Gourmet & Fiesta (December 2019) Degustabox

Christmas is over, and in a few days' time we'll be greeting a new year and a new decade. Looking back over the last few years, you notice that food boxes begin to cater more to people with different diets and food allergies. There are more vegetarian and vegan products, as well as products which could be easily adapted for different diets.
The last Degustabox of the year is bursting with festive treats.

This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which might 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 probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Each time the monthly 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 1st box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use a code 8EVI8 when you place an order.

What did we receive in a Gourmet & Fiesta box? (Please bear in mind that the photo below includes items from both alcohol and non-alcohol boxes)

Ardens Gruyere & Spinach Twists (£1.75) are light, flaky all-butter puff pastry twists, entwined with mellow Gruyere cheese and vibrant spinach. It's a perfect pairing of flavours.
Nutritional info: 32kcal per twist, or 488kcal per 100g box.
We scoffed them in one go, straight from the box. Very moreish.
Available from Waitrose.

UFIT Crunchers Sea Salt & Vinegar (gift, see above) is a high protein and healthy on-the-go snack. These delicious high protein popped soy chips come at 158kcal per bag. UFIT Crunchers come in 3 flavours - Smokehouse BBQ, Sea Salt & Vinegar and Thai Sweet Chilli flavour.
That's another snack which disappeared in 60 seconds.

Indie Bay Chocolate Pretzels (Dark and Milk) (£1.25 each) are oven baked spelt, wheat and sunflower bites, covered in chocolate. You will receive 2 items in your box.
Nutritional information: 149kcal and 5.6g of sugar per 31g bag.
Delicious combination of flavours and textures, these little bites will be a big hit with anyone who enjoys a sweet and savoury fusion of tastes.
They are made with ancient grains, and are a source of fibre.
Available on indiebaysnacks.com, Amazon, at Whole Foods Market and Planet Organic.

I have already discovered Gloriously Grown snacks in Sainsbury's, and was glad to see a bag of Gloriously Grown Vietnamese Jumbo Wrapped Cashews (£3) in the box.
These delicious salted cashews are a perfect snack for a party.
Available at Sainsbury's (look out for the other tasty flavours of fruit and nut mixes).

MadeGood Granola Bars (£2.90) are allergy friendly and school safe snack, made from gluten free oats.
Since many children have food allergies and sensitivities, schools are restricting foods brought into the classroom. MadeGood snacks are free from common allergens so children can enjoy them at school or at home. These granola bars are chewy and contain the nutrients of one full serving of vegetables.
All MadeGood ingredients are ethically sourced.
They come in 3 tasty flavours - Chocolate chip, Mixed Berry and Chocolate Banana. Each box includes 6 individually wrapped bars.
Subscribers will receive 1 of 3 flavours (bloggers get to try all 3).
Available at ASDA.

Candy Kittens Tropical Mango (£2) is the delicious new addition to the range of gourmet sweets. Tropical Mango is joining Candy Kittens' vegan range, which is also gluten free and dairy free, uses natural colours and flavourings and contains real fruit juice.
This flavour is available from Morrisons and candykittens.co.uk.

Smith & Sinclair Alcoholic Cocktail Gummies (£15 for a selection of 8) is a grown-up treat.
London-based, cocktail confectionery specialists Smith & Sinclair proudly bring you their alcoholic cocktail gummies.
Blended like a real cocktail with premium spirits, fresh fruit and syrups, each gummy contains half a shot and is vegan. Cin cin!
You should receive 1 gummy in your box. Shop the full range at www.smithandsinclair.com and use code DEGUSTA for 15% off.

King Monty Chocolate Snacks (Pop Rice & Sunny Orange) will be delivered to subscribers who opted for non-alcohol box. These are small-sized dairy and gluten free, plant-based chocolate bars.
They are made with authentic Belgian chocolate.
At 169kcal per bar, this makes it an attractive treat for elevenses or with an afternoon tea.

From snacks to easy meal kits and ideas:
Blue Dragon Teriyaki Street Food Skewers (£2.70) includes everything you will need to prepare an authentic Japanese meal. It includes a Teriyaki sauce sachet, a Teriaki marinade, sesame seeds and skewers. It takes 20 minutes to cook an easy and tasty meal.
This kit is suitable for vegetarians and vegans (and obviously meat-eaters too).
Use chicken, beef or tofu.
Available at ASDA, Morrisons, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado.

Blue Dragon Thai Holy Basil Stir Fry Kit (£1.50) contains three key ingredients - a base, sauce and topping. It's a kit which includes a Holy Basil sauce, Garlic and ginger paste and dried holy basil.
Take your stir fry to the next level and create an authentic Thai dish in your own kitchen.
Available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado.

Very Lazy Chopped Garlic (£1.50) saves you time (and all the washing) in the kitchen, when you need to add flavour to any savoury dish. (Of course, it's not difficult to peel and press a clove through a garlic press, but I hate cleaning the press)
Check out verylazy.com for recipe ideas.
Available in all major supermarkets.

And finally, the drinks:
Lagunitas DayTime Session IPA (£1.80) is" a light beer boldly dosed with a glorious fortune of hops". At 98kcal per bottle and 4% ABV, DayTime is light, crisp and tasty.
Available at ASDA, Morrisons, and pubs and bars across the country.

Pedrino Vermouth & Tonic Spritz (£1.95) is a refreshing, floral blend. The light 5.5% spritzer offers subtle notes of melon, floral botanicals and grapefruit. Serve chilled over ice or use as an effortlessly elegant way to spritz up your classic cocktails.

Aavailable in Ocado, at waitrose and on Amazon.

Oteas Green Tea, Cranberry, Cherry & Strawberry (£3.39) is a refreshing mid-afternoon tea.
It's not the first time Oteas appears in Degustabox's selection.
Classic green tea is enhanced by sour cherry, zesty cranberries and fragrant lemongrass and bamboo leaves, and complemented by sweet apples, strawberries and a touch of cornflour blossoms.
It's a delightful combination of sweet and sour.
Available on Oteas.com, Amazon and Ocado.

As you can see, the last Degustabox of the year was a wonderful box of treats.

Disclosure: We receive a monthly box for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Cheddar nibbles with Rice Krispies

During our last stay at my in-laws in Italy I was looking through some paperbacks that I left there many years ago, and a magazine cutting with a recipe for Cleverest Ever Cheese Nibbles has fallen out.

I don't know now which magazine it was, it must have been either BBC Good Food or Somerfield magazine, and it was published some time before 2000, as that was the year when we moved to the States and sent a whole load of our books and belongings to Italy. I read the recipe and liked the sound if it, it is incredibly easy to make and you can involve children in the baking session.

I have only slightly adapted the recipe by using at least half a teaspoon of paprika. I also didn't have 225g of Cheddar, but a smaller block, so I used some grated Babybel to make up the difference.
As suggested, I mixed together the grated cheese (225g) with 115g softened butter and paprika, added 25g Rice Krispies and plain flour (100g). Then just mix it all together, roll into small balls and place on the pre-oiled tray (I used 2 trays). Bake for 15 minutes until golden at 180C.

The resulting nibbles were very soft, textured and a bit fluffy. I didn't mind that they were all mismatched, as it only adds to the rustic charm. They will look lovely on a cheeseboard with strong flavoured cheese and pickles.

I used a mild Cheddar for this batch, I think next time I will try the extra mature Cheddar and even more paprika.

One happy boy and a Peppa Pig cake

"Mama, can I eat the cake?"
"No, Eddie, we are waiting for your guests and I will cut it later"
"Mama, can I lick it then?" And "Please, please... please!"





Peppa Pig and Eddie: it's a love from the first sight. Mama could be a good baker, but I cannot compete with the shop-bought Peppa Pig cake. Eddie's been talking about getting it for his birthday for days and days. We failed to find it in Penzance (we stayed in Cornwall on Eddie's birthday) but the trip to the local Sainsbury's saved the day, for Eddie's mini tea party we acquired the much coveted treasure.

Eddie loved it. The Lightbody Peppa Pig Celebration cake itself is a plain golden sponge with a bit of jam between the layers. But of course, the full glory of it is the favourite characters on the icing. And that you cannot beat, can you?!

Just look at this happy face! So much genuine joy and happiness! When do we lose that elusive overwhelming feeling of pleasure from simple things which you can experience in childhood? When do our emotions become jaded and we lose the talent of expressing our joy so sincerely and openly? A plain balloon brings a wave of ecstasy, a supermarket-bought cake leaves you deliriously happy... How wonderful! Truly magic moments.