Summer's here and the time is right for ... the July Degustabox ! (review)

The kids are on holiday, which means I have three constantly hungry stomachs-on-legs in the house for the next couple of months ! Perfect timing for the postie to deliver the latest box of foodie treats.

Unsurprisingly, there is a definite summer theme going on in this month's box, with lots of picnic friendly snacks and a variety of refreshing cold drinks to sample. The kids were hovering over my shoulder oohing and aahing as we unpacked the contents !

It's been so hot lately that I haven't felt much like slaving over a hot stove and the kids haven't wanted heavy meals, so we've been eating loads of salads and sandwiches. This bottle of Heinz Salad Cream (RRP £1.49) is therefore a welcome addition to the fridge. I used to eat a lot of salad cream when I was a kid, then we switched over to mayonnaise, so this was a bit of a rediscovery for me. I love the tangy flavour and the lighter texture.I thought the name was being changed to Sandwich Cream so I was pleased to see it's still called Salad Cream - it's been around for over a century so it seems a bit pointless to change the name now !

I don't necessarily think of soup as a summer dish, but miso is a light option that could be nice as a quick meal on a hot summer's evening. The box of Miso Tasty Red Miso Soup (RRP £3.75) contains four sachets of miso paste with warming spices, wakame seaweed and spring onions. Just add hot water and stir. It's glute,-free, vegan and only contains 45 calories.

 On to the drinks ...

Those who subscribe the alcohol version of the box received Rosie's Pig Flat Tyre Sparkling Cloudy Cider with Rhubarb (RRP £2). This is brand that I was unfamiliar with but that has featured several times in past Degustaboxes. Sweet but tart, it's a lovely refreshing drink straight from the fridge on a hot sunny Sunday afternoon.

 Ribena blackcurrant cordial has long been a family fave (when I was in a shared student house, I discovered hot Ribena, made with boiling water, but I still prefer it cold) but this was the first time we'd tried Ribena Sparkling (2 x £2.70), in both classic Blackcurrant and Pineapple & Passionfruit. Each bottle contains under 15 calories, which was a pleasant surprise. The kids loved these just as much as I did, but the target audience is adults, as they are sold in pubs.

This month's Product of the Month (or, in fact, Products, as there were two products from the same brand) are from the Capsicana Latin Flavours range. The Brazilian Paprika & Spices for Beef or Chicken (RRP £1) has a medium rating and is lovely as a rub or marinade for summer barbecues. The Mexican Guacamole Mix (RRP 65p) also has a medium rating and just needs to be added to one mashed up avocado. The Madhouse kids love guacamole - in tacos and fajitas, or just with tortilla chips, bread sticks or carrot sticks as a dip - but I usually make mine with mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic salt and the tiniest hint of chilli, as they don't like it when it's too spicy. I'll definitely be giving this a go though.

Percol Iced Coffee (RRP £1.50) is a great way for coffee-lovers to get their caffeine fix in the middle of a heatwave. We got Flat White, made with 100% Organic Arabica, but as nobody at The Madhouse likes coffee, I'll keep it in the fridge for one of our visitors to enjoy.

Pulsin is another brand that I have discovered through past Degustaboxes. This month's box contains a Pulsin Salted Caramel Raw Choc Brownie (RRP £1.59) which is a tasty but healthy treat. Not as decadent as a real brownie but not bad at all !

Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles (RRP £1.29) are one of my favourite sweets - the only thing you can really do with a Rowntrees Fruit Pastille is chew ah ha ha ! - and these ones taste just as good as the originals with 30% less sugar. That means I can eat 30% more than I would have normally eaten ! Unlike chocolate, they won't melt in your bag either. Win-win !

Cadbury's Highlights Milk Choc Drink (£2.99) is a great option for anyone with a sweet tooth who wants to cut the calories. Just add hot water for a guilt-free chocolate fix with only 38 calories per cup. It's not as indulgent as the real thing, but if you're watching your weight in preparation for your summer holiday, it's the next best thing !

London Flavours (2 x 95p) are roughly peeled, handcooked, premium crisps. We love the funky retro packaging with iconic London scenes and the crisps are tasty too. We got Oak Smoked Chilli and Cheddar & Red Onion.

 Finally, Peckish Cheddar Cheese Rice Crackers (RRP £1.59) are a lovely crispy snack that come in at under 100 calories per portion. We love these and they're perfect for picnics, snacks-on-the-go or just nibbling straight out of the pack. They work well with tomato salsa too.

 This month's recipe card provides two tasty-sounding serving suggestions : Lamb & Feta Pittas and Avocado, Spinach & Cherry Tomato Wrap.

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 0BS6T 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.

Madhouse diaries : Our final family portraits in Fethiye last year

"Family photo ... family photo ... !" If you've ever been on holiday in an all-inclusive hotel complex, you're bound to have heard the constant cries of the resident photographers, every time you're lazing by the pool or trying to walk into the restaurant. It turned into a bit of an in-joke for us, and we'd often walk into the restaurant the back way or split up into subgroups so that they wouldn't see us as a family and try to convince us to book a sunset photo package for after we'd eaten.

We all had cameras, and if we didn't have our cameras with us, someone invariably had their phone and could catch a quick snap on that, so it seemed pointless paying out for pictures that we could take ourselves.

Then, last year in Turkey, on what was (unbeknownst to us) to be our last ever family holiday before Madhouse Daddy died, we went on a jeep safari with Captain Animal - the guy on the left, who is the owner of the company and one of the drivers and guides. He was hilarious - dressing up in a zebra onesie in sweltering heat, wearing crazy green trainers with individual toes, stopping the convoy of jeeps in a wooded area and, along with the other drivers, pointing up in the trees to see how many local drivers would stop to see what they were pretending to look at ... The whole day was full of fun and laughter.

It was also full of photo opportunities and Captain Animal had a trusty photographer with him, taking numerous photos every time we stopped. It was a bit like being followed by a paparazzi but the good humour of the day kept us smiling.

We saw loads that day. Our first destination was Babadağ, formerly known as Mount Cragus, where we took in the great views and watched the paragliders.  

There was even the option to paraglide down and be picked up by the jeeps at the bottom, but we headed over to the little cafe and ate a slice of chocolate cake for Sophie's birthday instead !

We all took variations of this photo, but the problem is, there is always someone missing from the photo. Sophie tried to take some group selfies but they never come out as well as when you are actually behind the camera seeing what the shot looks like.

The official photographer was very snap-happy, taking random shots throughout the day. The woman on the right was someone in our jeep. Madhouse Daddy is gazing wistfully into the distance, enjoying the views, Sophie is in the back and you can just see me and Juliette on the other side of the jeep.

After numerous other visits, including the abandoned town of Kayakoy and the Sea Turtle Rescue Center at Iztuzu beach near Dalyan, we finished off on a boat trip.

As well as a lovely refreshing breeze, this provided plenty of time and stunning backdrops for yet more photos.

Sophie's generally quite happy to pose for photos because she knows that she can use them on her blog and instagram accounts.

But as you've seen from my numerous blogposts featuring the kids, Juliette and Pierre don't always play along, with Juliette in particular sticking her tongue out or screwing up her eyes just as I take the photo !

When it's an official photgrapher and not mum asking for them to get in shot, it's a completely different story though !

As well as the uncomplaining cooperation from the kids, the official photographer also has the added bonus of endless inspiration for poses and angles to get unique pictures that you'd never think of taking yourself.

We had no idea that seven months later, Madhouse Daddy would no longer be with us, and I have no idea why, at the very last minute, I decided to shell out for the cd of photos from our day out in Fethiye.

I'm just very glad that I did, because these will be memories that we can treasure forever.

If I've inspired you to invest in some family portraits of your own but you don't know where to find a local photographer, Bidvine is a great place to start because, as a UK-based local services tech startup, whose biggest service is photography, it's a simple way to find professionals. And if you found my blogpost because you're going to Fethiye and want to find out more about Captain Animal and his jeep safaris, you need to head over here to his Trip Advisor page.

Disclosure : This is a collaborative post.

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 2018 week #30

We went off plan a bit last week, which is par for the course during the holidays, but it's always good to have a rough idea of what I could cook with what's in the freezer and the cupboards without nipping to the shops. This week will be the same.

Monday 

lunch - spaghetti bolognese

dinner - chicken stir fry with mange tout, baby corn and beansprouts

Tuesday 

lunch - fajitas with spicy chicken, peppers, onions, rice & coleslaw

dinner - tuna salad wraps with the leftover tortilla wraps

Wednesday 

lunch - gnocchi with beefburgers

dinner - spring rolls with salad

Thursday 

lunch - pork chops with potato bake, peas & carrots

dinner - stuffed tomatoes with rice

Friday  

lunch - spinach & ricotta ravioli with ham

 dinner - Mediterranean chicken tray bake (with roasted peppers, courgettes, onions, baby potatoes)

Saturday

lunch - fast food or a picnic - we light get a kebab for a change

dinner - chilli con carne

Sunday

lunch -  roast dinner - either chicken or gammon

dinner - fridge grazing

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

Linking up with Katykicker & The Organised Life Project

#MySundayphoto #SundaySnap 22/7

No time for making a birthday cake after our daytrip to Plopsaland theme park, so Pierre had to make do with a birthday sandwich - no complaints from him though, he thought it was very funny !

Fab freebies of the week 21/7

School's out for the summer ! Time to celebrate with this week's roundup of the great new UK freebies :)

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The Summer Reading Challenge takes place every year during the summer holidays. You can sign up at your local library, then read six library books of your choice to complete the Challenge. There are exclusive rewards to collect along the way, and it’s FREE to take part!

Try tennis for free this summer at a Great British Tennis Weekend event! Thousands of free events will be taking place throughout the summer and all across the country, with sessions to suit the whole family. There are Mini Tennis sessions, family time, free play, Cardio Tennis and numerous other kinds of activities to get involved in.

Rackets and balls will be provided, so whether you’ve never picked up a racket before or you're a seasoned regular – there is fun to be had.

Weekends will take place throughout summer, the next big weekend will be the 21st & 22nd July 2018. Use the search function below to find your nearest venue and book your spot!

Claim a complimentary Penhaligon's Hidden London sample (all gone)

Sign up to be a product reviewer for Skin Chemists

You can also try your luck at becoming a product tester for Nike

There are 1000 tennis prizes up for grabs in Head's competition

Sign up for autumn-sowing wild flower seeds

Get a free sample of Natvia sweetener

Just in time for National Pub Fortnight : We regularly have great free drink offers featuring a varying range of popular products in pubs across England and Wales. Register your details and we will send you a link to the next offer when it goes live.

You still have time to sign up for The Insiders Old Spice campaign : Now you, along with another 299 unique and manly Insiders, have the opportunity to smell like a man, man. Try the different products, Odour Blocker and Lasting Legend sprays and sticks, tell us how they have elevated you to demigod status, and then help lesser beings to navigate the high seas of manliness.

Fill in the form below to receive your free Twinings Watermelon, Strawberry and Mint Cold Infuse sample

On Page 62 of the July/August 2018 FREE Tesco Magazine there is a voucher to cut out and present to cafe staff for a FREE iced or hot drink

Fridge Sticker Request

Just put your email in the box to get your paws on our stickers.

You can see previous weeks' freebie roundups by clicking here but be warned, many of the offers are only valid for a short time. Let me know if any have expired and I'll remove them from the roundup.

You may also like to enter my current giveaways :

coming soon !

Book review : She's Having Her Baby - Lauren Sams

If there's one thing that 30-something magazine editor Georgie Henderson knows, it's that she doesn't want kids. Ever. Her best friend Nina, on the other hand, has been trying in vain for a baby for as long as she can remember. On a boozy night out, she asks Georgie for the ultimate favour : will she carry a baby for her? Despite her reservations, Georgie agrees and embarks on the rollercoaster ride of pregnancy hormones.

There is a twist in the tale however. Undergoing a battery of tests to check that she is a suitable candidate, Georgie is totally floored to discover that she is actually already pregnant with her own totally unplanned baby. The book follows the emotional fall-out : Georgie's own constant existential questioning on whether she wants to and is capable of being a mum, as well as the wreckage of her friendship with Nina.

It's an enjoyable and often utterly hilarious read - there are some great one-liners and the humour really reminded me of another great Aussie writer, Kathy Lette. All women-of-a-certain-age will be able to relate to and recognise themselves at least in part in one of the characters : Nina, going through the heartbreak of infertility, Georgie, convinced she doesn't want kids, or Ellie, the completely over-the-top Earth mother whose son is her entire world. I did think it was a shame that the surrogacy angle got sidelined though, as I think that had great potential to make the book completely original and really stand out from other similar chicklit that I've read in the past.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £8.99

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Legend Press (12 July 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1787198774
• ISBN-13: 978-1787198777
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

Release the beast with Screechers Wild ! (review)

Screechers Wild! is a fun range of toy cars that remind me of a cross between Scalextric and Transformers. The collection includes a variety of vehicles, such as street cars, rescue trucks and military vehicles, which all morph into predators, insects, beasts and birds of prey when they come into contact with flying discs.

Have a quick look at the trailer to get a better idea of the concept.

We received a Screecher Speed Launcher (RRP £15), which comes with an exclusive car and a launcher that allows you to zoom it into battle at the push of a button.

We also got a Rapid Fire Disc Blaster (RRP £15), which is a great way of shooting the discs out for the Screechers vehicles to capture so that they can flip and morph.

Finally, we received V-Bone (RRP £11), which comes with three exclusive discs in the pack and is one of the level two vehicles. There are three different levels of vehicles to collect - the simplest are level one which cost £7.99, slightly more complex are level two with an RRP of £11 and the ultimate morphing machines are level three, that cost £15.

Here's the V-Bone in car form when it comes out of the pack.

And here it is when it's flipped and morphed into ... well, I thought it looked like a dinosaur, maybe a stegosaurus, but apparently it's a raging longhorn bull. Whatever it is, it's an impressive transformation and I wouldn't want to mess with him !

Catching the discs when they shoot out of the launcher takes a little bit of practice (you can see how hard he's concentrating in the picture !) but Pierre was delighted with the whole selection and we were very impressed at how simple it is to "release the beast" and transform them, even with your hands, unlike some of the other similar ranges. 

The fact-action gameplay can be enjoyed alone or with several children together, one launching the discs and the others trying to catch them.

We'd never heard of Screechers Wild! before we received the toys, but it's also a cartoon, which you can watch on the Screechers Wild! youtube channel. There are loads of episodes, which give greater insight into the different characters and the world of Screechers Wild! : "SCREECHERS WILD is a world where walking, talking beasts get behind the wheel of Screechers – a race car/machine hybrid that harnesses the mysterious molecular energy Animatter and transforms their sleek rides into awesome beast-powered juggernauts! A Screecher is the alchemic melding between driver and machine into one massive mecha-kick-butt-creature! Taking driving to the next evolutionary level, Screechers are— true to their namesake— part hot rods, part animal spirit avatars. Imbued with both advanced racing mechanisms and state-of-the-art beast weaponry, a Screecher is a vehicle with a hidden second self. Set in a genre-mashing world of talking humanoid animals and near-future sci-fi, SCREECHERS WILD follows the story of The Savage Mutts, a crew of animals who love one thing - cars! Whether racing the mean Streets of Pen City or battling a rival Screecher crew deep in the jungles of Boscage Cungle there is always adventure around every corner." It definitely sounds like something Pierre would like to watch, and then he could recreate the stories with the Screechers Wild! toys.

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.