This month's food box had a BBQ theme - which was fitting with all the lovely sunny weather we've been having. Unfortunately, we are yet to replace our very broken BBQ, so we had to rely on oven-cooking rather than barbecue-ing, but it still made for a very tasty month.
I know I say it every time - but this box was a corker, in fact I'd go as far to say it was the best and most used box we've received so far on our Degustabox journey! Out of all 12 items (we get the alcohol and non-alcohol options so therefore get an extra item) there were just two items we didn't get round to using this month - both of which were soft drinks, and that's just because we only really drink water here, none of us are very keen on fruity drinks so we tend to save them for when guests come. Both the Berrywhite Organic drink and the ENRj juice drinks will I'm sure come in handy at some point, so they won't go to waste.
So, what was in this month's box?
June 2017 Degustabox - BBQ theme |
Eisberg Sauvignon Blanc Alcohol Free Wine £1.49
What the brand says:
Eisberg is the UK's number one alcohol free wine brand. Eisberg Sauvignon Blanc is fresh, aromatic & brimming with gooseberry flavours and fruit - made in exactly the same way as your favourite wine but with the alcohol gently removed at the end and only 28 Kcal per 125ml serving.
What I thought:
This is the second time I've tried Eisberg wine and I really like it. Of course it doesn't have quite the same tang and burn as an alcoholic wine, but it is the closest I've ever come to the real thing in a non-alcoholic form. Most non-alcoholic wines just taste like fizzy fruit juice, this has much more of a winey taste & is very refreshing.
Capsicana Brazilian Chilli & Coconut Quick Cook Sauce £1.99
What the brand says:
Featuring Frutescens Chillies this delicious and fragrant sauce is based on classic 'Moqueca' stew from Bahia state, north of Rio. Brazil. Cook with chicken, peppers and onions for a 15 minute midweek dish.
What I thought:
We absolutely loved this sauce - we made Brazilian fajitas as suggested by adding chicken, peppers and onions - then we layered it up in tortilla wraps with creme frâiche, grated cheddar, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime. The flavours were reminiscent of a great Thai green curry - very fragrant, good strong heat but not too hot, and so much flavour. I would definitely buy this again for an alternative to Mexican fajitas. Lovely.
Capsicana Brazilian Chilli & Coconut Chicken Fajitas! |
HARIBO Summer Frenzy 2 x £1.00
What the brand say:
Enjoy the tastes of Summer whatever the weather, with NEW Summer Frenzy HARIBO Starmix Berry flavours and HARIBO Tangfastics Ice Cream and Sorbet flavours. Featuring the iconic pieces but in a frenzy of new flavour and colour combinations. HARIBO Summer Frenzy is perfect for sharing.
What I thought:
Bert was in sweetie-heaven with the Starmix Berry mix - and he's devoured the bag (5 sweets at a time, the rule in this house) which is testament enough to the trusty HARIBO brand. He's not as keen on the sour/fizzy sweets - so his Dad and I had to help him out (we're good like that)...I'm not a huge sweetie fan but I actually nicked a couple of the fizzy cherries and they were LOVELY. One or two won't do you any harm, hey?
Spoon Apple & Peanut Granola £3.70
What the brand says:
Our granola uses a short list of quality ingredients, including wholegrain jumbo oats, crispy coconut chips, whole roasted peanuts and baked apple pieces. We only use natural sugars, honey and our non-so-secret ingredient, maple syrup, which contains more nutrients than regular sugar. Best enjoyed with natural yoghurt and/or milk.
What I thought:
Honestly, this SPOON granola is one of the nicest I've ever eaten and I'd 100% buy it if I saw it in the supermarket - it was full of flavour, lovely texture, it felt like a treat yet the nutrition was all spot on. The recommended 45g portion size was ample - and I ate it with full fat greek yoghurt, fresh berries and a drizzle of honey every morning for a week and a half - until I'd drained the box! I even gave up my Saturday/Sunday bacon butties in exchange for this, that's how much I loved it!
Original O's Savoury Cumin and Sesame Nibbles £2.99
What the brand says:
Take one competitive family, add a secret recipe that has never been agreed between them. Mix in Cumin and Sesame, add a pinch of ambition and share the O's with the world...Warning: You may get O-ddicted to O's!
What I thought:
Never a truer word spoken...one taste and Liam and I were addicted (O-ddicted) to these little O's. We may have eaten the whole box in 3 days! Gosh, they're tasty! If you like the flavours of a tradition hummus then you'll LOVE these. It's hummus meets tahini in flavour, super savoury, lovely texture and just the ticket when you fancy a little nibble. It's a pretty hefty price label BUT they're seriously good - they'd be lovely to put out as nibbles with drinks if you're entertaining.
Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Scottie Dogs £1.95
What the brand says:
Walkers Scottie Dog Shortbread is a novelty treat that is loved by both adults and children. Attractively packaged, these playful Scottie dogs are made with only the finest quality ingredients, giving them the same wonderful Walkers taste.
What I thought:
Who doesn't LOVE a shortbread? As a biscuit fiend I have to admit that good old shortbread is my hands down absolute FAVOURITE. You just can't beat the short, crumbly texture and indulgent sweet, buttery taste. Mmmm. Every time I eat shortbread as an adult I'm transported back to my childhood when we used to have a tin of Walkers at Christmastime - I loved the novelty shapes and the petticoat tails where you had to break the biscuits off of a larger disc! So many memories! I hadn't eaten Walkers for years, and it was just as good as I remember it. Unfortunately, this time I had two biscuit-munching children to share them with - so I didn't get much of a look in. Needless to say both Bert and Connie DEVOURED their little doggy friends, and Bert has asked for 'Dog Biscuits' for his snack pretty much every day since - hahahaha!
Bert eating his 'dog biscuits' HAHA! |
I think he likes them? |
Light Bites - Mango with Vanilla Yoghurt Fruit Chips £1.49
What the brand says:
Mango with Vanilla Yoghurt Fruit Chips - Tasty freeze dried fruit and yoghurt chips only 46 calories per bag and 100% fruit and yoghurt.
What I thought:
I was surprised at how much I liked these - once you accept the crunchy meringue like texture, which I actually really like, the flavour of these was amazing - intense mango and creamy yoghurt...great for nibbling at your desk while you work without worrying about your waistline. I'd love to try other flavours of these when I see them in shops.
Light Bites - Superfood Fruit Bar £1.25
What the brand says:
Light Bites - Deliciously healthy snacks. Superfood fruit bar with goji berries, quinoa, chia seeds, strawberries, blueberries and pumpkin seeds. Snack virtuously!
What I thought:
Delicious. Full of goodness, does what it says on the tin (so to speak) - light and fruity, nice chewy texture... I ate mine on a really hot day for my 10.30 tea break and it had gone a bit sticky and floppy in the heat, but still tasted lovely.
Wonky but wonderful! |
Schwartz Authentic American Flavour: BBQ Pulled Chicken and Spicy Buffalo Wings 2 x £0.85
What the brand says:
Schwartz's new, easy to use recipe mixes will transport your taste-buds across the Atlantic, Stateside. Bring a sweet and spicy twist to mealtimes with Authentic American recipe mixed for BBQ Pulled Chicken, Spicy Buffalo Wings, Chicken Jambalaya and Sweet Potato Wedges.
What I thought:
We tried the BBQ Pulled Chicken and it was really great and best of all - SO EASY! Just pop your chicken breasts in a casserole dish, mix the sachet with water, pour over, cover and bake. The chicken stays super juicy and you an pull it apart with two forks easily. We served ours in a brioche bun with coleslaw and Tefal Acti-fry chips. YUM.
Heaven on a plate right there! |
Westons Cider: Rhubarb and Damson 2 x £1.99
What the brand says:
Rosie's Pig was one of Westons first delivery trucks and was 'A pig to start and a pig to drive'. Rosie's Pig Flat Tyre is an award winning cloudy sparkling cider with rhubarb. Rosie's Pig Handbreak is a cloudy sparkling cider with damson with a uniquely fruity taste.
What I thought:
Liam and I thoroughly enjoyed these super fruity and refreshing ciders along with our BBQ Pulled Chicken buns on a hot summer evening last week - it was the perfect accompaniment and we both really enjoyed the intense fruitiness, really scrumptious!
Berrywhite Organic Drinks: Lemon & Lime £1.39
What the brand says:
Berrywhite organic drinks are available in four delicious flavours of organic fruit juice blended with mineral water. They are one of your five a day, giving 10% profit to the Berrywhite Foundation and have no added sugar, no preservatives or anything artificial.
What I thought:
This was a nice alternative to water on a hot summer day - I'm not usually big on soft drinks, I always see them as unnecessary calories and sugar, when I'm happy to drink water - but these drinks are really low calorie and nice when you just want something a bit more interesting than water.
ENRj Fruit Juice Energy Drink: Mango & Passion Fruit, Apple & Berries
What the brand says:
Energy drinks with a difference: we use only the finest fresh fruit, pressed at its prime and naturally caffeinated with raw (green) arabica coffee beans. We didn’t want to use anything artificial, so we poured months of research into doing it the natural way; carefully selecting our raw ingredients and blending these to achieve the perfect balance, naturally. With some cheeky advice from a juice expert, ENRj was born. Mouth watering mango and a squeeze of passion, shaken with a dash of green arabica coffee bean, for a longer-lasting energising lift.
What I thought:
We're yet to taste these drinks as I am cautious when it comes to drinking too much caffeine - I'm not sure how good an effect intense fruit sugars and caffeine mixed together would have on me - however, I'm keeping them in the store cupboard for when we have guests who can enjoy them. They certainly sound interesting and I love the idea of the flavour combinations.
Here's my top three picks from this month's box...
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