October Box 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. 

What did we get in October Box Degustabox?

Cheez-It Snap'd Cheese & Smokey Bacon 150g (£1.89) is Product of the Month (apologies for the missing photo, but I think that gremlins have been up to mischief, as there was a bit of a mix up with the products, and this one is missing from the box).

My guys love Cheez-It Snap'd, and I buy them regularly. These are thin and crispy snacks baked with 100% real cheese, with no artificial colours or flavours. 

Crunchy and well-seasoned, Cheez-It makes a great snack, whether you are feeling peckish or having a movie night. 

Cheese & Smokey Bacon is a new flavour addition to the range, and we're looking forward to discovering it when we find it in the shops.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Lindt Choco Wafer Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut (£6.50 for 135g box) was another product that went awol, so no photos this time.

We have enjoyed it in the past, so I can say with confidence that these wafers are very tasty. A combination of roasted hazelnuts, crispy cocoa wafers and the finest milk chocolate, Lindt Choco Wafers are great for sharing.

Available at www.lindt.co.uk and most UK retailers.

Good4U Kids Breakfast Boost/ Kids Everyday Boost or Kids Pasta Boost (£2.50) is a new 100% natural, functional meal boost range for children aged 3+. 

These boost mixes are a blend of ten plants, including seeds, berries, Vitamin D, Atlantic seaweed, and provide key nutrients to support immunity, digestion,bone health and cognitive function.

You should receive 1 item in your box. We got Pasta Boost, which is a combination of milled seeds and veggies (sunflower, pumpkin, tomato, onion, carrot, chicory root fibre, dried red pepper, etc.

Nutritional values: 29kcal and 1.1g of sugar per 7g portion; high in fibre, source of protein, vegan.

Stir into pasta sauce, add to pasta with a drizzle of oil, or add to pesto (I'd say pesto or tomato vegetable sauce is the best bet to hide the blend, if your children are fussy eaters and refuse to eat anything suspicious new).

Available in Tesco and Good4U.com.

FUEL 10K Original Multigrain Hoops (£3.49) is a high-protein breakfast cereal. 

Say Good bye to boring breakfasts, multigrain hoops are a tasty start to a day. Breakfast hoops are made with blended oats and wheat, fortified with 8 vitamins.

Eat with yogurt or milk, or just as a snack on its own.

Nutritional values: 134kcal and 3.8g of sugar per 35g portion; high protein, high in fibre, 30% less sugar compared to similar shaped breakfast cereals.

Available in Sainsbury's, ASDA and Amazon.

FUEL 10K Red Berry Multigrain Flakes (£3.69) is another tasty cereal, made with wholegrain wheat flakes with toasted spelt and barley flakes, finished off with red berries (raspberry and strawberry).

Eat with yogurt and milk. It's a lovely combination of textures and flavours, with a sweet and sour note from berries.

Typical values: 131kcal and 3.5g of sugar per 35g serving.

Available in Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado and Amazon.

BEAR Snacks BEAR Yoyos (£0.70 each) are delightful 100% fruit snacks. 

Seeing these fruity snacks brought back memories of my younger son enjoying them on the way home from school, when he was little. They used to be his favourite treat, and he collected the cards inside the snacks, they all did in his class.

These lovely treats - Bear Real Fruit Xtreme Yo Yos Strawberry and Real Fruit Yo Yos Strawberry - are 1 of your 5 a day.

Nutritional values: 56kcal and 8.4g of sugar (naturally occuring) per 20g portion; gluten free, vegan friendly, nut free.

You should receive 2 items in your box.

Available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA and Ocado.

LEON Katsu Curry Beans (£2.50) is a new microwave meal pouch, inspired by Leon restaurants.

Each pouch is packed with plant-based protein, fibre and plenty of flavour from herbs and spices.

Ready in 90 seconds, these beans can be reheated in the microwave or on the hob on a medium heat.

Katsu curry beans are a tasty combination of cooked mung beans, haricot beans, coconut cream, edamame beans, sweet potato, carrot, Katsu curry paste and more.

Typical values: 274kcal and 2.53g of salt per 250g serving (one pouch = one serving, though you might easily halve it to serve as a side dish along with rice).

Available in Sainsbury's, Ocado and Wholefoods.

Mission Carb Balance Wraps (£1.80) offer a healthier choice for any mealtime. These soft tortilla wraps offer a fine balance of high fibre with lower carbs (only 9g of carbs per wrap).

Enjoy them with a sweet or savoury filling/topping - make a burrito, tacos, fajitas or a dessert with a chocolate spread or nut spread and banana.

Nutritional values: 125kcal and 0.5g of sugar per wrap; high fibre, suitable for vegans.

Available in Sainsbury's.

Galipette Cidre Brut 4.5% (£2.50) is a superior cider, dry to medium dry.

The balance between acidity and tannins, dry and mild sweet flavours is just right. All cider apples come from traditional orchards near the river Rance in northern Brittany. 

A classic cider, made with 100% pure apple juice, no added sugar.

Available in Waitrose, Tesco, Ocado, Whole Foods and Booths.

Brain Blasters Mixed Sour Candy Bag (£2) offers you the ultimate sour candy experience. 

This treat bag is bursting with four different types of mini Brain Blasterz sour candy from sour level 1 to 3. What's inside the bag? Sour Lollipops, Sour Gunk, Brain Bitz Chew Bars and Sour Chew Balls.

Available on Brain Blasterz TikTok Shop.

Degusta Box Plus members will receive an extra product, and this month it is Temple Condiments Sublime Lime Sweet Chilli (£5.50), which sounds lovely.

If you're still considering whether to buy Degustabox Advent Calendar, hurry up, they will soon be sold out.

The classic Degustabox Advent Calendar costs £33.99, and has treats worth £60.

There is also a novelty Taste & Treat Advent Calendar at £41.99, which is a mix of foodie and self-care treats.

If you buy a bundle of calendars at £70.99, you will save £14 (compared to buying two separately).

I have already pre-booked the foodie edition calendar, and can't wait to see what treats it holds this year.

Summer & Get Outdoors 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. 

What did we get in the Summer & Get Outdoors Degustabox box?

Muscle Moose The Dinky Protein Bar Salted Caramel Pretzel (35g/£1.50) is a Product of the Month. This is a caramel flavour protein bar, with a low sugar caramel layer, with soya nuggets, and topped with pretzel pieces.

Handy to carry with you for the times when you are feeling peckish, or craving a bit of a sweet treat.

Nutritional values: 130kcal and 1.6g of sugar per bar (written in tiny fonts, it's hard to read).

Available at ASDA.

Plantastic Millionaire Flapjacks Choc & Caramel (£2.25) are flapjacks with a vegan caramel and chocolate flavour topping.

While I enjoyed Plantastic Sweet Apricot and Ginger flapjacks from the New Year Degustabox selection very much, I'm less enthusiastic about the new flavour. It has an exceedingly sweet chocolate caramel topping over a dry base of oat flakes. In fact, I couldn't even finish one. Saying that, my older son polished off the whole box later.

This product is 100% plant-based, contains no artificial colours or flavours.

Typical values: 138kcal and 13.5g of sugar per flapjack.

Available at Tesco & ASDA.

Mentos Gum Pure Cherry Chewing Gum (£2.50) is a well-known chewing gum, in a new recyclable paper-based container. 

We took it with us on a long car trip to Cornwall (and back), and enjoyed its fruity refreshing taste. The chewing gum has a crispy shell with a delicious liquid filled centre, and provides a long lasting fruity taste. This is a sugar-free treat.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

KIND Snacks Thins Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt Multipack/ Thins Dark Caramel Nuts and Sea Salt Multipack (£2.50) are thin and chewy bars which are both tasty and nutritious.

You should receive 1 item in your box. We got the Dark Chocolate flavour (ingredients include almond pieces, dark chocolate, peanut pieces, glucose syrup, chicory root fibre, brown rice crisps, honey, sugar etc.

KIND THINS are a source of high fibre, gluten free and have no artiificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Under 95kcal per bar, these are lovely snacks.

Available at ASDA.

Jordan's Country Crisp Limited Edition Red Velvet (£3.80) is the latest granola from Jordan's, a combination of light and crispy golden oat clusters with chocolate brownie pieces and cream cheese frosting flavoured red oat clusters.

Source of fibre, wholegrain oats. Suitable for vegetarians. It doesn't say vegan on the box, but I don't see any dairy or honey among the ingredients.

Nutritional values: 192kcal and 9.7g of sugar per 45g portion.

Available at Waitrose and on Ocado.

Sauce Shop Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce (£2.75) is a sweet smoky sauce, perfect for chicken, or corn.

Sauce Shop sauces and seasonings are made in the UK, using natural ingredients. If it's been raining non-stop, and the BBQ is not possible, this sauce will make a lovely pizza dip for a movie night.

Ingredients include tomato puree, sugar, white grape vinegar, honey, onion, garlic, salt, smoked paprika, chipotle pepper.

Typical values: 153kcal and 33.7g of sugar per 100g. 

Available at Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA and Booths.

Very Lazy Cajun Paste (£2, see above) will bring an authentic taste of Louisiana to your kitchen. It tastes delicious, marinated over chicken. For a vegetarian feast, mix a selection of vegetables (courgettes, sweet peppers, sweet tomatoes etc) with a tablespoon of Cajun paste and roast them in the oven.

Ingredients include: red pepper, rapeseed oil, onion puree, tomato paste, muscovado sugar, garlic puree, smoked paprika, green pepper, lime juice, coriander leaf, salt, ground cumin, thyme, basil, oregano, onion powder, chipotle chilli powder etc.

Typical values: 39kcal and 2.6g of sugar per 20g serving.

Very Lazy's motto is "Maximum flavour, minimum fuss!"

Available at Tesco, ASDA and Morrisons.

We love Kettle Chips, and are always excited to try new flavours. KETTLE Chips Sriracha Mayo (£1.50) take inspiration from street food markets around the world. If you like your savoury snacks with a bit of spice, you will enjoy the flavoursome Sriracha Mayo flavour.

These crunchy chips are vegetarian and gluten free.

Typical values: 501kcal and 1.04g of salt per 100g.

Available at Waitrose and Tesco.

SXOLLIE xider Cripps Pink xider (£1.80 for 330ml bottle) is a delicious cider that bursts with flavour. It's a refreshing fusion of chilled floral sweetness and light bubbles. Very enjoyable.

Made purely with "Cripps Pink apples and sunshine". No added sugar, no concentrate. Vegan friendly, B Corp certified.

Available at Sainsbury's, Morrisons, on Amazon Prime and www.sxollie.com.

Dalston's Soda: Peach Soda and Rhubarb Soda (£2 each) is a full flavour fizz crafted with real fruit and no nasties. No added sugar, no sweeteners and no artificial ingredients.

Lovely refreshing drinks - perfect for a picnic or BBQ.

You should receive two items in your box.

Available at Waitrose, Sainsbury's, ASDA and on Ocado.

And the final product in the latest box: Boost Iced Coffee: Cafe Latte or Caramel Latte (£1.19).

You should receive one item. We got a Caramel Latte, smooth and mellow. A tad too sweet for me, but someone who has a sweet tooth, will love it.

Typical values: 125kcal and 23g of sugar per 250ml can.

Available in convenience stores and on Amazon.

What is your favourite product from the latest Degustabox box?

UK vs International Degustabox

Many of our meals in lockdown are a game of Ready, Steady, Cook, when I look inside the kitchen pantry and fridge to decide what ingredients I can use to make a decent lunch or dinner. Receiving a food box with surprise ingredients is a cause of much excitement, as you get new products to work with.

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 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 probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.
Each time the 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 whopping £7 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code 8EVI8 when you place an order.

What did we receive in UK vs International Degustabox?

Percy's Caramel Chocolate Shortberad Sticks (£3) are a delicious treat for anyone who enjoys the irresistible combination of chocolate and caramel. The buttery, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread sticks are coated in caramel milk chocolate and hand spun with dark chocolate to decorate.
Lovely with a cup of coffee or tea.
Available at Sainsbury's, Ocado and independent stores.

Brynmor Flapjack - Caramel Fudge/Apple & Raspberry (£1.29) - is lovingly baked in the heart of the Welsh countryside.
Brynmor's range of tasty nutritional flapjacks is available at Ocado, Waitrose, NISA, WHSmith Travel, Grapetree, independent health shops and at brynmorfoods.com.
Traditional 80g flapjacks offer reduced sugar and protein. As they say, their products offer something for everyone, and each comes with a variety of real health benefits. They are gluten free, wheat-free, vegan-friendly, contain no artificial flavours or colours, and are a good source of fibre.
There are two items in the box.

Terry's Chocolate Orange Easter Egg/Minis Popping Candy (£4) - the iconic Terry's chocolate orange presented as an Easter treat. The Minis Exploding Candy are classic milk chocolate segments, flavoured with real orange oil and packed full of fun popping candy pieces (4%).
Nutritional information: 17g of sugar and 145kcal per 7 segments.
Great for sharing with family and friends.
There are two items in the box.
Available in the major supermarket chains as part of Terry's Chocolate Orange Popping Candy Easter Egg pack.

Moving from sweet treats to savoury products:
Growers Garden fresh Broccoli crisps (£1.99) are believed to be the world's first crisps to be made with fresh broccoli. They are a healthier alternative to potato crisps.
We had first tried Broccoli crisps last October, when several flavour packs were delivered in the food box. I remember I wasn't very enthusiastic about them, though my Mum enjoyed them.
This time our elder son surprised me by eating all the broccoli crisps. He clearly liked them.
Grown on their own farm, Growers Garden are using the wonky veg to make a healthier snack.
Available in approximately 600 stores across the UK. Visit growers-garden.com/stockists for your nearest store.

Tilda Peri Peri Microwave Rice (£1.59) is the latest addition to the delicious range of international rice flavours from Tilda. Peri Peri is a taste sensation, combining bird's eye chilli heat with green and red peppers, sweet tomato, garlic, smoky paprika, oregano and a squeeze of lemon.
It is gluten free, suitable for vegetarians and vegans and contains to artificial flavourings, colours or preservatives.
Available in the major supermarket chains.

My personal favourites were two pastes from Very Lazy - Very Lazy Lemongrass Paste and Very Lazy Ginger Paste (£1.85 each). They are so handy to keep in the kitchen, and jazz up a variety of meals. 1tsp = half a stick of lemongrass or 1 thumb of ginger.
Available at Tesco.
For recipe ideas, visit verylazy.com
I cooked a simple cabbage dish, with an addition of a grated carrot and both pastes as a side dish, and it was so flavourful and vibrant. Add them to the grilled fish, curries, roast vegetables, soups and stews, the possibilities are endless.

Peppadew Sweet Piquante Peppers Mild Chopped (£3) are loved for their unique layered flavour, sweet and then mildly spicy, firm and crunchy texture and excellent quality.
It can be used as an ingredient (try it in a potato salad with mayo and spring onions), or as a topping for pizza, pasta, salads, wraps, sandwiches and burgers.
Visit the antipasti aisle at Tesco for Peppadew full range.

And finally the drinks:

Sxollie Cider Cripps Pink (£1.80) is a light refreshing drink. Sxollie Ciders are made exclusively from famous apples, the Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and the Pink Lady.
Apples are sourced directly from the Elgin Valley in South Africa where the apples are lovingly grown in the sunshine. The cider captures the essence of the fruit with its sweet and sharp notes.
Available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose and selected pubs and bars.

Remedy Kombuch Raspberry Lemonade 250ml/Cherry Plum 250ml (£1.85) is a healthy soft drink, made by naturally fermenting sweet tea with a live culture.
The result is a sparkling drink that contains live cultures, tea polyphenols, organic acids and no sugar, naturally.
Available at M&S, Morrisons, Amazon.co.uk, Holland & Barrett, Boots, Booths, WH Smith, Planet Organic, Whole Foods Market and many more.

Apples stewed in apple cider

Last year we had such a big crop of apples, we are still eating them. Only last week I ate the last fresh apple from last autumn. I have kept them in baskets, filled with straw, and they were perfectly good, albeit slightly shrivelled and waxy. And I still have lots in the freezer - peeled, sliced in big chunks and pre-blanched in a lightly sweetened syrup.
This way they keep well, and when defrosted, do not lose their taste.

I enjoy stewed apples with a bit of cider added to syrup. Apple cider is a great ingredient in many dishes. For example, chicken cooked in apple cider and cream is simply melt-in-the-mouth. Cider makes a fab base for a grown-up jelly too.

I don't have exact measurements for the recipe, but I had a medium bag of frozen sliced apples, maybe 6 or 7, and used about half a bottle of 330ml bottle of apple cider.
I used the Good Cider of San Sebastian, which was one of the products in the latest Degustabox May box.

You will need
6-7 sliced frozen apples (or fresh, peeled and sliced)
3-4tbsp caster sugar
1/2 bottle of apple cider (330ml ---> about 165ml)
a sprinkle of vanilla
to serve with
Greek style yogurt
nutty granola (optional)

First cook the apples in cider with sugar and vanilla. If they are pre-blanched, you will need less time. If cooking from fresh, peel the apples, slice them into big chunks and cook until soft but still keeping the shape.
Let the apples cool completely before assembling an easy dessert (or breakfast).

Spoon the apples into a glass bowl, add the Greek yogurt and sprinkle a bit of nutty granola for some crunch.

The apples will keep well in a container with a lid in the fridge for a couple of days.

For a vegan version, use a coconut yogurt.

Plums baked in cider

One of the recent issues of the Cook (The Guardian on Saturday) had a feature on cinnamon, saying that typically it is the star of the show, yet it also brings gentle warmth to the recipes. If you use a moderate amount, it makes the other ingredients shine and gives the depth of the flavour.

These days, when it's quite frosty outdoors (not the extent of the Russian winters, but still pretty cold), we crave hot desserts, preferably served with a good dollop of ice cream.
Late plums work very well in recipes, where you need to bake or roast them, sprinkled with sugar and spice.
And if you have some alcohol added to the recipe, it's even better.
As I have mentioned already in another recipe post, there were two bottles of The Good Cider in berry flavours in the latest Degustabox. On their own, I found them a bit too sweet.
In this simple recipe I used The Good Cider Strawberry cider, but any sweet cider would work well, or even sherry.

Plums baked in cider
Ingredients:
400g red plums
100ml strawberry cider
2tbsp caster sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon

Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place all the plums in a deep ceramic dish, pour the cider around them. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon. Place the dish in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for half an hour.

Serve hot, with cream or ice  cream.

Festive cocktail with The Good Cider

The Good Cider in two fruity flavours - Wild Berries and Strawberry-Lime - was among the festive Christmas-themed selection of the foods and drinks in the latest Degustabox.
We have already tried The Good Cider (apple flavour) in the past, and it proved to be a great ingredient in cake baking.
Two berry flavours are very sweet, and probably best served in cocktails with ice and tonic water.

Last Monday I wanted to mark a special occasion, as my husband has just submitted his third book (final version) to the editor. As a starter I served hard-boiled quail eggs with a little bit of red caviar, which my husband brought from Russia recently.

And I made a simple cocktail with The Good Cider (wild berries) and tonic water in equal parts, with ice cubes and raspberries. It was light, zingy and refreshing, and a lovely way to start a meal.

It's not exactly a recipe, more of a suggestion.