Photo diary: week 37, project 366

The second week of school went relatively smoothly. Eddie is getting used to the new school arrangements and is less anxious, compared to the first few days. I'm relishing peace and quiet at home, when I'm on my own. I don't even bother to watch anything on TV. I read, potter in the garden, do chores like mending and decluttering.

I've been growing nasturtiums from seeds since spring. Though I had plenty of leaves, the flowers didn't start to appear until recently. I was quite disappointed with the lack of blooms, as I see them growing around in town in big splashes of colour, and they are supposed to be easy to grow.
I was hoping that I could pick both flowers and leaves for salads, but there are so few flowers, I only eat an occasional leaf or two. They have a nice peppery taste.

I'm not comping as much as I used to do, but I still enter book competitions, mainly on Twitter and Instagram. A couple of weeks ago I won a new book by Angela Britnell and a little Lindt bar.
The author is Cornish-born, and lives in Tennessee now. I read one of her books earlier this year, A Summer to Remember in Herring Bay (my review is scheduled for tomorrow as part of the blog tour, if you are curious to read it, I will add a link, once the post goes live).

I walked to Sainsbury's in the morning, after taking Eddie to school, and snapped St Mary's Church. It was quite misty earlier, but getting clearer by the minute.

When my husband was in Venice last week, he stayed with a friend. It brought back memories of our stay at her father's villa in Agropoli, when our Sasha was four years old, and their daughter was a baby. It started as a Greek colony, and there's the famous Greek temples in Paestum not far from the town.
I was looking at the old photos from that trip. Sash was so cute then. Here he is, sitting among the ruins of Paestum, a little boy lost in his own world.
I love this photo. My Mum did a beautiful painting using this image, only she placed Sasha by the sea, with the waves behind him. If you want to see her artwork, I wrote a post about it several years ago, called Boy-Island.

Meeting with my friend for coffee at Blue Boar. She is another Russian lady, whose son goes to the same school as Eddie, and they were both born on the same day, a year apart. How's that for a coincidence?! For the last few months I missed meeting her for a natter and a good moan about our husbands.

She has told me of a new Romanian shop in town, called Gusturi Romanesti. I loved browsing in the shop, and will definitely be back. I bought some biscuits, breadsticks, pickled vegetables and a jar of peach jam. Next time I go there, I should take a bag on wheels so I can get some heavy jars of honey and pickles.

On Thursday Eddie and I were watching a live talk with Ross Sayers on YouTube. He was talking about his new book called Daisy on the outer line. It's written in Scots. We liked the idea of the plot, but the question is - will I be able to understand the written Scots?!

A friend brought me a DVD of The Small Hand, with Douglas Henshall (love him in Shetland!). I read Susan Hill's book years ago, and found it wonderfully creepy. The film turned to be a bit of a disappointment. The actors were mumbling a lot, I couldn't catch everything they were saying, and there were no subtitles on the DVD. Also they changed the plotline quite a bit from what I remember. And I really hated the ending.

Eddie said it was not scary enough. He likes scary films (last week we were watching Locke & Key on Netflix), and keeps telling me we should watch IT and Pet Sematary, as apparently many of his class mates watched them. I told him there is no way we're going to watch either.
I've seen the original Pet Sematary many years ago, and that scarred me for life. For me it's one of the creepiest, scariest horror films ever. I shiver just thinking about it.

My darling husband came back from his holidays in Italy. Guess what he brought me as a gift for coping with the guys on my own for almost two weeks?!
A bleeping fridge magnet! (insert a long mental stream of expletives) Actually, Eddie and I laughed at him. What a thoughtful gift.

Yesterday I baked an apple tart, with our own apples and the peach jam I bought in the Romanian shop. I served it with Rodda's clotted cream. Now that we have so many apples in the garden, I will be using them in cooking for months ahead. I might make a batch of apple jelly too.

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National Teddy Bear Day 2020

Do you remember your first teddy bear? Mine was blue and very soft. It has been my comfort and joy for many years. If I had a bad dream, I hugged my teddy for reassurance.
My boys used to love their teddies as well, especially Eddie. He was obsessed with teddies, at some point we had a collection of over thirty teds of all sizes and brands.

Some of them were gifts from friends, some we bought in the specialist teddy bear shop or rescued in the charity shops.
I bought this Merrythought teddy bear, when my elder son was in primary school. Its cheeky grin lights up the book shelves where he's usually found.

The blue teddy bear from Merrythought joined our home, when Eddie was born. We have a shop in town called Teddy Bears of Witney. It's a total treasure trove and a museum of teddies.

With years, I have reduced the amount of soft toys in the house, but left a few as precious mementos of my boys' early years. We have an old (properly vintage) teddy which belonged to my husband, when he was a baby.

We even have a Paratrooper teddy, which we bought while visiting the barracks in Pisa where my husband served with the paras.

As the nation celebrates National teddy bear day today, we look back at some of the iconic teddy bears through history, exploring how our favourite characters have made the jump from the big screen to the cuddly toy that we snuggle up to when we head to bed.

Baby Thingz have done a research on the topic and with their permission, I'm sharing some of the interesting facts about the most iconic bears in literature and TV.

If someone asked you who is the most famous teddy bear of all, who springs to mind?

1. Winnie-the Pooh or Poor Bear as he is also fondly labelled, has been around for almost 100 years, having been created by author A.A.Milne back in 1926.
The Hundred Acre Wood inhabitant who has a yearning for all things honey is the lifelong friend of Christopher Robin and is one of the UK's most treasured teddy bears. A classic in teddy bear circles, he'll often be seem alongside fellow characters Eeyore and Piglet.

2. From simple origins - a comic strip in the Daily Express in 1920 - Rupert Bear went on to become a staple of children's culture when The Adventures of Rupert Bear TV series launched in 1970. Known for his eloquent accent, Rupert is also a style icon, thanks to his yellow checked trousers and matching scarf paired with a fetching red jumper that he wore for all of his adventures. He'll celebrate 100 years in November.

3. If you were born in the 1980s, you probably know all about Care Bears, our cuddly friends who lived in the clouds. The original line up featured just 10 bears, but multiple relaunches of the cult show have seen more than 30 different bears introduced.
The plush toys were developed with feelings emblazoned on their chests, with hearts, smiley faces, and rainbows indicating various emotions.

4. Yogi Bear
The Jellystone Park native, based loosely around Yellowstone National Park in the USA, first appeared on TV screens in America in 1958 as a guest on The Huckleberry Hound Show, but such was his popularity that just two years later the Yogi Bear and Friends show was spawned. His "Hey, Hey, Hey" catchphrase was voiced by Hollywood star Dan Akroyd when he hit the big screen.

5. Paddington Bear
One of the most nostalgic bears in history, Paddington was introduced to the world in 1958 in Michael Bond's book A Bear Called Paddington. With his customary blue duffle coat, Paddington arrived in England from Peru and has been entertaining children through the decades with his hapless adventures, getting into just as much trouble as Dennis the Menace.
The Adventures of Paddington TV series was launched in January this year as Gen Z was brought up to speed on the wonders of this furry friend.

6. Chiltern English
One of the original teddies, the Chiltern English teddy was first launched in 1915 and continues to be a comfort for youngsters across the UK. This classic can often be found in baby pushchairs on walks to the park, and such is the sentiment towards them that they often fetch three-figure sums at auction. Most people that own these vintage bears will only know too well about repaired eye sockets and patchwork elements that have helped them restore their childhood favourites.

7. SuperTed was a hit with 90s kids as he shared one of their biggest fears - a fear of the dark. first appearing in a series of books, SuperTed was adapted into a cartoon, becoming the first British animated series to feature on the Disney Channel.
This everyday bear might have bypassed the history books after being discarded in a toy factory, but a visit to Mother Nature resulted in him receiving superpowers that allowed him to transform into SuperTed!

8. Brother Bear
This Disney animation bear has risen to fame since the Millennium with the moarl of the film drawing on brotherhood, and mutual respect. A great lesson for children and adults alike, Brother Bear hit our screens in 2003, with a sequel going direct to video in 2006. In the film an Inuit boy called Kenai is transformed into a bear after seeking revenge when his brother is killed by a bear. We'll have to wait and see if brother Bear can stand the test of time and become a household name like Rupert and Winnie though.

What other famous bears and teddy bears might be mentioned? My elder son loved a book about Corduroy Bear.
Then there's posh carefree Sebastian Flyte with his Aloysius teddy bear.
Mowgli and Baloo.
A sad bear from We're going on a bear hunt.
Jill Murphy's Bear family.
Umka, an adorable polar bear of my childhood, from the beloved Soviet animation.
Brave and unique Yanka the Bear from The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson, inspired by the Russian folk tales.

On this National Teddy Bear Day, dig out your most cherished cuddly toys and join the conversation on social channels using #teddybearday. Relieving our childhood will often bring up memories of various toys and gadgets, but when you really home in on your most treasured moments, they'll usually involve a cuddly toy or teddy bear along the way.

Did you have a favourite teddy?

This post has been written in a creative partnership with Baby Thingz (there is no payment to declare).

Easy chocolate cookies (from a chocolate cake mix)

I'm not very organised, when it comes to saving recipes spotted online. Sometimes I come across an interesting recipe and bookmark it, but more often I hope I would remember where I've seen it, but of course, I don't.
Last week someone re-tweeted a recipe for quick and easy chocolate cookies made with a chocolate cake mix. I had a quick look at the recipe which was called something like 3-ingredients' cookies. Technically the name was wrong, as the cake mix includes several ingredients in it, plus she added candy of all kinds to her cookies. I knew the idea of making easy cookies from a cake mix would appeal to both of my boys.
A few years ago I asked on Facebook where to get a certain US cake mix, which is not available widely in the UK. There were quite a few responses along the lines "You buy cake mixes?", as if the idea itself was incredulous. Yes, I do, not often, but I usually have a box or two in the pantry for a rainy day, when I'm too tired to weigh and measure. I do add a few extras to jazz it up.

Anyway, back to that cookies recipe. I scrolled down my Twitter feed, trying to find if I have re-tweeted it. Nope. I knew the cookie dough was a chocolate cake mix (or was it brownies?), with 2 medium eggs and half a cup of oil (125ml). I believe the original poster added M&Ms to her cookies.

We didn't have M&Ms, but we had a small bag of Maltesers, and some packs of Sunny Fruit Mix-Ups, which were delivered with the latest Degustabox food box.

I would love to acknowledge the original poster, so if you do know who I'm talking about, please give me a shout.

You will need
1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Devil's Food cake mix, but Cadbury's would be nice too)
2 medium eggs
120ml mild olive oil
+
about 25 Maltesers, halved
2 bags of Sunny Fruit Mix Ups (raisins and dried strawberries)
a handful of mini meringues

You can use any mild olive oil, but I like Filippo Berio mild and light because it's neutral in taste, unlike the extra virgin olive oil. Of course, it's a matter of an individual taste, so feel free to experiment with another flavour.

In a mixing bowl tip in the contents of the cake box, beat in two eggs and olive oil. If using different add-ons, divide the dough into two bowls, then mix in any dried fruit and berries you like, or candy.
As mentioned above, I added halved Maltesers to one part, and Mix -ups and mini meringues to the other part. Roll the cookie dough into balls, then flatten into cookies and spread on the baking sheet.
Bake for about 11 minutes at 180C. Let the cookies cool lightly before transferring onto the cooling rack, as they are very soft and fragile at this point. Do not worry, they will get the right texture.
If you keep them in the oven for longer, they will be crispy, but if you like soft crumbly cookies, don't over-cook them.

They spread quite a bit in the oven, so don't cram them on the baking sheet.
You will get about 21 cookies.

These cookies are very easy to make, so invite your kids to join in. They will have fun adding their favourite sweets.

I used Sunny Fruit Mix-Ups in one half of the cookie dough. Sweet raisins and dried strawberries work great with the chocolate base. But again, this is just a suggestion - add dried banana chips, or dried cherries, cranberries, any nuts.

The cookies will keep well in a closed container for several days.

Photo diary: week 36, project 366

September is a month of plenty. All of a sudden my greenhouse tomatoes started to ripen en masse, and we have more tomatoes than we can eat in one go. And apples are also getting redder and redder, soon I'll have to begin putting them in big trays to keep in the summer house.

Last week my boys went back to school. While for Sasha it was a shorter break for about six weeks, for Eddie it was a much longer absence from school, from the beginning of the lockdown. He's rather apprehensive, and is worried about a lack of social distancing.

Walking into town last Sunday, we spotted this agile squirrel, running over the wire hedge.

Monday was a Bank Holiday, but we didn't do anything holiday-ish. My husband left for Italy, and the boys and I stayed at home, reading and watching TV.

Eddie and I have been reading the 6th book in How to Train Your Dragon series - A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons. We're very fond of Cressida Cowell, but this is not her best book. We found it rather same-ish and lacking in comparison with the previous books in the series. In fact, the funniest thing about this book was the hilarious review I've spotted on Good Reads.

We're not puritans when it comes to children's books, and don't bat a lid at one too many mentions of butts and boobies, but this gentle lady was clearly shaken. This gem of a review left me in stitches. Just because Cressida Cowell uses "inappropriate" words, the reviewer presumes she is British.

She would have conniptions if she tried to read David Walliams.

And just to clarify, I'm a big fan of Big-Boobied Bertha, she is my kind of hero.

Tuesday and Wednesday were Inset days at school. To cheer up my guys, I made a batch of white chocolate Oreo fudge. It is so tasty, but very sweet too. We have first come across it, when we stayed in Cornwall, and some local with a business acumen set up a mini-stall, selling home-made jams and fudge with an honesty box. This year they had fudge made with Biscoff cookies. Eddie said it was OK, but not as good as the Oreo one.

On Wednesday I've been staging some photo shoots for the forthcoming book reviews, which will appear later in the month, and I won't be sharing them in advance yet.
Instead here is a snap of nocturnal Venice, taken by my husband on his holiday. Just "because he's always been going to the film festival" is not a good enough reason to go there this year, in my opinion. But our opinions were not taken into consideration.

I have a huge stash of books for reviewing, but in between them I am also reading some of the fiction I bought recently. The stash below shows some of my latest acquisitions.
I follow Sue Moorcroft and Amanda Jennings on Twitter, and wanted to read their latest novels. Karin Slaughter's thriller was highly advertised on Classic FM in August, and it sounds like something I would enjoy.

Natalia Ginzburg is an Italian writer, and I recently read a book review of The Little Virtues which compelled me to start reading it. This is a collection of essays written in the 1940-50s.
The essays are fascinating. One of them is about England. Ginzburg is rather harsh about the country where she found refuge. Some of her observations are spot on, but many show her as a thankless person. Still, she is a brilliant writer, with a unique style.

Friday was Eddie's PE day at school, and they were expected to arrive in their PE clothes.

After I dropped him off at school, I did a tour of a few charity shops, and got an old Puffin edition of Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer. Someone mentioned this book on Mumsnet over a year ago, and I have added it to my wish list. Imagine my delight when I saw it in a big pile of Puffin paperbacks.
It's a story of Charlotte who goes to a boarding school, and wakes up to find herself in the same school, but people call her by a new name, and in fact she is now a different girl living forty years earlier.
I love books with a time travel element, so I know I will enjoy it.
Have you read it?

I was getting a bit overwhelmed yesterday, and when I'm feeling stressed, I need to bake something to lower my anxiety. I spotted a recipe on Twitter for easy cookies made with a cake mix box, 2 eggs and oil as the main cookie dough base, to which you add any extras, like M&Ms etc.

We didn't have M&Ms, and I halved the cookie dough, and made one batch with Maltesers, and another with raisins, dried strawberries and mini meringues.

And that's my favourite mug in the picture. I have a big collection of mugs and cups with saucers, but this Emma Bridgewater mug is the one I use most often. For some reason, tea always tastes better in it.

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One Hundred Views of NW3 by Pat Jourdan (read an extract)

Greetings to you all! Today I am delighted to share a book extract from One Hundred Views of NW3 by Pat Jourdan.
Before you can enjoy a sample of writing from One Hundred Views, check out the details of this new book!

One Hundred Views of NW3

Arriving in London with £5, Stella rapidly begins hopping from one disastrous job, bedsit and boyfriend to another. All the time she is trying to paint pictures and write poetry. At last she gets a place in Hampstead but various men distract her from reaching the goal of holding an exhibition. An ever-changing group of friends moves her along from place to place. After each drawback Stela moves on, disaster after disaster, while the tally of of pictures shrinks to 36. Set in the heady days of 1960s Swinging London, this novel vividly charts one girl's track through the untidy years at its height.


Purchase Links

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Hundred-Views-NW3-Jourdan-ebook/dp/B08CCH7W3R

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/One-Hundred-Views-NW3-Jourdan-ebook/dp/B08CCH7W3R

Author Bio

Pat Jourdan trained as a painter at Liverpool College of Art -some of her paintings can be seen on Saatchi.com. Always balancing writing with painting, she has won the Molly Keane Short Story Award, second in the Michael McLaverty Short Story Award, and various other prizes. One Hundred Views of NW3 is her fourth novel.

“ I am used to producing a painting from start to finish and self-publishing gives the same creative possibility. It has the same excitement, the change from private to public.”

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/pat.jourdan

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6585232.Pat_Jourdan?from_search=true&from_srp=true
https://patjourdan.wordpress.com/ 

Thank you to Pat Jourdan for sharing an extract from the book!


(Andy has told Stella that he is married, with a baby. As a way of making it even more brutally clear, he has suggested she comes along to his flat for a late supper. Stella will have to pretend she is the girlfriend of Ralph, their unappealing lodger.)

 “I’ve got an idea, I know, what about we go back to the flat and I cook you all something?” Stella realised that this was going to be their funeral service but was intrigued at how it would all end. “You’ll have to pretend to be Ralph’s girlfriend and we all met by accident,” he encouraged.  At last she would see what was behind the scenes and find out the real address. Truth sometimes came out too late to be of use.

By now Stella was sleepwalking into the situation but did not want to go back to her room alone yet. Any distraction, however brutal, was welcome. The tears would come later, about Tuesday or Wednesday. Nature had always given her this delay, an animal instinct giving enough time to get away from the danger area before being able to let the real grief out of its Pandora’s box. The one word that had not been said was the main one – Marjorie. The two women would be meeting at last, barrier to barrier, with Andy in the middle and Ralph hovering like an unnecessary midwife. They walked down the hill together and crossed the road by the Classic Hampstead Playhouse on the corner.

And here they were at last. It was that near. It had been, all along. The secret flat turned out to be over the newsagents at the end of South End Green. No wonder Andy had never wanted her to walk down the street with him – the bay window above the shop had a wide-span view of all approaches. Marjorie, perhaps up early with the baby, would have easily been able to see them. The side door was discreetly hidden round a corner and up the stairs they went.  The wardrobe they had chosen together on St Valentine’s Day stood on the landing like a reproach. Dark landlord’s type of forlorn furniture, the exact kind Stella had seen in that warehouse with Andy, made the living room depressed. The brown cupboard that he had chosen stood on the landing, an orphan with a new home.

And sitting at the dining table, surrounded by piles of paper, was Marjorie. She was listening to the radio, some music station on low, because of the baby. Red hair that could have been flaming and luscious hung lank and greasy round her shoulders. No lipstick, mascara, earrings, no jewellery except a wedding ring. No stockings, white bare legs, flowered cotton dress and navy cardigan.

There were traces of who she must have been once, but Stella remembered Andy’s only bitter comment, that Marjorie had never recovered from the loss of the café and their eighty pounds a week. He never said what had caused the café to close down. She had resented their come-down in life. Anyone who had to live with Ralph in their spare room had massive grounds for grievance, Stella thought, giving as genuine a smile as she could while being introduced as Ralph’s new girlfriend.

They sat at the table, Stella feeling overdressed with black silk gloves and clutch handbag, new grey coat and navy suede shoes, perfume, earrings and full make-up. She felt tarty in these circumstances and even more so when Marjorie asked would she like to see the baby. She could hardly say no. Going into the small bedroom, she was extremely aware of the double bed cramped beside the cot. It was all so downtrodden and featureless.

  As it was, Stella felt as near to a tart as she had ever done, confronted with plain motherhood and a sleeping child versus her own Saturday night dressed-up persona. She had stuffed the new black silk gloves into her handbag but kept her coat on.

In the meanwhile Andy had enthusiastically begun to fry rice, for reasons of his own, a party trick perhaps. Or perhaps he had promised it because there was nothing else to offer in the flat. He stood at the gas stove set in the corner of the kitchen-living room like a magician ready to produce a rabbit out of a hat. Swish and swirl and now there were four plates of fried golden rice.

I am not drunk, I am not seeing things, Stella thought, but this is surreal. She also had to talk to Ralph as though they knew each other well, which was difficult, as this was their first real conversation ever. Chatting was out of the question. He could not do it naturally. Ralph sat even nearer now, moving his chair, as Stella tried to think of something to say that did not sound too false. He, in turn looked as though he could eat her, but had to put up with a plate of fried rice instead. She spoke about a party at Rita Rave’s and the other one where the grand piano took up most of the space. He looked deeply into her eyes in his best Rasputin imitation and managed a word or two. He still looked like a rapist even here indoors at home eating a plate of fried rice at midnight with his flat-mates.

How on earth did Marjorie cope with this set-up on a daily basis? Andy continued to pirouette at the stove, producing more fried rice. There was nothing else in the room except furniture and the pile of papers that Marjorie was listlessly working on.

 “It’s market research on mayonnaise” she explained. 

Back to School & On The Go Degustabox

Welcome to the Back to School & On the Go Degustabox!
Schools have re-opened their doors after a summer break, but these challenging corona times have brought many changes everywhere, including morning breaks and lunch time at school. Hot school lunches are not currently on offer in many schools in order to reduce the number of children gathering together to eat their meals.
Children are eating their lunches in the classrooms. If like many parents, you are struggling with ideas what to add to your child's lunchbox, the latest Degustabox might inspire you to add one or two products to your usual packed lunch.

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. Your 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 the Back to School & On the Go Degustabox?

Many children (and grown-ups too) enjoy smoothies in pouches. They come in convenient servings, you can carry them around easily, and there is a great variety of flavours to choose.
Swisse Me Start Me Chia (£1.80) is a breakfast blend of apple, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, chia seeds and pomegranate juice.
These healthy smoothies are the quick pick-me-up with no added sugar. They are a source of fibre, low fat, vegan and made with real fruit.
My son tried it, but said that chia spoilt it for him, and he does have a point. I'd rather have a pure fruit and berry blend, not being a fan of chia. If you like chia, you will enjoy it.
Available exclusively at swisseme.com

Sunny Fruit Mix-Ups (£2) are real fruit pieces - sultanas and dried apple juice infused strawberries - with no added sugar. These snacks are great for a packed lunch or when you're feeling peckish.
One serving contains 55kcal ad 10.2g of sugar.
I used two of the mini-bags to make easy chocolate cookies (the recipe is coming soon).
Available in all major supermarket chains.

Simpleas Pea Powered Curls (£1.09) are made from sustainably sourced and harvested Great British yellow peas, which are lovingly baked and not fried.
Every snack is vegan friendly, gluten free, high fibre, high protein and only 88 kcal.
It will work for people with many dietary requirements.
There are several flavours to choose from. We got a Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar which is our favourite flavour. Crunchy, vinegary, with a note of sweetness from the peas, they won me over. I would definitely buy them as a healthier alternative to crisps.

Available from WHSmith, Skinny Food Company, Farm shops across the UK and on simpleas-snacks.co.uk

PICK UP! (£0.40 per single bar or £1.69 for a pack of 5) are a lovely sweet treat - a thick layer of chocolate between two crunchy biscuits.
Not all schools allow chocolate snacks, so it might not work as a packed lunch treat for everyone.
Bahlsen biscuits are made in Germany.
You will receive three different varieties - Choco Hazelnut, Milk Chocolate and Choco & Milk.
Avaiable at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA, Waitrose, Co-Op, Lidl, Ocado and on Amazon.

TREK Salted Caramel Protein Flapjack (£2.50) is a new flavour from a well-known brand.
A delicious smooth slated caramel flapjack is gluten-free, packed with 9g of plant-based protein, making it a perfect slow-releasing energy snack, which will keep you going and leave you feeling fuller for longer.
My elder son enjoys flapjacks in his packed lunch.
Available at Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Amazon.

RXBAR (£2.50) is a protein bar. You will receive one of four flavours.
We received a Chocolate sea salt bar, made with egg whites, almonds, cashews and dates. This is the first time I've tried the RXBAR. There was a bit too much sea salt on top of the bar. I like the combination of sweet and salty, but something about this bar left me thinking they should keep working on that flavour.
Nutritional information: 207kcal and 15g of sugar.
Available at Sainsbury's, Ocado, Amazon and rxbar.co.uk.

Boundless Activated Cayenne & Rosemary nuts and seeds mix (£1.50 or £1 at Sainsbury's).
The classic taste of rosemary is enhanced by an unmistakeable heat of South American spice. Sweet and spicy, this nuts and seeds mix is gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
Ingredients include almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, maple syrup, salt, rosemary and cayenne pepper.
Nutritional information: 172kcal and 2.9g of sugar per 30g bag.

The Great British Porridge Co (£1.50) makes a quick and easy breakfast option. This is a gluten-free porridge made with 100% natural tasty ingredients.
There are five flavours to choose from, for the morning boost. You will receive a sample. Full size packs are available at Sainsbury's and Waitrose or at thegreatbritishporridge.co.uk.

Swizzels Great British Puds (£1) are vegan chew bars. Great British Puds take the flavours of the nation's most-loved traditional puddings and see them transformed into unique chew bars.
They were created by a competition winner, Tracy-Jane.
Flavours include Sticky Toffee Pudding, Lemon Meringue Pie, Rhubarb Crumble and Apple Pie & Custard.
Nutritional information: 64kcal and 10g of sugar per serving of two pieces.
Available at selected ASDA, Morrisons, Co-Op, One Stop, B&M, Home Bargains, McColl's, Premier and Spar stores.

Capsicana Mexican Chilli and Honey Cooking Paste (£1.50) is based on the dish "Puerco al horno con salsa de chile y miel". It's created with Mexican grown chipotle and ancho poblano chillies for a sweet and smoky flavour.
It is great with chicken, pork or vegetables, and is perfect for fajitas, BBQs and marinades.
Available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado.

I was glad to see Twinings Cold Infuse (£3.79) included in the box. It was one of the products we used extensively in summer, though different flavours from the one we got. I even took two Twinings Cold Infuse plastic pots with us, when we went to Cornwall for a week. It is so easy to use it, just add a few teabags to the big jug of cold water, and later enjoy a flavourful and refreshing drink.
Available in all main supermarket chains.

Master Café Iced Coffee Latte/Mocha/Classico (£1.50) is a lovely treat for all fans of iced coffee.
Many iced coffee brands are over-sweet and milk-heavy. This is a lower-calorie, low-dairy authentic iced coffee.
Enjoy a punchy Classico, indulgent Latte or chocolatey Mocha.
Available at snaxemporium.com, Amazon, selected Budgens, Londis and other convenience stores.

And finally, there was a gift enclosed with the main selection - Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte.
It promises a taste of an authentic spiced chai latte with a frothy and creamy texture. It contains less than 1% caffeine and is gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians.
This creamy sweet drink with the flavours of cinnamon, ginger and cloves is lovely on a cold rainy day, when you feel like having a treat.
A full tub costs £2.30, and is available in all major supermarket chains.

It's nearly time for the next Degustabox delivery, and we can't wait to see what will arrive.

Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal

Whenever we travel to Cornwall, I take a new game and DVDs with us for a rainy day. This year we had a Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal 96pc set to put in the suitcase.

This summer which comes to an end tomorrow (eek!) has had a good share of rainy days.
While some hale and robust families don't mind camping in the tents in any weather, we prefer to stay at home, bake cookies, watch a good old film and play games.
What do your children enjoy on a rainy day - do they read, watch YouTube or DVDs, draw and colour, play Minecraft and Roblox, build LEGO castles? We tend to do a bit of everything.

Many games these days are educational. Geomag makes toys which encourage STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and fun.

Geomag 769 Magnetics Challenge Goal set is a cool toy which helps teach children about magnetic forces, gravity and understand science.

The sturdy box contains several plastic bags with 96 pieces (15 metal balls and 81 elements at the base of the goal mechanism). The main challenge is to build and launch a cannon by using the force of gravity.

This set is suitable for children aged 7+, but younger children could play with it too, with the adult supervision. While there are no sharp edges, the launching of balls must be supervised, when playing with kids under 7.

The illustrated instructions are clear and straight-forward.

Some interesting facts about Geomag:
Geomag products come under a Swiss Made quality guarantee, and are aligned with the most stringent European and international safety standards.
Geomag is entirely produced in Switzerland, and manufactured with the utmost rigor and attention to materials.
Geomag has been recognised as the ideal game to give by the American Scientific magazine, which has conducted research on games that favour the development of children's intelligence.
Geomag lines are winners of numerous awards, with products helping children of all ages develop and train their minds, imagination and curiosity through the science of magnetic construction.

Once you have assembled the cannon, the fun of launching the metal balls begins. Precision, timing and dexterity are the keys to winning.

This creative engineering toy set will make a great gift for any occasion, be it a birthday, Christmas (are you starting to look for ideas for Christmas gifts?) or indeed a toy squirrelled for a rainy day.

Disclosure: We received Geomag set for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.