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Posts tagged £35
Degustabox April 2014
3
7 years
Late last month I took delivery of the April edition of my monthly surprise food box, Degustabox, and boy is it a good one! In my review of the March Degustabox I mentioned that, though I enjoyed the contents of the box, the distinct lack of sweet treats was slightly disappointing, but April’s offerings sincerely make up for that. In fact, this latest box is crammed full of so many of my favourite things, it’s as if it was put together specifically with me in mind!
The April Degustabox contains nine different brands, and fifteen individual items, which for £12.99 is a lot better value than most food subscription boxes I’ve seen. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on each item…
Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer with Raspberry (RRP £2.19)
Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer is one of my favourite alcoholic drinks, and is so refreshing when it’s been chilled. This particular bottle has a raspberry flavour, which I admit isn’t my first choice of flavours, but with the ginger it is really quite nice. The beer is a lovely pink shade and the raspberry flavour shines through, before the warm, comforting burn of ginger kicks in. I think I prefer the original version, but as a cool drink every now and then during the summer, this would be ideal. I also want to try the strawberry and lime flavour that I know other people received in their Degustabox.
Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Bar (RRP £0.80 each)
I’ve always been a fan of Lindt’s Lindor truffles, so when I saw that they’d been transformed into bars, I was curious to see whether they were as nice, and as it happens, they are! These bars have the same cool, creamy taste and texture as their spherical counterparts – the chocolate itself is sweet, but not sickly, and the truffle it encases is luxuriously smooth and delicious. These bars may be thin, but they feel like a proper treat, and I’ll definitely be buying more.
Cawston Press Rhubarb and Apple Sparkling Drink (RRP £1.00)
Cawston Press’ Rhubarb and Apple drink was an unexpected highlight for me. I don’t often drink fruity fizzy drinks, but this one tastes a little bit more sophisticated than the usual. It’s free of any preservatives, additives and artificial sweeteners, and is made from concentrated fruit juice combined with sparkling water, so is light and refreshing. The rhubarb flavour dominates, and is reminiscent of the rhubarb and custard sweets I used to eat as a child, without the overpowering sweetness. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Cawston Press, as this tasted lovely and I’d like to try some of their juices.
Clearspring Miso on the Go Soup (RRP £1.29 each)
Soup isn’t my thing, especially ‘cup of soup’ type things, so I wasn’t incredibly enthusiastic about these Clearspring Miso on the Go sachets when I first saw them. I received two flavours of soup – White Miso with Tofu (pictured above), and Red Miso with Sea Veg, which I’m yet to try. One thing that did stand out with these is that they’re vegan, and only contain 29 calories, so they’re healthy at least.
The soup is easy to make, and involves mixing 160ml of hot water in a mug with the freeze-dried block that the sachet contains. I was surprised to see such chunky ingredients floating around in the soup, namely cubes of tofu and pieces of spring onion, and though it doesn’t look the best, the White Miso actually tastes rather nice! At £1.29 each I probably won’t be buying these again, but I’m glad I tried them.
Go Splash Blackcurrant Water Flavouring (RRP £2.45)
After seeing the Robinsons equivalent of Go Splash in supermarkets recently, I’d been keen to try something like this, but unfortunately I was slightly disappointed with Go Splash. In theory, it’s a great idea – a little container of sugar-free, low-calorie fruit flavoured concentrate to add to water to make it that little bit more exciting, but I’m not sure the brand quite pull it off. The packaging says to add one squirt to 200ml of water, which I did, but it made no difference, so I added another and still wasn’t happy. The water still tasted like water, but I was left with an artificial, saccharine taste in my mouth after swallowing, with just a hint of blackcurrant. Not the best, and I haven’t used it since. I was looking forward to carrying this with me so I could enjoy it on the go, but I think I’ll pass.
Keogh’s Atlantic Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Crisps (RRP £1.00)
Salt and Vinegar is my crisp flavour of choice, so I was always going to love these, but they even managed to exceed my high expectations. When I visited Dublin last year I was really taken by just how well Ireland do crisps, and these are close to perfect. Keogh’s Farm is a family run potato growing and crisping business based in North County Dublin, and the family’s 200 years of potato expertise really shows. The packet even features a ‘Spud Nav’, which tells you exactly which field the potatoes were grown in, the variety of potato used, and who cooked the crisps. Brilliant!
The crisps are thick and crispy, not at all greasy, and incredibly well-flavoured, as the Irish cider vinegar gives them a pleasantly sweet tang, rather than a sour one. They’re also gluten-free, made from all natural ingredients, and come in a generous 50g bag. Walkers crisps don’t even come close to these!
McVitie’s Jaffa Cake Mini Rolls (RRP £1.30 per pack)
I like cake, I like chocolate, I like Jaffa Cakes, so finding these in my Degustabox was another pleasant surprise. The Mini Rolls come in two flavours – Tropicool, a mix of tropical fruits, and Berry Burst, and each tastes like what it says on the packet, although not intensely so. The packaging states that these can be frozen, so I decided to give the freezing a go to see if it made much of a difference, which it did. They were firmer and chewier, and obviously colder, which suited them well. I think these would make a nice light treat in Summer when you’re getting tired of eating ice cream.
Mornflake Superfast Pots (RRP £1.20 each)
My Degustabox also featured two Superfast pots by Mornflake – a Fruit & Nut Muesli, and a Raisin, Honey & Almond Granola – both of which are right up my street. Each pot has a handy little spoon in the lid, and contains powdered milk so you can just add cold water to the mix and stir, which is really handy when you’re on the go. Both of these tasted delicious, especially the granola, and the portions are generously sized. I’d definitely pick one of these up if I was in a rush on my way to work.
Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ Chocolate (RRP £1.69 each)
There were also two bars of this Dr. Oetker Fine Cook’s Chocolate in April’s Degustabox – an Extra Dark one with an intense 72% cocoa solids, and a creamier Milk chocolate, coming in at 35%. As an avid baker, these were a nice little addition to the box and I couldn’t wait to try them out, so I whipped up a batch of tiffin as soon as possible. Tiffin is a fantastic no-bake, easy to make treat, so I thought I’d share my recipe for…
Chocolate Ginger Tiffin
Ingredients:
115g Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ Chocolate Extra Dark 72%
115g Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ Chocolate Milk 35%
150g Ginger Nut Biscuits
75g Rich Tea Biscuits
100g Dried Mixed Fruit
110g Butter or Stork Margarine
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
4 tsp Cocoa Powder
Method:
1. Line a large, square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Crush the ginger nut biscuits and rich tea biscuits until they are broken into small pieces.
3. In a pan, mix together the butter, golden syrup, sugar and cocoa powder over a low heat, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
4. Add the crushed biscuits and dried fruit to the pan and stir until everything is coated.
5. Tip the biscuit mixture into the baking tin, spread out evenly and press down.
6. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts until fully melted. Pour over the biscuit mix and spread out evenly.
7. Leave the tiffin to set in the fridge for about an hour, before cutting into pieces. This recipe makes about 18 decently sized pieces.
8. Serve and enjoy!
Of course, I gave the chocolate a little nibble whilst I was cooking (and I got to lick the bowl – cook’s perks!), and it’s delicious even as an eating chocolate. I may even finish the bars myself…
The overall RRP of April’s Degustabox is £20, so for £12.99 you’re definitely getting a good deal. Once again, everything in the box is vegetarian, and the abundance of sweet goodies is a winner with me. I’d even go as far to say this is the best subscription box I’ve ever received from any company!
If you want to know more about Degustabox and this month’s products, you can visit their website here. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.
Will you be subscribing to Degustabox? If so, if you use the exclusive code ‘4K0P6‘ when registering, you can get a £3 discount!
Naomi x
PS. You can check out the rest of my Degustabox reviews here.
*This Degustabox was sent to me by Degustabox for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Blogger Challenge – Fantastic Fashion Gifts for £35 or less
3
9 years
I was recently asked to enter GiftsVouchers.co.uk‘s Blogger Challenge, and as a fan of fun little competitions like this I couldn’t turn down the offer! The aim of the challenge is to scour the internet and find five or more fashionable gift ideas, all of which must cost less than £35 each. After all, as Bewitchery always says, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get something good!
The way I have decided to approach this challenge is to put together a selection of Christmas gift ideas for Women, but also some for Men, as we all know that men can be spectacularly difficult to buy for! So let’s get things started… (All pictures are clickable if you want a closer look).
Gifts for Her
Shop these gifts…
Alice Tea Party Charm Bracelet – Collectif – £10.00
This Alice Tea Party Charm Bracelet is so unusual and quirky, but also really pretty and feminine. It would make an ideal gift for any individual girly girls out there! I, for one, have a friend who would absolutely love this.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte E-Reader Cover – TruffleShuffle – £14.99
Though I am still an ardent advocate of books over e-readers, I couldn’t help but fall for this Gothic vintage-style e-reader cover from TruffleShuffle, as Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite novels. I think it would make a great gift for those who love to accessorise their technology. TruffleShuffle also stock a wide range of other book related e-reader covers so there’s something there for everyone.
Ciate 24 Piece Mini Mani Month – QVC – £31.20
Ciate’s Mini Mani Month is a luxe, grown up version of an advent calendar, which contains 20 mini Ciate Paint Pots and 4 mini pots of Caviar Beads. At £31.20 it is an absolute bargain (I’ve seen it being sold for a lot more in shops such as Selfridges) as you get a lot for your money! I think this would make a great early Christmas present for any nail varnish-loving sister, mother, auntie or cousin. Or, if you know someone with a November birthday, you could get them this and extend their birthday joy throughout December! Of course, it would also make a lovely little treat for yourself (I have ordered one just for me, hehe).
River Island Bird Cage PJ Bottoms and Top – ASOS – £15 each or £30 the pair
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a snuggly pair of new PJs, and this set from ASOS is just the cutest! The bird cage print, monochrome colours, silky fabric and traditional cut are all so classy and make these PJs suitable for anybody. The top and bottoms are available separately for £15 each, making the whole set an affordable £30.
Elaine Cat Slippers – Topshop – £14.00
Set the cat among the pigeons with these sweet little slippers from Topshop – the perfect partner for the Bird Cage PJs! The slippers are lined with faux fur so are really soft and warm. If you’re stuck for gift ideas, you can never go wrong with a pair of slippers, especially if they’re as cute as these.
Songbird Mini Bag – Totally Funky – £24.99
Roses, fluffy kittens, stunning birds, musical scores and vintage-style prints… What’s not to love about this bag?
Gifts for Him
Shop these gifts…
Vintage Typewriter Padded Laptop/iPad Sleeve from Ted Baker – TruffleShuffle – £30.00
As you may have picked up through my women’s gift ideas, there seems to be a real trend for vintage right now, and this Typewriter Laptop Sleeve gives vintage a more masculine feel. Having said that, I’m not one for gendering products and I’d quite like this myself. This sleeve is by Ted Baker but is available from TruffleShuffle, one of my favourite online retro stores.
Zombie Slippers – Firebox – £19.99
How amazing are these slippers? These would make such a fun, comfortable gift for any undead-loving bloke. They are exclusive to Firebox and are available to pre-order now.
Navy All Over Stag Jumper – Topman – £32.00
This gorgeous jumper combines this year’s fashion for motif knitwear with the traditional and obligatory Christmas jumper, but a lot less tacky as the colours are highly wearable too. The jumper comes in sizes XXS to XL, so it is suited to fit all shapes and sizes!
Batman Logo Cufflinks (Design One and Design Two) – MenKind – £12.99 each
Everybody loves a bit of Batman (especially me), and these Batman Cufflinks would add a bit of awesome to any smart outfit. Whether you want bright and cartoony or sleek and stylish, there’s a pair for everyone. They almost make me wish I wore suits so I could have some too!
Organic Homme Shave Kit – Green People – £35.00
Where possible I like to buy natural skin care products, even for other people, and I absolutely adore this chic-looking shave kit. Everything in the kit is vegetarian and vegan friendly, organic, fairly-traded and made from natural ingredients, so it is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. Give a guilt-free gift this Christmas!
Gifts Vouchers’ blogger challenge officially closes today, but it has been extended until Sunday if you would like to enter! There will be two winners – one chosen at random and one chosen by fellow blogger milkteef, and each winner will receive a £35 voucher of their choice from either ASOS, Topshop, Amazon, BooHoo.com, or a 3 month JolieBox subscription. You can visit here to find out how to enter!
Good luck everyone!
Naomi x
