising tag line is "Unique shape. Bold colours. Unbreakable." They always seem quite flimsy to me but I'm mainly thinking back to the eighties version so I'll take their word for it. They are made with high-quality ingredients, including fresh mountain spring water. Particularly appealing to kids and tweens, these are a great way of keeping children hydrated over the summer. Available in Iceland, Home Bargains, B&M, Heron Foods, Farmfoods and many more.

Knorr Aromat (RRP £1.90) g is a finely balanced blend of herbs and spices, carefully selected to bring out the best in your cooking. It's incredibly versatile - you can use it just like salt and pepper, either whilst cooking or at the table as a condiment. I've added it to rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, chicken breasts, pork chops and various plates of food once served. It adds a lovely boost of flavour perfect for jazzing up leftovers or slightly bland food. Available in major supermarkets.

 

Nong Shim Shin Ramyun Chicken Flavour (RRP £1.20) are Korean spicy noodles. In fact, "Shin Ramyun" is the English transliteration of the Korean words for "spicy instant noodles" and they are the best-selling instant noodles in South Korea. They come with a little sachet of soup base and another of vegetables to sprinkle on top. Pierre loved these eaten on their own but I would have added some leftover chicken and maybe vegetables (mushrooms ? carrots? onions?) to add some extra texture, flavour and vitamins. Available in major supermarket chains.

Get More Vits Raspberry & Blueberry Multivits 330ml and Mango & Passionfruit Vitamin D 500ml (RRP 85p and £1.25) are two fruity drink options that the Madhouse kids (or I should say teens) loved (and so did I, from the taste I got). As well as tasting great, they have a lot of plus-points : they are sugar-free, low calorie, made with UK spring water and natural fruity flavours, plus they contain a daily dose of vitamins. Available in most major supermarkets.

 

Ueshima Coffee Company Iced Latte (RRP £2) is a new product from the inventors of the world's first canned coffee. Back in 1969, in Japan, the founder, Mr Ueshima, sought a drink that could be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. His range of coffees, crafted the Japanese way for exceptional flavour, was his answer. It's perfect for sipping on a warm summer's day. Available on www.ueshimacoffeecompany.com.

Skittles Giants Gooey (RRP £1.25) are like a souped-up version of the regular Skittles sweets. Available in five fruity flavours, each giant sweet has a soft, citrus, gooey centre to add a big, zesty flavour burst. Utterly delicious ! Available across major supermarket chains.

 

Peppa Pig Little Butter Biscuits (RRP £1.50) are a delicious take on the classic snack that will appeal to kids with their Peppa Pig themed packaging. The biscuits are rich and crumbly but, as they are made with fibre and free from artificial colours, they're a more wholesome choice. Available in Iceland.

Cadbury Brunch Light (RRP £1.35 - we got Orange while other Degustaboxers tried Honey & Oat) are a tasty snack option with a big advantage - they only contain 93 calories per bar ! They are packed with oats, crispies, bran flakes, a twist of orange zest, a drizzle of honey and, all importantly, they are dipped in smooth, irresistible Cadbury milk chocolate. Even more good news, they are vegetarian friendly. Perfect if you want a guilt-free chocolate treat. With five bars in a pack, they work out as good value too. Available in major supermarket chains.

 

This month's Product of the Month, Tilda Garlic & Herbs Rice (RRP £1.54) is a simple and convenient accompaniment that can be popped in the microwave and prepared in just 2 minutes (or in a pan in 3 minutes if you don't have a microwave). The rich flavour goes great with chicken, fish, pork chops, steak or whatever else you're eating. The whole range of rice pouches are ideal for teens being left on their own at lunch time and in need of a simple food that can be prepared quickly. Available in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Ocado.

Just Live A Little Raspberry, Coconut & Cashew Granola (RRP £1.50) is a tasty breakfast option that appealed to the kids, made with golden gluten-free toasted oats, loaded with zingy raspberries, coconut, toasted cashews, pumpkin seeds, crisped rice and a dollop of almond butter. It can be enjoyed with coconut yoghurt and fresh fruit or you might like to try the Frozen Yoghurt & Granola Bark recipe at justlivealittle.com. Available at Amazon and justlivealittle.com

The final item was Annabel's Deliciously English Strawberry Chilli Chutney (RRP £4.50 - other Degustaboxers got Rhubarb & Mango Chutney), which is a lovely chutney that marries the sweetness of strawberries with a discernible kick of spice. It's a tongue-tingling accompaniment to salads and sandwiches or can be eaten alongside pork chops, chicken and steak. You can also stir a spoonful into rice or mashed potatoes to take them to another level. This product was awarded Highly Recommended at the recent Great British Awards. Available at annabelsdeliciouslybritish.co.uk

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.

New Licenced Holdems from EXG Pro review

You may have noticed that I haven't been on my blog since the start of the summer. That's because we've been travelling, on a fabulous cruise around Iceland and Scotland, and once we got back, off visiting family. The kids have been whiling away their time using all sorts of gadgets like phones and AirPods when they got bored but with all of us sharing charging cables and not having our regular places available for stashing away our tech, it's been hard to keep track of where everybody's phones and earbuds have ended up.

EXG Pro have a very cute range of new licensed Holdems to help keep track of your random techie bits and they are sure to appeal to teens and beyond, whether they're being used to hold your phones and tech or just look pretty on your bedroom shelf.

 

Juliette has always been a big fan of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch so she instantly fell in love with the Loved-Up Stitch that we received, covered in cute little lipstick prints. He does perfectly hold your phone as required but he gets hidden behind it so Juliette prefers when he is off duty or holding something small like AirPods or jewellery so that he can be seen. She usually slots her phone into his hands when she's charging it. There are four different models available in the Stitch range, with Badness Level, Underpants Hero and Sunset Stitch alongside the Loved-Up Stitch that we received.

The Holdems are available in other cute ranges, including Fall Guys (Skelly, Paint Dipped, Hot Rod Flames and Ice Cream), Sonic (Super Sonic, Sliding Sonic, Tails and Knuckles) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Donatello, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Leonardo). 

Each model costs £17.99 and would be perfect as a stocking filler or secret Santa gift, if you're trying to get a few Christmas gifts in in advance. 

RRP : £17.99

for more info : All Products | EXG Pro

Also available on Amazon.

Disclosure : We received the product in order to share our honest opinion.

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 29

Our first week on holiday wasn't all that chilled out as we dashed about doing lots of random errands, like picking up a cheque book, buying new saucepans and frying pans, arranging dogsitting for the holiday and sorting out Sophie's taxes. (She got a huge tax bill but luckily it was an error.) Pierre got his exam results through and did brilliantly so he's moving on to a lycée now (upper secondary). It's his birthday this week and he wants a punching ball (a proper grown up one rather than the little kids' one that he had when he was smaller !) so that's our mission for this week. We had fun trying out lots of new recipes last week so we'll go for the same again, picking off a random cookery book from my shelves. Here's our menu plan for the week. I'm using the book Gino D'Acampo Ultimo! and various recipes sourced from online this week.

Monday

lunch-  crispy shredded chicken with rice

dinner - Italian-style Cottage Pie with Crushed Potatoes (p130)

Tuesday

lunch- chicken and chorizo salad with beans and rocket leaves (p36)

dinner- fajita-style pasta

Wednesday

lunch- leftovers

dinner- chicken and prawn jambalaya

Thursday

lunch- 15 minute chicken and halloumi burgers with fries

dinner- Mexican beef 'n' rice skillet

Friday

lunch- chicken, leek and brown rice stir fry

dinner - smokehouse bbq wraps with rice & salad

Saturday

lunch- chicken korma melts with rice

dinner- leftovers

Sunday

lunch- Tuscan chicken with pasta

dinner - bacon cheeseburger pie with potato wedges

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

Degustabox July 2024 review

 

Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the streets ! Well, maybe not, but I am on holiday now and school's out for the summer so we're all in a good mood. Being home all day and packing up lunches for day trips out and about does mean that the kids are on a constant search for snacks and drinks though so would this month's Degustabox help us out? Let's find out !

First out of the box was this Bio & Me Cocoa Hazelnut Oat Bar (RRP £1.50 - other subscribers got Toffee Apple or Superberry). These tasty bars are packed with at least 9 different types of plant goodness and contain no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. They are all natural and high in fibre. They are actually quite filling and taste lovely, as well as helping to look after your gut. That means you can feel good about chomping on a tasty snack which is a definite win-win in my book ! Available at Waitrose, Sainsbury's (Free From aisle), Tesco (Free From aisle) and in bulk on the Bio & Me website.

 

Dr Will's All Natural Tomato Ketchup (RRP £4.50) is a healthier take on the usual red sauce, made with vine ripened tomatoes and sweetened naturally with dates so it is full of flavour without the sugar. We tried out their Sweet Mango Sriracha in the December 2023 Degustabox and found the flavour of the ketchup to be more to our tastes (basically we're wimps when it comes to spice !). The ketchup has a rich flavour and can be dolloped on the side of the plate, used as a pizza base, added to a marinade or squirted inside a bacon sandwich. We love the richer and less sweet flavour compared to many other ketchups. Available at Waitrose, Co-op, Ocado, Amazon and Dr Will's website.

Joyfull Millets Choco & Nut Crunchy Muesli (RRP £4.20) is a breakfast option that tastes as good as it sounds. Millet is a super grain that is full of natural goodness and also stays crunchy in the bowl rather than going soggy. Add in jumbo oats, brown rice flakes, flax seeds, cranberries, sliced almonds and raisins, all coated in choco, and you're on to a good thing, both in terms of taste and healthiness. Available at Tesco.

  

Mahou 5 Estrellas (RRP £2.50) is Madrid's favourite beer. Created in 1890, it is the result of six generations of family ownership and brewing passion. Today, it is the most awarded Spanish beer thanks to its balanced, intense but refreshing five star taste. Perfect fresh from the fridge on a hot summer's afternoon or maybe in front of the football ! ABV 4.5%. Available at Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

Moth : Aperitivo Spritz (RRP £3.99) is a great option for the summer offering a tasty cocktail premixed and ready to serve in a can so you can enjoy it with minimal fuss. The can displays the list of ingredients : bitter orange, gin, fizz, soda and bliss. What more could you ask for?! Every MOTH serve is created with award-winning spirits and absolute precision – for the taste and strength you get at your favourite bar. They are also ideal for packing in the picnic basket for grown-up alfresco lunches or summertime barbecues. Other cocktails available include Mojito, Paloma, Margarita, Old Fashioned, Espresso Martini, Cosmopolitan, Pink Gin, Pina Colada and Negroni. Available at all major supermarket chains.

Naked Natural Energy Red (RRP £1.25) is a new take on energy drinks, crafted from real fruit and infused with natural caffeine. Bursting with five essential vitamins and no added sugar, a light sparkle and no artificial additives, it offers you a plant-based energy boost without the crash. We got to try Red which is a blend of apple, raspberry and goji berry, while other subscribers received Gold (orange, pineapple and mango). They appeal to me much more than regular energy drinks. Available at WH Smith's and other independent retailers.

 

Nescafe Gold Blend (RRP £5.99) is the same, popular product in a new paper refill pouch, giving you the same great flavour in fully recyclable paper packaging. Good for your taste buds and now also good for the planet. Available at Tesco's.

This month's Product of the Month, Peppadew Mild Sweet Piquanté Peppers (RRP £3.25) are perfect for adding a touch of freshness and crunch to summer platters of antipasti, salads, pizza toppings or pasta sauces. They can also be enjoyed straight from the jar, combining a fresh, crisp, tangy flavour with just a hint of spiciness. Each pepper is perfectly de-cored by hand so they can even be stuffed, maybe with cream cheese or a little tuna for some fresh nibbles to serve with drinks. Kept in the fridge, they're perfect as a refreshing snack to get your taste buds tingling too ! Available at all major supermarkets.

Rubicon Spring Pink Grapefruit & Blood Orange (RRP £1.29) is a refreshing new flavour perfect for sipping in the summer sun. The sharpness of the pink grapefruit is perfectly offset by the sweetness of the blood orange, providing a lovely way of quenching your thirst when temperatures soar. Made with sparkling spring water and no sugar, it's low in calories, making it a great option. Available in major supermarkets and independent convenience stores.

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.

Ben & Anna Natural Care Bath Salts review

Ben & Anna has a list of credentials that mark it out as a highly green and ethical company, which adds an extra level of loveliness to the feel-good factor that their natural beauty products provide. Set up by a pair of passionate vegans in 2017, they put the focus on creating cruelty-free, vegan, natural and sustainable products and their products are certified by NaTrue as containing natural ingredients which are not only kind to the skin but the planet too. If that's not enough, they support creative projects to make our world more liveable and healthier for everyone too. What more could you ask for? Lovely scents and ingredients that leave you feeling thoroughly pampered? Well, that's a check too ! We've been trying out some of their Natural Care Bath Salts and it's safe to say, we're big fans. 

Firstly, we tried out the Lavender Bath Salts. They are made with salt extracted from the Italian Mediterranean and look chunky and homemade. The lavender fragrance is soothing and relaxing, helping to turn your bathroom into a calming, rejuvenating space to help ease your body and mind. It's not just a holistic experience though as the bath salts cleanse and detoxify the skin, providing intensive moisture and leaving skin supple, while promoting  muscle relaxation and relieving tension. Just a half hour soak in the bathtub will leave you feeling like you've had a relaxing day at the spa. (The official instructions say ten to twenty minutes but who has a ten-minute bath ?!) Perfect for winding down after a stressful day at work or helping ease yourself into the summer holiday vibe.

We also tried the Rose scented Bath Salts which were equally indulgent. There is something about the scent of roses that equates to biting into a gooey, soft double chocolate muffin, minus the calories. It's like giving yourself a big, squeezy hug to make yourself feel better. Stop and smell the roses ! Everything's coming up roses ! When life throws thorns, hunt for roses ! Roses represent the best that life can offer and breathing in their scent is an easy way to access positivity, calmness and harmony. While the salts gently revitalise your skin, the fragrance will reinvigorate your mood. 

Each tub of bath salts contains 300g, which is enough for five full baths. Go on, you know you're worth it !

RRP : £7.95

for more information : Ben & Anna (benandanna.uk)

Disclosure : We received the product in order to share our honest opinion.

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 28

We have made it to the holidays and I'm really looking forward to chilling out and not having to rush about getting to work every day. We've got a few weeks until we go on holiday (to Iceland this year, which will definitely be different) and I have nothing planned until then so I am looking forward to having a big dejunk in the house. I seem to have a million cardboard boxes to get rid of, which is the first job, then a big declutter in the bathroom and my bedroom. I traditionally have a good look through the kitchen cupboards too and search out all the seasoning sachets and random ingredients that need using up. It would be good to have a clear out in the freezer too. Here's our menu plan for the week. I'm using the book What's For Dinner? by Romilla Arber this week again. We enjoyed last week's menu but didn't make it all as there were more leftovers than I expected. A few meals are therefore reposted.

Monday

lunch-  meat & potato pie with runner beans (p438)

dinner - chicken fricassée with buttered rice and diced courgettes (p326)

Tuesday

lunch- Grilled pork chops à la charcutière with sautéed potatoes (p388)

dinner- Bistro salad (with sausages, new potatoes, cornichons and lettuce) (p369)

Wednesday

lunch- Grilled marinated chicken with orange avocado salad and baked potatoes (p443)

dinner- leftovers

Thursday

lunch- Gratin of potatoes, ham, onions and eggs with salad (p450)

dinner- bacon sandwiches

Friday

lunch- Toad in the hole and corn on the cob (p488)

dinner - chicken chasseur + cabbage + baked potatoes (p490)

Saturday

lunch- leftovers

dinner- Minced beef stew with rice (p508)

Sunday

lunch- Chicken schnitzel and tomato spaghetti (p510)

dinner - Chicken fajitas + pinto beans in tomato sauce + guacamole (p513)

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

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 27

Into the final week of school. Monday and Tuesday is exam invigilating (and Pierre is doing his exams), Wednesday is a meeting, Thursday is the final day of classes so the few kids who do show up will be put in groups for a day of activities and Friday morning is the final meeting. Then we're into seven weeks of holidays. Time to chill out and have a big dejunk in the house. I have no other plans at the moment, apart from getting ready for our summer holiday which, this year, is a cruise around Iceland. Hopefully the volcanoes will stay quiet ! We get a couple of trips in Scotland on the way there and back too. Juliette is heading off to Prague with her boyfriend before that and is excitedly making lists of things to visit - I'm sure they'll have a fab time too. Can't wait to count the days off this week ! Here's our menu plan for the week. I'm dipping into the book What's For Dinner? by Romilla Arber this week.

Monday

lunch- I'll be stuck at school, Pierre will have to fend for himself

dinner - chicken fricassée with buttered rice and diced courgettes (p326)

Tuesday

lunch- I'll be at school again so Pierre is on lunch duty at home

dinner- cheese & potato tart with salad/tomatoes/cucumber (p331)

Wednesday

lunch- Bistro salad (with sausages, new potatoes, cornichons and lettuce) (p369)

dinner- Hungarian lamb stew with macaroni & carrots (p345)

Thursday

lunch- picnic at the beach with school for me, Pierre can go fridge/freezer diving

dinner- Grilled pork chops à la charcutière with sautéed potatoes (p388)

Friday

lunch- end-of-term farewell drinks and nibbles, Pierre can go fridge diving

dinner - Italian roast pork and roast potatoes with cannellini beans (p395)

Saturday

lunch- spiced chicken & boiled rice (p400)

dinner- macaroni cheese with sausage & salad (p404)

Sunday

lunch- leftovers

dinner - meat & potato pie with runner beans (p438)

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

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 26

This week is our last week of lessons, so I've decided to be nice and let the kids watch DVDs in English. The week after is exams and meetings then that's this school year done - woohoo ! The girls went to Lyon (which is about 4 hours away by train) over the weekend to see Coldplay in concert. They had a good time apparently. Not much else going on here for now. Pierre is getting ready for his exams in a week's time. It's the end of an era ! Here's what's on the cards foodwise this week. Lasagne is being listed again as Pierre ate with his friends while watching the football on a big screen in the town centre a couple of times so I just had a sandwich rather than cooking just for me.

Monday

lunch- sausages, chips and ratatouille

dinner - Tropical chicken skewers with rice and salad

Tuesday

lunch- veal escalopes with pasta

dinner- chicken pad thai

Wednesday

lunch- leftovers

dinner- veal blanquette (to use up the veal) with rice and carrots

Thursday

lunch- school lunch for me, Pierre can go fridge/freezer diving

dinner- chicken korma with rice and raita

Friday

lunch- chicken burgers with rice and peas/carrots

dinner - Cajun chicken pasta

Saturday

lunch- chicken cordon bleu with mash

dinner- fish, rice and sweetcorn/salad

Sunday

lunch- Arizona chicken with pasta

dinner - lasagne with salad

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

Degustabox June 2024 review

We're almost into the school holidays so what kinds of foodie products are we going to need? Tasty options for long breakfasts ? Check ! Lots of drinks to quench our thirst on hot, sunny days? Check ! Snack options for responding to the constant cries of "Mum, I'm hungry, have we got anything to eat?" Check, in both sweet and savoury formats ! Yep, it sounds like this month's Degustabox will have it all covered at the start of the holidays ! Here's what was in this month's box.

I love Aero chocolate bars, especially in mint or orange flavours, so I was intrigued to sample the new Aero Choco Hazelnut bar (RRP £1.35). You get the same bubbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture that leads into a smooth, creamy chocolatiness, with the extra richness of the hazelnut flavour. It's very tasty but I do still prefer the crisp, fresh flavour of the mint bars.

 

Jordans No Added Sugar Granola Apple & Cinnamon (RRP £3.60) is a tasty new breakfast option that hits just the right spot. The crunchy clusters contain no added sugar or sweeteners, just the natural sweetness of juicy sultanas. The apple and cinnamon additions are very tasty and really give a nice lift to the granola. I'll happily gobble up the whole bag ! Available at Waitrose, Ocado and Tesco.

Bonne Maman Chocolate & Orange Spread (RRP £2.90) is a tasty snack or breakfast option from the French jam-experts. Tasty spread on toast or bread, it can also be used in pancakes, on a digestive biscuit, brioche or ricecake. The richness of the flavour is very satisfying whatever you spread it on. Available at Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.

Hippeas Chickpea Puff Snacks (RRP 2 x £1) are a tasty alternative to regular crisps, whose top ingredient is chickpeas. Each 22g serving (about a quarter of a bag) contains 2-3g of protein and under 92 calories. The two new intense flavours in the Flavour Blast range are Bohemian BBQ (very tasty) and Blazin' Hot (a bit too spicy for our tastes). They're vegan-friendly and gluten-free. Available at Morrisons, Ocado, Amazon and Hippeas.com

J2O Mocktails (RRP 3 x £1.29) are a lovely new range of drinks from J20 that will be perfect for quenching your thirst throughout the summer. Despite being non-alcoholic, they look and sound very grown-up so I'm sure they will be a big hit with tweens and teens. They come in a variety of delicious fruity flavours : Blackberry & Blueberry Martini, White Peach & Mango Daiquiri and Strawberry & Orange Blossom Mojito. Very tasty and refreshing. Available at Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.

Mentos Discovery 14 Flavours (RRP £1.80) contains 5 rolls of deliciously fruity, chewy sweets. I love Mentos so I was delighted to discover the range of 14 flavours, which includes passion fruit, lychee, blueberry, blackcurrant, lime, strawberry, raspberry, orange, lemon, watermelon, banana, grape, cherry and pineapple. They are vegan-friendly, very tasty and perfect for keeping in your pocket for chewing on the go ! Available at Morrisons and other supermarkets.

 

Brioche Pasquier Pitch Strawberry Filled Brioche (RRP £1.75) is this month's Product of the Month and it's Juliette's top pick. They are perfect for breakfast but the Madhouse kids prefer eating them as a mid-afternoon snack. They love the softness of the brioche, the sweet fruity filling and the fact that they are individually wrapped so they can be stuffed in a pocket as a snack on-the-go. They are free from preservatives, artificial colours and hydrogenated fats. Available from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

Teapigs English Breakfast Tea (RRP £4.60 - other subscribers received Honeybush & Rooibos Tea) is the everyday blend reminiscent of a builder's brew. Drink with milk for the perfect refreshing cuppa. I'm not a tea-drinker but these do look and smell exceptionally fresh. Available at all major supermarkets as well as online at teapigs.co.uk

Tropicana Sparkling Tropical Twist (RRP £1.25 - other subscribers got Zesty Orange) is a great new way of getting the kids to drink fruit juice as it is made with real juice. Each can contains less than 60 calories and has no added sweeteners, just the fruity freshness from the tropical Costa Rican pineapple fields, so it is a healthier choice than many other sodas. Great for quenching your thirst in the summer sun. Available at WH Smith's, Shell and other independent retailers.

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 25

I did all my running around last week - went to the bank, paid off the rest of the holiday and put in a trip to the insurance people who discovered that my claim had been filed without being paid so I'm glad I chased that up ! Into the last two weeks of lessons, followed by a week of exam invigilating and meetings. Juliette has got all her exams this week then she's ready to shoot off on holiday with her boyfriend. Sophie has sorted out next year's studies, moving into English and German, which she hasn't done for a few years so she'll have to revise the basics over the summer. The summer holidays are nearly here - phew ! Here's this week's menu plan.

Monday

lunch- eating with a friend so Pierre can go fridge/freezer diving

dinner - sausage stroganoff tagliatelle

Tuesday

lunch- fish, rice and coleslaw

dinner- pork souvlaki

Wednesday

lunch- leftover fish, mash and peas/carrots

dinner- leftovers (stroganoff/souvlaki)

Thursday

lunch- school lunch for me, Pierre can go fridge/freezer diving

dinner- chicken burgers with pasta

Friday

lunch- leftover chicken burgers with rice & ratatouille

dinner - baked potatoes with bacon and cheese

Saturday

lunch- Deliveroo

dinner- fishfingers, mash and veg

Sunday

lunch- chicken curry and rice

dinner - lasagne

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