Food Delivery / Bonjour French Food Box

Bonjour French Food* is a monthly subscription, as the name suggest, coming straight from France. 

I love food boxes because - well, I love food of course - but also because they give you the chance to discover new products. I got the say that - from all the food boxes that I have tried - Bonjour is the most original and interesting; the selection of products that I received definitely succeeded in tantalising my taste buds!

Favols Coing Thym Romarin

This quince chutney is the ideal match for strong cheeses, like roquefort and stilton but I found that it works very well with cured meat and pate' too. 

It's subtly sweet, from the fruit but with salty notes thanks to the thyme and rosemary.

Beautifully balanced and good enough on its own too!

Ducs de Gascogne Terrine de Canard Sauge et Ciboulette

I don't like pate' so this product was a miss for me; I didn't even try it but  I have to admit that it did smell gorgeous (it is more like a mental block for me). Still, it didn't go to waste and I offered it to some dinner guests on crackers. You could smell the fresh herbs - sage & chives - and they enjoyed the combo very much.

Tonton la Rondelle Saucisson Aux Herbes de Provence

This dried sausage was so delicious and tasty!

The herbs come through in the flavouring in perfect balance with the meat; matured just to my liking and with the ideal amount of fat... basically, between me and my sister, we managed to finish it in 2 evenings (the shame!).

Bovetti Romarin Enrobe de Chocolat Blanc

I couldn't wait to try these white chocolate pearls and I opened the jar straight away. These white chocolate balls can be used as an aperitif, to decorate desserts or I think they would be a lovely alternative to after eight squares/after dinner snacking for your coffee table. There's just an hint of rosemary that complement the sweetness of the chocolate, without being overpowering. 

Bovetti Chocolat Blanc Saveur Coquelicot

Can't go wrong with a bar of chocolate, right?

Another product from Bovetti, renowned for their creativity and innovation with chocolate. Here the white chocolate is enhanced with poppy flowers; the poppy caramelised sugar creates a nice crunchy texture that is pleasing on all the senses. Definitely, something to savour!

Eloide Sirop de Menthe

Mint cordial is my favourite! In Italy, it is a staple in my fridge and my favourite refreshing summer beverage. You can add a few drops to ice water, to peppermint tea or also bake delicious mint choc chip cookies. The bottle is so cute too.

Food Delivery / The Flavour Club (with discount codes)

The Flavour Club* is a new monthly subscription box that takes you on a discovery journey of Spanish food and wine.

It's certainly no news that Spanish food is delicious but how many of us can say to really know the traditional authentic products? This Uk based, small family business is passionate about Spain and its culture - and food is part of culture, of course - and they set their mission to source scrumptious produce, directly from small independent suppliers and bring them to your table.

And wine!!! Yes, you did read correctly - after all, wine is best enjoyed with food and every bottle has been chosen to marry the particular flavours, included in the box.

September Box Content:

Yllera Cinco.5 Verdejo Frizzante wine - a refreshing, light in alcoholic content but full in flavour white wine, made 100% of verdejo grapes. Slightly sweet and tangy with fruity notes, like green apples, pineapples and lychees. Best served cold to enhance the small bubbles, coming from the natural fermentation and best paired with appetizers, vegetables and chocolate desserts too.

Just Married Wild Asparagus And Pumpkin Risotto - this is probably my favourite item of the box. In the tin you get a broth with real bits of vegetables to create a delicious, foolproof risotto in just 15 minutes. It's perfect as an evening meal, fast to prepare after work and 100% natural and preservatives free.

and whilst you wait for the risotto to cook, you can snack on the Artesanos De La Luisiana Picos!

Picos are traditional bread sticks, still prepared with an artisan recipe and using 100% extra virgin olive oil.

They are perfect paired with dips and cheese but I find them super-tasty on their own too.

La Cuna Piquillo Pepper Confit is ideal with the picos above but you can also add a spoonful to fish and meat recipes to add some extra body and dimension to the dish. La Cuna is a small brand from Toledo - I love the care put into the packaging but I love even more the simple recipe: roasted piquillo peppers, sugar, salt and olive oil are all the ingredients of this delectable sauce.

Finally, I also got a bottle of Almazara del Ebro Extra Vergin Olive Oil. Almazara del Ebro is a cooperative in Navarra and this organic oil is produced with 100% Arbequina olives, one of the smallest and most flavourful varieties; the D.O. stamp (Denomination of Origin) also ensures that these olives are cultivated without fertilisers.

The box is normally £48 per month, including delivery but the lovely people at The Flavour Box have given me some special discount codes - valid in October - especially for my foodie readers:

- ZMZIZJ (25% off when you try a box with the 1 month only option)

- MMQ5MZ (50% off the first box on all plans - 3 months, 6 months and 1 year plan)

- October20 (20% off all cases of wine and can be used for as many orders in October as you like; remember that if you do subscribe for a box, a case of wine purchased to be delivered with that month's box has no delivery cost. Just email them to get a code to discount the delivery.)

Place your order before the 25th October on www.theflavourclub.com

BirchBox / February 2013

Meh! 

That's all I can comment on this month box, in fact I have already cancelled the subscription.

Anyway, here is what I received:

Gerda Spillmann Bio Fond Cream Foundation in 03 Bijou: this is a cream foundation that transform into powder. I'm not a fan of this type of base (I find them too thick and I never go for full coverage) and the colour is too dark for me so I'm just gonna pass it to somebody else.  

The wee compact is cute, tho.

Korres Guava Shower Gel: my favourite product of the box. I'm a big fan of the brand and it smells simple divine. I will save it for travelling - it's the perfect size and I will probably check out other products from the same line.

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Plump N'Thick Leave-In Thickening Mist: you spray this product on towel-dried hair and it should help to add volume and texture when styling. I'm not a great fan of leave-in products but looking forward to give it a go - my hair are definitely on the flat side... I'm hoping the finish is not to sticky.

Vichy Thermal Spa Water (Limited Edition): yeah, this is definitely useful but not something I can get excited about - even with the cute print! I've used the Eau Thermal Avene Water Spray before and I'm guessing this is pretty similar; I like to use it when I'm in Italy, I always have a bottle in my bag to freshen up during the day so I will just save it for my next trip home.

EBoost Natural Energy Booster: a multi-vitamin to give you energy during the day. I like little non-beauty related extras but let's be honest... this is worth a pound and it's not like you're going to see a difference with 1 sachet! 

BirchBox Eyelash Curler: this is a nice extra touch but personally, I'm pretty loyal to my Shu Uemura so I don't really need it. 

So to summarize, it's not an awful box but I've come to the conclusion that these boxes are just not for me (anymore). Apart from these 2 boxes, I had cancel my subscriptions last year and not missed them.

It just comes down to what you want/expect from a beauty box and personally, I'd like to receive items  from more known, recognizable brands; I'm happy with sample sizes but I don't really care for obscure names that I wouldn't normally purchase or even difficult to find on the high street.

And talking about boxes: have you checked the US GlossyBox The Man Repeller box? Come on, there's no comparison - we are talking tarte, opi, estee lauder, fresh... 

I also recently heard about the PopSugar Must Have Box - it's not only beauty related and $35 but again looks really exciting!

Definitely recommend to goggle them if you're curious... but be prepared for pure envy... and once again, the Uk market has let me down... :(

BirchBox / January 2013

When I read that JolieBox had become BirchBox, I decided to re-subscribe!

The box was delivered by Yodel this morning - actually I don't have much faith in them as they always seem to f**k up our deliveries but no complaints this time.

The box itself looks like is made from recycled cardboard and it comes in a pink packaging, which wasn't sealed. The products are inside a pink string bag like JolieBox used to do and a small magazine.

Here is the content of my box:

Fresh Sugar Rose' Lip Treatment - this product alone made the box for me. Been wanting to try the Fresh Sugar lip balms for a while... so very excited to see it! 

The wee sample size tube is really cute too. :)

Kms California Free Shape Quick Blow Dry - this is a dual-phase spray that acts as a detangler and should help hair dry faster. I will definitely try it out and see if it makes any difference time-wise... fingers crossed.

Taaj Hand Cream - another lovely and useful product; unfortunately, I didn't have much luck with the Taaj cleanser because it stung my eyes but looking forward to try something else from this brand.

Wei White Lotus Moisture Rich Eye Blend - another brand that I have never tried but was on my wishlist. I received the eye cream - and happy about it - with moisturizing and firming properties. Decent sample size.

Teapigs Chamomile Tea - I really like chamomile tea so I'm happy! :)

All in all, I'm pleased with this box, although not blown away - the Fresh Sugar lip balm definitely had a lot to do with that... I think I will get another box and then I'll take it from there.

I also noticed people getting an 'extra beauty' item - anybody else's missing I Coloniali sample?

 x

FlavrBox / November Edition

ooohhhh, It's always exciting to receive a box full of yummy goodies... and this is the BEST box so far, in my opinion! Here I give you november's FlavrBox:

Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company - Cheddar Cheese Straws

I had to open these within 3 minutes of getting the box *greedy*

They taste even better than I expected - they are like puff pastry sticks, full of cheeseness flavours (of course, you must love cheese and I personally would marry cheese, if I could!). NEEDTOFINDMOREOFTHESE!!!

Rossini's Rub - Panch Phoron

I must say I'm not a big fan of marinades because I don't like meat and don't cook it from scratch very often; also, I prefer my vegetables 'au naturel'. This tin is a pretty generous size and could last for years, I reckon. They suggest to mix the seeds with some oil to create a paste - great tip and will give it a go with some fish.

Jing Tea - Ali Shan Tea

This is a seriously weak tasting tea (or maybe I can't bloody brew it properly).

Anyway, it is very very light in taste which is not such a bad thing because I can avoid to put any sweetener in it. It's described as hearty and refreshing and yes, that is just spot on - I couldn't find better words to describe it myself.

These are actually tea pearls, which I had never tried before, and  can be re-used three/four times, apparently.

Sundowner - Parmesan, Olive & Rosemary Biscotti

I can't deny these biscotti (more like crackers?!) taste very familiar - parmesan & olives are part of the typical italian diet and some of my favourite things... so I could only end up loving them!

Apart from the burst of authentic flavour, I was pleasantly surprised to find them quite moist and not dry, thanks to the olives.

I also received the nut mix from Sundowner, last month, but I haven't had the chance to try them yet.

The Pelagonia Range - Aivar

Another utterly delicous product! If you can only try 1 product from this box, I have to recommend this one.

It takes so authentic and fresh and with high quality ingredients.

Apparently, this brand works in partnership with over 650 families from the Pelagonia valley, in the south-west of Macedonia. They source and create these delicious, authentic recipes from the region and they taste sooo natural that you would think they had just been made in front of your eyes and not our of a jar.

Aivar, in particular, is a blend of roasted peppers and aubergine that can be cooked with chicken, as pasta sauce or simply as a spread. I rocked it with the cheese straws and the Sundowner biscotti!

Chocca Mocca - Real Raspberries Dipped in Fine Dark Chocolate

...and finally dessert!

Delicious raspberry coated in dark chocolate - I love dark chocolate!

Great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and cutting few calories in the process.

I got to say that these boxes never, never fails to please... unfortunately, this is gonna be my last box for a while... back on diet after Christmas. :(

Check out the previous boxes here and here.