Family Sharing Degustabox

 It seems unbelievable that only a couple of weeks ago we walked in town in t-shirts. This week the mornings are so chilly and grey with drizzle, that I want to hide under the duvet for the rest of the day. Hot cups of tea and coffee all around, and proper comfort food for dinner... It's time to take stock of the season and start planning ahead for colder months. 

Family Sharing is the theme of the latest Degustabox.

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.

Let's have a look at what we got in the Family Sharing box.

Eat Real Snacks Hummus Tomato and Basil Chips (£1.80) have been selected as the product of the month. These are gluten free (certified by Coeliac UK), vegan, 40% less fat chips made with chickpea flour, rice, potato starch, rapeseed oil, corn flour, tomato and basil seasoning and more.

Nutritional values: 481kcal, 2.8g of salt and 2.6g of sugar per 100g.

These lovely snacks have a satisfying crunch. They make perfect little boats for dips like hummus or salsa.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Brioche Pasquier Brioche Rolls with Chocolate Chips x 6 (£1.50) are traditional French bakes from a well-known and much loved brand. Gabriel Pasquier first opened his boulangerie in 1936, and since then his products have acquired an iconic status around the world.

Brioche rolls are soft and light. Chocolate chips make them extra indulgent. Brioche Pasquier rolls are a wonderful ingredient for a bread and butter pudding. These tasty rolls are free from preservatives. Nutritional values: 119kcal and 6.1g of sugar per brioche roll.

Available in all major retailers including Tecso, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Co-Op and Budgens.

Prince Chocolate and White Chocolate (£1) are lovely sandwich biscuits filled with chocolate/white chocolate flavour filling. They are suitable for vegetarians.

Prince proudly partner with farmers who grow wheat in a sustainable way that helps conserve water, cares for the soil, protects biodiversity and reduces carbon emissions. Learn about the programme on www.harmony.info

The biscuits in the packs have different patterns, which remind me of the biscuits I enjoyed eating as a child. 

Nutriitonal information: 93kcal and 6.3g os sugar per biscuit.

You will receive two items in your box. Available at ASDA.

Toffifee (£1.43 for 100g) always make me smile. I have lovely memories of my student days in Canterbury, and the German boy who first introduced me to Toffifee. As this was a long time ago, and Toffifee wasn't widely available here, he used to send me the boxes all the way from Germany. Ever since then I have a special place in my heart for the tasty hazelnuts in caramel with creamy nougat and chocolate. I love hazelnuts and chocolate, it's a delightful combination of flavours and textures.

Nutritional information: 522kcal and 48.9g of sugar per 100g (12 pieces).

Available in all major supermarkets.

Jaffa Cakes Jonut (£0.50) are a fun twist on the iconic Jaffa Cakes.

Launched back in May, Jonuts have all your favourite ingredients from the classic Jaffa Cakes - dark crackly chocolate, light sponge and tangy orange filling.

Nutritional information: 167kcal and 14.8g of sugar per donut.

Available in all major supermarkets chains (in multi-packs).

Nature's Heart Almond, Peanut & Double Choc Protein Bar (£1.59) is a tasty snack. If you love assorted nuts, you will enjoy the combination of crunchy creamy almonds and peanuts, smothered in dark chocolate from certified sustainable cocoa. 

Each bar contains 10g of plant protein, powered by pea and nuts. They are gluten free, suitable for vegetarians and high in fibre.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Carr's Ciabatta Original (£1.59) - for an Italian-inspired meal, use ciabatta crackers as a perfect base for a plethora of tasty toppings. Experiment with flavours and textures, the possibilities are endless. I love eating them with Paysan Breton cream cheese topped with olives and Santa Maria jalapenos.

Check out Carrs_Uk Instagram for a snacking, lip-smacking inspiration.

Available in most major supermarkets.

Santa Maria Medium Fajita Seasoning Mix (£1.05) is equally great for chicken dishes or plant-based protein. It's a tasty seasoning made with chilli pepper, spices and herbs (cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander leaf, cinnamon), salt, onion, garlic, sugar, lime juice powder, lemon juice powder etc. 

This fajita recipe is a classic from the Northern Mexican border.

Mix & match with Santa Maria tortillas, toppings and accompaniments (I've already mentioned Santa Maria jalapenos - look for the jars of jalapenos and pineapple pieces, utterly delicious!).

Available at Morrisons, Home Bargains, B&M, Budgens, Londis, on Ocado and Amazon.

Santa Maria Chicken Taco seasoning (£1.05) is a seasoning mix speficically developed for chicken with flavours of oregano, mild chilli garlic and cumin. It doesn't contain any added sugar. 

Perfect for Taco Tuesdays. Mix and match with Santa Maria range of tortillas, toppings and accompaniments. I know it's created for chicken tacos, but has anyone tried it with tofu?

Available at Ocado and Amazon.

Kelly Loves Katsuo Udon (£2.90) is a posh take on pot noodles. Kelly selected this Korean recipe for its authentic taste of Katsuo broth with a generous helping of Udon noodles and its katsuoboshi (dried bonito flakes) topping, which promises an extra umami to the dish.

Kelly Choi was born in Korea, spent a decade in Japan and raised family in Europe. Kelly enjoys introducing the real flavours of her childhood to her friends.

Just open the noodles, sauce and vegetable sachets and pour into the cup, then pour hot water, close the lid and cook in microwave for a minute and a half. Just before serving, add the bonito flakes.

As the product contains fish extract and seafood seasoning, it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

Available in Sushi Daily kiosks at Waitrose and ASDA. Find your local Sushi Daily at https://sushidaily.com/gb-en/our-kiosks.

The noodles are silky smooth, and the broth is flavourful, with the green pieces of seaweed. I was less enthusiastic about the contents of one of the sachets - tofu (?) pieces, as their texture was a bit like soggy soft shreddies.

Moving onto drinks:

Compal Orange Algarve (£1.99) offers an unmistakeable taste of the freshly squeezed fruit. This lovely drink is made with the sweetest and juiciest oranges.

Drink it neat with ice, or create a delicious Mimosa, Hurricane or Campari Cosmo cocktail.

Available at Portuguese stores and delicias-uk.com

Sumol Passion Fruit (£0.99) is a refreshing drink, which is lightly carbonated, with real fruit juice and pulp. Sumol offers unique flavours with a tropical vibe: passion fruit, pineapple and orange.

Maximum 25kcal per 100ml.

Available at Portuguese stores and delicias-uk.com.

And finally, there is a fully redeemable voucher for Richmond Frozen Ready Meals worth £4. Available at ASDA, Morrisons and Iceland.

Nation's favourite is expanding its range - adding family sized ready meals for those quick and easy mid-week dinners. Just pop them in the oven and enjoy. You can choose between Sausage Casserole, Sausage Hotpot or Sausage and Tomato Pasta (each pack offers 4 servings).

We don't have any of the above stores in town, and I don't plan travelling to just redeem the voucher. 

I'm happy to offer it to the first person who wants it and leaves me a comment below (with your Twitter name so I can contact you, or an email address for me to get back to you for the address details), and I will post it to you.