January New Year New Me Degustabox

We are always looking forward to our Degustabox delivery, which arrives every month and is full of foodie surprises. This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover products which have only just appeared in the shops or those which might have been around for 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 probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Each time the box arrives, it's 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 whopping £7 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time) - just use a code 8EVI8 when you place an order.

What did we receive in January Degustabox? Let's have a look.

Generally I'm not a big fan of American chocolate, but all my guys love Hershey's Cookies'n'Creme candy bars. I occasionally buy it as a single bar, and even spotted some chocolate drops in this flavour.
It's a white chocolate flavoured candy bar with cookie pieces. My younger son and husband enjoy it.
I prefer it when chocolate products have a shorter list of ingredients and definitely less E-numbers.

Mallow & Marsh Coconut Marshmallow bar is handmade in the UK, using only natural ingredients, and each bar is under 100kcal each. This product is not included in all boxes, you might receive a different item instead.

Jordans Juicy Red Berry Frusli bars contain British wholegrain oat flakes, fruit pieces (strawberry and blueberry infused diced cranberries), blueberry juice, raisins, strawberry and raspberry flakes, chopped almonds etc. These are handy snacks for when you're feeling peckish, or are on the go and need some sustenance.

As January is a month when many people go on a diet after the excesses of Christmas overeating, there are quite a few healthy foods included in the latest Degustabox.
For example, Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettucine. It is a source of plant-based protein and fibre with the lowest level of carbs. It offers 22g of protein per 50g serving, which is almost 3x more than regular pasta.

Pulsin is a brand, well known for its health credentials. It's a range of gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan-friendly products. If you're looking for a boost of protein, help yourself to Pulsin Vanilla Choc Chop Protein Booster, which tastes of cookie dough. It's made with dairy free choc chips and contains 13g of plant based protein.
When you open the packaging, the bar doesn't look very appetising, and it has a strange aftertaste.

Pulsin Vanilla Whey Protein powder comes in a sachet. Simply add milk or water to make a healthy shake. It is rich in essential amino acids from grass fed cow's milk (suitable for vegetarians, but not vegans). You can add it to smoothies, porridge or cereals for an extra protein boost.

Miso Tasty Spicy Ramen Noodle Kits are a lovely kitchen staple for a quick and easy meal. The noodles come accompanied with a signature miso soup base and a seaweed garnish for an authentic experience. You can add your own toppings, like fresh coriander or spring onions, or just eat it as it is.

Wild Planet Albacore Tuna Steaks are ranked no.1 in the US by Greenpeace for sustainability. These wild tuna steaks are 100% pole & line caught, and cooked with no added salt.
Make a delicious tuna sandwich or salad (see my recipe for Tuna and orange salad), or cook soup, for example, Pearl barley and tuna soup.

Latin American Kitchen by Santa Maria is a colourful range of Latin flavours.
The Chipotle Mayo Topping is a useful condiment, when serving nachos or tacos, or in burgers and sandwiches. It has a lovely chipotle kick.

I used it in peppers stuffed with orzo (mixed with tomatoes and chipotle mayo).

Colombian Crunchy Chicken Bites Seasoned Corn Coating is a blend for light, oven-baked bites. The corn gives that extra crispiness.

Robinsons Fruit Cordial is a sophisticated twist to squash with combinations of real fruit and botanical flavours. One of three flavours is included in each food box. Raspberry, Rhubarb & Orange Blossom is a fruity refreshing drink, which would be great for summer.

Mahtay Yerba Mate Sparkling Tea is designed for health-conscious in mind. It is a blend of energy-giving South American yerba mate with coconut water and acai berries. It is a trendy refreshing drink for a new generation. It is an acquired taste, but promises health benefits in every drop.

LighterLife Fast Ready to Drink Shakes are perfect for people on a 5:2 diet, when you consume significantly less calories twice a week. This diet has many fans and followers. I tried it for a few months a couple of years ago, it didn't quite work for me. I felt hungry on diet days, and the weight loss was minimal. But so many people swear by this diet, and there are lots of inspiring stories online if you're looking into trying this diet yourself. These shakes are ready to drink, and can be consumed as part of the Fast plan as a protein hit or meal replacement.

And finally, Clipper Everyday Organic tea - a full-bodied rich black tea. All Clipper products are made with pure, natural ingredients. Very enjoyable brew, lovely with either a slice of lemon or milk.

Clipper Extra Strong Tea

"The Chinese say it's better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one" (Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns)

While I haven't tried to go without food for three days, I think that a day without for me would be a pure torture.

Clipper tea is a well-known and much-loved brand. Its range of teas is extensive and varied. I often buy Clipper Earl Grey and English Breakfast teas.

Recently Clipper has added a new flavour to its range - Clipper Extra Strong Tea.

Clipper introduces their new tea as "a punchy brew which is bold and intense. Our Extra Strong blend of quality black teas from East Africa, Assam and Sri Lanka is big, bright and flavoursome".

I rarely drink unflavoured black tea, and often add a slice of lemon, a teaspoon of honey, some sliced strawberries or a few mint leaves to my cup.
Clipper Extra Strong Tea is a perfect morning pick-me-up. It is dark amber in colour and bold in taste. It is delicious hot, with a slice of lemon.

It is also lovely, used a base for iced tea, with crushed mint leaves, lemon and strawberries.
Have you tried the new Clipper tea?

For more information check Clipper Teas.

Boiled fruit cake

Ever since reading Alison's - of Dragons and Fairy Dust fame - post about a boiled fruit cake, I fancied trying the recipe myself. Her cake is a delightful tea treat.
I have also liked the sound of a tea soaked fruit cake found on National Trust site. My cake is an interpretation and amalgamation of two recipes.
Recently I have being playing with Clipper Extra Strong tea, making both hot and iced tea, and I wanted to bake a cake with fruit soaked in strong tea.

Boiled fruit cake
Ingredients:
2 strong black tea teabags
200ml water
360g mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins and dried apricots)
3 medium eggs
160g demerara sugar
200g margarine (e.g. Flora)
1tbsp mixed spice
360g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsbp spiced rum

Pour hot boiling water over 2 teabags in a big mug, cover and let it steep for 10 minutes. Remove the teabags and discard them. Put the raisins, sultanas and finely chopped apricots in a medium sized pan and pour the tea over the fruit. Bring to boil, then lower the heat, keep cooking for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave the fruit to infuse for two hours, or more if you have time.
This plumps up the dried fruit.

In a big mixing bowl beat the eggs with the sugar, one at a time. Add the margarine and mix well. Sift in the flour, spice mix and baking powder, and mix well together. Finally add the soaked fruit and a spoon of rum (optional) to the cake mix, combine all the ingredients together.
Line the cake spring tin with a foil or parchment paper and lightly oil it.

Pour the cake batter into the tin. Place the tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Cook for 50-60 minutes.
Check readiness with a wooden toothpick. You might want to cover the cake with more foil, half-way through cooking, if it gets too browned.

It is a crumbly moist cake, lovely with a cup of tea.

In this recipe I used Clipper Extra Strong tea, but any good quality black tea, plain or flavoured, would work.

Mixed spice that I used is Waitrose Signature Spice which I bought around Christmas time. It is a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, star anise, black pepper, tangerine oil and cloves. You can use any similar mixed spice or make your own from spices you have.

Since I have finished the bag of sultanas, bought for making mincemeat last year as well as the remains of the demerara sugar, I'm adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout linky run by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

Greatness in small things: Clipper tea

"When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?”  (Muriel Barbery)

Last summer Clipper announced an addition of six new infusions to their range. And what a varied selection it is, from the morning wakey-wakey cuppa to a bedtime drink that would send you in the land of dreams.

Rise & Shine is a great pick-me-up in the morning or in the afternoon slumber after lunch. It is so refreshingly zingy and jazzy-lemony, it makes your tongue tingle. Its ingredients include organic mate, lemongrass and lemon verbena, as well as liquorice root and lemon peel. Clipper call it "sunshine in a cup", and this definition is spot on. An absolutely delightful infusion that makes you feel wide awake and full of energy. The colour is jolly bright golden yellow, the flavours are intense and concentrated. A fabulous addition to the Clipper range. Top marks for the taste and energising properties.

Zen Again is "a spa-inspired blend which brings together the refreshing taste of lemongrass and the menthol freshness of eucalyptus. Perfect for those moments of reflection".  Ingredients include lemongrass, nettle, eucalyptus leaf, rosehip, gingko biloba. When I had the first sip, to me it tasted a bit medicinal. To my surprise, my little man took my cup, had one sip, then another and finished it. When I asked him if he liked it, he said Nice.

Love Me Truly is an organic chai infusion and comforting blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. Very sumptious indeed. All the flavours are nicely balanced. The drink is beautifully warm and comforting. You might like to add half a teaspoon of honey to it and a bit of milk for a delicious drink. The golden brown colour is very inviting. You can make fun of my tautology but I will say that I truly love Love Me Truly.

Or go for a totally decadent drink: if you have a milk frother, make a chai latte. Perfect for any occasion.

Cloud Nine is a delicious organic elderflower, lemongrass and apple infusion. If you love fruity teas, that's the ideal tea for you. It is very summery in taste, light and fragrant. You might indeed find yourself on cloud nine after drinking it. I would also like to mention that I love the design of the new range of teas, each box has an eye-catching pattern. The boxes look modern, stylish and artful. They would look good on any kitchen shelf, you wouldn't want to hide them away.

After Dinner Mints is "an organic double mint and fennel infusion, perfect post pudding". The peppermint gives a cool refreshing taste of menthol, while the spearmint adds a touch of sweetness. The hints of spice are provided by the fennel and ginger root. If you are a fan of After Eights, you will love this herbal tea that will give you the same minty kick without the chocolate's calories. And you will never get the same aroma from the box of chocolates.

Snore & Peace is an organic chamomile, lemon balm and lavender infusion. Calming and comforting, it makes a lovely bedtime cup. Sometimes lavender could be overwhelming, I have tried several teas that include lavender and found out that you could hardly taste anything else but lavender. Clipper's Snore & Peace infusion managed to achieve just the right balance of flavours, where the lavender is an equal partner rather than a strong-willed dominatrix. Lemon balm adds a refreshing note, while chamomile gives this brew a delicate meadow fragrance. 
And I absolutely love the name of this herbal tea: a literary allusion and a play of words is very inspired.

For more information on their extensive range, visit Clipper.


Disclosure: I received this selection of teas for the purposes of reviewing, all opinions are mine.

Brew a cup of Clipper (giveaway c/d 15 November 2012)

If one could wear an aroma of a freshly brewed tea as a perfume, I'd pick a Clipper Red Fruits & Aronia Berry flavour. It is sweet and warm, and that is just the smell alone. It is also a feast for eyes.
The colour of Red Fruits & Aronia is an intense ruby red, wonderfully deep and bright.
Then you take your first sip and sigh with pleasure. All the beautiful flavours of hibiscus and rosehip, raspberry and strawberry as well as the aronia berry are combined to make a delightful infusion.

If you remember the film and book About the Boy, its main character divided his day into a series of units. I think I can divide my day into the tea-drinking slots. Late afternoon and evenings are reserved for my herbal and fruity teas. I have recently discovered Clipper Red Fruits & Aronia, and it is one of my favourites for the caffeine and guilt-free cuppa. It is sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet, and tastes like a summer in a cup. Jolly refreshing and uplifting, try it, it might bring a ray of sunshine into a dull autumnal day like today.

What I love about Clipper is that they say with pride: "Clipper products are made with pure ingredients and a clear conscience. We use only the highest quality sources, add nothing artificial and strive to improve the welfare of the workers."
If Clipper became a party, I would vote for them.

Clipper has kindly offered 5 (yes, five) prizes for my blog readers. The lucky people will get two boxes of Clipper tea and two mugs (see the image below).

To have a chance of winning one of these lovely prizes, please fill in the rafflecopter form.
Answering the question and leaving a comment is a mandatory step. The other steps are optional, and you can tweet about this giveaway once a day.



a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck!

Wake up and smell the Clipper tea! (review)

I am not properly awake in the morning until I had my first cup of tea.
Tea is my energy booster and my drink of choice. My kitchen can probably compete with the local tea shop, as there are boxes of tea everywhere. I have my favourites that have to be always available, but I also love to explore the new tastes and flavours.
I was delighted to receive an email from Clipper that I was chosen to be one of their Clipper Sippers of the month.
Fairtrade Everyday tea is the tea of the month.
"A refreshingly brisk, full-flavoured blend with a coppery golden colour, sourced from the finest Fairtrade estates in East Africa, India and Sri Lanka."

I am more of the flavoured teas' girl (I cannot function without my Earl Grey tea).

When we have a plumber or a builder in the house, and I offer them a cup of tea, they usually look with horror at my collection of teas and ask for a "normal" tea. I keep a box or two of "normal" tea for such occasions but don't usually drink it myself.

Now I don't have to compromise. Everyday Tea ticks off all the boxes. You can have it as strong or as light as you like, with milk or without.

I tried it plain, with honey, with milk, with a slice of lemon and a spoonful of sugar. The last option is my favourite.

Everyday tea is very refreshing and it works very well with the acidity of the lemon.

The colour is beautiful dark golden.

If you like the idea of tasting  new teas, you could also become a Clipper Sipper.
To become a Clipper Sipper, apply online.


Yippee, I'm one of the Clipper Sippers.
Having donned my gown and slippers,
Enjoying my first morning cup,
Everday tea and Twitter wake me up.
Everyday tea is a child of democracy -
Honest, refreshing, without hypocrisy.
Suitable both for the Queen and the plumber,
Infused with tranquility like the smile of Dalai Lama.
Be you a Duchess or a builder with biceps,
Come and join the Clipper Sippers.