Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn from Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn from Rocky Mountain Popcorn

Product Information:

Cinnamon Sugar is our newest flavor that tastes like your mom’s cinnamon toast! We are proud to have this fantastic product in our line up and we are sure you will love the sweet taste.

I received a bag of this popcorn in my December Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

Because this popcorn already has a delicious sweet and cinnamon-y taste, I decided to go with a pure tea (rather than a flavored tea!), so I chose this delicious Royal Golden Safari Black Tea from Butiki Teas.  The natural spice notes of the tea were accentuated by the cinnamon sugar coated popcorn.  A really delightful tea time!

What I Think:

After trying some other gourmet flavored popcorn, Cinnamon Sugar popcorn just seemed kind of … ho-hum.  Boring.  Or so I thought until I tried it!  This is really yummy! It reminds me a lot of kettle corn, but with a delicious cinnamon-y twist.

The popcorn has a fluffy yet crispy texture, and I didn’t find the hulls to be too bothersome.  I was a little disappointed in the state of the popcorn … there were more small pieces of popcorn rather than full-sized, popped kernels … as if the package had been smashed or something.  I got some full-sized kernels, but there were considerably more “crumbs” than anything to this pouch.  The “crumbs” are still tasty, of course, but it’s easier to eat the full-sized kernels than the crumbs so it was a little less than ideal to snack on because the majority of my package was crumbs.

I did find a few un-popped kernels, as well as a few half-popped kernels.  I like half-popped kernels, so I’m not going to complain about that, but, when the package is mostly crumbs, and I’m left needing to pour the crumbs in my hand to eat them, and I bite down on an un-popped kernel in the handful … that’s a little unpleasant.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this snack, it was tasty … I just wish that there were more big, fluffy kernels and fewer kernel bits.

July’s Knoshbox

Almost caught up … I can feel myself reaching the finish line… well … I’m almost caught up with the box reviews … as for the individual reviews … that almost seems like a losing battle.  ha!

July’s Knoshbox was just a wee bit disappointing for my adventurous side, because there were a couple of products in this box that I’ve already sampled and reviewed.  (To read my reviews of these products, just click on the name of the product.)

There are two samples of Sir Kensington’s Ketchup:  Original Gourmet Scooping Ketchup and the Spiced Gourmet Scooping Ketchup.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to be getting more of this ketchup because I love the stuff … but, I’m already a customer of Sir Kensington’s and have been ordering directly from them for a while now.

Then there are the Elephant Ear Marshmallows from 240Sweet.  Again … happy to be able to consume these again, but, I’ve already tried this flavor!  I would have loved to get a flavor I haven’t tried from them yet.

Oh well, the box isn’t a total loss … because there are some worthy products that I look forward to trying, including the Toasted Sesame Seed crackers from Castleton Crackers.  These are graham crackers!  Having tried Castleton Crackers previously, I’m thrilled to be able to try another variety from this company.

Also in this box there is a bag of Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips from North Fork and a huge S’more cookie from S’more Bakery.  Unfortunately, my cookie got smashed in transit.  Hopefully it will still taste yummy!

I’ll be sure to post reviews of the three items I’ve not yet tried from this box soon!

Snow Witch White Chocolate Brownie from Fat Witch Bakery

Product Description:

Chelsea Market’s Fat Witch Bakery creates some of the best brownies we’ve ever tasted. The Snow Witch brownie is a white chocolate brownie that’s golden, chewy, moist and delicious. 

I received this Fat Witch brownie in my December Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

With this sweet, chewy white chocolate brownie, I decided to go with a warmly spiced Chai like this Real Chai Tea Blend from Teas and Botanicals.

What I Think:

I love the texture of this brownie … this is exactly the texture I want from a brownie.  It’s got that soft, moist, almost fudge-like texture, but with enough crumb to the cake to remind you that you’re eating a brownie and not a piece of candy.

I can’t recall ever having a white chocolate brownie.  I’ve had a lot of traditional chocolate/fudge brownies, and a few “blondies” … but I can’t recall ever having a white chocolate brownie.

I found the texture of this brownie to be very enjoyable, I just found myself wishing that there was more of that dark, rich chocolate-y taste to this by the time I was about halfway finished with the bar.  I found this to be sweeter … cloying, even … than a typical brownie would be, and while it wasn’t really what I’d call off-putting, I did find myself needing to put the brownie away after I’d finished half the bar because it was overly sweet … something that would be better enjoyed in small bits rather than a whole confection.

My Final Thoughts:

This is tasty … but since I’m not as big a fan of white chocolate as I am of dark chocolate, I wasn’t as satisfied with this as I would have been with a dark chocolate brownie.  Positive:  I like the texture … not at all gritty, so smooth and decadent.  I could taste a butter-y kind of taste to it, and I found that enjoyable.  Negative:  It’s a bit sweeter than I would like it to be as I prefer the balance of bitter and sweet found in a dark chocolate.

Goodies Box for July

Getting caught up!  Yay!

July’s Goodies Box brought something a little new … the box itself!  The box is a little smaller, but, with a smarter design with two compartments which makes it an ideal shipper for the drink that is often included in these boxes.  Usually, the drink is together in the large box area, and it moves around and possibly crushes the food … or, they need to wrap the drink package with bubble wrap to help prevent the crushing of the food.  This new box design keeps the food separate from the drink … and this way, the delicate chips and cookies don’t get crushed!

Cherry Lovers Candies from Gimbal’s

June brought some very intriguing offerings from Goodies Co.  The first item that I tore into was the Cherry Lovers Candies by Gimbal’s Fine Candies.  Overall, these were a really great addition to the goodies box.  Some of the candies were super yummy, while others I found a bit too much on the “too much” side.  Let me explain:  I love Jelly Bellys, however, my least favorite flavors are the cherry flavored ones, because they are just too … tart yet cloyingly sweet – if that makes sense.  That’s what I mean by “too much”.  The Cherry Lovers have nine different flavors:  Cherry Daiquiri (too much), Chocolate Cherry (YUM!), Kiwi Cherry (I only had one of these in my bag, and it wasn’t enough to form an adequate assessment.), Bing Cherry (too much), Wild Cherry (too much), Black Cherry (too much), Cherry Vanilla (Very YUM!), Cherry Cheesecake (my favorite!), and Cherry Cola (another very, very YUM!).  So, as I said, overall, a yummy package of candies … but, some of them were just a bit too much for my liking.

Also in June’s box were Fresh Corn and Sea Salt chips from The Better Chip, Caramel Corn from Cosmos, Original Multi-Seed Crackers from Crunchmaster, and black raspberry flavored fruitwater from Glacéau.  Individual reviews for each of these will be posted later!

Overall, I was a little disappointed by this box, as it seems like there were fewer “goodies” than in past boxes.  However, I did enjoy the Cherry Lovers candies and look forward to trying the other items as well.  Still a great value at $7!

Honey Roasted Chick Pz from Nutty Bean Co.

Product Information:

Amazing!  Who would have thought that honey roasted chickpeas can taste so good and be so addicting.  You will not be able to stop eating these super crunchy sweet and salty yet guilt free treats.  You’re getting 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per ounce.

I received a package of these Chick Pz in my February Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

When trying these chickpea snacks, I wanted something clean and refreshing to sip, so I chose Blissful Buds Green Tea from Mellow Monk.  The sweet and savory taste of the tea made a nice accompaniment to these crunchy snacks.

What I Think:

I admit that I was kind of excited to try these … not because I particularly like chick peas or anything… but because I thought they would be different and really interesting.  Unfortunately, they didn’t live up to my expectations.

They’re alright, I guess … they kind of taste like a bland version of honey roasted peanuts.  The crunchy coating is tasty, sweet, and is similar to a candy coating that you might find on honey roasted peanuts.  The chick peas have a nice crunch to them … which is further enhanced by the crunchy coating.  But these lack depth.  It’s like the flavor kind of stops once you get beyond the sweet, crispy coat of salty, honey and toasty taste.  The chick peas … well, they taste like chick peas.  Slightly meaty, kind of mealy, and a little boring.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, they aren’t bad.  They’re just … not all that exciting.  I can see the appeal of this product, especially if one is sensitive to peanut consumption.  Since I’m not, I personally would prefer to eat honey roasted peanuts than the chickpea alternative.  OK … but not great.

Knoshbox for May (and June!)

Yeah, like I said yesterday, I’m way way behind!  My Knoshbox for May and June were identical … but that’s the way I wanted it!  I had received a preview of the June box and because there were a couple of products in there that didn’t hold a lot of interest for me (Coffee syrup and Coffee rub) I emailed Knoshbox and asked them if I could possibly get a repeat of May’s box for June.  And they obliged my request – hooray!

This made me very happy, because May’s box was one of the best that I’ve received thus far!

Xochitl Garlic Flavored Tortilla Chips

Let me start by telling you about the chips from Xochitl.  These are Garlic flavored chips … and WOW… when they say garlic, they mean GARLIC.  The Garlic flavored chips are powerfully flavored – if you don’t like garlic … these chips are NOT for you.  But for those of us who love garlic … these chips are amazing.  Thin, crispy, and deliciously hot-cha-cha spicy with lots of garlic punch.

The Green Chili Margarita Caramel Corn from Butter & Scotch may very well be my favorite item in this box (although … I loved every single item!) This is no ordinary Caramel Corn!  It is buttery and rich caramel … with notes of lime and zesty chili flavors.  It’s salty, sweet, tangy and spicy all in one crunchy, yummy bite.

Krave Chili Lime Beef Jerky

I also loved the Chili Lime Beef Jerky from Krave.  This is my new favorite beef jerky company … the Beef is thicker cut than your average jerky, and it’s TENDER.  It practically melts in your mouth!  And then there is the chewy texture of jerky … but it’s not wearing on the jaw muscles chewy … it’s tender yet chewy … with the emphasis on the tender.  The spice is lovely – southwestern tasting with the chili and the lime notes.  It has a kick to it, but not so much that you don’t get to enjoy the flavor of the beef.

Given how spicy the chips were, and even the spiciness of the caramel corn and beef jerky, I expected a lot of SPICE from the salsa … but this is a deliciously mild, flavorful tomatillo sauce from The Brooklyn Salsa Company.  We received “the Green” sauce from this company, and I really liked it.  A lot of flavor, not overly spicy, just enough heat to keep it interesting … but not so much that you don’t taste the flavors going on.  I could taste the tomatillo, I could taste the lime, and I could taste the spices.  It is a really tasty salsa … great on eggs!

Fatty Sundays Co. Chocolate Sprinkle Pretzels

The chocolate covered pretzels from Fatty Sundays (we received the chocolate sprinkle variety) were amazing!  Thick, crunchy pretzels dipped about seven-eighths of the way into a thick, rich coating of chocolate, and then coated with rainbow sprinkles.  Not just a few sprinkles.  These were dipped into the bowl of sprinkles to coat every speck of chocolate on the pretzel.  These are very sweet – I found that one more than satisfied both my chocolate craving and my sweet tooth.

I absolutely LOVED every single thing in this box … which is why I was so happy that they agreed to let me get a repeat of this box in June, rather than have coffee items that I would have been very reluctant to try.  Thanks Knoshbox!

The Goodies Box for June!

Yeah, I’m way behind.  I’ve said it before, and here I am saying it again!  Fortunately, though, the Goodies Box is getting better with arriving in a timely manner.  June’s box arrived on the 27th of June and while it isn’t the biggest deal when the box arrives a day or two (and in some cases three or four!) days after the month is over, I like it when they get their act together and the box comes within the month it should arrive.

This month’s box seems to be all about snacking.  There were six products in this month’s box, including a full-sized tube of STAX Que Rico Adobadas Chips, which I’ve already tried.  These are pretty tasty.  They remind me a lot of Pringles, not just because of the nature of the packaging, but the chips themselves have the same texture and potato taste as Pringles snack chips.  That said, the flavoring of these chips is pretty unique, tasting like a cross between a spicy BBQ and a picante salsa flavor.  These definitely have some kick to them!

The Cheese flavored Pringles Sticks were also tasty.  These remind me a lot of “Cheese It” type crackers, except that they’re long, very slender sticks rather than square crackers.  They’re crunchy, cheesy, and a lot of fun to eat.

The other three products in June’s box include: a sampler package of Duchy Originals Highland Shortbread cookies, Cheddar Jalapeno Pasta Chips from Pastitas, a bottle of “Dream Water,” and Honey Dijon Roasted Seaweed Snacks from Gimme.  That last one is one that makes me a little nervous, because I am not a fan of seaweed.  I’ll try ’em, but I have a feeling I won’t be finishing ’em.  I guess we’ll see!

I can’t say that I’m overly enthused by the contents of this month’s box, although I am interested in trying the Pastitas chips because of their uniqueness factor, and the Dream Water holds some appeal as well.

One thing that I am a little disappointed with is that Goodies has stopped including a product card with their box.  Instead, we get a card that says:

For details about your Taster’s Box and to review or buy, visit http://www.goodies.co/box

This card also includes a promo code for those who want to subscribe without a waiting list.  (So if you want to subscribe without the waiting list – I wasn’t aware that there was a waiting list! – just be the first to comment on this review, include your email address, and I’ll email you with the promo code.  

But I preferred getting the product card that told me a little bit about each product.  This new card gives the box a much more “generic” sort of feel.

It’s still the best “bargain” tasting box that I’ve found … even if the products aren’t as gourmet as what I’d find with some of the other subscriptions I’ve tried.