Degustabox October - was it a trick or a treat?

Degustabox October was most definitely a treat! Some really tasty goodies for autumnal snacks and warming food.

So how about a tasty bowl of soup?

IAM SOUPER soup is a delcious soup in a carton that is full of gorgeous chunky ingredients. We received the Supergreens and the Pulled Pork and Jalapenos flavours. As you can see above, that's the pulled pork one, it is so, so, chunky and that is really going to keep you going on a chilly day. It's a high protein soup so should keep you fuller for longer. £1.49

Pitch Choco Bars £1.40
The trick or treaters were not getting their hands on these! A brioche with a solid mini bar of milk chocolate. Yes please! Will be looking out for these in the shops. Delicious.

Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks £1.99
We have had these as part of Degustabox before. I enjoyed them then and of course I enjoyed them this time too. Only downside is that they are one of those snacks that you really need to brush your teeth after. Lightly salted rice sticks baked and made from green peas and low calorie. Like a posh chipstick :) 

Robinsons Squash'd Orange £2.49
I have tried these before and enjoyed them, handy little plastic containers of squash to pop into your bag. There are 6 flavours and we tried the orange one. These are so, so handy for us as Little Bird only drinks orange juice so very handy to take with us on days out, just dilute with water. Also when we go and visit my parents it saves us taking a full standard size bottle of squash. A useful product. 

Levi Roots Smokey BBQ Coat n'Cook £1.00
I love it when Degustabox choose items that I can use as a main dinner, helps me with jazzing up meals so this Levi Roots sauce was used in a couple of meals with chicken where I coated the sauce on and then baked or I even added it to baked beans to make them tastier. A great item and it was very hot so really kept the chill off!

Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme £1.00
Degustabox have outdone themselves with this one, Hershey's chocolate and King Size! Cookie pieces and smooth creaminess. Perfection. I had about two pieces before it was promptly taken off me by my 6 year old chocoholic. I wanted it too to help me get through my uni work....

Maggi Fusion Noodles 2 x £1.39
Maggi are a brand I've used before, they do a great range in packets of food mix for casseroles and chillis etc. They also do these noodles, bringing a taste of Asia as everything you need for a light lunch or to make up dinner in the evening is in this little packet - noodles, sachet of flavouring oil and dried veggies. And here is a huge plate of tasty food for an autumn evening. 

Beloved Date Fruit Hearts 2 x 75p
I think we may have tried Beloved date bars before but these are little hearts - look how cute they are. 100% date fruit with hints of natural flavouring. Gluten free and suitable for vegans. There are five hearts in each packet. 

Heinz Kid's Pasta Shapes £1.19
Heinz Kid's Pasta Sauce £1.55
50% wholewheat Minions and a smooth tomato pasta sauce to go alongside it. No added sugar or salt and enjoyed by all of us with some roasted butternut squash. I actually think we all prefer kid's pasta and have since bought some in the weekly shop. The pasta sauce was really, really good.

Jim-Jams 83% Less Sugar Milk Chocolate Spread £2.59
Gluten free and diabetic friendly chocolate spread. I've been having a teaspoon of this to satisfy a sweet craving but I am going to bake a cake and use the rest to sandwich it together. A versatile product for the kitchen cupboard - how about chocolate pancakes or dipping fruit into it. Super item for Degustabox to add this month.

Probably one of my top Degustabox months in terms of fab products, really pleased with the offering. 

If you would like to try and experience the surprise of a Degustabox, the code 1GWLB will get you £7 off so the box will just cost you £5.99 including delivery. Well worth trying for some autumn and winter pick-me-ups whilst hibernating at home.

* I received a Degustabox for the purpose of the review, words are my own honest opinion.

Photobucket

Hi, 

If you cannot see any photos it's because Photobucket is down and that's where most of my pictures are stored.

Hopefully will be back soon!

Thanks,

Sam

Hallowtide garden

 November arrived, a cold bite in the air so that my morning mooch in the garden was not accompanied by my scamp of a terrier who opted to keep his paws warm by the wood burner instead. The Hallowtide garden, the morning after Hallowe'en, decay and death, remembrance and a faded glory or spent Jack o'lanterns, carpets of leaves and the muted purples of the hydrangea.  Sunlight slowly warming hit the crimson leaves and pink hues of the sedum who have stretched like zombies arms reaching frantically across the pathway. A job to tidy up and reign the whole garden in for winter splendour but I'll allow myself the whole of November and December to do this. It can stay as a witches garden for the time being.

Bargain daffodil bulbs have been planted, tulips still required. Autumn bedding plants, yellow chrysanthemums, are in the zinc wall planters with nasturtium still hanging on - one even flowered this week, they are such troopers.
 On the small trees in the garden I need to hang some bird feeders, with small birds turning up daily my heart sinks when I keep remembering that I need to pop to the budget shop and get some suet balls or pellets for them.  Next door's rowan tree has now lost all its leaves and all that remain are some red berries, that the blackbirds love, but there are not many left. Don't worry feathered little lovelies, food is on its way.... Finally as I turn back to the house ready for a cup of tea, I see a solitary pink rose in bloom and one in bud. A last brush of summer to bottle up in my memories. 

How Does Your Garden Grow? over at Mammasaurus, for more gardens and autumn love.

Remembering the souls at Cross Bones

 Near Southwark Cathedral is a little garden, a memorial to many lives, approximately 15,000 They are paupers graves, for this area was once a place of  extreme poverty and in Victorian times was a slum known as the Mint. But going back further than that to the 12th century the area was the feudal land of the Bishop of Winchester and the ruins of Winchester Palace still stand near to what was the Clink prison.

An area of darkness, bear pits, taverns and ladies of the night, so called the Winchester Geese as they were licensed by the Bishop. It is believed that this patch of land not too far away from Borough Market was where they were buried and is unconsecrated land.

The land was closed to burials in 1853, 'completely overcharged with the dead' and so today the people are remembered by the living in a colourful and joyful way.

The site is a memorial garden looked after by a friends group and the metal railings surrounding are tied with colourful  ribbons and trinkets with messages written on them, It's a wonderful sight and each month on the 23rd there is an evening vigil.
 In the 1990's the Jubilee Line was extended and many of the graves were excavated by archaeologists who found much evidence of diseases like tuberculosis and small pox. There was a documentary on this which was so interesting, see this short clip.

You can find out more about Cross Bones here and if you are in London it's one of those unusual places that I recommend you visit. 

The Benefits of Home Heating Oil

There are around four million homes in the UK and Ireland that aren’t connected to the gas grid. Most of these homes are in rural areas and for some, the only alternative to gas is to use electricity to heat up their water and their houses. Electricity is expensive and inefficient, so if you have space in your garden for an oil tank, or if you’re moving to a new house that has oil-fired heating already installed, you’ll be pleased to find out that there are lots of benefits to oil.

Here are just a few of the benefits of using oil-fired heating to warm your home and your water.

It’s a lot safer than you think

Many people shudder at the thought of having a huge tank full of kerosene in their garden, but home heating oil is actually one of the safest heating options there is! The oil itself isn’t flammable and it doesn’t produce fuel vapours that ignite. The oil can only be ignited and combusted when it passes through the special mechanisms inside the boiler. Having said that, though, it’s always essential to have your tank and boiler installed by a reliable technician, as well as having a yearly (at least) inspection to make sure all’s well.

It’s really very affordable

Unlike gas or electricity, oil-fired central heating doesn’t have access to a constant supply of mains fuel – you have to have your fuel delivered once or twice a year. Paying upfront for a year’s supply might sound quite daunting, but thankfully you can get cheap home heating oil from Supersaveroil.ie to help you out. Paying upfront actually helps you to control your fuel spend – once it’s there, it’s there, so there’ll be no unpleasant surprises in the form of huge bills. You may occasionally have to top up your supply if it’s a hard winter, but by buying your oil in the summer, when it’s cheaper, you can cushion yourself against any really eye-watering spends. Some delivery companies offer the option to spread the cost over the year, too, so always ask if this is possible. You can also bulk buy your oil with friends and neighbours, which will reduce the cost of the oil and the delivery charge.

Oil heating is also surprisingly efficient

Previously, oil-fired boilers were either on or off; there were no temperature controls and you faced the prospect of either freezing or roasting (well, maybe a slight exaggeration there…). Modern-day oil boilers have the same sorts of controls as gas-fired central heating systems do, so you can fine-tune your boiler’s operating times and temperatures to suit your schedule and preferences. You’ll be able to use a thermostat to control your temperature, as well as set a schedule so the heating turns off when you’re leave for work but starts purring away nicely when you’re returning home. In addition, you can also control each radiator and use a thermostat to control the temperature of your hot water.

So as you can see, using heating oil is actually a brilliant alternative to gas or electric heating.

*Collaborative post