Category Archives: review

Degusta Box- the April Edition

06th May 2015
Here we are with the fourth Degustabox of 2015 and the April edition took on an international theme. As ever there was a great selection of products in the box, although this time not suited to my own tastes- no matter though, my Dad stepped in to test things out and still love the monthly excitement.

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.

The first product out of the box was some crisps from the folks at Nandos. I only first visited a Nandos about 6 months ago (I know, I know) but I’m 100% a fan of their chicken-y goodness. I’m not the world’s biggest crisp eater but even I enjoyed the Peri-Salted variety and my Dad’s eyes lit up when he spied the spicier flavours in the range. Each pack has a RRP of 69p.

Chopped tomatoes are a store cupboard essential and I don’t care what anyone says, I do think branded ones often taste better than their value counterparts. Cirio have long been the tomato of choice for me so it was nice to see two new to me products in the box. The tomato fillets are perfect for using as a base for a chunky pasta sauce, or simply heated up and served on buttered toast. Yum!

The drinks section of the April box didn’t really appeal to me and I can’t claim to have tried the selection yet. The Idrinq can claims to make you think smarter, aiding creativity and idea generation. I think this is probably a placebo effect but if I try it out and discover a miracle I’ll be sure to let you know! (£1.49 per can). The Scheckters organic energy drink (£1.35) is something I will be trying in the near future, probably when I’m on a long day at work. It’s full of natural ingredients and delicate flavours which will probably benefit me far more than the additive loaded monster energy drinks I sometimes indulge in!

I’m not a beer fan so the Kingfisher Indian beer, which is India’s best selling brand has gone straight to Dad who is a fan. There’s a reason it’s so popular apparently, and I am sure that if I was a beer drinker I would find it excellent myself. (£2.00 a bottle).

Are you ever too old for Kinder chocolate? I think not! The April box included two bags of new bite sized treats. The chocolate with cereals is lovely, there’s a bit of an odd contrast in tastes and textures at first, but these are light and more-ish (and long gone!). Ben had the other bag, the original choco-bons and there barely lasted five minutes. I used to love these until I became allergic to the hazelnuts (which thankfully aren’t in the cereal variety) so I was really quite envious. (£1.55 a bag but I have seen them on offer at £1).

Barry’s Tea is an Irish favourite and I wish it was more widely available as this is just lovely. My love of coffee has switched to a love of tea over the last couple of years and this is the perfect everyday blend for enjoying with a biscuit on the side. The cookies in the box, by USA brand Debeukelaer Cookies Bakery looked like the perfect accompaniment, the pack I received had a soft and creamy nougat centre which was very much enjoyed by those who tried them. At £2.00 for a packet of four (rather large) cookies these are a luxury treat but I think well worth it, I’ll be seeking out some of the other varieties to try for myself.

Last but not least there were some microwave rice trays from Veetee. These are a staple in our house and the new flavours are really appealing. The peri-peri was excellent in a chicken stir-fry and I think the mexican rice has been earmarked for a fajitas night. These cost £1.49 each and I always stock up when I see them on offer!

If you had the April box too, what were your thoughts? As I said before, this wasn’t a box I could personally enjoy as much, but other people benefitted hugely and I still think the concept of Degustabox is a brilliant one and something I always look forward to arriving at my door.

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Mae Reviews- Cat Hampurr

01st May 2015
I’m not sure Mae always deserves the treats she gets sent thanks to my blog. Between beheading every flower in sight, leaving dead mice for me to find first thing in the morning and destroying all of the carpet in the house (so thankful we don’t rent!) she is quite a challenge. Regardless, I wouldn’t be without her as she keeps me sane and entertained and is generally just lovely and that’s why I gratefully accepted an offer from Cat Hampurr who offered to send us their 1st anniversary box which included some of their most popular products over the last twelve months.
Cat Hampurr is a monthly subscription box that offers a whole host of options. From the £6 per box bi-monthly delivery to the £21.90 double trouble box for the multi-cat household there is something to cater for all feline fiends. We were sent the £11.95 monthly hampurr option which boasted a great selection of hand (paw?) selected treats and toys, all of which were a hit. What I really love about Cat Hampurr is that the toys are often hand made by small businesses and unlike anything you’ll find in your typical pet shop. This means Mae gets to try something totally new AND we’re supporting the little people in the pet industry.

As you can see from the photos Mae was loving the toys in this box. The flying frenzy has been a great source of entertainment to my little bundle of energy, she is most bemused by the feathers and dives headfirst in to her toy basket to pull this out.
The EcoKitty catnip pillow has become a comfort item to Mae and she sleeps with her head on it the majority of the time. The one in this box was a limited edition but you can pick one up for £3.99 from the website and I know we’ll be re-stocking the second this one loses it’s scent.

On the food front the treats in this box were major winners. The two tuna loins from Applaws looked good enough for human consumption and once open keep for a week in the fridge- although there was no chance they were going to last that long! Equally as well received were the freeze dried treats from Natures Menu. It doesn’t sound appealing to me but Mae loved the chicken and liver flavour snacks she was sent and I liked the fact they were 95% real meat, and free from gluten, artificial colours/flavours/preservatives.

Every bit as popular was the Fish4Cats complete cat food made up of 65% fish with added cranberry, amino acids and minerals to aid with urinary tract health. We give dry food as an day available supplement to wet food pouches, but these barely lasted five minutes. Strict rations have been applied!

Overall both Mae and myself thought this box was brilliant and we’ll certainly be signing up for the odd monthly box when behaviour dictates one is deserved! £11.95 gets you a high quality box crammed full of “not on the high street” products that I feel is worth every penny. The little fiend curled up next to me, gently snoring and leaving a puddle of drool on her cat nip pillow agrees.
Have you ever tried pet subscription boxes? What was your experience if so? We are yet to be let down by one!

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Experiments in baking: Protein Muffins

22nd April 2015
Not only have I not done a baking post in forever, it has been ages since I last did any baking in general let alone try anything new. My work/life balance hasn’t been in my favour when it comes to getting time in the kitchen, so when myprotein got in touch I was determined to take advantage of the chance to try out some new ingredients.
Protein has become a bit of a buzz word in the baking world with it cropping up in all manner of recipes. It’s perfect as high energy boost for those with an active lifestyle and surprisingly makes for a versatile ingredient. I was sent a package of goodies which included coconut oil, a muffin mix, a pancake mix, a bag of whey powder and a bag of buckwheat flour. I wasn’t quite sure where to start but in the end I stayed semi-close to what I knew and went for the protein muffin mix for my first foray.
The mix I had was the 200g unflavoured pouch which yields enough to make 8 muffins, although I made mine smaller and got 12 from the mixture. To the powder I added 200ml milk, 4 tbsp coconut oil (something I had read ALL about yet never used), 3 tbsp cocoa powder and a bag of white chocolate chunks- not brilliant for a health food and I could have gone all out with fruit and nuts but a girl needs her chocolate fix from time to time (or all the time!). If you didn’t want or need 8/12 muffins you could just use half of the mixture as the pouch seals up easily to keep the mix fresh.

After a quick mix up in a bowl the muffins took only 12 minutes in the oven at 190*c before they were ready to go. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, and mine were a little burnt on top thanks to our temperamental oven but these came out so soft and fluffy inside with a lovely texture. I won’t lie, you can taste that there is something “different” about these but if you are already used to protein enriched products you probably won’t notice it and I certainly had no issue with it- neither did the other people in and around the house who I asked to sample these, they aren’t an every day snack, but if you know you’ve got a jam packed few days coming up or have some lovely long hikes/cycles/runs coming up with Spring sunshine then these would make a perfect portable snack or recovery food once home.

For me they are a quick and easy way to get some calories and nutrition in, and whilst it’s an expensive way to bake I can see myself purchasing a mix or two every now and again just to keep in.

Stay tuned for the next instalment in my baking adventures; which ingredient would you like to see me use next and do you have any recipe suggestions?

Have you ever tried baking with protein powders and mixes? How did you find it?

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Posted in baking, fitness, food, recipes, review

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First Thoughts on Philosophy

05th April 2015
Don’t worry, I’m not about to go all deep on you with this post; today is all about cult beauty brand Philosophy who I was recently introduced to by the kind folk at John Lewis. As is often the case with me I’m late to the game in trying out a brand that is a firm blogger favourite, but better late than never eh? That’s certainly the case here.
All products c/o John Lewis
You know you’re in for a good weekend when a package like this arrives, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and try it all out.

The first product I tried out was the Fresh Cream Eau de Toilette which has quite possibly topped my list as favourite perfume ever. I’m not quite sure how to describe the fragrance- it’s fresh, it’s sweet and it’s delicious and perfect for every day wearing. A spritz of this is an instant mood boost for me, I love sweet scents and this is just sweet enough without being over bearing or sickly. Perfection.

The second product was the Fresh Cream Shower Gel which again has the fresh, sweet and soothing scent of the perfume. I’ve been using this as a wind down at the end of the day, I find the scent ever so soothing and perfect for washing away the stress of the days. I’ve eyed up the Philosophy shower gels before but haven’t been able to get past the price tag, but this bottle is going to last forever and I think it’s high time I adopted a quality over quantity approach to my toiletry buying from now on.

The third and final product in the package was the one that caused the most intrigue. I love a good facial but can’t afford them on a regular basis and don’t always feel in the mood for having someone in my personal space (the same reason I rarely visit a hairdresser). The Microdelivery Peel Kit is the perfect solution to getting the facial experience at home and couldn’t be easier to use, or feel more luxurious. After months of central heating and drying cold air this has bought a much needed glow back to my face. It might be pricey but works out a lot cheaper than heading to a salon- it also looks rather snazzy in the bathroom cabinet which is always a plus don’t you think?

Are you a fan of Philosophy? I have a birthday coming up so if you have any product suggestions I could always pop them on my wish list…

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Degusta Box- the March Edition

02nd April 2015
Well, here we are flying through the year and flying through the monthly arrivals of Degustabox. The March box has created ripples of excitement among those reviewing it, and I have to say it has hands down been the best box ever (to date, for they do keep surpassing themselves!) 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.
With the imminent arrival of Easter is was fitting that this box should be in conjunction with Lindt and include 2 bags of their Lindor assorted mini eggs (£2 per bag) which make for the perfect little indulgence at this time of year. As much as I love “real” chocolate, when it comes to these the white chocolate are my favourites, it’s been known for me to empty the bag of those before dividing the rest out among whoever is around to share the rest.
I was really excited by the savoury inclusions in this month’s box, both were new to me and right up my street. The first of these was a tub of noodles from Kent’s Kitchen (£1.75) which were delicious as a work lunch and made a refreshing change from my usual soup or sandwich. They are so quick and easy to prepare and tasted great! I’ll be keeping an eye out for these in the shops and treating myself every now and again.
The second item was a very chic looking bottle of sauce from BBQUE (£3.99). Second to ketchup, BBQ is my favourite sauce to add to food and this one is amazing. Perfect in a little dish at the side of your plate or smothered all over chicken. A luxury item but well worth it.
Even the drinks front of the March box had be interested and this is usually the part I’m not so fussed about as I’m a creature of habit with my liquid intake. Soft drink wise I’ve very much been enjoying the JuiceBurst bottles (£1.25 each) which were really tasty and refreshing and the Crabbie’s Fruits (£1.50 each) in Black Cherry and Raspberry and Rhubarb have been ear marked for a weekend treat despite my usual aversion to alcohol.
Being a granola fiend (but somewhat funny about food still) it was lovely to see a lighter addition in the box from Jordans (£3.69) with 30% less fat and plenty of fibre. I’ve been enjoying this stirred in with some greek or natural yoghurt and fresh fruit for a healthier but substantial afternoon snack. There were also some new items from Nativa and Brioche Pasquier which I am yet to try. The sweetener will probably get taken to work as I’m not a fan of Stevia personally, although I could use it as a sugar alternative in baking. The baked bread bites from Brioche Pasquier look tasty, although Bacon isn’t one of my favourite flavours, they do appear to be a tasty sounding alternative to crisps though and no doubt I will try them soon!
Anyone who knows me will know that you can win me over with sweeties, so the inclusion of Bassetts Jelly Babies in Berry mix flavour (£1.48) and Sour Patch Kids (£1.00) was instant approval of the March box as far as I am concerned. Both have long since disappeared and were very much enjoyed, I had forgotten how much I love jelly babies!
So there we have my thoughts on this month’s box. Those who have received it, what did you think? If this post has swayed any of you to sign up then I have a £3.00 discount when you register using the code BQXK9. Let me know if you sign up and what you think!

You can find out more about Degusta by visiting their Twitter or Facebook pages.

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