White Choc & Rasp Granola - Sainsbury's Free From Range [@NLi10]

 I had a look for a new exciting cereal, and unexpectedly found one in the 'free from' section.

My main issue with granola is that it tends to be a bit heavy for breakfast, but I wondered if this would work out as a slightly lighter alternative.

It's basically just normal granola which has been made in a gluten free environment.

Milk free white chocolate alternative is the only real concern - plus the fact that the choc looks like it's melted into huge lumps.

Quite pretty, but but has resulted in clumping - lets see what it's like.

Sticking to the dairy free theme I've gone with Oat Milk as my Alt Milk (I get whichever is cheapest usually) and it worked pretty well.  

The grain bits have crunch, there is a decent variety in them too. The choc stuff is actually a highlight - the not-milk helps it blend in with the rest.  There isn't much of the red fruit bits - but what is there is good quality and strong tasting.

With a handful of blueberries or something to balance the lack of fruit bits then this would be perfect.

I think I can eat this happily on relaxed weekend mornings but I do love a larger bowl of cereal on a week day so see how it goes.

Muller SKYR - Raspberry & Hazelnut Granola [@NLi10]

 I wanted a quick post-supermarket snack and realised I’d not had a posh yogurt in ages. My god they’ve gone up in price!

I settled on a SKYR, as it was different enough to pique my curiosity and yet still basically a fruit corner.

It’s made of Quark! Well - isn’t everything? This just means the strange milk derivatives and not the sub-atomic particle, but I guess technically it’s both.

The lid sounds enough like a cat thing that both cats were summoned, they were both very briefly interested in the lid - but neither liked the taste so I was left to tip my granola into my quark.

It’s got a different texture to that which I expected, but it’s really nice. Not too sour, not too sharp. The granola was properly nutty and fruity in all the right ways.

I discovered on a future trip that if I’d bought a multipack these aren’t that expensive, but I think I’d rather just have them as a secret late night treat occasionally than have a stash ready.

Makes me wonder if they do vegan style ones made of coconut or similar because I’d be very interested in that.

Yorkie More - Oats, Apple & Cinnamon (@DegustaboxUK) By @Cinabar

I first heard about this bar before Christmas and have searched for it all over, none of the supermarkets or smaller shops near me sell it unfortunately. I was however pleased to find it in the January Degusta box which I was gifted. The bar contains one of my favourite things, cinnamon and that it is why it had been on my radar. It is part of the More range, which contain less sugar and more protein. They have made a Kit Kat in the range which I found in Asda, that one was flavoured with raspberries and hazelnuts.
I have to confess though to not being a fan of Yorkie bars in general, something about their ‘not for girls’ campaign from the nineties still resonates as casual sexism, but to be fair I don’t think they’ve used that for a long time. I do still know the taste of Yorkie bars and found this Yorkie More - Oats, Apple & Cinnamon bar to be pleasingly different. The milder sweetness is very much at the forefront and makes it taste more refined, the lovely spice of cinnamon shines through too and it is a really good combination for the chocolate. Also in the bar is granola and this mixes up the texture rather nicely and I think made it made it far more interesting than a regular Yorkie which is of course quite plain.
The only downfall is that I received this in a freebie box and still don’t know who actually stocks it locally or where I can get another. I hope it isn’t the end of a seasonal addition too, I mean cinnamon is not just for Christmas.

Huel - initial order + granola (@NLi10)

In early Jan I bought a sample of the Huel drink that acts like a more science based version of Slim Fast.  You have the drink for lunch and that's your nutrition and calories sorted.  As it was decent enough (and my sandwich shop at work closed) I decided do do a months trial and got a box.

The box cost £40 with the referral code from a friend (shared here for you too) which gave me £10 off and he gets the same.  I'm sharing his again not mine as I'm still not convinced I'll use all this!

I got a free t-shirt in the brown envelope (presumably so they know what size I am and can target the advertising appropriately) and a smokey shaker with my wicked black powder.  We'll deal with that another day though - as I want to talk about the cereal first.

So far so good, plain simple branding and a lovely foil sealed bag means you get what they intend you to get.

And there are an awful lot of nutrients in here - how can this be anything other than a great healthy breakfast - right?

Decent grain size and a mix of the Huel pellets and actual grain is promising too.

It just tastes really nothingy.  There is a big feeling like you are eating the dry powder with some bites and the crunch of the cereal feels off too.  Maybe I'm just used to the Lizzi granola and some of the stores own ones that rely on seeds and pizzazz to make me reach for those over the crunchy nuts?  Who knows.

Flooding it with the (almond) milk helps, as does adding fresh fruit (I did order the fruit version of the granola too but they gave me a credit instead of sending it later).  Its still not quite as I'd thought it'd be.  I expected the box to be far too small and to absolutely demolish it within a week.  Now I suspect there will be more than enough for my Huel using friends to try some, and give it back for me to finish.

It's not a £5 a box cereal by any stretch, and compared to the (spoilers - really quite enjoyable) milkshakes this is a massive miss.  If I do end up using my store credit on a follow up order it won't be on this.  For die-hard fans of the brand only.

GNAW bars of choc with bits (Malt Kiln Farm Shop) by @NLi10

While walking along the Fosse way towards Stretton Under Fosse we decided to visit a local farm shop that has recently been done up.

It’s a lovely area, and the fields of strawberries on the road down to the big barn of the Malt Kiln Farm Shop are really tempting.

The entrance makes people look tiny.

 

And it has a garden centre vibe inside, but is lovely and airy.

Fortunately for me, amongst the local produce is a valid review target. We like GNAW, they crop up in charity shops and make lemon meringue chocolate bars.

 

Here there is a new addition to the range, bars with bits in. One contains raisins so we laugh at that one and move on. Two contain seeds and granola and good things so we can buy those. 

First up we tried the milk chocolate variety

It’s essentially a slab of chocolate with peanuts granola and seeds. None of these really stand out as much as the salt on the peanuts which when you hit it is amazing. Yum. 

 

I think I preferred the dark version overall, while the orange flavour kind of vanished after the first bite the dark choc and seeds was much more my bag. My partner disagreed and preferred milk, but they were both good enough to try again. 

It’s mostly choc though, so not really ideal for a hot day.

 

If I’m honest though, I’d rather have another large bowl of the fresh strawberries we picked up on the day. Yum! 

W K Kellog - No added sugar granola, Coconut Cashew & Almond (Co-op) by @NLi10

I had to tripple check this box - is this really another company releasing cereals with the word Kellogg on them?  As suspected - this is not.  This is a posh new Kellogg's brand, that is recognisable enough that you know where it came from, but different enough that you know something is up.  Also it's £3.50 for a small box so that's a clue too.

No artificial nonsense (unless you count the strawberries in the picture which aren't in the cereal) and full of baked grains, can this comete with the top end granola (Lizzi's)?

It's certainly got the branding right, and the bowl does look quite mixed and promising.

The flavour though is a little homogeneous, and the texture doesn't vary enough either.  I'm not getting fresh seeds bursting with flavour or fruity sweet hits which I'd expected the coconut to provide.  You do get the occasional deep roasted taste from the granola, but not enough to compare with the brand leaders.

So - this is a decent, well made cereal from the experts, but that doesn't stand up to the premium brands it's positioning itself against.  It's a granola for people who are used to muesli (a gateway granola?) which you could happily serve to guests who are used to cornflakes and they'd probably enjoy it.

The box isn't going to go to waste though, I'll happily eat this up and try the second flavour (hopefully while on special offer).

Lizi's High Protein granola (@Ocado)

We love Lizi's cereals.  Don't tell Mr. Kellog's's but Lizi is much better at it.  A good while ago I picked up this bag of high protein granola.  We've reviewed the 1000 hours brands high protein efforts so I figured I'd give it a go.

As you can see it's the usual amazingly high quality - actual recognisable things and really soft and squidgy granola to go with it.

Essentially it's your typical Lizi's cereal with soya protein flakes added - but it works a treat.  You can be all healthy and have this with almond milk and really taste the richness of all the flavours coming through.  There are a mixture of textures in every bite!

As usual I will be rationing myself and only having this at the weekends as a treat - back to the standard staples in the week - but boy is it something to look forwards to!  Another massive hit.

March Degusta Box (Unboxing @DegustaboxUK) By @Cinabar

It is that time again, when the lovely folk from Degusta Box send round a pack of goodies for unboxing. I always love the surprise element with their boxes, and couldn't wait to see what was tucked away inside.

This month the box was quite heavy, which led me to think there might be a few drinks inside, and I was right about this. There were other goodies too, so first up I found Mr Lee's Hong Kong Street Beef. This is an instant noodle product, where you add hot water to get a simple noodle lunch.  this could easily be spiced up with a splash of the new Encona Limited Edition Chilli Sauce. This is Encona's hottest sauce, and looks pretty scary. Not sure I'd be brave enough to eat it neat, but I'm sure it can spice up any number of sauces.

As this is the Easter box, there are some sweet treats too. There are some Mini Eggs from Nestle, mixing the filling with either Smarties chocolate or Milkybar. These eggs will not last long here at Foodstuff Finds, and will be excellent for munching on while watching an Easter film.
There is also an interesting looking flapjack from Hapervoll, which is also a Limited Edition. It looks fun and spicy, and is flavoured with cinnamon and cloves, which are similar to Hot Cross bun flavours really.

I'm always pleased when my Degusta box has something nice for breakfast, and this box is no disappointment. The box contains the new cereal from Shreddies; Max Granola. These are a good sauce of protein so very much on trend for foodies.

Quite by lucky coincidence there was a jar of Cirio tomatoes. I'm making pasta sauce this week so this is a welcome addition in the box. It is made with 100% pure tomatoes, and I always find the Cirio  products to be have particularly good flavour and a nice level of sweetness.

As predicted earlier there are quite a few drinks in this box, and they start with a couple of school ground favourites. We have a chocolate milkshake from the Canny company. This is a nice twist on the drink though as it has no added sugar, and is all natural. There are also some fruit cartons, like the one I used to take in my lunch box to school. These are mixed berries flavour and the cartons are decorated with Roald Dahl's favourite Matilda.

On a bit more of a grown up twist, there is also an energy drink. I'll be honest this is the sort of thing I'd normally pick up, but this one does look interesting. It is all natural and made by Tenzing, the caffeine even comes from green coffee beans.

Last but by no means least is this fab bottle of Ribena, that I can't wait to try. It is flavoured with Pineapple and Passion Fruit, and I do love the tropical tastes. This will come in very handy over Easter and I can't wait to give it the taste test.
I've really enjoyed this month box from Degusta, and I am looking forward to trying all the new products.

Degusta Box June 2017 (@DegustaboxUK) By @Cinabar

We had been away for a few days and came back to our Degusta delivery for June. This is our monthly food subscription box, where you get a delivery of new and interesting food/snacks and drinks for a set monthly price. This Degusta box was an edition with summer in mind, and came with summer themed sweets and barbecue seasonings, all ready to use in the sunshine.

In terms of sauces we received a Chilli and Coconut Sauce, which is Brazilian. It suggests cooking this with chicken, and I can’t wait to experiment. I don’t know much about Brazilian cooking flavours, so I’m interested to investigate. We also had the seasonings to make pulled chicken and spicy buffalo wings. Both of these sound like they would be fun to cook, and of course fun to eat.

Now that I’m getting used to Degusta boxes I’m spotting themes, like they always seem to have some interesting sweets. They have the new ones from Haribo which are the Summer Frenzy editions, the ice cream flavours in the sours look particularly good! On a healthier note there are some mango pieces in yoghurt which I will take to work to snack on.

Biscuit wise we have one box of savoury and one of sweet. I’ve had Walkers shortbread before, but the dog shape biscuits look super cute. I’m intrigued by the Original O’s and I’m looking forward to trying those out. Cumin and Sesame sounds like an interesting combination.

One thing is for sure I don’t need to buy muesli or granola any more, Degusta have provided a box each month. I’m looking forward to trying out this apple and peanut variety, and it will be the first experience of the make Spoon which as it is new to me.

Finally there was an excellent selection of drinks in this box, all perfect for handing out around a barbecue. There was cider from Rosie’s Pig flavoured with Damson or Rhubarb. These are creative combinations with cider, and Spectre has tried the rhubarb before and is looking forward to taste testing the damson variety. There are too “energy’ drinks too, but these are mainly fruit based with the energy coming from coffee beans. That is kind of the more mature and much nicer version of those cans of overly sugared caffeine kicks. Finally there is a bottle of alcohol free Sauvignon Blanc from Eisburg. Perfect for the designated driver attending that barbecue!

Many thanks to Degusta for sending us our review edition of the June Degusta box, it was another great box. They were also kind enough to include in it all options for items where normally only one is selected at random.

Degusta Box May 2017 (@DegustaboxUK) By @Cinabar

We had another fab delivery from Degusta Box, and thought we’d delve in to see what goodies they have sent this month. This was a curiously heavy box, and I couldn’t wait to see what new and interesting foodie items the subscription service had sent through. I do love the surprise of a mystery box.

New Homepride Strong White Bread Flour
So this was the heavy item, that made the box feel weighty. It reminds me I used to make a rocking soda bread - I assume this flour will be ok for that? I’m certainly going to give it ago. The flour is pre-sieved so that saves washing up a sieve. Yes, I'm that lazy.

Millions and Candy Kitten
There are plenty of sweets in this month’s box, I haven’t had Millions for ages, and had no idea they had chocolate coated ones. The Eton Mess gourmet sweets from Candy Kittens sound very summery too.

Peanut Caramel Crisp Dairy Milk
Now I’ve tried this particular Dairy Milk bar before, and if you have any love of chocolate and peanuts too you should give it a try.

Bean Bags
I think this may solve the problem I have about having decent coffee at work. I always resort to instant, for ease of both washing up and lack of technical equipment. These new coffee bags seems to work like a coffee filled tea bag, so should be super easy for work. I’m really looking forward to trying these out.

Hippeas and Crunchy Time
For snacks we have Hippeas which are a fun savoury snack made from peas, but that taste like crisps. The Crunchy Time is more of a cereal designed for snacking on. Healthy too, full of oats seeds and granola.

Crabbies Ginger Ale and Zeo
This can of Zeo is a soft drink and it is very on trend as it is flavoured with grapefruit, perfectly refrehsing on a warm summer’s day. The Crabbies Ginger Ale is the alcoholic option, and Spectre was excited to see it, and squirrelled it away immediately after the photo was taken!

Portlebay Spiracha Kraclecorn
Finally we have some Portlebay Spiracha Kraclecorn. I’ve tried Portlebay Popcorn many times before, but I’m not sure I’ve had Kracklecorn, so this should be interesting. Also the flavour promises to be Chilli Chilli Bang Bang, so that should be a fun level of heat right there.

I think this was an excellent box from Degusta, with some gorgeous chocolate and sweets, and reminder that I should get back to bread making with the flour.