Degustabox August Review & a £7 Discount Code

My August Degustabox actually arrived in early September as I had to delay the delivery (I was on holiday when it was due to arrive). I love how easy it is the reschedule the Degustabox delivery if the time and date isn't convenient. Anyway, as usual the Degustabox was once again packed full of new foodie products that I can't wait to try.  

Discount Code: BLDEG15

Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of specially selected foodie products. There's always a great mix of new products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from more established brands. Each Degustabox costs £12.99p, delivery costs are included in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time.

The discount code has been increased and now offers a massive £7.00 off, bringing the cost to £6.99 delivered. Check out the Degustabox website below and enter the discount code: BLDEG15

www.degustabox.com/en

Here's a quick round up of all the products I received in the August Degustabox:

Willy Chase's Fit Corn: I've never heard of this brand before but the bright packaging and interesting flavour made it instantly appealing. There were one of four possible flavours in the Degustabox: Apple Cider Vinegar, Smokey Bloody Mary, Goats Cheese, Onion & Thyme or Salted Honey. I'm definitely pleased with the flavour I received! The combination of sweet honey and salty flavours worked together perfectly.

NutriPot: Another new brand to me which I'm always keen to try out. The NutriPot are designed to be healthy and nutritious, with each pot containing 50% of all the 28 vitamins and minerals your body requires every day. I received two flavours that are both simple to make by just adding boiling water. The Aromatic Thai Noodles has a slightly spiced flavour while the Moroccan Couscous is flavoured with sultanas and herbs. 

Clipper Lime & Ginger Green Tea: I've only recently become a convert to lemon flavoured green tea. I'd always assumed it wouldn't be for me but I tried a cup at a friends house and became hooked. This Lime & Ginger flavour works just as well with the lime added a refreshing sweetness and the ginger providing extra warmth. Lemon green tea is still my favourite but I would buy this one if I fancied a change.

Dorset Cereals Bircher Mix: Bircher Muesli is traditionally made in Switzerland by soaking oats overnight in juice and yogurt and adding grated fruit. The Dorset Cereals Bircher Mix came with a little scoop for measuring out the perfect portion, and is then made by adding 60ml of apple juice, a spoonful of yogurt on top and refridgerating for 30mins (or overnight) in the fridge.

The result is an absolutely delicious and creamy muesli that is packed full of fruity flavour. I've never had oats made with apple juice before and now I just can't stop! It's become my favourite breakfast and I've had it every day since I first tried it. I'll be buying this regularly from now on.

Mahou Cinco Estrellas Lager: This lager is produced in Madrid and has a history going back 126 years. It's available in most supermarkets such as Asda, Sainsbury's and online at Ocado. My dad loves this one!

Get More Multivitamins: This drink is made with spring water, natural flavours and no added sugar. There are six different flavours available and I received the Sparkling Lemon & Lime. It's a refreshing drink with a flavour similar to a diet lemonade. I preferred the Still Mango & Passionfruit version which I tried in a previous Degustabox.

Fentimans Sparkling Lime & Jasmine: I'm a fan of Fentimans' botanical drinks, especially their Curiosity Cola. This Sparkling Lime and Jasmine is new to me so I was excited to give it a try. The initial flavour is quite sharp, with the citrus notes kicking in straight away and quite a sour taste overall.

Rakusen's Snackers: Available in Plain and Gluten Free varieties. These Snackers are less than 1% fat and have seven calories per cracker. The ingredients in both are very simple, resulting in quite plain tasting crackers - a bit like water crackers. They're very crunchy which makes them good for dipping and topping.

Geeta's Curry Pastes & Chutney: There were three different products from the Geeta's range in the Degustabox. The curry pastes, a Tikka and a Rogan Josh, are quite small so are ideal for two rather than for family meals. The Premium Mango Chutney is an award-winning chutney that is sweet, tangy and full of flavour.

Tabasco Sauce: My other half was very pleased to find this in the Degustabox. He loves trying out different barbecue sauces - any excuse to fire up the BBQ! This Sweet & Sticky Barbecue sauce and marinade has a rich and smokey flavour and works well on ribs and pulled pork.

Capsicana Latin Flavours: Capsicana Cook Sauces are available in three Latin American inspired flavours; Peruvian Chilli & Lemon, Brazilian Chilli & Coconut, and Mexican Chilli & Honey. This looks like a fabulous new range and the flavours all look really appealing. I'm looking forward to giving these one a try, I'll probably use it with chicken but it can also be used with fish or vegetables. The Capsicana range is now available at Waitrose.

Overall, I really enjoyed the surprise selection in this months Degustabox. There was a wonderful mix of useful items and many new brands. I also received a packet of Oloves which I've reviewed previously here - Oloves Olives Review. My favourites this month were the Clipper Tea, Tabasco BBQ sauce, Chase's Popcorn and the amazing Dorset Cereals Bircher Mix.

For more details on Degustabox:

Degustabox website: www.degustabox.com/en

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegustaboxUK

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DegustaboxUK

I received a Degustabox in order to provide an honest review.

Degustabox April Review & Discount Code: Featuring new Popchips & Milkybar Chocolate

The latest Degustabox arrived this week and as always it was full of foodie treats, including a new and limited edition flavour of Popchips. 

Degustabox is a subscription service that promises to send out a big box filled with a surprise selection of groceries each month. Each Degustabox costs £12.99p but you can still get £6.00p off using the discount code below. Delivery costs are included in the price and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time.

£6 Discount Code: BLDEG15

Degustabox have kindly provided my readers with a massive £6.00 off, bringing the cost to £6.99 delivered. Enter the Discount Code: BLDEG15 

www.degustabox.com/en

Here's a quick round up of all the products I received in April's Degustabox (there are a LOT of photos!):

Popchips Limited Edition Sea Salt, Garlic & Rosemary: A large bag of new Popchips Sea Salt, Garlic & Rosemary. There is also a limited edition Popchips Sea Salt, Caramelised Onion & Thyme flavour, which some Degustaboxers may have received instead.

I'm a big fan of Popchips and this new flavour is just spot on. All the elements of sea salt, garlic and rosemary work together to create a delicious flavour. I especially love the strong rosemary combined with the garlic - just snacking perfection.

Veetee Rice: Two packets of microwaveable rice from Veetee in Wholegrain Brown Rice & Quinoa and Basmati. I do buy this brand of easy to make rice packets every once in a while. They're just so useful to have in the cupboard for those super busy days.

Levi Roots Jerk Coat 'n Cook Sauce: My son is already a fan of Levi Roots sauce so when he saw this packet he wanted to make it straight away. Since it's an instant sauce and doesn't need marinading I decided to give it a go with some chicken breasts. 

We had the chicken sliced with a colourful salad and sweet potatoes. The chicken only took about 25 minutes in the oven and was lovely and juicy. I'm always sceptical about instant marinades but the flavour worked well here and the chicken was delicious with a real spicy kick. 

Pimm's Cider Cup: A summery English Cider flavoured with Pimm's and a hint of strawberry and cucumber. It's great to enjoy now that the days are getting longer and warmer!

Bebeto Fruit Strings: This fruity snack has been awarded a Product of the Year award for their innovative use of fruit juice. They're also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 

These are so cute! There are 7 packs inside, each printed with a different day of the week. This will appeal to any kids (like mine) who like to keep things in order. I'll definitely get in trouble if I put in a Tuesday bag into the lunch box if it's actually Friday!

The flavours in the pack are Raspberry (2 bags), Apple (2 bags), Blackcurrant (1 bag), and Strawberry (2 bags). The texture is soft and chewy and all the flavours were really tasty - very sweet and fruity.

Green Lady Sparkling Tea: This is an interesting drink. It's a lightly sparking tea, made with Green Darjeeling tea leaves and the finest all natural ingredients. I like the fact that the ingredients list is so simple and includes flavourings such as nutmeg. 

Canderel Sugarly: This is described as a zero calorie sweetener that looks like granulated sugar and tastes like sugar. It can be used in hot drinks, on fruit and cereals and for baking. I'll be giving this a go for baking some low calorie banana bread. 

Smarties & MilkyBar: I'm always pleased to find some chocolaty treats inside the Degustabox and this month was no exception as I haven't tried either of these. 

Smarties Sharing Block:  A bar of sweet and creamy milk chocolate packed with colourful mini Smarties. This is a super sweet bar and definitely one for anyone with a sweet tooth! I could only eat a small amount of this at a time but I have to admit I did like the texture of the crunchy Smarties in the creamy chocolate.

Milkybar Milk & Crunchy: This is a new chocolate from Milkybar, a small sized bar for kids, in a fun cow shape. Each bar has a creamy and crispy centre covered in a layer of white chocolate. I couldn't resist having a sneaky one of these myself and I really enjoyed the creamy and sweet flavour.

Rejuvenation Water Apple & Mint: Rejuvenation is a spring water drink enriched with amino acid glutamine which has been shown to have benefits for the immune system and for stress, depression and anxiety. I can't speak for any of the health claims but I did enjoy the flavour of this drink. The apple and mint is an enjoyably sweet combination and a very refreshing one too. 

Parle: One of the things I love about writing this blog is discovering brands from around the world. I hadn't heard of this Indian brand before but apparently Parle-G are the largest selling biscuit brand in the world. 

Parle-G Biscuits: These biscuits are made with milk and wheat for 'all round nourishment'. They're simple biscuits with a sweet flavour and golden, buttery texture. These are lovely with hot drinks and a nice treat for little hands too.

Parle Rusk: These rusks are enriched with cardamom and have a surprisingly sweet flavour and light texture. I really enjoyed the flavour here - they're light and sweet which makes them absolutely perfect with tea.  If you've never tried these before then you should definitely give them a go.

Overall, I was delighted with the impressive selection in this month's Degustabox - it's one of my favourite boxes so far. I was especially pleased with the Popchips, Levi Roots sauce, Parle, Bebeto Fruit Strings and the Milkybar Milk & Crunchy.

For more details:

Degustabox website: www.degustabox.com

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegustaboxUK

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DegustaboxUK

I received a Degustabox in order to provide an honest review.

Review: Mash Direct Fresh Veg

I was recently sent a selection of freshly prepared vegetables from the lovely people at Mash Direct. They're an independent family owned company that aim to provide easy to cook, delicious, healthy veg with all the flavour of being homemade. It's certainly a great product for this time of year and is perfect for anyone who wants to take a bit of the stress out of Christmas.

Each product in the award winning Mash Direct range contains specially selected heritage vegetable varieties, grown and prepared on their family-run farm in County Down. The vegetables are gently steam cooked immediately after harvesting to ensure a fresh flavour and texture, whilst retaining their natural nutritional benefits. All Mash Direct's products are gluten-free, with no artificial additives, preservatives or colourings and are low in salt. 

There are lots of seasonal favourites in the Mash Direct range including:

• Honey Glazed Parsnips coated in butter, honey and light brown sugar (RRP £1.59p). As with most of the Mash Direct products these just need to be cooked in the oven. Parsnips are one of my favourite vegetables, especially with a roast dinner, and I really enjoyed the lovely sweet flavour here.
• Ready to Roast Root Vegetables - a mix of parsnips carrots and beetroot, marinated in herbs (RRP £1.79p).  This colourful trio of veg was very popular with all the family - my kids especially loved the combination of colours!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and a Butter Glaze - freshly steam-cooked Brussels Sprouts with a bacon and butter glaze (RRP £1.89p). These just need 10-12 minutes in the oven. I really enjoy the combination of Brussels sprouts and bacon and especially when they are as easy to prepare as these! 

Duck Fat Roast Potatoes - These potatoes are coated in duck fat and cooked so they're crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside (RRP £1.89p). I've tried a few ready-made roast potatoes (usually frozen ones) and always been disappointed with the flavour. These roast potatoes from Mash Direct however are completely different and taste (almost!) as good as homemade. 

Red Cabbage and Beetroot - This is one of Mash Direct's most award-winning products - it's won two Great Taste awards, a Grocer Gold Award and a Quality Food Award. The veg is delicately steam cooked and blended to create a mix of flavours and textures. It's a really delicious combination of flavour that I've never tried before and would be a great addition to any festive meal.

Overall, I enjoyed all the products from the Mash Direct. I've never bought ready-prepared fresh vegetables before but I've been won over by just how easy and tasty the Mash Direct range is. It's a great range for taking some of the stress out of this busy period, especially if you have a lot of family meals to prepare. 

The Mash Direct range can be found in the ready meal aisle and is available in Northern Ireland and Scotland in Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda and throughout Great Britain in Asda, Ocado and Wholefoods as well as other independent stores. The full Mash Direct range includes; Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Red Cabbage & Beetroot, Spicy Potato Wedges, Vegetable Burgers, Bubble & Squeak Mash Pot, Bangers & Mash Mash Pot, Potato Croquettes, Honey Glazed Parsnips and many more.

See the full list of products at www.mashdirect.com/products

PR Samples.

Review: New Warburtons Giant Crumpets

Warburtons have released a giant version of the classic crumpet. The Giant Crumpets are almost twice the size of regular crumpets but still have the same thick and fluffy texture. 

Each pack contains two large crumpets which are easily double the size of our usual crumpets - almost as big as the plate. I must admit I was expecting them to be quite thin, to make up for the larger size, but they're just as thick as regular crumpets. Even though they're twice the size, these crumpets still fit easily into a toaster. 

Once toasted, the flavour is really delicious, with a lovely soft texture with crunchy edges. A giant crumpet deserves a special topping and for me it could only be bananas and Nutella! Of course this was strictly a one-off treat (ahem) but there are lots of other ideas for how to enjoy these giant crumpets. 

Because the crumpets are so big they can be used as a quick and easy meal option. Warburtons sent me a few gorgeous ideas for their giant crumpets such as chicken breast & avocado or a sweet summer berries with marscaone. I especially liked their savoury idea (pictured above) that combines tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese. It's basically a crumpet pizza! I'll be making this one for sure.

Grocery Gems Review: Warburtons Giant Crumpets

RATING: 9 out of 10.

Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 187 calories per crumpet.
Purchased: Available at Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Iceland.
Price: £0.69p (pack of two).

PR Samples- I received a gorgeous Warburtons gift hamper.

Review: Three Little Pigs Rare Breed Spicy Chorizo from Yorkshire

Chorizo is one of the those ingredients that I always have to keep stocked in my fridge. Growing up in a Portuguese household, it's always been an essential part of many of my favourite recipes. As a result, I'm a more than a bit fussy when it comes to chorizo and I dislike much of the grizzly and fatty stuff that's available on the supermarket shelves! 

I was intrigued to try this Rare Breed Spicy Chorizo from Three Little Pigs - an award winning charcuterie producer from Yorkshire. All their products are made in Yorkshire from only the most flavoursome ingredients, such as La Vera Smoked Pimenton and carefully selected rare breed pork. They also give it a 'Yorkshire Twist' by trimming the pork more finely so it doesn't have any chewy bits.

My first impressions of the Three Little Pigs chorizo are excellent. The chorizo is meaty, without too many fatty pockets, and certainly no grizzly bits at all. The flavour is just delicious too. I usually avoid spicy chorizo as I often find that the spice is too overpowering, but that's certainly not the case here. The flavour is deliciously meaty and well seasoned, with a lovely balance of the smoky pimenton and spices. The texture is incredibly smooth and tender for a chorizo making it ideal as a snacking chorizo. We enjoyed it just with some fresh crusty bread - perfection!

I decided to also try cooking with the Three Little Pigs Rare Breed chorizo and I made a simple chicken, chorizo and chick pea stew. The results were very successful, the chorizo immediately turned the oil a gorgeous orangey colour and added plenty of deliciously smoky flavour to the dish.

Grocery Gems Review: Three Little Pigs Rare Breed Spicy Chorizo

RATING: 10 out of 10.

Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: Gluten Free.
Available: See below.

Three Little Pigs products are available at Co-Op, Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Partridges, farmshops, specialist cheese shops and via Aga Foodhalls online. For further information check out www.threelittlepigschorizo.co.uk. 

Review: Old El Paso Restaurante Chicken Tinga Soft Taco Kit

I was recently sent a few recipe kits from the new Old El Paso Restaurante range. There are four Mexican inspired flavours available; Chicken Tinga, Baja Fish, Steak Carne Asada, and Pork El Pastor. I received the first two kits and decided to give the chicken one a go first. Chicken Tinga or "Tinga de Pollo" is inspired by a local street-food recipe from the Puebla region of Mexico. The Tinga flavour is a delicious combination of tomatoes, onions, garlic and chipotle chillies.

The Chiken Tinga kit comes with 10 mini flour tortillas as well as a Tinga Chiken seasoning and a Chipotle sauce. It also needs a few fresh ingredients; 500g chicken breasts and 1 onion. You can also add avocado, shredded lettuce and chopped coriander as suggested toppings.

The recipe itself is quite interesting compared to similar meal kits I've tried before. To get the shredded chicken needed for the finished tacos, the chicken breasts are first cooked whole in the sauce (yay - no chopping required!). Once cooked, the chicken breasts are then shredded with forks and added back to the sauce which then needs to be reduced down for a few minutes. It's all very quick and easy and creates a really succulent and flavourful chicken that tastes as if it's been marinading for ages!

The flour tacos are small but quite thick, and unfortunately they're not curved as they appear on the box. I'm sure there is some way to warm them up so they curve but I just served them as wraps. The Chicken Tinga flavour is really smokey and delicious, and combined with the chipotle sauce, creates a lovely zingy and flavourful meal. Everyone enjoyed the flavours and this will certainly be a meal kit I would buy in the future.

For more info visit: www.youtube.com/user/TheOldElPasoUK #cooklikethelocals

Grocery Gems Review: Old El Paso Restaurante Chicken Tinga

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes - I'm looking forward to trying the Baja Fish next!
Purchased: Available at Asda, Sainsbury's, Waitrose Morrisons and Tesco.

Price: RRP - £3.79p .

PR Samples.