Degustabox Advent Calendar

 

It's Christmas tomorrow. How quickly December goes by, blink, and the new year will be here. The month of dark mornings and early evenings has been made much more enjoyable by the advent calendars. Oh the pleasure of opening the doors every day! While my sons had their own advent calendars with jelly bellies, I had a beauty advent calendar and the most glorious Degustabox advent calendar.

I missed getting one of them last year, and was delighted when Degustabox has offered to send one of those beauties for me to test and review. As you know, I am a big fan of Degustabox, and have been enjoying their suprise boxes of foods and drinks for several years. But the Advent Calendar surely is in the league of its own.

First of all, the sheer size of it - it includes 24 foods and drinks, and comes in a well-designed sturdy box, which opens into two parts like a gigantic book with windows. The cardboard box is recyclable, and there is no plastic.

There was a little booklet enclosed to give you clues of what to expect in the coming days. You could either ignore it, if you wanted a complete surprise, or if you're impatient like me, you might have had a quick look and ooh-ed and aah-ed at the wonders ahead. 

Day 1:

Stroopwafels are our family favourites, so we were all delighted to find a pack of Daelmans Stroopwafel clip bag (£3.29 for 230g). There was a lovely gift as well - a waffle warmer, which you put on top of your hot drink, and then place a stroopwafel over it to go warm and the caramel layer inside to soften. Did you know that this tradition is called "Wake the waffle", how cute is that?!

Daelmans are a Dutch family bakery.

Day 2:

Maille Wholegrain Mustard (£1.99) is another classic product to enjoy. Famous for its grainy texture, it adds finesse and flavour to many dishes. You can add it to marinades, sauces, vinaigrettes, or use as an ingredient of a crunchy crust for roast dishes. 

Day 3:

Crafted Mango & Passion Fruit Juice Drink (£2) is an award-winning fruity blend of juices. Drink it neat, or enjoy in a cocktail/mocktail. Serve it with a slice of lime over ice for a lovely drink.

You get a blend of smooth, sweet, aromatic mango and a tangy zinginess of passion fruit. This is a refreshing drink, with no added sugar or sweeteners (it contains naturally occurring fruit sugar). 

Ingredients include fruit juice from concentrate (apple, grape, passion fruit), apple puree, mango puree etc. Typical values: 30kcal and 7.3g of sugar per 100ml.

Crafted drinks are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Day 4:

Little Miss Sunshine Watermelon/Piña Colada Jellies (£2.49) - if you enjoy sour jellies, this is the ultimate treat. My sons loved them, I could only manage one piece, it has a great mouth-puckering taste. If you love eye-popping sour jelly sweets, that's one for you. 

Day 5:

Bart Warming Winter Spice (£2.99) is a limited edition spice mix. This delicious blend of spices and orange peel is perfect for baking, roasting and making festive jams and chutneys.

Ingredients include cassia, coriander, dill seeds, ginger, caraway seeds, orange peel, cloves and nutmeg.

Bart are truly masters of flavour, and this blend is a big success. I already used it for making gingerbread, and also a delicious oven-baked tomato jam. Open the tin, and smell the festive season!

Day 6:

Rhythm 108 Swiss Vegan Mint Fondant Bar with dark Chocolate (£3.59 for 100g bar) will please anyone who loves mint-flavoured chocolate. Have an after-dinner nibble or two, with a cup of tea or coffee. It's made in Switzerland. Organic, gluten-free, with 33% less sugar.

This is a chunky chocolate, with smooth and creamy minty-flavoured fondant.

Day 7:

Mentos Candy Cane (£1.50 for 3mp) is a multi-pack of 3 rolls of Mentos, which come is a limited edition festive flavour, Vanilla Mint. My guys love Mentos, and they were super excited to try a new flavour. The pack looks bright and colourful, and will make a nice little treat for a Christmas stocking.

Each roll has a seasonal greeting on the wrapper, and contains 14 sweets with cute little Christmas-themed images. 

Day 8:

Rummo Fusilli (£1.80 foor 500g pack) is a well-known Italian pasta, made from top quality durum wheat. It has taken six generations to perfect the recipe, their ambition is to make the best pasta in the world. 

Fusilli is my younger son's favourite pasta shape. We always have packs of fusilli in the pantry (different Italian brands). He said it was very tasty.

It so happened that we had his friend over for dinner, and I cooked fusilli with meatballs and tomato sauce which was a product for Day 9.

Rummo Sugo alla Napoletana (£1.99 for 340g) - though it says, perfect with spaghetti, on the jar, I used it as a sauce for meatballs and fusilli. Both boys pronounced it to be very good.

Rummo Sugo Alla Napoletana is a traditionally-made pasta sauce.made with the Italian tomatoes (90%) plus vegetables (carrots, onions, celery), sunflower oil, salt. It is gluten-free.

Day 10:

King Monty Granola Snack Speculoos (£3.15) is a vegan granola snack. This Speculoos-flavoured snack is dairy free and gluten free.

Ingredients include: chocolate, vanilla flavouring, gluten free oat flakes, maple syrup, sunflower seeds, rapeseed oil, dates, buckwheat, flaxseed, brown almonds, gingerbread spices and sea salt.

These are quite unusual snacks, but rather moreish.

Day 11:

Olly's Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream & Onion Pretzel Thins (£1) are a tasty savoury snack. Olly's oven-baked pretzels are the planet's thinnest pretzels. And they are so good! They have less fat, fewer calories and more protein than average crisps. Lovely with dips, or without. I can easily inhale a pack in one go.

These pretzels are vegan too. Other flavours to enjoy are Salted Original, Multi-Seed Sesame and Oh So Cheesy (also vegan).

Stocked in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons and Ocado, WW and plenty more outlets around the UK and internationally.

Day 12:

Minivino Merlot (£2.25)  comes in a sealed cup. Made from recycled plastic and fully recyclable, these lightweight and portable cups have a replaceable lid, so Minivino can be enjoyed any time or place.

These cups will be great for picnics, when the weather permits.

Today I used 100ml of Merlot to cook a cranberry sauce for Christmas, with fresh cranberries, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, sugar and cloves.

Available in Sainsbury's and Co-Op.

Day 13:

Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel (£3.75) is a unique finishing salt with a delicate and crunchy texture. These salt flakes result from a special form of crystallisation at the surface of the sea water and are harvested by hand in the Camargue since antiquity by the salt farmers.

Fleur de sel is the perfect seasoning to enhance all kinds of dishes.

I used some of Fleur de sel yesterday while making a home-cured salmon for our Christmas meal (the starter will be blini with salmon and soured cream).

Day 14:

Terry's Chocolate Orange Bars (£0.50) will delight all fans of the classic chocolate orange. These snacks can be enjoyed on the go, when you need something sweet and satisfying. You get the familiar flavours in a new more portable format.

Typical values: 183kcal and 21g of sugar per bar.

Day 15:

Good Earth Rooibos Chai Tea (£2.75) is a delicious flavourful tea. You get a malty flavour of rooibos and the warming, comforting spices like cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. 

Ingredients include: rooibos (Rainforest certified), honey bush, orange peel, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom seeds, clove, natural flavouring, black pepper.

It is made with natural ingredients. There are 15 biodegradable teabags in the box.

Brew for 3 minutes, serve neat, or with a spoonful of honey and a dash of your favourite milk.

Day 16:

KIND Dark Chocolate Orange Almond (£1.30) is an iconic UK flavour. Drizzled in dark chocolate, with a hint of zesty orange peel, this is a nuttier take on the classic. It is gluten free, high in fibre, has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Nutritional information: 216kcal and 7.2g of sugar per bar.

Day 17:

Arden's Cheesy Tiny Twists (£1.20) are delicious flaky puff pastry twists baked with Cheddar. They are small and highly addictive.

Nutritional values: 14kcal and 0.04g of salt per twist.

Suitable for vegetarians. Pass them around and enjoy!

Day 18:

Fused by Fiona Clever Classic Soy Sauce (£2.50, now available at reduced price on Amazon) is a versatile store cupboard ingredient for a variety of recipes, from stir fries to marinades, and from one-pot dishes to dressings. It adds a touch of umami to any dish. 

Unlike many lower end soy sauces which are chemically processed rather than naturally brewed/fermented, Fused Clever Soy Sauce contains only 4 ingredients and is naturally brewed and fermented. It's also made with non-GMO soybeans and contains no added sugar.

Day 19:

Whitworths Caramel Fruit & Nut Mix (£2) is a delicious medley of chopped dates, pecans and caramel sultanas. 100% natural flavours. Add the mix to your favourite cereal or porridge or simply snack on its own.

Nutritional values: 526kcal and 14.7g of sugar per 30g serving.

Day 20:

Mackie's Boxing Day Curry Potato Crisps (£1.25) is a festive flavour from a well-known and much-loved brand of crisps. Mackie's use innovative methods, quality ingredients and come up with unusual inspired combinations of flavours.

If you agree that leftovers are the best part of a Christmas meal, how about a Boxing day sandwich with whatever you have and a generous helping of crisps?

Made in Perthshire, Scotland.

Typical values: 148kcal and 0.3g of salt per 30g serving.

Day 21:

Forest Feast 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Sour Cherries (£3.50) is an utterly moreish chocolate delight. I love the combination of dark chocolate with cherries. The contrast between sweet and sour is well-balanced. You'd never guess this chocolate is vegan. It is also gluten free and made with real Belgian dark chocolate.

Use code DARKCHOC20 for 20% off online at forestfeast.com/shop

Day 22:

Flawsome! Drinks Sweet & Sour Apple Cold Pressed Juice (£2) is made with real wonky apples. This cold-pressed juice is delicious. It has absolutely nothing added. The flavours are sweet and sour, warm and deep. Enjoy cold, straight from the fridge, or make a spiced apple warmer with festive spices.

No added sugar, 1 of your 5 a day, fairer to farmers

Use code FLAWSOME40 for 40% off our products - 1 use per customer, active from 01/11/21 to 31/01/22, not applicable for subscription orders.

Day 23:

Mackays Strawberry and Champagne Preserve (£1.95) is a wonderfully fragrant jam. You get a vibrant combination of sweet strawberries and fruity flavours of champagne. Spread it over a festive toast, or make jam tarts, or even add to the traditional Christmas trifle.

Day 24:

The final treat is Bahlsen Messino Pink Gin & Tonic (£1.49), a tasty finale to the fabulous advent calendar. A light sponge cake is coated with a smooth and intense dark chocolate. There is a delicious layer of filling with a taste of gin and tonic. A treat for grown-ups.

Nutritional values: 142kcal and 16g of sugar per 35g (3 pieces).

This amazing box of foodie delights worth £50 costs £39.39 to purchase on Degustabox.com (while stocks lasted). 

Top marks for the selection of foods and drinks, great design of the packaging and value for money.