December Box Degustabox

 It feels like it was only yesterday that we were anticipating Christmas, and now the New Year's eve is over, and January began in earnest. The school holidays are over, and nobody is looking forward to the early mornings.

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 December Box Degustabox?

Heinz Soup is the Product of the Month. You should receive two tins, French Onion Soup and Broccoli and Stilton/or Spicy Parsnip soup.

Heinz French Onion Soup (£1.70) is a classic soup, full of flavour. It has onion pieces and a splash of red wine to enrich the taste of this traditional dish. Serve it with a garlic cheese toast of cheese croutons on top. What a lovely winter meal!

If you're not overly keen on soups, and prefer stews, use a tin of soup as an ingredient for a comforting beef or pulses stew.

No artificial colours or preservatives, it is also low in fat and sugar. Vegetarian. 

Typical values: 46kcal and 4g of sugar per 1/2 can.

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

Heinz Spicy Parsnip Soup (£1.70, see above) is a low sugar, low fat vegetarian soup. Sweet parsnips are gently cooked with carrots, onions, as well as warming spices, like chilli and red pepper.

Soups are made for cold weather, and this parsnip soup will be a comforting meal after a long walk in the cold.

Nutritional values: 74kcal and 4.9g of sugar per 1/2 can.

Available at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Iceland, ASDA and Ocado.

Maggi Chicken Flavour Instant Noodles (£2) makes a quick and easy meal, filling and flavourful. Make a bowl of noodles, by just adding boiling water and it's ready in 3 minutes. Add any garnishes, and a squeeze of lime juice, and enjoy. 

Chicken flavour noodles are low in saturated fat, and are suitable for vegetarians. There are no artificial colours, or preservatives added.

Typical values:272kcal and 1.47g of salt per serving.

Available in ASDA, Iceland, B&M, Poundland and Lidl.

Knorr Beef Gravy Pot (£2.25) contains quality ingredients and real meat juices to enhance a meat-based family meal. Think a traditional Sunday roast, or beef Stroganoff. It will enrich a simple vegetable or mushroom soup, and you can also stir it into a risotto.

The gravy pot recreates the authentic flavour of rich homemade gravy in minutes.

Contains no added MSG and free from artificial colours and preservatives.

Typical values: 15kcal and 1g of salt per 70ml.

Available in the major supermarket chains such as Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's, and Ocado.

Dr Will's Tomato Ketchup (250g or 500g) or Bacon Ketchup or BBQ Sauce or Mango Sriracha Hot Sauce or Vegan Mayo (£3.50) - you will receive one of these condiments in the box.

We got Dr Will's Sweet Mango Sriracha sauce. It is all natural, gluten free, vegan friendly, keto friendly, sweetened naturally. The sauce itself is a combination of sweet and spicy, and is recommended to be used in tacos, sandwiches, wraps. You could also stir it in stews, rice dishes or roasted vegetables.

Nutritional values: 8kcal and 1g of sugar per 15g.

Available in Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado, Co-Op, Selfridges, Whole Foods Market and more.

Brand new Alpen Delight bars (£0.59p each) are made with creamy rolled oats, wholegrain wheat flakes and crispy rice, blended with delicious inclusions and coated with a smooth chocolate layer. You should receive 2 items in your box.

Alpen Delight Chocolate Caramel & Shortbread/Raspberry Rocky Road are lovely sweet treats. Whether you're feeling peckish while on the go, or just want a sweet treat with your tea or coffee, grab a bar and enjoy.

Nutritional values: 92kcal, and 5.3g of sugar per bar

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Tony's Chocolonely Littl' Bits Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Biscuit (£3) is a twist on their best-selling chocolate bar - it's a delectable blend of crunchy caramel in a layer of creamy milk chocolate, with an added bonus of buttery cookie pieces.

My boys appreciated the Littl' Bits. While I salute Tony's brand credentials and an admirable mission, I do find Tony's chocolate a tad too sweet for me. 

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Typical values: 157kcal and 15g of sugar per 30g serving.

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Chocolate Mocha Flavour Granola (£3) is a new addition to the Kellogg's range. This unusual granola is infused with an aromatic coffee flavour, and will please the coffee lovers.

It's more of a grown up flavour (my sons don't like coffee or coffee-flavoured confectionery, so were not keen on trying the new granola).

This Barista edition granola is made with wholegrain, and contains no artificial colours or flavours. It's a mix of coffee flavoured oat clusters with almonds and milk chocolate curls.

Typical values: 225kcal and 9.5g of sugar per 45g serving.

Get More Vits Orange, Mango & Passionfruit Multivitamin Squash/ or Summer Fruits Multivitamin Squash (£2.50) is a brand new addition to Get More Vits range. 

Pour 1 part squash to 4 parts water or more to prepare this flavourful drink. 

Typical values: 3kcal and 0.4g of sugar per 100ml diluted squash.

Great for the whole family, the squash contains 20% fruit juice, no added sugar, and each serving contains 50% of your daily dose of vitamins, including vitamin D.

Available in Tesco and ASDA.

You should receive 1 item in your box.

And finally, Eisberg Alcohol Free Wine Sparkling Rose (£4) is perfect for the Dry January, or any other occasion, when you want a festive drink without alcohol. 

Just before Christmas we had a bottle of Eisberg Mulled Wine, and it was just right, with all the fruity flavours.

Eisberg Alcohol Free starts as a regular wine, with the alcohol gently removed. Eisberg is available in an inspiring range of wine varieties. Vegan and low calorie too.

Available in Tesco, Morrisons, Co-Op, Ocado and Amazon.

What was your favourite product in the Degustabox December Box?

The Wine List

Do you admire people who swirl and sniff their wine in a glass and pronounce: "With a whiff of the orchard in both spring and autumn, this has the pulse of fresh acidity and seasoning of peppery spice"? (quote is from 20 best wines for the summer by David Williams)

Do you enjoy drinking wine but tend to stick to those varieties you've tried in the past and know what to expect? Whenever I go out (or went out, since I haven't been in a restaurant, like everyone else, for months and months), I look at the wine list, and then choose a glass of something "safe".

Let's just say, I'm the opposite of being adventurous when it comes to wine.
I applaud people who know their wine and can easily pick the right bottle in the supermarket rather than stand by the wine aisle in confusion, not sure what's best to pair with the dinner you're cooking for guests.

If you want to educate yourself about wine, The Wine List is a wine subscription box focused on learning.

When I was approached with an offer to review The Wine List box, I cautiously mentioned that I'm not a wine expert, though I do enjoy reading features on wine in food magazines and online.

How does The Wine List subscription work?

Once a month you receive a box which contains two bottles of wine, interactive tasting cards and a leaflet which allows you to learn one wine principle.

The box I received had a very informative piece on Wine Roots/Vessel, talking about how the shape, size and material of the vessels impact the final wine.

You discover two wines, which are rarely available in the UK - usually a white and a red.

Let's have a look at what wines we received in our box - Massaya White/Massaya (2018, Lebanon) and Cara Sucia/Durigutti Family (2019, Argentina).
These are definitely new wines for me, I haven't come across these winemakers before, and enjoyed reading their stories, origins, food pairing, including the local food pairing.

The tasting notes and information about the winemakers are concise and direct. As you sample wine, you might want to tick off the aroma profile notes as appropriate, so not only you sample new wines, you develop your skills at the same time. Each month you try new wines and expand your knowledge.
The tasting guide will give you twelve lessons through the year.

The Wine List write on their website: "We've looked at wine learning in a load of different ways. and we believe the best way to learn is through discovery - new grapes, regions and winemakers - with a few core principles underneath."
They promise: "With some practice, after six-to-twelve months, you should be able to look at a restaurant wine list, or shelves in your local merchant, and have an inkling of what a bottle should taste like".

The Wine List subscription box costs £36 per month.

Let's look closely at each wine we've tried.

Massaya White/Massya - 2018 is a medium to full-bodied white, showing off mineral aromas, as well as prominent lashings of white flowers, and lemons.
With background hints of honey, this is a very drinkable wine. It is crisp, refreshing, and will go well with a variety of cuisines and dishes.

Massaya is run by two brothers, Sami and Rammzi Ghosn, in partnership with the Brunier brothers from Vieux Télégraphe and Dominique Hébrard, formerly from Château Cheval Blanc.

Suggested food pairing - seafood-heavy pasta would work well here. I imagine it would be a treat to pair it with spaghetti alle vongole (or pasta with clams).
Local food pairing would be Samkeh Harra, Lebanese grilled fish, marinated in chilli, citrus and coriander.

I consulted a book called Souk by Nadia Zeruali and Merijn Tol, which I reviewed a couple of years ago. It's a cook book of Middle Eastern cuisine, and has a good number of Lebanese recipes.
I was searching for the authentic vegetarian Lebanese recipes. Hummus and Moutabal (aubergine spread with yogurt, pomegranate and oregano) are easy to make, and are perfect for a light dinner.

As it happened, these cold mezze and Massaya White are great together.

Cara Sucia/Durigutti Family - 2019 is an Argentinian wine from the region of Rivadavia, Mendoza.
Described as light and fresh, with crunchy redcurrants, red cherries and hints of strawberry, it has a definite tannic bite on the palate, but nothing aggressive. It would suit slightly chilled.

Brothers Hector and Pablo made wine all over the world in Italy, Chile and Argentina before returning home to Mendoza in 2002.
Cara Sucia is the epitome of that journey: the wine that signifies their return home.

Food pairing suggestions: try vegetarian-led food, or smoky, cured meats, even thrown over the BBQ.
Local food pairing would be a Choripan, an Argentinian sandwich: barbecued chorizo, topped with chimichurri, caramelised onions and pickled aubergines.

I served it lightly chilled, with chilli pistachios and Ancho peppers. It is a fragrant, red-fruited wine, perfect to drink on a summer evening.
This wine of glorious ruby colour makes you think of long summer days and fruit ripening under the sun.

Both wines are perfect for entertaining, or while enjoying a quiet evening in the garden, sitting in the sunset.
I appreciated learning about the wine we sampled, and reading the stories behind the brands.

The Wine List subscription box will make an excellent gift for any foodie.

If this wine subscription box with the focus on learning sounds like something you would enjoy, check out their website or Insta page - @the_winelist which has a discount code offer for your first box.

Disclosure: As mentioned above, we received a box of wine for the purposes of reviewing.

Midweek meals: Spaghetti Bolognese #Dolmio #ThankGoodness

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the most popular dishes, and there are lots of different variations of the original ragu recipe. Last March Mary Berry caused a SpagBolGate on social media, as she added white wine and double cream to her Bolognese pasta. I didn't watch the TV programme, but there was no escape from the indignant hullabaloo online and in the papers the next day. As if she has committed a culinary crime of the century.
Of course, the Italians never serve Ragú Bolognese with spaghetti anyway.

Amused by all the commotion, I decided to do a little research and check my collection of cook books, to find out which recipes for Ragù Bolognese they offer.

The Oxford Companion to Food, the food bible written by food historian and author Alan Davidson has an entry on Ragù:
"Ragù - the true name for the Bolognese sauce which has acquired international currency, especially in Spaghetti alla Bolognese. In Bologna, the home of this sauce, it was first used for a baked pie of lasagne, not as the sauce for spaghetti or other pasta... The original sauce was made without benefit of the meat mincer, and the meat was chopped into smallish chunks. Nor did it contain tomato, which didn't arrive in Italy from America until later, and even then was only grudgingly accepted; even now a correct ragù bolognese has only a light tomato flavour.
The principal ingredient is always minced meat, usually beef, cooked with chicken livers, unsmoked bacon, onion, celery, tomato puree, and wine. Debased forms of the sauce are frequently met; these lack the subtlety and roundness of flavour which characterize the authentic versions".

The expression "debased forms" has left me in stitches, but yes, what most people here know as Spaghetti Bolognese could be easily described as such by the purists.

Let's have a look at Saveur Cooks/Authentic Italian - Ragù alla Bolognese recipe includes prosciutto, chopped chicken livers, ground chuck, white wine and the mellowing surprise of milk. It also uses pureed plum tomatoes.

Biba Caggiano in Biba's Taste of Italy offers a recipe for Tagliatelle with Bolognese Ragu - she uses a mix of minced pancetta, ground beef chuck and ground pork loin. As for wine, she goes for medium-bodied red wine, such as Chianti Classico. Plus whole milk.

Sonia Peronaci of the Giallo Zafferano fame cooks her Ragù with a mix of ground beef and pork, as well as pancetta, adding red wine and whole milk.

The Chiappa Sisters who wrote Simply Italian have borrowed their recipe from chef Anna Maria. Her secret is to let the ragu simmer for 3 hours and never use tinned tomatoes. They use pancetta with beef mince, a glass of red wine and no dairy except the parmesan to serve it with.

Julia Della Croce in Italian Comfort Food, on the other hand, uses tinned tomatoes. There is minced beef, dry white wine and milk in her recipe too.

As you can see, there is not consensus even among the Italian cooks.

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Last month BritMums and Dolmio have invited bloggers to cook a Spaghetti Bolognese meal, using Dolmio Bolognese sauce.

What goes into a jar of Dolmio Bolognese sauce? It is 100% natural, contains no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners. In each jar, you will find at least 10 juicy diced tomatoes, some tomato puree, half an onion, sunflower oil, garlic, a handful of herbs, a teaspoon of cornflour, a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, two teaspoons of beet sugar for taste, a squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of water and nothing more.
In fact, a jar provides a family of four with one of their 5-a-day makin a great mid-week meal option for the whole family.

All participating bloggers were provided with ingredients to make several meals including either a meat-based or vegetarian version of Spaghetti Bolognese.

Typically I use red wine as well as tinned tomatoes, but as the cooking challenge was set up by BritMums and Dolmio, I used a jar of Dolmio Bolognese sauce.
Since it is already made, I didn't need to simmer it for long, as I would do if I cooked a tinned tomato-based sauce. Thumbs up for the ease and convenience, that is definitely a useful kitchen staple to have for mid-week meals, when you don't want to spend hours stirring sauce in the kitchen.
I decided to experiment and add white wine to the sauce. I don't add chicken livers, as my family don't like it.

Spaghetti Bolognese (serves 4)
Ingredients:
500g minced beef and pork (half-half)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 jar of Dolmio tomato ragu sauce
1tsp mixed herbs (dried)
100ml white wine (optional)
5tbsp olive oil for frying
sea salt
In a big frying pan heat up the oil, and fry finely chopped onion for about 5-6 minutes.
Add the minced beef and pork, as well as carrot and celery and cook stirring until the mince is well browned.  Add the chopped garlic, herbs, white wine and tomato sauce. Season well and cook on low for about 10 minutes. The ragu will be simmering slowly. Give it an occasional stir.

Cook spaghetti al dente in the boiling salted water. Drain the pasta and serve with the ragu.
Grate a bit of parmesan or Grana Padano on top if you fancy it.

As the food delivery had enough ingredients for several meals, I used the second jar of Dolmio to cook a one-pot baked chicken.
How do you cook your spaghetti Bolognese?

Check out what my blogging buddies Alison from Dragons and Fairy Dust and Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews cooked for the challenge (just click on the links, they'll take you straight to recipes).

Midweek Challenge with Dolmio

and

Bolognese rice two ways

Disclosure: We received ingredients courtesy of Dolmio to cook this meal. 

This post is an entry for the #Dolmio #ThankGoodness Challenge, sponsored by Dolmio www.dolmio.co.uk/thankgoodness

Courgette and asparagus risotto

How quickly did the holiday week go. Back to school tomorrow. Deep sigh. Tomorrow our house will be in total upheaval, as we finally are going to have works done on the collapsed ceiling in the entrance room. I want all the old plastering to be removed, but that means, everything will be covered with dust, even with the doors to the other rooms closed. So, if I disappear for a while, that would mean, I'm fighting the dust and serving endless cups of tea and coffee to the builders.
Tonight for dinner we had a risotto, later followed by a fresh fruit salad.

Courgette and asparagus risotto
Ingredients:
2 medium courgettes
100g asparagus tips
5tbsp olive oil
25g butter
300g arborio risotto rice
100ml dry white wine or prosecco
230g Roots Garden Peas blended vegetable blend
150ml single cream
40g Grana Padano, grated

Slice courgettes in half lengthways, then into thin crescents. Chop the asparagus. In a deep frying pan heat 3tbsp of olive oil, add the courgettes and asparagus. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
In a different frying pan add the sliced shallots to the hot olive oil (2tbsp), and sweat on a medium heat until softened. Add the arbotio rice, stir with a wooden spoon, so that all the rice grains are coated with the onion-flavoured oil.
Add the white wine, and allow it to evaporate. Keep stirring. Add the Garden peas vegetable blend, a bit at a time, as you would with the stock. Add the single cream too. Keep adding vegetable blend and cream, and a little bit of hot water for about 20+ minutes, until the rice is cooked. The time will depend on how al dente you like to eat your risotto. If you like it well cooked, you will need more time for cooking.
Add the fried courgettes and asparagus to the risotto in the last 5 minutes of cooking. The vegetables should still have a bite rather than turn into slushy mushy bio-mass.

Grate Grana Padano and stir in at the last minute. Serve with more grated cheese on top.

In this recipe instead of the usual stock I used Roots Garden Greens - cucumber, peas, kale & mint vegetable blend. It gave a lovely fresh green flavour to risotto.

For a different vegetarian risotto with Garden Greens, check out the Roots Collective Greens Risotto, cooked with broccoli, spinach and broad beans.

Since I used the remains of prosecco (leftover from Valentine's day dinner) and Grana Padano (which I keep in big chunks in the freezer), this recipe is joining in #KitchenClearout Linky, run by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

Tomato veal stew

Have you noticed how early it starts to get dark these days? And the mornings as well, it's still pretty dark when I get up. I love the early autumn, for its fruit and colours, but mid-and-late autumn are a bit depressing. When the alarm goes off, I open one eye, look at the window, blimey, it is still too dark, I wish I could snuggle in bed under my warm duvet for longer. I often fantasize about pretending that I never heard the alarm. What if we just keep sleeping? Skipping the school sounds very tempting. But then I know that I would never do it deliberately. So, off I skedaddle to the kitchen, put the kettle on, switch on the radio and start making breakfast for my guys.
Just a few days ago when we walked to school across the fields, all the grass was covered with frost.
The air is positively chilly. When it's getting colder, I cook a lot of soups and stews. What could be better than tucking into a hot savoury bowl, and mopping up all the sauce with a chunky bread. Sigh of pleasure. I do love good bread. That's why I will never regain my thin figure again.
Yesterday I cooked a tomato veal stew. My guys are not very keen on dumplings, so it was a slightly Italianate version, with Spanish wine, Italian tinned tomatoes, Polish soured gherkins and British pickled jalapenos. Rather pre-Brexit.

Talking of which, since we live in Cameron's former constituency, we are facing elections the next week. The onslaught of campaigning has been relentless. Especially from LibDems, every day there is a new envelope, addressed to us personally. I even had a call on my mobile, which to be honest, annoyed me big time. I said I never voted LibDem, and never will, still I got more papers through the door which went straight in the recycling bin. Couldn't they see the poster I put in the window "Vote Labour"?!
The other day some very young man knocked on the door, all dressed up smart, but looking like a 12-year-old and uttered an immortal phrase "May I inspire you to vote Conservative?" Arrrgghhh...

Tomato veal stew
Ingredients:
275g veal cubed
1tsbp plain flour
6tbsp olive oil
1 big red onion
1 carrot
150ml red wine (rioja)
1 tin (440g) Cirio Tuscan chopped tomatoes (or any other good quality tinned tomatoes)
1 beef stock cube
4 potatoes
2 fresh sage leaves
a few pieces of pickled jalapenos (Deli Toppers from Baxter's)
sour gherkins to serve with (optional)


Dust the cubed veal with the plain flour. Heat up 3tbsp of olive oil, add the veal, cook stirring until browned on all sides. Put the veal in a big pan. Add more oil to the frying pan, where the veal was browned, add the finely chopped onion, cook stirring for 5 minutes, add the sliced carrot, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Put the onions and carrots in the pan with the veal.
Pour the red wine, a tin of tinned tomatoes, crumble a beef stock cube. Cover with hot water, and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and cook on low for about 40 minutes, simmering.
Peel and cube potatoes, add to the stew. Add more water, and about 2 tbsp of pickled jalapenos as well as some finely chopped sage.
Cook on low for another 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes are cooked soft.
Serve hot with a nice chunk of bread, and slice some gherkins too.

Elizabeth David was very adamant in her dislike of stock cubes. I've just been reading "Is there nutmeg in the house?", and oh my, she clearly hated them with vengeance. The book is very entertaining, but goodness, the lady was very opinionated and also with a long memory.
Unlike Ms David, I don't see them as enemies of foodies, they do add flavour, and if you don't mind extra salt, then just use less salt when cooking.

In this recipe, I used a tin of Cirio Tuscan chopped tomatoes. They give the perfect flavour, a good balance of sweetness and acidity.
I also added some Baxters Deli Toppers Jalapenos for an extra heat.

What are you cooking these days?

Turkey steaks in sweet wine and mushroom sauce - #TurkeyTractorChallenge

Cooking challenges are always great fun. If you follow my blog, or even dip in from time to time, you might have noticed my love of blogger challenges. Recently British Turkey and Red Tractor have teamed up and invited bloggers to create a recipe, using British turkey and a range of Red Tractor approved ingredients.
The winner will receive £250 of supermarket vouchers and will have their award presented to them at the British Turkey Awards at the Sheraton Park lane hotel in September.
The current theme of the challenge is "Best of British". The competition closes on 26th of August, so if you fancy taking part, you'd better hurry (T&Cs can be found on British Turkey site).

I used a generic "dessert wine" ingredient in the list, as it could also be cooked with a marsala, sweet sherry, or any other dessert wine.
It is easy to make, and the sauce adds a rich note to the healthy low-calorie turkey steaks.
Fennel has been known in this country since the days of the Romans, its flavour and aroma complement many meat dishes. Mushrooms are another of my favourite ingredients.

Turkey steaks in sweet wine and mushroom sauce
Ingredients:
turkey steaks (about 400g+)
3tbsp olive oil + more for sauce
2 heaped tbsp flour
salt, black pepper
200g button mushrooms, sliced
2tbsp butter
120ml chicken stock
120ml sweet dessert wine
1tsp cornflour
1 fennel, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1tsp lemon juice
dried thyme and basil

In a wide bowl mix together flour with salt and pepper. Dip the turkey steaks in the bowl and shake off the excess flour.
In a large skillet, cook the turkey steaks in olive oil for about 7 minutes or so on each side until the steaks are cooked through. Remove the steaks, place on a plate and cover to keep warm.
Slice the mushrooms, cook with more oil + butter in the same skillet where you cooked turkey. Add the chicken stock (about 1 flat teaspoon of chicken stock powder diluted in 120ml hot water), and the dessert wine. Cook on low for about 10 minutes, stirring until the liquid has reduced.
Dissolve 1tsp of cornflour in cold water, stir well and add to the sauce. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice in the sauce as well.
In the meantime slice the fennel and red onion and cook with oil in a frying pan, stirring frequently. Add some dried herbs.
Serve the turkey steaks with the fennel and onion side dish. Serve the mushroom sauce over the steaks.
It would also go well with mashed potatoes, but as it is summer, I opted for a lighter vegetable side dish.
A green salad is another alternative.

Disclosure: I was invited to take part in the cooking challenge with a future refund for the ingredients, that is if I manage to find my receipt, me being so disorganised.

New Mulled Cider spice from Schwartz

It hasn't been properly cold yet this winter. Though with a daily occurrence of the rainy weather, it does feel cold.
Hot tea or coffee are perfectly fine, of course. And if you are in the mood for something stronger than tea, how about a glass of mulled cider or wine? It's a perfect season for this treat.
Schwartz has recently launched a new Mulled Cider Spice in addition to their Mulled Wine spice.
Mulled Cider Spice is a blend of allspice, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Each small box contains 6 sachets.
It couldn't be easier to prepare the mulled cider: just pour 1litre of dry cider in a big saucepan, add 2tbsp brown sugar and 2 sachets of Schwartz Mulled Cider Spice. Simmer for 10 minutes.
I don't remember trying mulled cider before, and was very curious to try the spice. I used a dry cider, but it might also work well with the sweeter varieties of cider. It is a lovely combination of flavours.

This spice could also be used with an apple juice for a non-alcoholic drink.

For Christmas traditionalists there is a classic Mulled Wine spice from Schwartz. I used the spice with an Italian wine - Chianti, as its robust flavours are great with mulling spices.

Mulled Wine Spice is a blend of allspice, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, I have also added slices of orange and brown sugar to the hot drink.
When the wine was simmering gently on the stove, the aromas went up from the kitchen and all over the house. It smelt so festive and Christmasy. I started singing even before I had a drink.

Mulled wine spice is fab with cranberry juice too. It makes a great non-alcoholic festive drink for a designated driver or any family member or guest who just doesn't fancy any alcohol.
We all loved the hot cranberry juice with spices.

Disclosure: I received two boxes of spices for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Italian beef stew with porcini, chestnuts and red wine

Last Sunday our Eddie went through a ceremony of baptism. It was a moving ceremony, and after it has finished we invited our guests to our house for lunch. Just a few days before the event I was worried about what I was going to serve for lunch, and was seriously considering a cold buffet, with platters of cold cuts and cheese. Then, as I was browsing the latest issue of Sainsbury's magazine (November 2015), I've spotted a recipe for Italian beef, porcini and red wine stew, and thought that it could be cooked the night before. After all, we could have a hot meal without a big hassle on the day.

I have adapted the recipe, and also cooked it on the stove rather than in the oven, as I don't have a casserole dish big enough. I served it with roast potatoes.

Italian beef stew with porcini, chestnuts and red wine
Ingredients:
about 30g of porcini mushrooms
2tbsp olive oil
1 pack of cubed pancetta (206g)
1 red onion, finely sliced
1tsp brown demerara sugar (optional)
1tsp dry sherry (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
2tbsp olive oil + more for frying beef
1tsp dried thyme
2kg sliced braising steak
30g butter
1 tub of beef stock (500g)
200ml red wine
1tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
200g cooked peeled chestnuts

Pour a mug of freshly boiled water over the porcini mushrooms in a deep bowl and let them soak for at least half an hour. Pick up the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and chop finely. Strain the mushroom liquid, as there might be gritty pieces left.
In a deep frying pan heat 2tbsp of olive oil and brown the pancetta, keep stirring so that the cubes are well browned on all sides. Remove the pancetta with a spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
Finely slice the onion and cook in the frying pan until translucent, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and demerara sugar as well as a bit of dry sherry. Once cooked put the fried onion with the pancetta in a big pan or pot where you're going to cook your stew.
Fry the sliced porcini mushrooms for about 5 minutes, sprinkle some dried thyme. Add to the pot with pancetta and onion.
Add more olive oil to the frying pan, and cook the beef in batches (about 3, I would say). Season with salt, but not too much, as the stock has added salt. Add a little bit of butter to each batch. Brown all the steak pieces well. Put all the ingredients in the pot.
Pour the beef stock. I used Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients beef stock.
Pour 200ml of red wine. I used a Chianti in this recipe, but any robust red wine will do. Add the dried basil, bay leaves and balsamic vinegar. Add the strained mushroom liquid too.
Bring to boil, then lower the heat and cook on low for 2+ hours, stirring occasionally. You might need to get a bit more water if the stew becomes too thick.
Add the chestnuts and cook for another 30 minutes. Check if it needs more salt.
The original recipe also has plain flour added to the stew, but one of our guests is on gluten free diet, so I skipped it altogether. The stew was rich and thick as it was, without flour.

We all enjoyed this rich stew. The flavours were fantastic - porcini mushrooms, red wine, chestnuts. It was quite festive, with an addition of chestnuts.

I served the stew with Bourgogne Clos Bardot Pinot Noir (2010), and lovely it was too.

Christmas Selection Gift Hamper from Bluebird Tea Co

I will never cease being amazed at how super organised some of my friends are. They've already got all their Christmas gifts bought in the after-Christmas sale, and everything has been wrapped and ready back in summer. If you're not in the same category (me neither), you might be only now starting to think about buying gifts for your family and friends, perusing magazines or searching online for that perfect present. If your future gift recipient is as crazy about tea as I am, then have a good browsing through the range of Christmas gifts at Bluebird Tea co.
They have recently surprised me with a wonderful present of Christmas Selection Gift Hamper.

Honestly, I squeaked with delight. I love tea and I love mugs, as our kitchen can attest. New teas and seasonal mugs are a huge magnet for me. I had to slap my wrists today, doing grocery shopping, as there were a few very cute Christmas mugs that nearly made it into my shopping basket.

I must have been a good girl, because Santa knew exactly what I am partial to.
This super tea hamper is beautifully presented in a wicker basket. It looks festive, wrapped with a green ribbon and a gift tag.
What does it contain?
Christmas Tea Bauble in Christmas Cake
Snowball 50g Carton (Coconut, chocolate and mini marshmallows)
Gingerbread Chai 15 Parcel Carton
Mulled Wine Tea Cocktail Bottle
In-cup infuser basket
Christmas Bluebird tea mug with a limited edition design
Bluebird Tote bag - a natural cotton tote bag with limited edition design

Last year Christmas Cake Tea Bauble was sold out in one day, and I can easily see why. I love the festive presentation of this seasonal brew. It looks very pretty and will make a super Christmas stocking filler. You can see cute teeny weeny snowflakes inside the tea bags.

Its ingredients include Ceylon black tea, vanilla pieces, almond pieces, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, spruce needles, snowflake sprinkles and stevia. It is mildly sweet and very aromatic. It truly embodies the smells and tastes of Christmas. Warming, spicy and indulgent, it's a perfect brew for a cold weather.

Gingerbread Chai is the definitive Christmas brew. Bursting with flavours, it is a blend of rooibos, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and mallow flowers.

It is delicious as it is, but add a little bit of honey and hot milk for a really indulgent drink. If you have a milk frother, treat yourself to a chai latte. (Apologies for the Halloween-themed mug, I took this photo over a week ago. Cannot find any good light these few days to retake the photo, it is so grey and dark outside for the natural light, and indoors it's totally dark for any decent photos).

Snowball loose leaf tea is another festive treat from Bluebird Tea Co. This blend includes black Ceylon tea, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and a sprinkle of mini marshmallows. There are also dried petals of red cornflowers which add a very nice touch to the overall appearance of this blend. Absolutely lush!

When you brew it, everyone seems to be drawn to the kitchen, as it smells so nice. The marshmallows melt and the tea looks slightly matte.

Now we move from the tea blends to a mulled wine tea cocktail. Who doesn't enjoy a mug of hot, strong mulled wine at this time of the year? The bottle contains a mix of hibiscus, rosehip, apple pieces, lemon pieces, orange peel, orange flowers, cloves and cinnamon.

Top it up with red wine, leave for a couple of days or more to infuse, then simmer on the stove for 10 minutes, strain and enjoy.

I have also added some freshly squeezed orange juice when I was heating the wine (and I didn't strain it either as the floating spices add to the rustic charm).

So, if you know someone who loves tea, be assured they'll love this hamper.

You can buy all these goodies separately, of course.

Disclosure: I received the hamper for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.