Another month and another delivery from Degustabox. I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.

As ever the box contained a real variety of products, most of which were entirely new to me. The first product I pulled out was the Melba Thins which claim to be perfect for both night owls and early birds. These are pre-packed in to portions and at £1.39 for ten sets they are pretty good value. I really like this as an accompaniment to soup or a salad at lunch time- I wouldn’t find them very substantial for breakfast but they might make a good alternative to biscuits of an evening.

Also in the savoury selection was a couple of Beet It bars (£1.85 each) which I haven’t braved trying yet, apparently there are a lot of benefits to eating beetroot and of course I do not doubt this, but the idea of it in a snack bar rather than fresh in a salad doesn’t sit right with me. I might brave one of these soon though all in the name of blogging. The Jack Link’s meat snack was a bit more up my street, at least you know where you stand with meat (if you eat it). This was moist and protein packed and was perfect to tide me over between lunch and dinner.

Before I developed an allergy to nuts Whole Earth was a brand I was very familiar with so it was nice to see a new product from them- a peanut butter enriched with sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds to add even more goodness. I can’t eat this myself, but I will use it I think to make up some healthier three ingredient peanut butter cookies soon.

The Schwartz Flavour Shots have featured in boxes before and are always good for a quick meal that tastes great. At £1.40 each they probably work out quite cost effective and are great for getting me thinking outside of the box.

On the drinks front there were inclusions from Laimon Fresh and Peanut Hottie both of which I have seen before but never purchased. I know in particular that people rave over Peanut Hottie but I’m undecided as to what I’m going to do with it. It’s one of those things that I might not react to, allergy wise, but what seems to be basically hot peanut butter isn’t necessarily something that appeals- do feel free to weigh in on this one!

My favourite section of the Degustabox is always the sweet stuff and this month’s goodies were some of the best yet! The gluten free brownies from Americal Muffin Company are amazing, just so good. Individually wrapped and super moist these are just the right size for a mid-afternoon treat. The box is going down at an alarming rate (and they are only 150 calories each, score!). The Lily O’Brien’s cocoa cookie crunch has been on my radar for some time as my local Waitrose stock it, but at £2.60 per bag I couldn’t really bring myself to buy it. I almost wish I hadn’t tried it now as I love it so much repeat purchases will be made. I’ve been enjoying a piece or two in the evening with a cup of coffee…perfection!

Have you signed up for Degustabox yet? If you fancy signing up you can grab a generous £3 off your first box with the code 0LCHE. Happy eating! There’s also a competition on the Degustabox Facebook page where you can try your luck at winning a box for free.

With January a month of fresh starts and healthy eating it made sense that the first Degustabox of 2015 was packed through guilt-free treats to test out. When it comes to eating healthily I tend to go through phases and lately I’ve been on one big, long spree of relying on cheap junk food to meet my calorie needs.

One of my promises to myself this year is to get back on track with all things food and fitness and whilst I’m not on a diet or trying to lose weight I do want to add in healthier foods and ingredients to make my body look and feel better from the inside out. I’m all about trying new food products and get quite excited when I find something new on the supermarket shelves so this box was right up my street! As Degustbox often do, the January box came in two options, one with an alcoholic beverage and one with a soft drink instead. For review purpose blogger boxes were sent out with both.

I always start my day with a bowl of porridge as nothing else sets me up for the day quite like it. When I’m at Ben’s at the weekend I often take a pot of instant porridge with me so I don’t miss out, and these new varieties from Mornflake (£1.19 each) with Nutella and golden syrup portions to stir in are in my eyes, genius. Sadly I couldn’t eat the Nutella one as I’m allergic to it but Ben gladly tried that one out- he doesn’t need much persuasion to get involved in food type posts! These are so quick and easy make up, you just add boiling water, stir in your topping (or have it plain) and leave it to stand for a few minutes. Perfect for people on the go, and so easy for a breakfast at your desk.

I don’t exclude anything from my diet these days after years of skipping entire food groups for months on end. I was intrigued though to see a low-carb breadmix included in this month’s box as it sounds perfect for those with allergies. Sukrin Bread Mix might not be cheap at £5 per box but as it has only 1g of carbs per slice and free from gluten, wheat, egg, sugar, yeast and soya it’s a worthy investment for when you really fancy producing a home cooked loaf. I haven’t made this up yet, I’m saving it for when I make some home made soup (which won’t be too long ahead I hope) so I’ll report back on how it tastes.

My phobia of oil is a standing joke among those who know me so I’m not 100% sure how much use I’ll get from the Alfa One Rice Oil (£2.00) will get. It is however one of the healthiest oils out there, apparently and super versatile so maybe I will get round to giving it a go- the boost of anti oxidants, vitamin E and cholesterol blocking properties do make it sound like a winner.

Finn Crisp original crispbread are a firm favourite and a product I’ve bought time and time again (£1.20 a box). These are baked with sourdough which gives them a really unique taste against other crackers and crisp breads on the market and they are the perfect host for all manner of tasty lunches- from dipping in soups to topping with continental meats and cheeses. I’ll be adding some of the Haywards piccalilli to these, I think the flavours will be amazing together.

Kabuto Noodles (£2.00) are a product I’ve seen on the shelves but never got round to buying. I’ve got these stashed away in my work lunch pile and as with the bread mix I’ll report back on how they taste.

On the drinks side of things there were a few interesting additions in this month’s box. The dairy free milk by Koko is a product I’ve had before and is a lovely , refreshing coconut milk (£1.39). I love it most in porridge or plain cereals to jazz them up a bit- it also goes very well on muesli and granola and contains less calories than skimmed milk. The Simplee Aloe Aloe Vera drink (£1.79) isn’t a product I’m desperate to try, I just can’t get my head around the idea of it and as I’m not a fan of juices and smoothies in general I think I might have to pass this on. This was in the alcohol free box so on this occasion I’d go for the alcoholic version.

The alcohol box addition was a bottle of Magners Light cider. Despite being from the west country I’m not a huge fan of cider but this does look very appealing so it might become my tipple on Friday after work, all in the name of research- I’ll report back!

Last, but my no means least there were products from Little Miracles (£1.49 each) which is a brand I have enjoyed since being introduced to it via Degustabox. Each bottle is less than 90 calories and this make for the perfect little pick me up during a long day at work. There was also a special bonus gift of some green tea from Clipper which since we had a full sized box in a previous Degustabox I’ve been drinking and enjoying regularly so I was pleased to see a top up!

Have you signed up for Degustabox yet? If you fancy signing up you can grab a generous £3 off your first box with the code 0LCHE. Happy eating!

Just in time for Christmas I have a little round-up of the December Degustabox- if you don’t already know (and you should) then Degustabox is a food subscription box that contains between 9 and 14 surprise products for £12.99 (far less than they would cost if you were to go out and buy them all individually). Read on for my thoughts and a code for £3 off your first box!

First up is the drinks section! Being a non-drinker for the most part I was pleased to see the addition of some alcohol free wine by Eisberg (£3.49 per bottle). I was sent the Riesling variety which I have to say was really rather nice and made me feel as though I wasn’t missing out at a festive gathering with friends. Also included were some little cans of mixers by Gloworm (£1.50 each), with a variety of flavours containing no added sugar and some pretty interesting taste combinations I’m looking forward to trying these over Christmas- I do have the odd drink or two over the festive period and the Cucumber & Apple can for gin has my name all over it!

With the New Year looming and a whole lot of people about to commence on a massive health kick it was good to see some healthy options included in the box. I am intrigued by the sachet of oats from The Chia Co which I am saving for a 7:15am start at work kind of morning. At £1.70 each these are an occasional treat only but as Chia seeds are such a super-food I do see these as a worthy investment from time to time. Also included was a sachet of chia seeds which I’m saving to sprinkle on my regular porridge- you know, the boring everyday kind!
There was also a box of green tea with lemon from Pukka Herbs (£2.39). I have to be in the mood for it but green tea is one of my favourites and I’ll be switching one of my morning coffees for a mug of this come the new year.

Now for some not so healthy treats! Bahlsen create some of the tastiest biscuits known to man kind and their Choco Leibniz in the original butter biscuit flavour or stuffed with caramel come near the top of my biscuit hit list every time. At £1.79 they are what I would consider a luxury biscuit (rarely do I spend more than a pound on a packet) but oh so worth it- I stock up every time I see them on special offer!
I’m also rather a fan of Popchips (1.79) as I’m sure regular readers of the blog will know. The BBQ flavour is my second favourite (original salted just about trump them) and they are the perfect vessel for scooping up leftover dips!
I’m not quite sure how the marmalade fits in to this section of my post other than I wasn’t sure where else put it! I’m not a marmalade fan myself but my Dad is loving this jar of Coarse Orange marmalade from Bonne Maman (£2.30) who also happen to make my favourite jams!

One of my resolutions for 2015 is to cook more so the selection of ingredients that arrive in Degustabox are going to come very much in handy. This month there was a meal kit from Kent’s Kitchen (£2.50) which will be perfect for cooking up something that isn’t leftover turkey! There was also a bottle of Frylight Infuse Chilli spray £2.00 which I have been spritzing over everything that I have popped in the oven lately. This adds a spicy kick to food without the mess and fuss of pouring oil and chopping chilli, with only 1kcal per spray this is also a good way to liven up a New Year diet! I’m loving it on sweet potato chips the most!

What did you think of this months’ box? Have I tempted you to sign up yet? To claim £3 off of your first box simply enter the code DVDWZ at the checkout. Let me know if you do sign up and what you think!

Here we are again, it’s time for my monthly round-up of the Degustabox– the ultimate foodie gift box packed full of surprise products that are often brand new to the market! Each month 9-14 items will arrive on your doorstep for the bargain price of £12.99 (far less than the cost of buying each product) and it makes for the perfect festive treat for the foodies in your life.

First up were some products from Holy Cow (£3.38 each)- two authentic Indian curries made from all natural ingredients, no artificial colours/flavours/preservatives, are gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and coeliacs. I’m not a big curry eater but I am impressed with how these look. I’ve handed these over to my spice mad dad to cook up and I look forward to seeing the results. Far more up my street were the Kent’s Kitchen flavour shots, which are the perfect way to jazz up meat or prawns (£1.85 each). I got fajita seasoning in my mix which I can’t wait to cook up and add to salads or tortilla wraps for a slightly different lunch time feast.

BranstonHave had a re-vamp and I was excited to see a Tomato chutney nestled in to my box. I eat a lot of cold, salad buffet style meals and love a dollop of something flavoursome to give it some oomph, this is the perfect way to deliver that hit and they only cost £1.50 a jar. Kettle Chips also featured in the box with their Salsa & mesquite flavour (one of their original flavours), I may or may not have been using these as a tasting vessel for the chutney (rrp £2.19)

Drinks wise there was quite a selection in this month’s box, all of which are new to me, although to be fair most drinks are new to me as I tend to be a creature of habit. The Pip Organic cloudy apple juice contains no added sugars and are made with 100% organic juice, I’m not often a fruit juice kind of girl but apple is the exception to that and this one is really lovely…a bit of a treat at £1.50 per bottle but a lovely indulgence. Cool Dawn (£1.49 per can) is something totally new to me and one I haven’t actually tried yet. It’s a herbal detox drink that helps to prevent a hangover, it’s recommended that you drink one towards the end of a big night and another in the morning if required and whilst I’m not a big alcohol drinker these days I am quite sure these will be on standby over the next few weeks as the festive season kicks off. Finally there was a bottle of Italian cider from Montano which again I haven’t tried- despite my West Country roots I really don’t enjoy Cider. I’ve passed this bottle (rrp £2.79) over to my Dad for his expert verdict, but it certainly looks very swish in it’s elegant glass bottle.

Lindt never let me down and it was brilliant to discover five of their “Lindor My Melting Moment” treats (65p each) nestled in the bottom of the box. Nothing beats Lindt chocolate in my book (chocolate snobs may disagree) and I even managed to save a couple of these to share around, which was tough as they really are excellent.

The box also included a sample sachet of Drink me Chai’s Spiced Chai which is the perfect winter warming drink. Simply add milk or water for an authentic Indian treat, fantastic after a long Winter walk (or a long day Christmas shopping

As a special gift to long-term subscribers and bloggers who have supported Degustabox since day one there was also the inclusion of some Baru Chocolates marshmallows in the box. I’ve been eyeing these up in Waitrose for a couple of months and goodness me they were worth waiting to try, SO good.

Happy First Birthday Degustabox! After almost an entire year of trying the boxes for myself I can hand on heart recommend signing yourself up to receive at least one box for yourself, or as a gift to someone in your life who loves their food. To tempt you further I have a discount code to give you £3 off when you register for your first box, simply at VEK34 at checkout and then anxiously await your first delivery!