The Second Mrs Thistlewood by Dionne Haynes #BlogTour

"From this day forward, I will strive for happiness. It may take a while to find the future I deserve, but while I work towards it, I will be courageous".

The Second Mrs Thistlewood by Dionne Haynes is a historical novel, set in Regency England.
Some of the events in the book are inspired by true events. Arthur Thistlewood was a radical activist and conspirator in the Cato Street Conspiracy, who was executed for treason.

His second wife was Susan Wilkinson, the main protagonist of the novel.

Arthur is well educated and has great aspirations of overthrowing the constitution and "improving the lives of the many who are far less fortunate than ourselves".

Susan says about their union, "I'm smart of mind and share Arthur's political views, and I do my best to encourage him in the fight against tyranny."

Arthur is a violent bully, who beats his wife, but she finds excuses for him, when confiding in to her mother:
"He's a retired soldier. Violence is an inevitable part of his character. The important thing is that he keeps it for the battlefield."

Arthur's son Julian is another victim of domestic violence. "For several years, we have supported each other against Arthur's volatile moods. My heart will fracture when he goes away to school". Susan is very fond of her stepson, but also hopes that it would be easier for her to leave Arthur when Julian is away.

While Arthur is plotting a revolution, Susan is plotting her escape from the abusive relationship.
"I deserve a better life than this. No matter how long it takes, I'll find a way to set myself free".

Susan is befriended by a new neighbour, Beckey, who invites her to attend her musical evenings and encourages her to sing. Their little music group is so good, that they are even invited to sing at Princess Charlotte's wedding. Susan is ecstatic, "I'm a butterfly spreading its wings for the first time, realising its true potential and venturing towards its destiny".

She values her friendship with Beckey and a young French widow Anne.
"How fortunate I am to have Beckey as a neighbour and the greatest of friends. She has offered me kindness, educated me about true suffering, given me the gift of music and song, and now opened a door to an opportunity of a lifetime".

Music, books and food provide the much needed escapism for Susan. While browsing in one of the London book shops, she encounters a charming stranger. He kindly buys a book for her, which she couldn't afford. That accidental meeting gives her a glimpse of hope. William happens to be a Bow Street Runner, and knows about the revolutionary plans of Susan's husband.

"Thoughts tumble and collide, and it's difficult to make sense of them. I am bound to Arthur by law and unable to leave him without his permission - unless he commits adultery."

Susan dreads bedtime and her husband's rough sexual advances. He is a rapist and an adulterer, who also forces himself on the servant. To keep her position, the servant appears to be willing, but she's just another victim of a male-dominant society.

"As Arthur's campaign plans become more violent, so too does his treatment of me. I cannot bear to look at him and shudder at his slightest touch. The marriage vows that were once so dear to me are a gaol sentence now".

As Susan's relationship with William progresses, we watch with a feeling of impending doom, whether she would be swept by the dark powers alongside the person who she wants to betray.

I found myself in two minds about the main protagonist. On one hand, you feel terribly sorry for her lot and root for her escape, but at what cost?

Arthur is a brutal man, who must be stopped, but the traitor's death is the most gruesome way to go, and Susan knows what would await her husband if he is caught:
"If Arthur's found guilty at trial, my actions will have contributed to condemning him to a traitor's death. I too will have blood on my hands. But I recall the dread of sharing his bed, the beatings, the violations of my body, and his fingers pressing against my neck... I did what I had to do. It was his life, or mine"

The theme of food is a constant thread throughout the book. Susan's relationship with food is a substitute of love and affection she's missing in life. It is a comfort food in its true sense of the word.
Food to her is not a mere sustenance, it is a source of solace.

"I tidy away the breakfast dishes and lick marmalade from a spoon. The tandy syrup coats my tongue with delicious sticky residue, and my taste buds tingle beneath the intense flavour of orange"

"Crisp, firm chocolate biscuits fail to lighten my mood. Nevertheless, I help myself to a third, seeking comfort from the rich taste of a quality cocoa".

"Fresh strawberry ice cream calms my fevered mind. As each cold spoonful slithers down my throat, I feel a delightful cooling sensation behind my breastbone".

Susan's story is dark and rather shocking. We see Regency London through her eyes. It's a real page-turner that will keep you guessing until the end.

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Mrs-Thistlewood-Dionne-Haynes-ebook/dp/B08BCSQ7B7

Author Bio:
Dionne is a retired doctor, living in Plymouth with her husband. She has a passion for history, the great outdoors, good food and life in general. With her medical career now well behind her, she is enjoying a second career as an author.
In 2015, Dionne finished writing her first novel The Provenance of Lilly, but after careful reflection and consideration of some harsh criticism, she decided not to put it into print. Instead, she worked hard at honing her writing skills, and published her debut novel, Running With The Wind, in 2019.
She is currently working on a sequel which will form Book One of The Trelawney Wives series.

Dionne graduated from St George's Hospital Medical School in 1992, and started her medical career in the Royal Air Force. In 1998, she left the militart to have her son, and worked in General Practice and Occupational Medicine. The opportunity to retire came in 2014 and Dionne did not hesitate to take it, relishing the opportunity to delve into history books and begin her writing career.

Although no longer practising medicine, her medical background has some influence in the plotting of her stories.
While keen to maintain historical accuracy in her writing, Dionne creates stories from real events with sparse recorded details, allowing her imagination to take over and tell a tale of what may have occurred.

Social Media Links –

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dionne-Haynes/e/B0813VDWN9

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DionneHaynesUK

Twitter: @DionneHaynes_UK

Instagram: @dionnehaynes.author

This book review is part of the blog tour. 

Many thanks to Dionne Haynes and Rachel’s Random Resources for my ecopy of the book.

Photo diary: week 34, project 366

When I think that it was only last week we were walking barefoot on the Cornish beach, listening to the waves and breathing the salty air, I feel nostalgic. I didn't make my weekly photo post last weekend, as my laptop didn't work. Thankfully, it turned out that it was the adaptor, not the laptop itself. Big relief, but it meant I missed my chance to join in the Project 366 linky.
I did write about our Cornish memories if you fancy seeing what we were up to, while staying in Perranuthnoe.

On Sunday I braved visiting Costa for the first time since the lockdown. Oh boy, I missed their latte. It was lovely with a hot buttered teacake.

My younger niece Sonia asked her followers on Insta, what she should draw next. Eddie wondered if she could draw Baby Yoda, and Sonia has kindly obliged him. We were both impressed. She is a talented girl. It was Sonia who has inspired Eddie to start using art markers.

Eddie and I are big fans of Robin Stevens' Murder Most Unladylike series. The latest, and final, book in the series was published earlier this month, and of course, we had to buy it. Now our MMU collection is complete.
We are still reading book no.5 - Murder and Mistletoe. We'll finish it in a couple of days, and then might have a mini-break from the series and read another author.
We loved the MMU bunting in the local Waterstones.

We escaped the heat wave and the thunderstorms, while staying in Cornwall. I asked a couple of friends to look after my tomatoes, knowing that it would be very hot, while we were away. I was also hoping to return to plenty of ripe fruit, but most of the tomatoes are still pretty much green, especially the bigger variety, Ailsa Craig.
Cherry tomatoes are just beginning to get colour. And they are very sweet.

On the way shopping, Eddie and I popped into one of the charity shops, where we have spotted several figurines of Napoleonic times' characters. I actually did buy a figure of Boney, as my father-in-law collects souvenirs of Napoleon. I also snapped a picture of the remaining figures to ask if he fancied any of them.

I like to use "staged" photos for my book reviews, that is, if I have an actual paperback rather than a Mobi. I wrote my book review for Who Killed Patrick? by Syl Waters for today, which is a cozy crime set in Fuerteventura. Crema Catalana features prominently in the mystery. Alas, I couldn't find any crema for the photo shoot, and placed Pastel de Nata around the book.
Does anyone have a full proof recipe for Crema Catalana? I really fancy some after reading the book.

It was so windy yesterday that the lawn under the apple trees is covered with windfalls. I picked a few and decided to bake an apple tart. I pre-baked the shortcrust pastry, then realised I didn't have any apricot jam to spread over, under the layer of apples. I only had a strawberry jam, which is not ideal for this dessert. How about the Biscoff spread? It actually worked quite well, so that was a good discovery.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Who Killed Patrick by Syl Waters #BlogTour

Uneasy, that's how I feel. It seems like in the last twenty-four hours my stable life has become unstable. What I thought I knew, I don't. My life feels stripped bare of the assumptions I've made. Now I feel I need to question everything, everyone. I don't know who to trust, what to believe, who's lying, pretending to be something they're not.

Who Killed Patrick? by Syl Waters is the first book in a Mr Bob Murder Mystery. It features the most unusual detective duo - Tarah and Mr Bob. What's so unusual about them, you might ask. Well, Mr Bob is a guinea pig.

We first encounter Tarah, bored with her life and annoyed with her job. She hates being stuck in the office, working for a wage which barely covers the cost of living. She tells herself, "I don't want this anymore. I want something else. I want a life. I want to feel like I'm alive."
On the spur of the moment, she books a one-way ticket to Fuerteventura. And thus her new adventures begin.
She is offered a job, dealing with tourists in the complex of apartments, and she takes on this job with a great enthusiasm. Tarah is happy in her new job, "I'm not sure how or where the days slip by, but effortlessly one sunrise leads to another sunset and another day closes... Life is bliss".

Tarah also has got a new companion. It's a fluffy, tortoiseshell guinea pig called Liliana. Only Liliana is not a she, but a he, and thus the guinea pig becomes known as Mr Bob.

The life of bliss ends abruptly, when one of their guests dies. Patrick's death isn't a straight-forward heart attack, as everyone has presumed at first. The holiday complex is under threat, as the unknown source posts a vicious gossip on the website. Jorge's Place is turning into a potential crime site and that is negatively affecting the reputation.

At the same time Tarah discovers that her guinea pig has a talent for sniffing out trouble. Apparently he has the sixth sense and is able to suspect foul play.

With the help from Mr Bob and Diego the plumber, Tarah turns into a modern-age Miss Marple, conducting an investigation of her own and collecting the clues.

"Solving who killed Patrick is about everyone and our existence here on our lazy, contented, sleeping dinosaur of a perfect isle. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I have to prove what happened to Patrick. The future of our beautiful, happy home depends on it".

Will they be able to solve the crime before it's too late?

If you're looking for a thrilling, exciting summer read, this is the book for you.

There is a whole pleiad of secondary characters, from the local vet who talks to animals in a coochie-coochie coo way that makes you shake your head in disbelief, to a local Lothario who serves the tables in the Italian café.
The guests are a random bunch, including among the others, two businessmen, Patrick and Mick, with their partners, Pauline and Tamika. Patrick and Mick are hoping to do the biggest deal of their career.
Tamika is an influencer, whose Insta channel is property porn. She is a caricature, but portrayed not without a fair amount of observation. Her Insta account is something I would avoid like a plague, but she has thousands of followers, and considers herself a big star.

The pool of suspects is very narrow, and it's not hard to figure out the motive for the murder and who's done it. You will also feel sorry for Patrick, who appears to be very likable.

The plot is very much a cozy mystery, without gore and forensic investigation.

This post is part of the blog tour for Who Killed Patrick?
Many thanks to Syl Waters, Eleftheria and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

Purchase Links

UK –https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BJ4RPTS/

US -  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BJ4RPTS/


Sign up to Syl Waters newsletter receive a free copy of The Little Book Of Curiously Fascinating Facts about Guinea Pigs - http://www.sylwaters.com/

Author Bio –

Most people know crazy cat ladies are a ‘thing’, but I’m a proud crazy guinea pig lady! I love fun in the sun and plenty of cocktails. My happy place is flip flops. I write stories to keep me company - my characters ensure I’m never lonely and always smiling (when I’m not tearing my hair out!)

Social Media Links –

www.sylwaters.com

Twitter: @waters_syl
Insta: @mrbob.guineapig 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syl.waters.54


I'm ending my post with a lovely photo of two cute guinea pigs, courtesy of Sarah from MumofThreeWorld blog (check out her post Introducing Henry the guinea pig to find out more).
I regularly read Sarah's blog, and her guinea pigs feature prominently in the weekly photo posts.

This Side of Death by Andrew Barrett #BlogTour (review + giveaway)

"Alex was so far out of control that she was likely to do anything to anybody she came across. She was wild, feral, and the only way to stop was when she reached her

target.

And Eddie was that target."

This Side of Death by Andrew Barrett is the 6th book in the CSI Eddie Collins thriller series (date published - 14 August 2020).
The book reads as a standalone (I haven't read any of the previous books in the series).

Potential triggers: murder, sadistic torture, extreme mental health issues.

Synopsis:

This Side of Death. When the past comes back to hunt you. 

Alex Sheridan believes the only way she can be free of her demons is to kill the men in her life. She has a list, and Crime Scene Investigator Eddie Collins is on it.
Death misses Eddie by inches, and Alex is locked away in Juniper Hill high-security hospital.

Everything is fine for Eddie until one day four years later, when Alex escapes. This time she’s better prepared.

The week that follows ruptures Eddie’s life and shatters the belief he had in his own past, leaving him wondering what really happened, and facing one stark choice: who to kill and who to save.

This Side of Death is the most revealing CSI Eddie Collins novel to date. Prepare to see inside his past and understand what makes him the angriest, most feared, and yet most respected CSI in England.

Review:

Eddie Collins is a CSI, who's supposed to be brilliant at what he's doing. Eddie is a controversial character. He has a talent for rubbing the others up the wrong way. He's constantly angry.
"To Eddie, life was straight-forward. Live it. Get angry. Die."
"Anger was therapeutic and pure; it was the medicine that kept him sane. He suspected it also gave him high blood pressure, but you couldn't have it all."

While his anger and acerbic wit could be explained by the tragedies in his life, it doesn't excuse his obnoxious manner. It's difficult to say, why his colleagues are so tolerant and forgiving.

He's very pessimistic and sarcastic, but sarcastic in a juvenile way. For example, Eddie and his colleague Benson are invited to the superior's office and offered hot drinks. "Coffee, please," Eddie said. "My colleague will have strychnine. Two sugars."
Or he puts a cactus under the buttocks of his colleague who's exercising (doing stretches) in the office. And that's supposed to be funny.

Swearing could be a powerful, emotional tool, but if one is swearing a lot, it becomes tedious. And I'm afraid I found Eddie's style of communication with his colleagues and family tedious.

Alex Sheridan, the manipulative psychopath and sadistic serial killer, is cunning and devious.
"It was hard for her, but she'd done nothing to escape the spiral of decay and self-hatred she found herself in. If anything, she'd propagated it, almost relished being inside this maelstrom..."
She is plagued by the voices in her head, but "she had learnt to accept the voices, to live with them, even to ignore them for the most part..."
"Alex is a very complicated individual. She suffers from psychotic episodes, has violent tendencies brought about by borderline personality disorder".
Her past is tragic, and we get some insights into what has triggered her into becoming a violent sadist, who derives tremendous pleasure in inflicting pain. She is happy to kill anyone on her path to freedom.

Alex is determined to punish Eddie for the past mistakes. And the clock is ticking...


This Side of Death is dark, disturbing, full of menacing moments and gore. The story moves at a cracking pace, and there's a shocker of a twist at the end.

Seeing numerous accolades from book bloggers, I realise that this book and I were not meant for each other. I'm not usually squeamish, when it comes to thrillers, but some of the scenes in this book will make you flinch, and I don't just refer to the savage murders. I also didn't warm up to the main protagonist, whom I found immature and crude.

This Side of Death will appeal to the fans of fast-paced crime thrillers, with a strong forensic element.

Thank you to Andrew Barrett and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
This post is part of the blog tour.

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Side-Death-comes-Collins-ebook/dp/B08C4MC5J7

US - https://www.amazon.com/This-Side-Death-comes-Collins-ebook/dp/B08C4MC5J7

Author Bio

Andrew Barrett became a CSI in 1996, and finished his first crime thriller, A Long Time Dead in 1997. Two more books completed the SOCO Roger Conniston trilogy.

Andrew still produces authentic crime thrillers with a forensic flavour. He’s known for his lead character, CSI Eddie Collins, and the acerbic way in which he roots out criminals. Eddie’s series is five books and three novellas in length.

Andrew is a proud Yorkshireman and sets all of his novels in Leeds.

You can find out more about him and his writing at www.andrewbarrett.co.uk

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AndrewBarrettUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewBarrett.author

Exclusive Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BarrettERG/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewbarrettauthor

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-Barrett/e/B0055888Q0/

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Barrett/e/B0055888Q0/

YouTube: AndrewBarrett on YouTube

Giveaway to Win one of 5 paperback copies of This Side of Death (UK only).
T&Cs:
UK entries are welcome.
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winners will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email.
If no response is received within 7 days, then Rachel's Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.
Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with the third parties, with the exception of the winners' information.
This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for the fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data.
I'm not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Please note that this giveaway is running on several blogs. Chez Maximka is hosting the Rafflecopter gadget for free for the purposes of promotion only. I do not have access to any personal data.


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Memories of Cornwall

When it comes to sunsets, Cornwall is surely the envy of the other counties. And in the previous week we've seen a lot of glorious sunsets along the beautiful coastline. The sun gradually slipping behind the horizon is one of the most fascinating sights, and I never tire of it.

Our trip to Cornwall was booked last year. We tend to stay in the same cottage in the village of Perranuthnoe, where all the properties get snapped a year in advance. We love the closeness to the sea, the cottage itself is very comfortable, and our elder son revels in the familiarity of the place.

This is the view of the sea and the village from one of the bedroom windows. You lie on the bed, and drift to sleep with the skies getting darker and darker, and the occasional lights from the distant trawler. Though this year, I had to pull down the blinds, as they have installed the sensor lights by the front door just below the windows, which kept blinking like a disco through the night. Must have been feral cats, foxes or bats, I've never seen anything live moving, whenever I peeked in the night.

We didn't know until the last moment whether this trip would even happen, what with Covid, and all the travel arrangements with social distancing and the joy of masks. I've been fretting for the last few weeks, keeping my fingers crossed, that we could make it.
Staying in Cornwall for a week is a highlight of my year. I don't want to go to the hot climes of the Mediterranean for a break, I'm happy breathing the salty air of the Cornish coastline.

I wonder if this cutie was one of our night visitors, who kept triggering the sensor lights?!

Which souvenirs do you bring home from your trips? I always bring a bag of rocks and pebbles, polished by the sea. I found this lovely pebble on the first night of our stay in Cornwall, and just knew I had to bring it home with me. Now I have to decide where to place it in our garden.
And there's Eddie photo-bombing me from behind the patio doors.

I have easily taken about a thousand photos in Cornwall, but don't worry, I won't bombard you with all of them. I've picked 15, which bring happy memories and make me want to go back to the sea.

Usually I'm behind the camera, so that I don't have many photos of myself, but I asked Eddie to take a few snaps. This is the SoyaConcept top I bought just before our trip. If you read my Photo diary posts, you might remember when I mentioned that I loved that top in the shop window display. It was just perfect for cooler Cornish evenings by the sea.

My boys love the seaside as much as I do. Eddie was so happy, frolicking and rollicking in the waves.
The beach was the busiest I've ever seen it, and we've been staying in this village for about 10 years.
It must be all the visitors who would usually go abroad for summer holidays, but had to change their plans due to Covid.

The village we stay in doesn't have any grocery shops, sadly, so you need to order food online or go to a nearby town (Marazion or Penzance). I've been watching the Tesco slots like a hawk, and managed to book one flexi-slot at 12.01am, when all the hourly slots were snapped immediately.

We also had a food delivery from The Cornish Food Box Company. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They work with more than 250 local producers and farmers. Everything in our order was fresh and high quality. I wish I've taken a photo of the delivery when it arrived, but my guys were starving, and I started cooking our lunch as soon as the food arrived.

Among many other things, I have ordered a traditional saffron cake and scones, with the delicious Trewithen Dairy clotted cream and wonderfully fragrant Strawberry & rose petal jam from Gathered.
I loved that jam, it was like the essence of summer.

In the evenings we like to walk to the rocky beach, well, we call it that, I don't know what's the official name for it. You walk to the left from the village, along the coastal path towards Marazion and St Michael's Mount. There is an old cannon and a rusty anchor by one of the villas on the way. They keep the gates open for people to have a look around and take photos.

For the last few years Eddie and I have a jumping photo taken. It has become a tradition. This is not the best snap, but Sash was getting restless, and we didn't have much time for getting a better shot. Well, we tried. It was windy, and my hair was getting in my face.
This is one of the "embarrassing parent's" photos. I wonder when Eddie would reach a point when he refuses to jump with me?

This is our Sash in a relaxed mood. He wasn't always relaxed, I think the crowds on the beach have made him more anxious. He loves walking to the rocky beach, as there are hardly any people there, and he can spend ages standing next to the waves, looking at St Michael's Mount.

Playing in the sand is a must, when you're on the beach.

You wait and wait for your holidays for a whole year, and then the week whizzes past, fast like a bullet. And it's time to say Good bye to your favourite spot in the world, and travel home.
We wanted to extend our Cornish adventure, and on the way back visited two of the iconic Cornish landmarks - Land's End and Tintagel.

Land's End was quite busy. We walked around, looking at the cliffs, covered in herbs and blooms. I've read there are over 80 kinds of moss on the rocks there. I've never seen such an abundance of monbretia in the wild, presuming that it was a garden plant.
We bought some substandard rock (as in confectionery), which was too soggy soft, and a postcard with a stamp to send to the grandparents in Italy.

We should have checked out Tintagel website before deciding to visit it, as of course, everything is pre-booked in advance these days. But it would have been unrealistic for us, and with the ever-unreliable Cornish weather, plans could always go awry.

The village itself was a hell of a crowded space. Social distancing was non-existent, there were queues and crowds everywhere, and I didn't feel comfortable visiting any of the shops or cafes.

You could still walk down the path to see the remains of the castle and Merlin's cave from the side.
When I saw the new slate bridge over the gorge, I was kind of glad we didn't have tickets.
There is no way I would want to walk on it. I'm not good with heights at all, and even looking at the footbridge from below gave me heart palpitations.

I always wanted to visit Tintagel. It has strong links to the legends of King Arthur and Merlin.
Maybe one day, I will revisit it properly, but only walking on the lower bridge.

We said Good Bye to Cornwall, and now have our photos and memories to go back to. I miss Cornwall already.

Summer Degustabox

The summer seems to be whizzing past. It feels like only yesterday we were busy home-schooling and dreaming of holidays. Well, holidays are here, and we have been quite lucky with the weather.

Summer is the theme of the latest 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 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 £3 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order.

What did we find in Summer (July) Degustabox?

Bebeto Party Mix Tub (£2) is a selection of mixed gummies. They are fizzy coated and chewy, and would appeal to the fans of Tangfastics.
I've only managed one gummy, as it's super tangy, but my guys enjoy the combination of super sour and sweet.
Available at Morrisons, selected Spar stores & Bestways.

Premier Protein Chocolate Brownie flavoured protein bar (£1.49) is a snack with a promise of a feel-good energy, to help you achieve your health and wellbeing goals.
Premier Protein bars are packed with 20g of protein and only 1.3g of sugar. Great post-workout, as an on-the-go snack.
Available in three flavours: Chocolate Brownie, White Chocolate Vanilla and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Available at Ocado and WHSmith Travel.

Natvia Natural Sweetener (£5) is made from 100% naturally sourced GMO-free ingredients.
Created from a unique blend of stevia, Natvia tastes sweet with no aftertaste.
Crafted for baking and cooking, it is also a great companion to coffee and tea.
Visit www.natvia.com for great recipe ideas.
Available at Tesco, Ocado, Tree of Life and Health Food Store.

Minor Figures Nitro Cold Brew (£1.95) is a dairy-free brew with no added sugar. Minor Figures source the best in-season tea and coffee. Their slow brew process captures the purity and depth of every ingredient.
When opned, nitrogen is released to create silky microfoam.
They are ready to drink but best served chilled.
You should receive 1 item in your box.
Available at Wholefoods, Planet Organic, Sourced Market, As Nature Intended, Ocado, WHSmith Travel, Holland & Barratt and nationwide independents.

We received a Minor Figures Nitro Cold Brew Mocha, an iced coffee made with oat milk, cocoa and sweetener. Oat milk has quite a distinct aftertaste, not unpleasant, just different. 

Wunda Milk Alternative (£1.99) is another dairy-free product in the latest Degustabox. This dairy-free milk alternative is high in protein and calcium, low in sugar and fat, fortified with vitamins A, D, B2 and B12. You can use it in exactly the same way you use milk.
It's log-life, vegan plant-based drink. Ingredients include pea protein, inulin, sunflower oil, etc
It's not available in the shops yet, as the product is launching in 2021.

Nesquik All Natural Milkshake Powder (£1.89) is made with just 5 natural ingredients including natural raw cane sugar. Nesquik All Natural contains no artificial flavourings or sweeteners, but still has the chocolatey taste children love. 
The paper packaging is fully recyclable and plastic-free.
Available at Tesco and Sainsbury's.

ManiLife Peanut Butter (60p) is made from the finest high-oleic peanuts sourced from a single estate farm in Argentina, roasted by experts and blended in small batches to create an explosion of taste.
Available nationwide in Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado and at ManiLife.com.
You should receive two different mini tubs.

A selection of Skinny Sauce sachets was a free gift. You should receive a surprise bag with 4 different items. Add a flavour to any meal without extra calories or sugar. These are zero sugar, low calorie syrups and virtually zero calorie sauces. There are over 70 flavours to choose from.
As you can see above, we got 3 savoury and 1 sweet flavour sachets.

I used Skinny Syrup White chocolate to make a batch of Yogurt oat cookies with saffron icing.

I was most excited about Golden Creek maple syrup (£2.49). It's a blend of pure, dark Canadian maple syrup and liquid sugar. I love maple syrup poured over porridge and pancakes.
Available at Ocado and Home Bargains.

Pravha Lighter Tasting Pilsner (£2) - discover Pravha, from the legendary brewers of Staropramen. Pravha has the bold, iconic flavour of a high quality Czech Pilsner, and is unexpectedly crisp, light tasting and refreshing.
Available in all major supermarket chains.
If you're not a fan of Pilsner, may I suggest adding it to the pancake batter for the best savoury pancakes.

And finally, Plant Pops (£1.50) or Popped Lotus Seeds. This a new snack made with sustainably harvested lotus seeds, popped and roasted before being tumbled with ground peanuts for a subtle peanutty taste. 
They are sweet and salty, and give you a satisfying crunch. It's a lovely snack.
A suggestion which we haven't tried yet is to drizzle them with melted chocolate.
Available on Amazon, www.plantpopssnacks.com, TheVeganKind Supermarket, Harvey Nichols, Londis and Budgens.

Photo diary: week 31, project 366

It was such an uneventful week, and I think my mojo has deserted me altogether, I truly struggled with taking photos.
I just want to breathe some sea air, and feel the sand under my feet, not do the same things every week. Some people thrive on a routine, I find the sameness rather dispiriting.

On the plus side, I finished reading two good books - The Hopkins Conundrum by Simon Edge, which I bought a while ago, and The Surplus Girls by Polly Heron, sent to me by the author herself for reviewing.

On Sunday I baked an apple yogurt cake. And that was all the excitement for the day.

We're going to have a glut of apples again this autumn. These apples are late-ripening, and will need to be picked by late September - early October. They keep well in the cold, the skin acquires a slightly waxy feel about them, and the taste becomes sweeter. Sometimes I still have apples left in early spring.

Finally the first cherry tomatoes started to ripen. I saw a discussion on Mumsnet earlier this week about the green tomatoes, and nodded in agreement. Lots of tomatoes on the vines, but nothing ripe yet. The taste of the tomato picked fresh from the vine, still warm from the summer sun, is incomparable. I also love the smell of tomatoes, and could easily wear it as a perfume, if there was a tomato perfume.

The last day of July was a scorcher. I don't do hot weather. My brain goes in the meltdown mode. I had to go into town, and nearly fainted. It was like walking through a warm milk.

And a three-photos' lot from today. We accompanied Sash and his father to the Café Nero, and I asked Eddie to stop to take some photos of the clouds, and my sarcastic child uttered: "That could take a while".
I just thought this cloud looks like a snake.

We popped in the book shop to see if we could find The Unadoptables but they didn't have a single copy. I have plenty to read, but always like to check out the books of the month at Waterstones.

Thankfully, today wasn't as hot as the day before, and I'm feeling more human.

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