Photo diary: Project 365, week 13

 Happy Easter! I'm feeling quite stuffed after a big meal, and a good chunk of a chocolate egg. Hope you're having a relaxed day.

I mentioned in the last week's post about venturing into the craft fair in town and buying a vintage Scottish brooch/pin shaped like a hunting horn, with a little thistle on it. I put it on my coat the next day.

And by now quite a few people commented on it.

A bit of an upheaval during the start of the Easter holidays week. Sasha's PAs arrived on Monday to take him out, one was a totally new guy who has never worked with Sasha before, the other also only accompanied him once before. They were clueless about what they were supposed to do. So I had to give a quick update before they all left. I was anxious that Sasha might get upset. Thankfully, it went OK. 

We have such a fluctuation of PAs, and are never informed in advance who is coming, which is not helpful. I mean, the new person didn't even know that Sasha is non verbal. Not his fault, as he should have been informed earlier what kind of patient he is working with.

From the original team of PAs who started with us two years ago, there is only one left, and even he is not a regular any longer. It would have been better for our boy to have a continuity of care, so that he gets familiar with his team. They are nice guys, very polite and friendly. Not much older that Sasha. 

One of them keeps calling me Mma, which makes me smile. I feel like my favourite character, Mma Ramotswe from the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. 

In fact, right now I am reading In the Time of Five Pumpkins - book no.26 - and enjoying it. By book 26, you know all the characters like your own family. 

Dyed my hair. It had to be done. I'm too lazy to do it more often than once a month. Talked to my Mum, and the first thing she said was, Did you wash your hair? Thanks, Mum, does my hair usually look so bad? 

Ran into town to buy more Easter eggs for Sasha's PAs. I have the chocolate eggs squirreled for my guys, and we've already polished off two boxes of Divine mini eggs (soooo good). 

Treated myself to a Co-Op Neapolitan egg for £3 (it's £7 for non-members, £4.50 for members, plus I had a £1.50 off).

An "exciting" day, as our new recycling wheelie bin was delivered finally on Wednesday. I'm clearly turning into a certain age demographic if the arrival of a wheelie bin makes my day. :)

The previous one was broken by the rubbish collection team four weeks earlier. There must have been something wrong with their equipment, as I noticed a few bins in the neighbourhood with the lids torn off. 

I applied for a replacement, and was told to keep the broken bin outside the front door. Of course, then all the neighbourhood jerks were throing their rubbish in while passing by, including the dog poo bags. How do these people justify putting their dog's mess into someone's recycling bin?! Just want to add, that I love dogs, it's the entitled dog owners that get my goat.

Yesterday I bought a bag of Forest Feast pistachio milk chocolate dates. My darling Sash found it, nibbled all the chocolate and put the dates back in the bag, which made me laugh. I would so love to know what he thinks, "I'll just eat the chocolate, put the dates back, and nobody would notice the difference".

My husband was travelling back from France and asked what to bring for our guys. I told him, anything sweet. And that's the pack of madeleines and macaroons that he brought with him.

When Sasha was out on Thursday with his PAs, we had a quick visit to Huffkins cafe. Eddie's been doing quite a bit of revision during holidays, and we thought he needed a break. 

Our kitchen is built as an extension, and there is a glass dome over the ceiling. I've been looking at the roof and the dome from the bathroom window, thinking it really needs cleaning. One third of the roof was covered with the clematis growing from the neighbour's side, and there was moss too.

I climbed out and did a good clearing, cutting down the branches and sweeping the surface. Good timing, as there was rain in the night. I wouldn't want to walk over the wet roof.

At the moment we have lots and lots of muscari in the garden, as well as some tulips.

Taking Sasha out on Friday. His hair is so long now, but he hates having it cut. I need to find courage and do it. It's going to be stressful for both of us. It's a total sensory overload for him, and quite distressing. He just about allows me to trim his facial hair, so at the moment my big boy looks like Jesus.

What else did I do?

I finished listening to Hart's Ridge by Kay Bratt (free on Audible), which I enjoyed more than I thought I would, and even got the second book in the series, currently on offer.

It's a small town mystery series, with a likable main character, Taylor Gray, who happens to work as a deputy in the local police department. Growing up in poverty, with an alcoholic father, she and her sisters were in and out of foster care. Taylor reaches her dream of working in law enforcement. An only female in the male environment, she is overlooked and jeered at. 

As an older sister, she's been looking after her sisters, and even now feels responsible to care for her dysfunctional family, especially Dad and junkie sister Lucy.

Aside from her personal life story, there is a mystery around a little girl Molly who's been found wandering on her own, and her mother is missing. Taylor is called to investigate where she could come from and how she happened to be left alone.

The narrator Mare Trewathen is pretty good overall, except when she tries to speak for men's characters. I rolled my eyes every time she tried to make her voice sound gruff.

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March Box Degustabox: Hello, Spring and Easter

 Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in March Box: Hello, Spring and Easter Degustabox?

Bisto Signature Chicken Ready to Use Gravy (£3.50) is Product of the Month. Made with natural ingredients, it's slowly simmered with succulent meat juices for maximum flavour.

Heat up on the hob, or in the microwave, and serve with the roast chicken.

If you have any leftover gravy, add it to your homemade pies or casseroles.

Nutritional values: 32kcal and 0.73g of salt per 83ml portion (one package = six servings).

Available in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

Urban Noodle Soba Noodle/or Ramen Noodle/ or Udon Noodle (£1.50) are designed for rich broths and hearty bowls.

These Japanese style noodles offer an authentic taste and texture. Ready in just 3-5 minutes.

Crafted with quality ingerdients and free from artificiail flavours, these noodles will make a quick and easy meal.

You will receive 1 item out of three. We got Soba Noodle, made from a mix of wheat and buckwheat flour, perfect for any stir fry meal, with chicken and vegetables, tuna or tofu.

Typical values: 346kcal and 1g of sugat per 100g.

Paxo Quick Cook Sage & Red Onion stuffing mix (£2.65) will come handy for our Easter meal.

One pack makes 12 stuffing balls, crispy outside and fluffy inside. Thanks to a blend of tasty herbs and rich flavours, the stuffing will enhance any roast meal.

Nutritional values: 45kcal and 0.26g of salt per 22g portion (stuffing ball); vegan; no artificial colours or preservatives.

Available in Sainsbury's, Morrisons and ASDA.

Kanzen Meal Japanese Curry (£3.50) is a quick and easy meal, which provides optimal nutritional balance at any time.

Each meal contains more than 20g of protein, 26 types of vitamins and minerals, and controls the amount of fat, sugar, saturated fatty acids and salt that are of concern. Kanzen means complete or perfect in Japanese.

Nutritional information: 129kcal and 0.57g of salt per 100g as prepared.

Available online.

I used this pot of rice as an ingredient for stuffed sweet peppers, as I have been trying to use odds and ends in the pantry before grocery shopping. I'm not quite sure what the meat-like pieces are supposed to be. I added less than a half of the curry seasoning.

It was tasty enough (but I do prefer meals with a simpler ingredients' list).

Sweet Freedom Fizz Pineapple & Coconut/ Lime & Mint/ Raspberry & Cranberry/ Mango & Mandarin sparkling water (£1.50) is a range of low calorie drinks.

There are four light flavours available, and you should receive one of four. We got Pineapple & Coconut. It was light and refreshing.

Nutritional values: 14kcal per can and 2.4g of sugar, no artificial sweeteners; made of all natural ingredients (pineapple and cocount, and also surprisingly, dandelion leaf and baobab, naturally sweetened with upcycled cocoa juice).

Available on www.sweetfreedom.co.uk and Amazon.

And finally, Nescafe Iced Classic Unsweetened Espresso Concentrated (£4.99) is the ultimate coffee hack.

If you enjoy iced coffee on hot days, this is a cost-effective concentrated coffee. 

A big bonus is that it is unsweetened. As much as I love iced coffee, most of the bottles/tins made by the major coffee brands are way too sweet, you can barely taste anything for the amount of sugar, so thumbs up for the unsweetened variety. 

To make a glass, just add milk of your choice and ice. One bottle makes 16 servings.

Nutritional values: 43kcal and 4.1g of sugar per 100ml prepared.

We had the same Espresso bottle last summer, which had the right weather for iced drinks. So far spring has been quite blustery and still chilly. If not iced drinks, what would you make with this coffee concentrate? Have you tried making a tiramisu with it? Please let me know.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

What's your favourite product from the latest box?

Photo diary: Project 365, weeks 11 and 12

 I keep telling myself, that I should do a short daily write up of what we've done, as then I forget, but it just never happens. Then when it's time to write the post, I stare at the photos, and try to remember, what was special about that day. The thing is every day is pretty much the same, apart from a few occasions.

And most days I am on an auto-pilot, looking after the family, cooking, doing the chores, reading, painting, chatting to my Mum online.

It's very pretty in town, with all the spring blossom.

Our darling Sasha turned 24, and I was very emotional, remembering the day he was born. It was such a tough day, and when I held him in my arms, I naively believed that the worst, most difficult, part was over, and everything would be fine from then all. In a way, it's a blessing, that most of us don't have a gift of seeing into one's future.

Sasha fancied a chocolate cake, as he kept showing me the picture of one in the Ocado food magazine. I bought a chocolate cake for him in M&S. Alas, it wasn't a big success. I think we'd go back to the Neapolitan three-layer cake I usually buy for my guys' birthdays.

I ordered a gift for Sasha's birthday at Next, which didn't arrive in time for his birthday (he had other presents too). When I went to collect it, I snapped a photo of a Hokusai hoodie, in case Eddie might fancy it, since he has a big poster of Hokusai's wave in his room. He wasn't interested.

I started reading Citizens by Simon Schama in early January, it was my big non-fiction project of the year. I read about 10-12 pages per day, and then escaped down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia, looking for more information and visuals. It took me over two and a half months to finish the book (there are about 800 pages). It's a great sense of achievement, I tell you that.

The book is a fountain of data. To start with, I wasn't overly keen on the style of writing, as Schama loves using obscure words, like picayune (he really likes this word, as he used it at least three times).

If you're not familiar with the topic, perhaps don't start with this book. It expects you to know about the main protagonists and events already. Saying that, the book gives a sense of drama and makes you think.

I was often left fuming over the unnecessary cruelty and pure savagery of the events. And it also shows that we really don't learn from the past.

Inspired by the book, I painted Marie Antoinette looking in the mirror, to see a vision of horror, her older self just before she is taken to the guillotine.

More of bloom in town. I love this magnolia hanging over the river.

Needed to go to the bank, when Sasha was out with his PAs, and my husband has enticed me into Huffkins cafe for a quick treat. He had a milkshake, and I had a cup of chai. We also shared a chocolate eclair.

Thankfully, the bank business didn't take long.

Looking at the bunches of spring flowers and pussy willow stems in Waitrose. Didn't buy any, but might treat myself for Easter. 

My older niece sent me a photo of my old Mama, reading to her great grandson. If only I could reach out and hug them both, my darlings.

Another non-fiction book I've been reading is Chronicles, volume one, by Bob Dylan. It truly is one of the best books I have been reading recently, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

It's not an auto-biography in a chronological sense. It is more of a story of who and what influenced his way of thinking and creating.

As a book lover myself, I enjoyed all the literature references and observations. Dylan's strength is his poetic descriptions of people and places. A couple of lines, and a person comes to life.

The book was published in 2004, and so far there is no volume two. I wonder if it's ever going to be written.

While reading, I dipped in and out of YouTube, listening to the songs he mentions. I enjoyed the back story fo the song Man in the long black coat, and wanted to paint young Bob.

I found it very tricky to capture his likeness.

Our local yarn bombing group keep changing their colourful displays to go with the seasons and occasions. For the coming Easter they knitted a vibrant scene, based on Beatrix Potter's tales.

We had a crafts fair in town on Saturday. I forgot all about it, until I accompanied Sasha and my husband to the cafe, left them there to enjoy their drinks and pastries and had a good rummage through the stalls.

I bought three jars of The Cherry Tree jam, a lovely homemade candle, and a vintage Scottish brooch/pin for my coat.

The Marriott's Walk, where the fair took place, is decorated with the colourful umbrellas.

What else did we do? We watched Dead Poets' Society with Robin Williams and very young Ethan Hawke, and The Martian with Matt Damon. Different genres and pace, and both brilliant.

Eddie went to see Project Hail Mary with his mates, and said it was even better than The Martian. I'll have to wait until it comes to one of the streaming channels, now that he has seen it, and I certainly don't fancy going on my own. 

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Secrets Taken to the Grave by Isobel Blackthorn

"I brace myself. Memories bombard me, an army assaulting my mind with the horros that occurred here".

"I suppose that's the nature of haunting. It's between the one doing the haunting and the haunted. And even though none of it is real to anyone else, it most certainly is real to me. Real, and dangerous".

Secrets Taken to the Grave by Isobel Blackthorn is a Gothic mystery set in Scotland in 1893.

Blurb:

Secrets Taken to the Grave (Strathbairn Trilogy Book 2)

The Scottish Highlands, 1893. Ingrid Barker arrives back at Strathbairn to attend the funeral of her old employer, Charles McCleod. 

Every bone in Ingrid's body screams for her to leave, and as she walks from the graveside, she can't shake the suspicion that Charles was murdered. As she hurries to uncover the truth and get away from Strathbairn, another murder takes place - one that traps her in the very place she is desperate to escape from.

Running out of time and clues, can Ingrid evade the truth of that terrible night up at the abbey the last timeshe was here, and can she solve the mystery of Charles' death before his ghost does away with her?

Ingrid Barker returns to the remote estate of Strathbairn for the funeral of her former employer, Charles McCleod. She had hoped never to set foot there again.

From the moment she arrives, she feels uneasy, as if every instinct impels her to leave. Yet as she stands at the graveside, holding her daughter Susan's hand and shivering with cold and apprehension, a chilling certainty takes hold of her mind. 

"I really shouldn't be here. Now that I'm inside the house, every part of my being is screaming for me to leave, leave immediately..."

She strongly suspects that Charles McCleod didn't die a natural death. His ghost manifests itself in angry outbursts. 

A terrible person while still alive, McCleod is a violent vicious ghost, who is intent on having it his way. Ingrid's peace of mind is disturbed, she feels pushed to find out what's really happened. Otherwise her life is under threat.

"I begin to fill with uncertainty... whether I should pursue any sort of probe into what happened to Charles, as he himself seems to want me to do, or if I should simply leave at the very earliest opportunity. Would his ghost follow me and haunt me in Winchester? Do ghosts do that? Can they?"

Ingrid is determined to uncover the truth before fleeing the place that haunts her memories. Asking questions will only rouse suspicions and alert attention to her own deeply-buried secrets. Before she can escape the cold house (cold both literally and methaporically), another body is discovered in the ruins nearby, and all of a sudden Ingrid is no longer free to leave.

As suspicions close in and time is running out, Ingrid must untangle the gruesome secrets buried within the estate. Is there anyone she can trust? The whole dysfunctional family acts suspiciously. They are all unpleasant and pretty horrible, from the McCleods to the serving staff. To add insult to the injury, Susan seems to be switching allegiance, becoming a pet of the cook, who enjoys manipulating a child to upset her mother. It is a battle of wits.

Even the house itself appears manevolent and hostile. "It is a house that oozes its own dark history from every pore of its stonework".

Snowed down, the estate is cut off from any possible help or means of escape. Chilling isolation reigns supreme both outside and inside the house.

Ingrid is alone in her quest. Apart from appeasing the angry ghost and solving the mystery, she must face the truth of the terrible night at the abbey when she was last visiting the ruins.

If she cannot solve the mystery of Charles McCleod's death in time, his restless ghost may claim her next.

Secrets Taken to the Grave is book 2 in the Strathbairn trilogy. You can read it as a standalone, but I strongly suggest reading the first book to understand the dynamics between the characters, as well as Ingrid's story before she arrived to Strathbairn.

The setting of misty Highlands, ruins of an old abbey, secrets that don't stay buried forever, hidden letters and manuscripts with creepy drawings, a vengeful ghost - all these Gothic elements are wonderfully atmospheric.

It's an intriguing, chilling story, with a bleak setting and a terrific atmosphere, the kind of story which pulls you straight in and doesn't want to leave you until the last page.

This post is part of the blog tour for Secrets Taken to the Grave. Many thanks to Isobel Blackthorn and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book.

Purchase Links

Universal book link: https://books2read.com/u/mexV8E

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5BMZCVQ

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/secrets-taken-to-the-grave/id6744722804

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-taken-to-the-grave-isobel-blackthorn/1147305411?ean=2940181569010

Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=SLZWEQAAQBAJ

Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/secrets-taken-to-the-grave

Author Bio

 Isobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of immersive and inspiring fiction. She has penned over twenty-five books including a number of bestsellers.

Among her credits, Isobel’s biographical short story ‘Nothing to Declare’, which forms the first chapter of her biographical novel Emma’s Tapestry, was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019. One of her Canary Islands novels, A Prison in the Sun, was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2020 and the International Book Awards 2021. The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018. And The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.

Blackthorn is the author of the world’s only biography of Theosophist and mother of the New Age movement Alice Bailey – Alice A. Bailey: Life & Legacy. Isobel’s writing has appeared in journals and websites around the world, including Esoteric Quarterly, New Dawn Magazine, Paranoia, Mused Literary Review, Trip Fiction, Backhand Stories, Fictive Dream and On Line Opinion. Isobel was a judge for the Australasian Shadow Awards 2020 long fiction category. Her book reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books.

Isobel’s interests are many and varied. She has a long-standing association with the Canary Islands, having lived in Lanzarote in the late 1980s. A humanitarian and campaigner for social justice, in 1999 Isobel founded the internationally acclaimed Ghana Link, uniting two high schools, one a relatively privileged state school located in the heart of England, the other a materially impoverished school in a remote part of the Upper Volta region of Ghana, West Africa. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel has performed her literary works at events in a range of settings and given workshops in creative writing.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, UK. She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands. She now lives and writes in Spain. She is currently at work on two novels composed in Spanish.

 

Social Media Links –

 

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Isobel.Blackthorn/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768657.Isobel_Blackthorn

https://www.instagram.com/isobelbwrites/

@isobelb-author.bsky.social

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/isobel-blackthorn

Photo diary: Project 365, week 10 2026

A bit of sunshine, but still wet wet wet... I managed to find a couple of rain-free slots to work in the garden, and filled in the green recycling bin. My hyacinths are not exactly a winning variety, quite straggly, with pieces chomped off by some mini bastards pests. Mum showed me the hyacinths she grows in pots at home, and hers look so much prettier.

On Monday morning, when Eddie left for school, and Sash was still asleep, I watched the finale episode of Call the Midwife. It was quite an emotional ending (won't be giving spoilers, in case you haven't watched it yet). 

It feels strange that there won't be new seasons with the same cast (I know that there is a prequel coming, which could be potentially interesting). I have watched this series for years. The first few seasons, based on the actual books, are better than the later ones. I guess Dr Turner is like a Marmite (not a fan myself), and I prefer episodes where he doesn't feature as heavily. 

Love this magnolia over the Windrush, it is so beautiful. The water has gone down, and hopefully soon it will be dry enough to walk through the fields.

After finishing the Japanese horror stories, I went back to Dick Francis. Reflex, as all books by the author, is pretty much horse world-related. The main protagonist, Philip Nore, is a jockey, with a career coming to the natural end on the horizon. He also enjoys photography, and is pretty good at it.

When a famous racing photograher dies, Philip discovers a set of files that has a dynamite potential for the racing world. He starts to deciper the photo puzzles and uncovers corruption on a grand scale.

Surely, this is not great literature, yet very readable and entertaining. I'm enjoying my Dick Francis' streak (fourth so far, and I have a couple more of his books to read).

I wanted to find an old blog post on my phone, and did a quick search for Chez Maximka, then saw what an AI wrote about my blog and laughed.

A small dog called Otis? Honestly?! We've never had a dog. Now I wonder whether we should get a dog and call him Otis so as not contradict the AI.

Inspired by the Japanese folk legends, I painted an illustration of a lady ghost floating among the falling snow. Mixed media: ink and watercolour on Moleskine paper.

It was a stormy night, and on Friday, while waving Eddie good bye, I realised the Virginia creeper on the front wall of the house, has fallen down. It was time to clear the debris anyway, so I worked for an hour outside, cutting away the old branches and sweeping the ground. Now it looks tidy. I did it just in time, as later it started raining quite heavily.

At some point, hanging the washing on the drying rack in the attic, I saw the rainbow. By the time I ran down and grabbed my phone, it has paled. 

More work in the garden. Saw these three ladybirds cuddled up together for warmth, or perhaps companionship.

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Photo diary: Project 365, week 9, 2026

 Oof and oof, what a stressful week it was...

It was my birthday on the last day of February, and we still had my birthday cake to polish off on Sunday the 1st. Only beautiful memories are left of the delicious red velvet sponge with chocolate cream.

For a whole week I was collaborating with Penandinkchallenge on Insta, with a list of prompts on the theme of Art Journal. I did my own seven drawings, commented on each post done by the inky community and also shared their artwork on stories. That was a full-time job (unpaid, I hasten to add).

My first prompt was Cherished Memory, and I did a sketch of little Eddie and my Mum playing football on the beach in Perranuthnoe all those years ago.

On Tuesday we had to travel to Banbury to see the anesthesist. It was rather a waste of time, as everything could have been perfectly discussed on the phone or online. It's not like Sasha was participating in the conversation. He was anxious and impatient to leave the doctor's office, my husband had to take him out for a walk around the hospital, and I stayed behind to talk it through. As predicted. I did ask them in advance if we could perhaps discuss it over the Zoom, but they insisted to see us in person. Sasha's presence there was purely nominal. They didn't check his weight or anything, and talked to us rather than to him for obvious reasons.

After the hospital visit, we popped into Coffee #1 for a quick drink.

Wednesday was the day I'd rather forget, it was so riddled with anxiety. Sasha was frustrated to travel to the hospital for the second day in a row. He was hungry as he wasn't allowed any food before the operation. He needed a dental procedure under general anesthetics. We waited for over an hour before anyone has seen us, by which time my boy was ready to climb the walls.

Once they started though, I couldn't fault them. The meds worked pretty fast, and soon he was taken away to an operating room for his procedure to be done. My husband and I waited in the separate room, went to have lunch in the hospital canteen. It was clean and had a good choice of hot and cold food. We had an omelette each, and it was delicious. I even went back to the chef to say how tasty it was, in fact better than we had in Paris. 

It took about two hours for everything to be done, and then we had to wait for Sasha to wake up. They let one of us stay with him, when it was clear he might be awake soon. It was quite scary to see my boy, who is always on the move, to be lying so still, with the oxygen mask on. 

We stayed for another couple of hours for him to get a bit more active, and got an Uber to travel back home. I was grateful that the operation went well, and that we had the option of staying in a separate room, without being bothered.

And then it was all about managing the pain relief medication for the next few days.

I took this photo on the way to Banbury, through the windows of the taxi. It was a misty morning. We went through some very pretty villages, though my mind was on the upcoming operation.

As one of Christmas gifts, I have subscribed to SnackVerse box for Eddie. It is supposed to be a selection of snacks from a different country each month. 

I subbed when they advertised the next box to be Japan (before Christmas). What we got though was Czech Republic, and they said Japan box was only for ad purposes. Very sneaky.

January box went awol. Evri claimed they delivered it, but they didn't have any proof photo, and at the time they said they did bring it in, we were all at home. I got a refund.

Then a few days ago I got a notification that February box was arriving, again with Evri. I knew we would be away in the hospital but there was no way to divert it or stop on the app. The box was left with the neighbours. When I picked it up, I realised it was already open, and most of the items except these three snacks were missing. Also the date on the box showed January. 

Where the heck has this box been hidden all this time, and who opened it? I contacted SnackVerse, they were not bothered, saying I got my refund anyway. 

I have cancelled my subscription. So, if you decide to subscribe to SnackVerse, do it at your own peril.

I understand that this is the first world problem, and ultimately totally insignificant. With all the worries we had in the last week, this hardly matters.

To coincide with my week of collaboration on Insta, and to cheer myself up after the hospital, I am running a stationery giveaway, including a set of Stranger Things stamps. There will also be a chocolate bar of the winner's choice.

Rather than post yet another drawing from my art week, here is a photo of the menu which my husband took on my request at the Founders' Feast in his college. I'm always fascinated by menus, and this one looked fabulous. He had a vegetarian meal.

After three Dick Francis' thrillers, I wanted to change to something different. Last week I went to the local library, and took out The Snow Ghost and Other Tales (Classic Japanese Ghost Stories). Supposedly these are the best and the scariest tales, though so far they read more like folk tales and legends, quite old-fashioned and hardly scary. Japanese horror could be quite creepy. This selection is a glimpse in the fascinating world of beliefs.

I was mostly influenced by the book cover design.

I have also finished listening to The Twisted Women's Book Club on Audible. Overall, it was entertaining (and just right for the ironing times), however, all the characters are so unpleasant and unrelatable. My new Audible book is Hart's Ridge by Kay Bratt (it was a free book). I'm only on chapter 3 and enjoying it.

As I usually have several books on the go, I'm still reading Citizens (about the French Revolution), tackling about a dozen pages per day. Hope to finish this educational project by the end of  this month.

How was your week?

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Degustabox February Box

 February is full of promise. The spring flowers are already out, our garden looks pretty with snowdrops and crocuses bringing a new hope of warmer days to come.

Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in February Box Degustabox?

We start with Bisto Smooth Peppercorn Sauce (£2.95) a new product from the well-known and much loved range. 

Like many British families, we buy Bisto gravy granules for a quick and easy gravy. Last month we tried Bisto cheese sauce, and enjoyed it, so we were quite curious to try the new product.

Simply add 4 level tbsp of Bisto instant pepper sauce to 250ml boiling water and give it a quick stir until the sauce thickens.

It's perfect for lamb chops or poured over steak. For a vegetarian dish, use the granules to cook a veggie Bolognese.

Each tub contains 19 individual servings. 

Typical values: 42kcal and 0.41g of salt per 50ml portion as prepared; no artificial colours or preservatives.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Wagamama Firecracker/ or Coconut +Lemongrass Curry sauce (£2.75)

You will receive one variety in the box. We got Firecracker curry sauce, which is a sweet and spicy sauce with sriracha and chilli. The label promises a bang to every bowl (and I'm taking their word for it. I haven't used this sauce, and will most likely pass it on a friend who enjoys extra spicy food).

The image of three peppers indicates a high level of spiciness. Recreate restaurant dishes at home, like prawn, chicken and tofu firecracker curry.

Nutritional values: 82kcal and 14g of sugar per 100g.

Available in Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Ocado.

Truly Nuts! Brazil Nuts (£3.99) are sustainably-sourced Amazon-harvested nuts, available plain or coated in rich Belgian chocolate, combining high selenium and healthy fats.

You will receive one variety of three. We got Buck Naked Whole & Raw Brazil nuts, unflavoured, unroasted and unsalted.

I have chuckled on seeing a pack of brazil nuts in the box, as I was talking to my Mum just the other day, and she said they were her favourites. I told her I wish I could give her the pack. Most likely, I will chop the brazils and use as an ingredient in baking cookies or muffins.

Nutritional values: 690kcal and 14g or protein per 100g.; high fibre, source of selenium, vegan friendly, gluten free and non-GMO. Packed in the UK with brazil nuts from Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.

Available in TG Jones (former WHSmith).

Snyder's of Havover Pretzel Pieces - Honey, Mustard & Onion (£2) are American-style snacks.

These pretzel pieces come in big crunchy chunks. The flavour is bold, very mustardy. Other varieties come in such flavours as Hot Buffalo Wings, Cheddar Cheese and Jalapeño.

I'm not sure what the final verdict is. they are not bad, but I do prefer small thin pretzels. Perhaps we need to try different favours to find out our favourite. I imagine this snack would be great with a glass of cold beer.

Nutritional values; 532kcal and 7.4g of sugar per 100g.

Available in Amazon, Ocado and quality convenience stores.

Tuk in Foods Lime Pickle Bombay Trail Mix (£1.50 for 40g) is a flavourful snack, which offers a combination of cashew nuts, roasted corn, Bombay mix, almonds, mustard seeds and plenty of spice.

The resulting mix promises to boost your energy levels, and is packed with nutrients.

Nutritional values: 222kcal and 0.26g of salt per 40g pouch; 7g protein, high in fibre, source of magnesium and vitamin E.

Available in independent retailers.

I was super excited to see three bottles of Filippo Berio squeezable olive oil (£7.99) in the box. I have seen the new products on Insta and did think they looked fab.

You would only receive one variety in the box (as a regular blogger I got all three flavours to try).

This is the same quality olive oil you expect from Filippo Berio, only coming in a squeezable bottle format for easier drizzling and finishing touches.With an easy-pour cap you can dispense oil without a mess. Great for so many dishes.

There is a Classico olive oil, composed of refined olive oils and virgin olive oils, great for cooking meat or vegetables.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced from extra virgin olive oils from Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Excellent for finishing and dressing salads or pasta.

And Chilli flavoured olive oil, hot and fiery, will enhance any pizza or add a dash of heat to a pasta sauce.

Available at www.filippoberio.co.uk or on Amazon.

As a subscriber, you will receive extra goodies to those shown above.

What product did you find the most delicious?