Degustabox October Box: Movie Nights and Sweet Treats

  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 the October: Movie Nights and Sweet Treats Box?

Tilda Tomato & Red Pepper Lentils and Mixed Lentils (£2 each) are chosen Product of the Month.

Mixed Lentils are a combination of green and beluga lentils. This mix delivers a subtle nutty taste and offers and easy, nutritious addition to a vegetarian lasagne or Bolognese, as well as a coconut-based curry.

Nutritional information: 205kcal, 14g of protein and 0.73g of salt per 125g serving (2 servings per pack).

Tomato & Red Pepper Lentils is a combination of green lentils with tomato and red pepper. It's an easy addition to a jacket potato or cottage pie, and stuffed peppers.

Nutrition information: 141kcal, 8.6g of protein and 0.94g of salt per 125g sering.

Both products are a source of fibre and protein, contain no artificial ingredients or flavours.

Available in Sainsbury's, Ocado and Tilda.com.

You should receive 1 item in your box.

I did indeed use tomato & red pepper lentils with jacket potatoes, as suggested on the pack, with guacamole, salsa, soured cream and lots of grated cheese. It was an easy dinner (I used pre-cooked frozen potatoes).

Jacob's Crinklys Big Cheese & Onion (£2) are oven baked (not fried) savoury snacks. With a crunchy crispy texture and pronounced flavours, Crinklys come in a sharing bag to enjoy with family or friends.

Delicious on their own, Crinklys could be served with dips like Sour Cream & chives or Guacamole.

Each serving (25g) contains 116kcal and 0.19g of salt; suitable for vegetarians.

Available in Ocado, Co-Op and Impulse.

Soreen Lunchbox Loaves - Malt (£1.80) come in a pack of five mini loaves, very convenient to carry in a lunchbox. It's a perfect size for a treat at elevenses too, whether you like it plain or with a bit of butter.

Each mini loaf is squidgy and made using real fruit. They are a source of iron to help with the focus at school or work.

Also available in Banana, Strawberry, Apple and a bigger family Malt 10 pack.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Inspired by Buxton Peak Recharge blackberry & Acai (£1.75) is a refreshing drink containing vitamin B3, B6, B12, and magnesium to help keep you energised.

Nutritional values: 40kcal and 9.2g of sugar per 400ml bottle; no preservatives, natural flavourings.

Available in Ocado, Amazon, Co-Op, ASDA Express, WHSmith, One Stop & more.

Boost Hydration Electrolytes Powder & Boost Energy and Hydration Powder (£1 each) come in handy mini pouches. Small in size but big on flavour, these powders are a tasty way to up the hydration.

These powders are formulated with key electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to replace what's lost through sweat and help you feel refreshed. Just mix in 500ml of water to have a flavourful refreshing drink.

Available in Amazon.

And if you're wondering where the sweet treats of the title are in my post, let me say that there were plenty of delectable sweet treats in the box (seven altogether), which due to HFSS are not allowed to be shown on social media. They were gratefully gobbled down by my family.

I also wanted to bring your attention to the limited edition Degustabox Advent Calendar at £39.99 (worth £60 of products) and Cook & Bake Advent Calendar at £49.99 (worth £100). As of today, they are still available online, but hurry if you want to secure one for yourself.

I have pre-ordered mine back in August, and the big box arrived last week. I can't wait to start opening all the doors and discovering treats.

Dreadnought by Robin Bennett

 

"Some places' purpose, even their um... essence, changes over time but Dreadnought is a constant... it's a stronghold; it's a vessel for things to be kept at arm's length, in splendid wind-blown isolation..."

"...the house never truly slept, it echoed with things that had gone before and whispered its intentions to anyone keen enough to listen".

Dreadnought by Robin Bennett is an intriguing and imaginative contemporary horror story set in the near future.

Blurb:

Dreadnought

A child sees things she's sure don't exist. The adults call it trauma. They're both wrong.

On a remote Yorkshire headland known as Dreadnought, seven-year-old Cass Delaval begins to glimpse figures and fragments tied to a past that refuses to stay buried.

As the world edges toward conflict, Cass is drawn into a family mystery stretching back to the Second World War: a missing boy, a hidden weapon, and a family secret.

Because whatever has lain dormant on Dreadnought goes deep into our past... and it isn't finished with us yet.

Dreadnought is a story of loyalty and hope, where the courage of one small girl may be our last defence.

Cass Delaval is a seven-year-old child living with her parents, Olivia and Charlie, in London. London is under attack from the Russian drone mobs (of course). Her grandfather James suggests taking them all to a safer place in Yorkshire which belongs to the family.

And so they arrive to Dreadnought, an unwelcoming mansion in the desolate coastline.

Sensitive Cass hears the hum the house makes and sees glimpses of threatening shadows that come with the cheerless place. 

The house is full of memories of the formidable Violet (grandma of James). By all accounts, she was an unpleasant terrifying woman. Her presence is still felt, as if her soul cannot rest.

Cass keeps mentioning a boy named Bertie, she is the only person who can see him. The grown-ups think of him as an imaginary friend many children have, especially those who have had a trauma in their lives. And Cass has had enough trauma in her short life.

It's not just an enigmatic Bertie who frequents the house. There are mysteries hidden in the not so distant past, and buried secrets that come to the surface.

Will little Cass be able to unravel the mysteries and bring hope to the world beyond the confines of Dreadnought?

James is my favourite character in the story. Tactful, kind and compassionate, he walks on the eggshells around his spiky daughter Olivia. He is philosophical about life in general and the current world problems. "James, never the great thinker, was just wise enough to know that cares and concerns never walked out of the door without leaving it open for others to stomp right in".

The author is the master of creating an oppressive atmosphere and the darkening mood, as a heaviness settles over the house and grounds. The descriptions of the place are beautifully written:

"As they came upon it in the darkness, Dreadnought now resembled a much more primitive vessel. Brooding and antediluvian: deep within its ancient bilges it threatened to release the jetsam of its past in unexpected and disturbing ways".

It is an intriguing story, but it also left me confused regarding the age group it is intended for. I know Robin Bennett as an author of children's books (I did review three of his books in the past), and somehow, wrongly, presumed this would be another story for children or YA audience. And it starts suitable enough for the younger audience, with a young protagonist. 

Then pretty soon the narrative goes a full front flip, and we enter the adult territory, with parents having sex. Then there is a rather disturbing story line with the sado-masochism, and a sickening gratuitous scene of violence.

There are also such potential triggers as miscarriages and infertility, death and disfigurement. 

Dreadnought will challenge you and make you think, how easy it is to doubt yourself, when reality shifts and things you cannot explain in scientific terms enter your existence. There is heartache and horror aplenty, both real and supernatural.

Despite all the sadness and monsters real and imagined, it is a life-affirming story of hope and resilience.

This post is part of the blog tour for Dreadnought.

Many thanks to Robin Bennett, Monster Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/0iKBv9i1

Author Bio –

Robin Bennett is an author and entrepreneur who has written over twenty-five books for children. He has also written books on the swashbuckling world of business: How to Make a Good Living Running Your Own Business, Kicking the Property Ladder and Start up Smart, all published by Harriman House.

In 2024 Cracking was shortlisted for a Week Junior Book Award and Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year for Children. His YA novel 'XII' was shortlised for a British Book Award in 2023 and his very popular Monster Max Series is a Book Trust pick and won Coventry Inspiration Book Awards in 2022. Picus the Thief, won the Writer's News Indie Published Book of the Year Award in 2012.

When Robin grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. After that he had a career frantically starting businesses (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)... until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys.

When not writing or starting companies, Robin plays most sports. Poorly.

Social Media Links –

https://www.instagram.com/robinbennettauthor/

https://www.tiktok.com/@robinbennettauthor