Guys, let’s talk teeth; not the most thrilling subject I admit, but after yet another toothache saga and an ongoing war with my teeth I figure it’s an important issue and one that is often skipped over. I totally took my teeth and dental health for granted, up until my late twenties, despite years of abuse and general self-neglect I had no trouble with my teeth at all and just assumed things would carry on that way. I was wrong, so very wrong! Turns out that over a decade of eating disordered behaviours had stripped my teeth of enamel leaving them super sensitive and prone to breaking and getting infected. I’m now a frequent flyer at the dentist (outside of my 6 monthly check-ups) and if I had my way I’d have the whole lot taken out and dentures fitted just to get rid of the problem. It’s not hard to take care of your teeth, and here are some simple steps you can take to maintain good dental health.
Brush at LEAST twice a day; yeah it’s a ball-ache, but you’ll regret it in years to come.
Pick your products; I always use this Colgate sensitive pro-relief as it works wonders for me. Long before this blog post this was my go-to toothpaste and I won’t stray. I also use an anti-septic mouthwash as I have a long-term infection in my front teeth and this combination means I can eat and drink without fear of major pain or yet more antibiotics.
Floss; I hate flossing, I really do, but short term pain for long term gain, trust me.
Limit acidic foods and drinks; acid is what destroyed my teeth so now I am really careful to limit how much I consume to protect any enamel I have left.
Befriend your dentist; my six monthly check-ups often reveal problems before they’ve become a problem meaning less invasive treatments and good advice for keep things stable.
What are your top dental health tips and go-to products?
Long time no post right? I’ve got no idea where the last goodness knows how long has gone, but I’m back to share some tasty new treats from German brand Niederegger.
I know Marzipan isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it so long as it’s coated in chocolate. I first discovered this delight on a camping trip to Austria where I all but lived on those Mozart chocolate rounds and since then I’ve been obsessed. By far my favourite brand for marzipan is Niederegger, described as the world’s finest marzipan made in Lubeck in Germany. I’ve worked with chocolates direct in the past so when they offered me some new products from the brand, well, I don’t think I’ve ever replied to an email so quickly.
Marzipan loaves are one of the most iconic products that Niederegger make and I was excited to try this year’s flavour of the year- Hazelnut and Toffee. This is such a class combination, paired with another classic combination- marzipan and dark chocolate. I don’t usually like pieces of nut in my chocolate but the range of textures here works really well. A little bit of this goes a long way as it’s very rich, but totally delicious. I took a pass on the rum variety is I do dislike alcohol in chocolate so I can’t comment on this (but I’m pretty sure it’s delicious if you like that kind of thing) but I am a VERY big fan of the black and white loaf; chocolate marzipan coated in semi-sweet chocolate and studded with chunks of dark and white chocolate. If you’re a fan of chocolate then you’re going to love this!
This is one of the prettiest packaged boxes of chocolate I have seen. The mini bakery desserts praline range is designed to replicate a trip to a New York coffee shop. The flavours here work really well, I’d say my favourite was toffee but I’d happily eat any of them again. Small but perfectly formed, this would make a lovely gift, or indulgent treat.
These banana and chocolate mini loaves were the product I was most excited for- this is the mini loaves flavour of the year and I hope it is made a permanent fixture. I strongly believe there aren’t enough banana flavoured products in the world, it’s one of my favourites. These loaves lived up to all of my expectations and more- the balance of bitter chocolate and sweet banana is spot on, the texture is amazing and well, I just can’t say enough good things about these.
I’m really excited to see what else Niederegger bring out, their flavours are intriguing and delicious. I’d love to see a giant banana loaf in the near future! What are some of your favourite flavour combinations? And are you a marzipan lover or a hater?
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
Welcome back to the only regular blog post I seem to be able to write! The June 2020 Degustabox had a picnic theme to it, and was packed full of products that I couldn’t wait to try. The boxes seem to be getting better by the month at the minute, and this one was great!
I’d actually tried the Raspberry and Rhubarb sparking water from Le Joli before, lured in by the gorgeous packaging when I was doing the food shop one week. The flavour is very subtle, but there and I really enjoyed it. The Mexican Lime and Mint wasn’t to my taste personally, I’m just not a fan of mint in drinks, but for anyone who does enjoy it then you’ll love this! There is also a Lemon and Mandarin flavour which I’d love to try. Subscribers will get two of the three flavours in their box, cans are £1 each from Tesco, WHSmith, Ocado and Whole Foods.I’m yet to meet a sweet that I haven’t liked, and these Super Fruit Jellies from Maynards Bassetts certainly didn’t break that trend. These have unique flavours like papaya, pomegranate and cranberry, and each six sweet serving contains 15% of your recommended daily intake of vitamins C and E. These have a great, intense flavour and are available from all major supermarkets with an RRP of £1.This is a great portable snack idea for kids and grown-ups at picnics. Attack a Snak chilli heat nachos contains chilli heatwave tortilla chips, a smoke chipotle dip and a cooling sour cream and chive sauce. £1.50 per pack from Morrisons. NINE is a brand I’ve loved for a long time and these new seed bars are a tasty addition to the brand’s product range. I’ve grown to love salted caramel lately so this was an instant winner. A great, healthy treat for refuelling after a long walk- vegan, gluten and wheat free made with 100% plant protein. £1.29 each. These little bags of granola from Lizi’s were Bob’s product of the month. He often takes breakfast to work with him and these were perfectly portioned for this, and healthier than his cheeky take-away bacon rolls. Both the high protein and the low sugar varieties were winners- I prefer my granola with yoghurt whilst he’s very much in the milk camp…where do you stand? £0.75 for a 40g pouch or £3.80 for 350g (high protein)/500g (low sugar) available from major supermarket chains.I really liked these fruit twists from Gregory’s Tree. Probably targeted at children more than a 33 year old, but I don’t care! These twists have an intense fruity flavour and a nice, soft texture, it’s almost like eating a sweet rather than a healthy snack. With no added sugar, just naturally great tasting (and gluten free) these cost £0.69 from Amazon, Morrisons and Whole Foods.This Chai Latte marshmallow bar from Baru was a real treat. I love the flavour of chai, and marshmallows, so the two combined with milk chocolate was a real taste sensation. At £1.69 a bar this is a proper luxury, and currently only available from Whole Food Markets and a range of gourmet shops- a shame, but probably just as well for my bank balance and waist line!Olives are such a marmite food. It took me a while but I love them now- I’m all about the salty flavour. These are green olives (with no stones) dressed in basil and garlic marinade. Not a work friendly snack, but a lovely salad topper or picnic addition. More than a little bit addictive. £1.50 from Sainsburys, Amazon, ollysolives.com, Ocado and Musclefood.I love Hippeas! I love all of the flavours and have loved them since they first launched in the UK. Whilst the cheese flavour wouldn’t be my first choice (sweet and smokin’ take that crown) they are still super yummy and a filling snack for something so light thanks to their protein content. I often pick these up for afternoon snacking at work- available in a wide range of retails for around £1 per pack.Now here’s an intriguing product. Noisy Snacks are a corn based snack with twice the amount of flavour of other snacks (8% flavouring v.s. a standard 4%). Each time you shake the bag you release more flavour. Totally fun, very tasty and hopefully to be widely available soon in major supermarkets. Currently you can get these for £1.49 a pack from noisysnacks.com. I can’t wait to try other flavours from this brand.A salad dressing that doubles up as a dip! We’ve had this Newman’s Own Italian dressing before and really like it. We’re saving this for our next family BBQ but it’s worth nothing that all profits go to charity. £1.65 from major supermarket chains.Blossom Hill gin fizz looks gorgeous and tastes it too. I’m so happy I was sent the rhubarb flavour as it’s one of my favourites. This is a bubbly blend of wine infused with water and a dash of gin- perfect for a girly picnic in the sunshine. You’ll find this little delight in major supermarket chains for £9 – there’s a lemon and rosemary one to look out for too. This is probably my new go-to drink for the summer months.
Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments, it’s always great to get other people’s thoughts.
If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money. On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
I like BBQs and I love snacking so the May Degustabox felt like an instant winner as soon as I saw the information leaflet. On the whole this was definitely one of my favourite boxes- and Bob’s favourite too. He gets almost as excited as I do when we get notification that it’s delivery day, and reviews are now a team effort.
Ok, so first up we have a Lindor milk bar from Lindt– all the delicious of their iconic Lindt balls in a handy bar format. I love Lindt chocolate (especially their gold bunnies) so this wasn’t ever going to let me down. Also available in orange and mint flavours, you’ll find this bar in all major supermarkets for around 85p. Not quite as indulgent, but I also really enjoyed this hazelnut and nougat protein bar from Barebells. It’s not a flavour I’d pick if I saw it on the shelf, but this hit the spot as a treat as well as a protein boost. I wasn’t familiar with the Barebells brand before this month’s box but they are now one I’ll be seeking to explore further. £2.50 per bar (available in several flavours), available at Sainsbury’s and on Amazon.
We both loved these mini tortilla wraps from Mission. We have frozen the plain ones for a later (taco) date, but kept the chilli and lime ones ready for our next chilli night. We often do chilli with wraps instead of rice and these were a zingy change from our usual. Also perfect for picnics and BBQs- £1.20 per pack from Morrisons and Sainsbury’s (after 27/5 for the latter).
I still can’t get my head around jelly in a pouch but I can see why these appeal to children and adults alike. Juicy Jelly pouches from Hartley’s are perfect for packing on a picnic, or for any easy, low mess dessert for little one’s at a gathering (when they are allowed again!). £2.79 for a four pack, in a variety of flavours, all under 100 calories and made with real fruit juice. Find them in all major supermarket chains.
There needs to be more banana flavour snacks in the world, there really does. I loved these Yes! snack bars- dark chocolate, banana and pecan is a flavour match made in heaven and these are a great, healthier snack option for on the go. Subscribers will get one of two flavours in their box (the other being dark chocolate, sea-salt and almond). RRP £2.99 per three-pack from Asda or Morrisons.
My palette isn’t sophisticated enough for red-wine. I like my drinks sweet, and I’m not a wine fan in general. Bob however loves a glass of red so I handed over this Rioja Crianza from Beronia to him. He said this was super fruity and smooth and would 100% re-purchase. It costs £2.99 for a 18.75cl bottle or £11.79 for a 75cl bottle (more than we’d usually spend on a bottle of wine but good for a special occasion) and it’s available from Waitrose and Ocado- the smaller bottle is also available at Tesco. The Skinny Tonics were much more to my taste! The Indian tonic had a good citrus hit in it, whilst the Mediterranean was more herby. It’s good to see more variety in the skinny tonic world and these both impressed me. They cost 75p per can and are available from Booths, Amazon and online.
This Bull’s-Eye BBQ sauce is the one product we haven’t tried yet, we’re waiting until the weather is good enough to fire up the BBQ, ideally post lock-down when we can have family over to share the goods. It’s a good looking product though and we’ve rated the brand highly in the past. £2.49 per bottle from all major supermarket chains.
I’m a big energy drink fan- sometimes you just need that extra boost! XITE are a new brand to me and I loved them! I’m not sure what the difference in the flavours really was as they both tasted similar, and they are certainly very sweet (great for me!). They contain zero sugar, very few calories and are a healthier alternative to other energy drinks on the market. At £1.49 a can they are comparably priced to other leading brands and are available from Holland & Barrett and WHSmiths.
It’s salad season! Mostly I use ketchup as my dressing (I know, I know!) but occasionally I like to branch out with something more normal. I wasn’t a fan of the classic house dressing, I found it too heavy for me, but Bob loved it. I am a big fan of the fat free vinaigrette however and will certainly re-purchase- definitely more socially acceptable for my work lunches! Both are from Hellmann’s and cost £1.65 per bottle from all major supermarket chains.
Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments, it’s always great to get other people’s thoughts.
If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money. On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
My monthly food review post courtesy of Degustabox seems to be the only content I can reliably write at the moment, which is no bad thing, but I have such good intentions of being an all round better blogger! The April edition of Degustabox had a theme of UK vs. International which instantly got my attention as I love trying foods from other countries, as ever, Bob and I wasted no time getting stuck in!
We were so happy to see Broccoli crisps from Growers Garden in the April box. We already gave them a rave review a few months ago and have been craving them ever since. This sharing size bag didn’t hang around long, so addictive! We’re yet to find a stockist near us, but if you see them then they are 100% worth the £1.99 price tag. Visit growers-garden.com/stockists to find your nearest.Very Lazy pastes are a staple in our pantry as we love to cook but can’t be bothered with prepping the fresh products for a recipe when you know you’re only going to use a tiny amount and waste the rest. Both the Lemon Grass Paste and the Ginger Paste have already proven their worth and will be re-purchased. £1.85 per tube from Tesco.These Percy’s shortbread sticks are pricey at £3 per box, but damn they are good! Beautifully buttery shortbread, caramel milk chocolate and dark chocolate decoration- you can’t not love these! Available at Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Independent Stores, these would be perfect as part of a hamper type gift, or just for a special tea break treat.There’s something about Flapjack, it’s such a comfort food for me and one of the first things I learnt to bake. I sometimes find shop bought flapjacks a bit artificial tasting but I really liked these ones from Brynmor Flapjack- they pack health benefits (fibre galore) without compromising on taste, and whilst they are a calorie heavy treat, they are lovely. £1.29 each from Ocado, Waitrose, NISA, WHSmith Travel, Independent health food shops and online at brynmorefoods.comI’ve only just learnt to love rice, and microwave pouches are now a regular feature in our food shop. We had this Peri Peri flavour rice by Tilda (£1.59) with some grilled chicken and a salad and it’s really very good. It’s gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Available at all major supermarkets- 100% recommend this if you’re a Peri Peri lover and looking for a quick meal.These popping candy Terry’s Chocolate Orange were sent along and described as coming with a Chocolate Orange Easter egg at £4 in shops. Easter has now been and gone so you probably aren’t going to find these again (perhaps until Christmas) but if you do see them and love a bit of fun then grab them for sure. The chocolate orange we know and love with a popping candy twist…good stuff! Bob’s embracing the cider drinking life now he’s firmly established in the West Country, he enjoyed this Cripps Pink Sxollie Cider over the super sunny Easter Bank Holiday weekend. £1.80 from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose- this is gluten free and vegan friendly. I really enjoyed these sweet piquanté peppers from Peppadew in salads. They have a quite complex flavour- sweet, a bit spicy and are a lot crunchier than I expected. At £3 per jar these would be a rare treat, but great for picnics and BBQs. Available in Tesco.Kombucha is definitely not for me. Bob and I both tried these drinks from Remedy and just can’t get over the vinegar taste. However, for those who have more sophisticated palettes to us, we’re sure you’ll love these flavours- and they certainly came through after the initial shock. Available for £1.85 per can from a huge variety of retailers.
et me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments.
If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money. On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £5.00 off of your first box (making it just £7.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
