Review: August Degustabox

I was so excited to receive August's Degustabox*, I think this is my favourite one yet. This is the final one I'll be reviewing so had high hopes of discovering some great new brands, and I did! 

Here's my round up and some tips on how to get the most out of the August box.

Dr. Oetker

I love mug cakes, I even have my very own mug with measurements inside for making them. Dr. Oetker has set out to make things even easier and now has a range of 3 flavours (lemon, chocolate and chocolate chip) where you just need to add milk and pop in the microwave. If you want to ramp up the flavour even more, I recommend adding a spoon of Nutella, peanut butter, chocolate chips, marshmallows, or my favourite, crushed Daim bars. Perfect for those moments where you have nothing in and you just need cake. 

Life Tonics

Fruity coconut water with added vitamins and no refined sugars or artificial sweeteners. I think I got the best flavour in my box, Dalandan Orange which is meant to be a little sour like lime and orange. Other flavours include coconut & mint and elderberry & juniper.

Ryvita

Ryvita used to remind me of diets but they've had a huge overhaul recently and their range of different snacks and crispbreads is huge. I'm a huge fan of their crispbreads due to the vast range in flavours and snack combinations with them are limitless. Their website is a great source of inspiration and even has a recipe selector that asks you exactly what you fancy. Recently I've been enjoying the sesame ones with cream cheese and marmite as a snack. Or for breakfast, I've layered some in a glass with fresh berries and my favourite yogurt. 

Bahlsen

I enjoyed Pick Up! biscuits so much, they remind me of Cadbury's LU biscuits. And you can't go wrong with Leibniz of any form. I spotted these again in my local supermarket so will definitely be stocking up again.

Barilla

Barilla takes pasta very seriously and have specially designed their Penne Rigate for optimum sauce holding. Lean and long, with angled ends and ridges on the outside, the arrabbiata sauce clings perfectly. 

Walkers

Is it me or do these remind you of hotels? Either way, biscuits of any sort are usually a winner for me. I'm just not too keen on these, their shortbreads aren't buttery enough and the other biscuits tend to be quite dry.

Primal Pantry

I've seen so much about these bars buzzing round the Internet so was very curious to try. Paleo, coldpressed bars free from nasties are meant to be a sweet and balanced snack. I just couldn't get on with them. I found them to be quite bitter and the flavours not so exciting.

Scheckters

I'm not a huge fan of energy drinks, I'd personally rather have strong coffee. Its a shame there's been a lot of negative press around them recently because there are a lot of good natural brands out there. In these Scheckters drinks, a blend of green coffee beans, green tea, guarana and ginseng is blended for an energy boost.

If you'd like to try Degustabox for yourself, shimmy on over here and pop in my discount code (98VWM) for £3 off your first box, valid until October.

Its been absolutely great receiving a box of treats every month and trying out some new things. Take a look at my round up of the previous boxes if you're tempted:

• June's box with a recipe for healthy coconut sugar brownies, here.
• July's box packed with snacks, here.
  

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Review: July Degustabox

Another month has flown by and its that time once again. A Degustabox* round up, featuring all the products from the July box. 

Fru Snax

Handy snack bags of freeze dried fruit and yogurt pieces coming in at less than 50 kcals a bag. I'm not overly enamoured with the name, it reminds me of childhood packed lunches. The packaging also reminds me of slimming snacks. But, real proper fruit and yogurt in portable form? I was willing to give it a try. 

I got two flavours: fig with cherry yogurt and strawberry with raspberry yogurt. The yogurt itself tastes artificially sweet and the fruit isn't too dissimilar to other dried fruit snacks out there. I'd say you'd be better off getting some Greek yogurt and adding your own fresh fruit for more flavour.

Collagen Vitamin C Drink

I'm not entirely sure where to start, without being too negative. I'm not a fan of food companies claiming their items to be an alternative to just plain eating well. Nothing is a superfood if you have a bad diet. I'd rather have fresh fruit and vegetables and get my vitamins from there. The claim of collagen in this 'drink' does sound promising if you want fancy smooth skin (depending on how much you have to drink).

But its also worth checking the ingredients. In this pouch of super sweet fruit juice are tiny pieces of collagen made from fish skin. Of course, anything jelly like contains some form of gelatine, or in this case, collagen. I don't know what I expected, but to me it wasn't obvious that a fruit drink would contain an animal product.

If you're a little sensitive, I wouldn't recommend you Google how you get collagen from animals.

Taking the Pea

On a lighter note, I love love loved these. Crunchy coated peas in a range of flavours including: smoked ham, sweet chilli salsa, wacky wasabi and cheesy peasy & onion. At 145 kcals per pack, I'd say these are a good alternative for a bag of crisps, giving you a naturally higher amount of protein and fibre. 

Tasty Little Numbers

These meals claim to be low calorie, gluten free meals. Their smaller portions helping you to enjoy your favourite meals but at a more reasonable amount. I can't remember the last time I had a ready meal, and I'm afraid I'm going to be stubborn and give these a miss too.

I'll take them into work and see if anyone wants to give them a try. Apparently due to how they're made and packed, they don't need to be refrigerated even though they contain meat?

Newtons Appl Fizzics

Another favourite! A blend of apple juice and sparkling water, this is just like grown up Appletizer and has 40% less sugar than regular apple juice.

Greeta's Premium Mango Chutney

Greeta has won a Great Taste award for this signature chutney. I like to add to chicken wraps for a little more oomph, or even to mix with oil and coat potatoes for extra flavour. A great fridge staple!

Weetabix On-the-go

I love Weetabix so enjoyed these after having a few early starts in the week. Perhaps sweeter than I'd have for breakfast usually, but handy for breakfasts in a rush.

Say Yes to No

Possibly the most underwhelming packaging out of the lot. But, definitely my favourite of them all. Maybe its mind trickery. You don't expect much, but these are packed full of flavour and have a great crunch. I got sour cream and onion and would have loved to dunk them in some freshly made guacamole. I'm definitely going to be buying more of these.

Lambrini

I've yet to pluck up the courage to open this bottle. It'll either go two ways: I'll love it and have a strawberry headache the next morning, or as expected, I'll hate it. I think Pinot Grigio will disown me if I succumb. Wine snob, perhaps, but I'm not sure I can #BringOnTheBrini.

I really enjoyed trying some different products this month. If you want to try your own Degustabox, use my discount code for £3 off (valid till the end of October) Find out more here.

Review: June Degustabox & Healthy Brownie Bites

We all like receiving surprises in the post. And this is exactly what the Degustabox* food subscription box is. Each month, a selection of carefully selected new and innovative products will be sent out to you.

For the next three months I shall be trialling the products and reporting back. I'm hoping to try lots of new products and to try and come up with some different recipes and serving suggestions.

If you fancy trying your own box in July, then keep reading for your chance to win one.

Let's get started with the drinks.

I like the idea of these Zeo soft drinks; zesty lime and peach and grapefruit were included to try. They are promoted as being lightly carbonated water blended with natural fruit extracts, coming in at under 30 calories per bottle. Not bad for a soft drink, although personally, I feel these are a little too carbonated and could do with more flavour.

Next up, my favourite, Rekorderlig. I wouldn't say that this is a new product, it's certainly quite well known. Even so, I love the flavour and its brilliant served in  a glass packed full of ice, a squeeze of lime and some mint leaves. So refreshing!

Vybe natural coconut water is not something I've spotted in the shops before so was curious to try. Certainly very hydrating, but I'm not a fan of unflavoured coconut waters, however healthy they are. Instead, I use them to add into smoothies instead of using milk or yogurt. My favourite being, frozen pineapple blitzed with this coconut water to make a slushie!

And, somewhere in the middle, Icycl, a fruity frozen vodka ice lolly. With 6.4% of vodka and a blend of natural fruits, these will definitely get the party started. I will most definitely be purchasing these to stash in my freezer!

Now onto snacks and food items...

Coconom is an organic coconut sugar, something I've always wanted to try. So on the morning I received the box I powered up the oven and tried out the recipe that was included with the box. As a healthier alternative to sugar, this can be substituted 1:1 for regular sugar. There's no overpowering coconut taste, just natural unrefined sweetness. I've also been enjoying it in coffees and sprinkled over my porridge.

I'll leave the recipe at the bottom if you're curious.

I'd like to say that a balanced diet includes everything in moderation, but that most certainly does not happen in my kitchen. Two packs of Brioche Pasquier in two days for one person is quite the achievement. Throw one in your bag for the train, open one up after a gym session or fill up your desk drawer with them for emergencies. Most definitely not the healthiest of snacks, but they are free from added nasties.

Something I was the least excited for, Melba Thins, so I took it upon myself to try a few different options for lunch. When you think of it, just like ryvita, the combinations of toppings are truly endless. My favourite was peanut butter, banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

I'm still to try the Love Chin Chin (crunchy biscuit snacks) and the Kallo rice snacks (salt & vinegar snacks and chocolate & caramel rice cake thins). Although I'm pretty sure I'll be relying on them to give me a boost at the desk post-3pm. 

print recipe

Coconom Healthy Brownie Bites

by Sophie Loves Food June-06-2015

Brownie bites made with coconut sugar, cacao and ground almonds.

Ingredients

• 170g dark chocolate chips
• 100g coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 120g Coconom coconut sugar
• 60g raw cacao powder
• 60g ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 30g white chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees and fill a cupcake tray with paper cases.
2. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a pan over a low heat. Whisk together the eggs and sugar. Slowly pour the melted chocolate over the sugar and eggs. Stir in the cacao, almonds, salt and vanilla extract. 3. Gently fold in the chocolate chips (if using). Divide evenly between the cases and bake for 10-12 minutes on the middle shelf.
4. Brownies will keep for a few days stored in an airtight container.

Details

Prep time: 10m Cook time: 12m Total time: 22mYield: 16 brownie bites

For your chance to win a July box of your very own...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Otherise, use my discount code for £3 off which will last until the end of October - 98VWM

The lovely people at Degustabox kindly sent me a trial to be able to share some recipes and serving suggestions with my readers and their box subscribers. I hope this helps you to try something different!

The giveaway will be open for a week, afterwards the winner will be contacted and details sent onto the lovely Degustabox folk. UK entrants only please.

Food in June

Lemon and blueberry yogurt loaf

I've dusted off the cobwebs on an old recipe, this lemon and blueberry yogurt loaf I made for Onken's #OnkenTips campaign. The loaf is fabulously light and fresh, with the help of a quick squeeze of lemon juice when pulled from the oven. So far I haven't shared any, I've eaten half and stowed the rest in the freezer for emergency cake situations.

June Degusta box*

I received my first Degusta Box in the post this week and can proudly say that there's not much left. I'm thoroughly impressed with everything so far, including delivery notifications and how carefully packed everything was. Each month comes filled with different food items to try and is a great way of topping up with cupboards and trying new things.

This June picnic box comes with a variety of soft drinks, snacks, a fruit cider and vodka ice lolly. Stay tuned for a recipe using the coconut sugar; something I've wanted to try out for a while now.

Pip & Nut

Any snacks that come in a handbag friendly form get a thumbs up from me. I recently ordered a mixed box of Pip & Nut nut butter squeeze packs to try after stalking them for a while on Twitter. Their nut butters are completely free from nasties, just nuts, roasted and sprinkled with a little salt. Handy to stow away in your work locker, handbag, car or to take out for a boost mid-run these have certainly come in handy over the last few weeks.

My favourite way to enjoy these have been squeezed over a banana whilst reading my Kindle on the train to work, to dunk apple chunks in whilst watching OINTB curled up on the sofa or drizzled over my porridge to keep me going on night shifts at work.

Extra hot chilli sauce

I like making all manner of condiments, most especially chilli jam. But when I spotted a recipe for extra-hot chilli sauce in Waitrose's June magazine and thought I'd give it a go. The men in my family are hot sauce aficionados, so I altered the quantities and added a larger amount of scotch bonnet chillies to ensure this gave a good kick.

To make this extra-hot sauce, you will need to roast 100g red chillis, 50g scotch bonnets, 250g cherry tomatoes, 3 skin on garlic cloves and 1 halved red onion for 25 minutes. Once roasted, remove from the oven and remove the stalks from the chillies and place into a blender. Squeeze in the garlic and the onion free from skin. Add 6 tbsp water, 4 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp dijon mustard and 1 tbsp honey. Blitz for a few minutes until smooth. Be careful when opening up the blender, it'll be hotter than Daenerys' dragon's breath. Pour into spare jam jars or bottles.

Jim Beam's Bourbon BBQ Sauce*

To follow up from last week's post, that dreamy Jim Beam bourbon BBQ sauce is available to buy in Sainsbury's stores from this week. After using most of the jar in my BBQ shredded chicken sandwiches, I've used the dregs to stir through some baked beans for a little mix up. It tastes great!

Zomato app

If you're into eating out, and you haven't already, you must download the Zomato app. Its a great way of being able to see reviews for nearby restaurants and you can even upload your own reviews and photos. I love being able to follow friends and to have a nose at where they've been and what they chose on menus! The app itself is seamless and super easy to use.

Check out where I've been eating, here.

Sugru*

I'm genuinely intrigued and looking forward to getting some fixing and organising done with a pack that was sent to me to try. Essentially, its described as play dough for adults. Its a material that dries and sets firm so you can use it to organise your kitchen knives or to fix wonky drawers. So far I've used some to stick a hook up for tea towels and its super strong. I'm looking forward to taking some inspiration from their suggested kitchen hacks as well and will report back!

Recipes I've bookmarked to try:

Brookies - Jo from Every Nook and Cranny

Greek pork souvlaki with tzatziki and homemade pitta bread - Lucy from Supergolden Bakes

Gin and tonic ice lollies - Kirsty from A Dash of Ginger

Stay tuned, I have a giveaway coming up for one reader to win next month's box. Or, use the code '98VWM' to get £3 off which will last until the end of October.

Items marked with an * were sent to me to try out. I have not been paid for any posts and, as always, all views are my own.