Tuxedo Popcorn from Kukuruza

Photo from Love with Food.
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Product Information:

If you haven’t tried Kukuruza yet, we shall be the first to say that your mouth is missing out. You’re curious, we can see it now. This unique combination of premium milk and white chocolate will help satisfy your savory and sweet cravings, all in one bite.

I received a pouch of Kukaruza Tuxedo Popcorn in my November Love with Food Box!

Tea Suggestion:

I brewed up a cup of this Dian Hong Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley to enjoy with this yummy confection.  The malty notes brought out some of the caramel-y notes that were a little obscured by the chocolate coating and i liked the way the tea complemented the delicious popcorn.

What I Think:

Delicious!  Kukuruza starts with their classic caramel coated popcorn, and then they drizzle milk chocolate over the popcorn, and then they drizzle white chocolate with a hint of vanilla over that!  Mmm!

The result is a decadent, delicious confection.  These morsels are very chocolate-y, and the milk chocolate is what I taste first and foremost.  Then I notice the sweet, creamy vanilla tones.  I can taste the buttery caramel and hints of saltiness.  It’s a dreamy concoction that is both sweet and savory, but, mostly sweet.

In fact, if there was more in this “flight” bag than just 1.5 ounces of the popcorn, it might end up becoming too cloying.  However, with the small portion, it was just enough to satisfy a sweet craving without getting too sweet.

My Final Thoughts:

I love this stuff!  I will definitely keep my eye out for this product while I’m out shopping.  If I don’t find it, I’ll have to buy some online, because I can see myself craving this.  So yum!

Salsa Fresca Snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Ingredients:

tomato salsa fresca with cheesy sombreros.

I received this snack in my November Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I went with a tall glass of iced tea to drink with this snack.  In the fridge, I had a pitcher of this Jasmine Passion Tea from The Persimmon Tree chilling, so I poured myself a glass of it to enjoy with this snack.  It was a perfect refresher for the palate as I enjoyed this tasty snack.

What I Think:

This snack includes small, round, cheese flavored rice crackers and a tomato-y salsa.  The salsa is very mild, but, I like the fresh taste of it.  There is a sweetness to it and there is a mild pepper kick.  There are lots of chunks of tomato, peppers, and onion.

The crackers I thought would be more like chips before I munched on one, but, they are definitely crackers.  They have a nice crunch to them, and I like that they are rice crackers.  They have a lightness to them that I enjoy.  The cheesy flavor is less noticeable when you eat one with the salsa, but when you eat a chip on its own, I taste more of the cheese.  It’s still not a strong “cheesy” taste.

My Final Thoughts:

I added these to my “like” list.  I really like the sweetness of the salsa.  Sure, I do like a good, zesty salsa (I usually go for the medium heat), but, the sweetness of the red pepper and the tomato is really delicious and as a tomato lover, I found myself loving every bite of this salsa.

My November Knoshbox is Here!

Yay!  The day that my Knoshbox arrives in my mailbox is one of the happiest mail days of them all!  I know that my posts about the Knoshbox arrival are always very excited and happy, but there’s a good reason for that.

You see, once upon a time, there was a company called Foodzie.  And I would get a box from them every month, in fact, that was my very first subscription box.  But then Foodzie got bought out by another company, and over the course of the last year or so, it would seem that the company that bought out Foodzie has been slowly phasing out the food offerings in their company and focusing more on fashion and makeup and fitness.

I used to miss Foodzie a lot, but, then I discovered Knoshbox.  And thanks to Knoshbox, I now barely think about Foodzie at all … and that’s because Knoshbox has managed to fill the void that was left by Foodzie’s departure.  I’m seldom disappointed by a box from Knoshbox, and the one time I foresaw that I wouldn’t really be in to a box (a coffee themed box), I was able to write to them and ask them to instead send me another of the box from the previous month.  Now, I’m not saying that they’ll do that every time, I just happened to get lucky.

And a note to Knoshbox, if you’re reading this … please … please do a Tea box.  You did a coffee themed box.  I want a tea time box.  I’ll even help you choose out teas for it if you want.  haha!

This Month’s Product Card

The reason Knoshbox has managed to fill that void is because Knoshbox … quite simply … ROCKS!  Yeah, the box is a little higher in price than some other subscriptions, but, I think that it’s well worth it, because I get exposed to some products that I might not otherwise have been introduced to, and these are high quality, gourmet goodies!

Another great thing about Knoshbox is that there’s usually a theme to the box!  This month’s theme is Bourbon and Beer.  And I haven’t tried any of these products (BONUS POINTS FOR KNOSHBOX!)  Here’s what is in this month’s box:  Bourbon Wondermade Marshmallows, a “Brewer’s Bar” from Granola Lab, a bottle of Nobel Maple Syrup, A box of Alehouse Cheddar Crackers from Castleton, and finally, a pouch of “Old Salties” beer nuts from Ovenly.

I can’t wait to start tasting these yummy looking treats!

Roasted Pepper & Artichoke Bruschetta from Dipin Dip

Product Description:

Craving some chips and dip? Dipin Dip’s all natural Roasted Pepper and Artichoke bruschetta is made from black olives, extra virgin olive oil and a lip-smacking heap of mountain herbs .

With only 70 calories, this gluten free and jet-setter friendly dip can be spread on anything: saltine crackers, toasted bread, chips, or maybe just your spoon. One taste, and you’ll be pining for more!

I received a cup of this dip in my September Love with Food Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I ate this dip spread on Club crackers along with a cup of Dragon Well tea from Yezi Tea.  The sweet, clean, vegetative taste of the tea brought out some of the more subtle flavors in the dip, and I found this pairing to work very well together.

What I Think:

This stuff is really tasty.  Sweet and savory and a little bit spicy.  I paired it with a salty Club cracker and which gave the sweet and savory a little bit of salty to round things out.

It’s a thick dip, but it’s smooth.  The roasted peppers are prominent and they taste sweet and really make this dip something special.  I also taste the artichoke … and olive.  I taste a hint of olive oil.  I like that I can taste it in there but this an overly oily dip.  It’s not a loose or thin dip … it’s really thick and can be piled high on a cracker for maximum flavor … but it’s smooth enough to be spread.

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this dip with Club crackers.  It would also be great spread on some toasted bread (my thoughts are some Hawaiian bread would be really amazing with this).  It’s not quite what I think of when I think Bruschetta dip – I’m usually thinking of a more tomato-y, basil-y type of spread, but, I liked this a lot.  I don’t know that I like it enough to order it online, but, I’d definitely buy some if I found some in the store.

My November Graze Box has arrived!

Since I have my Graze box deliveries set up to come every four months (I’m an “occasional grazer”!), I think I’m fairly safe in identifying them as a monthly box.  I guess it could happen occasionally that I actually get two boxes in one month, but, I don’t foresee that happening in the near future.

Anyway, I have been really looking forward to the delivery of this box since I got my last box.  I really love these boxes!  The snacks are thoughtfully created, and they’re just the right size to satisfy that urge to snack but not so big that I feel like I’ve overindulged when I eat a snack.  And the best thing about this box from Graze is that I can rate each product on their website and your ratings will help them put together your future boxes, plus it should ensure that your favorite items will come back to you.  I really like that!

This month’s box brought some really tasty and tempting snacks to my mailbox:  a snack mix called “Hot Cross Yum”, “Salsa Fresca” which includes chips and salsa, “Cherries and Berries” which is a dried fruit blend, and some “Black Pepper Pistachios.”  I can’t wait to get started.  The hard part is going to be deciding WHERE to start!

I have more Friend Invitation Codes for Graze, so if you’re interested in signing up and trying out Graze for yourself, it’s very affordable!  It’s just $6 a month (no additional shipping charge!) to get four unique snacks that have been prepared with nutrition in mind.  It’s a great way to get some YUM and feel good about it too!  Please comment on this post if you want a friend code to sign up for Graze (signing up is by invitation only!) and I will be happy to share a code with you.  Please include your email in the comment so that I can email you back with the code!

Almond, Apricot, and Yoghurt Bar from Eat Natural

Photo from Love with Food.
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Product Information:

Color versus Colour? Yogurt or is it yoghurt? Well no matter how you spell it, this all natural bar takes the cake. It is a simple mix of unsulphured apricots, crunchy almonds and coconut and then topped with a smooth layer of yogurt coating.

I received one of these bars in my November Love with Food Box.

Tea Suggestions:

I brewed myself a cup of chai and turned it into a latte with Chico Chai’s Original Loose Leaf Chai.  Then I decided that this bar would make a lovely accompaniment with my chai.  The sweetness of the bar enhances the spicy notes of the chai – these two work really splendidly together!

What I Think:

Tasty!

The first thing I notice when I’m reading up on this bar is that there aren’t a lot of extraneous ingredients to it.  The yogurt coating has a few ingredients to it, and then there is just crisped rice, apricots, almonds, coconuts, honey and glucose syrup.

It is a little on the sweet side.  I am thinking that this could be tasty without the yogurt coating.  I mean, I like the yogurt just fine, and I have a sweet tooth so I’m not complaining about the sweetness of it … but I’m just saying that I don’t think it needs the yogurt coating.  It would be a tasty fruit and nut type bar without the coating.

There are lots of crunchy almonds and sweet apricots in this.  I can feel the texture of the chewy coconut.  I don’t taste too much honey or syrup in this, I like that these two sweeteners don’t overpower the bar and take away from the natural taste of the fruit and nut flavors.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked this.  This is something that if I were wanting a quick and easy snack, I’d grab one of these bars.  This is something that I wouldn’t mind having on hand for when I want something a little sweet.  I like the variety of textures within the bar – the chewy of the apricots and coconut, the crunchy of the almonds and the crispness of the rice.  Overall, a really tasty snack.

Toffee Apple Snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Ingredients:

sticky toffee sauce with granny smith apple slices

I received this Toffee Apple Snack in my first Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I wanted a pure green tea to enjoy with this snack so that I could enjoy the flavors in the toffee sauce and the flavor of the apples too.  I chose this Lu’an Guapian Green Tea from SwanSisters.  The sweet, lush texture of the tea enhanced the overall experience with this snack.  Delicious pairing!

What I Think:

I think I’m in love!  This is so good … so very, very good.  This snack made the whole Graze subscription worth it, and I enjoyed the other snacks too.  But this … this is yummmmm!

The apples are dried apples, and they have a chewy texture.  They are a tart apple which brings a nice contrast to the sweet, creamy, luscious toffee sauce that has just a hint of bitterness from the burnt sugar. Not enough bitterness to disrupt the sweet flavors, but enough to add a little more contrast.

This is so delicious.

My Final Thoughts:

I LOVE this and I loved it on Graze so that I can get more in the future.  It’s just the right amount of snack in the little tray too … because it is so sweet and decadent.  Not enough of it to get to a cloying point, and also not enough of it to get to that all-too-familiar feeling of guilt for eating something like this.  This tray was only 66 calories … now that’s a calorie count I can appreciate, and it doesn’t taste at all like I’m going without.  Instead, this tastes indulgent!  Awesome!

My November Love with Food Box has arrived!

Yay!  It’s always a happy time when I receive a treasure in mailbox, and this month’s Love with Food box certainly qualifies as a treasure!  This is a seriously awesome box!

This month’s box had NINE treats in it, plus a bunch of coupons, including a coupon for a gift subscription to Love with Food.  I’m thinking I might treat my oldest daughter to a subscription.  In addition, I also received a $1. off coupon toward a Green & Black Organic Chocolate bar (yum, chocolate!) and there’s even a recipe card from Chef Ryan Scott (who curated this box).  The recipe is for green olive tapenade, which I will definitely try.

Anyway … on to the yummy goodies in this month’s box.  There’s a bag of Tuxedo Popcorn from Kukuruza, a bag of Sweet Potato Popchips, a sample of Rosemary and Pink Sea Salt Shortbread Cookies from Dancing Deer Baking Co., an Almond Apricot and Yoghurt bar from Eat Natural, a bag of Sweet Corn Crunch Snack from Sensible Foods, Ginger Twist Tea from Mighty Leaf (Yes TEA!), Maple Fudge from Laura Secord, a small organic dark chocolate bar from Green & Black, and Indian Spices from Arora Creations.

Wow!  This may be the most plentiful box that I’ve received from Love with Food yet!  And what’s more, I haven’t tried any of these things … including the tea!  I’m excited to start digging in!

Olive and Rosemary Bruschetta Snack Mix from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Ingredients:

mini tomato breadsticks, rosemary and garlic cashews and kalamata olive croutons

I received this bruschetta snack mix in my first Graze Box!

Tea Suggestion:

I thought that a sweet, brothy green tea would be ideal to serve with this savory snack mix, so I chose this Konacha Green Tea from Aiya.  A really delicious pairing!

What I Think:

This is pretty tasty … certainly different!

The mini tomato breadsticks are really good.  I can taste the tomato and I love tomato!  The rosemary and garlic cashews add a nice texture and a yummy nutty taste to the overall mix, and I like the seasoning on the cashews.

The Kalamata olive croutons are probably my least favorite part of this mix, but I don’t dislike them.  I just find that it takes a couple of croutons – one after another – to really taste the Kalamata olive flavor.  I mean, I can taste the olive flavor, but, it seems to be a little obscured by the … I don’t know, maybe it’s the texture of it, because my mouth seems to want the olive texture when it tastes the Kalamata olives.  and instead it gets a hard, dry crouton.  I guess I just want a little something … different than the crouton to deliver the olive flavor.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this snack mix … a really neat alternative to the typical snack cracker.  I don’t know that I’ll “like” this one though, I think I’ll wait and try some of Graze’s other savory selections before I put a “like” on this one.

Salty Caramel Apple Taffy from The Salty Road

Photo from Knoshbox.
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Product Description:

The Salty Road brings you delicious handcrafted saltwater taffy made with local apple cider jelly from Brooklyn, New York. A chewy treat with notes of apple, cinnamon and allspice with a signature sea salt crunch.

I got a box of these taffies in my October Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion: 

Mmm!  These taffies are so good, and the only thing that makes them better is some tea to sip while eating them.  I brewed myself a pot of this Keemun Black Tea from Teasenz to enjoy with these chewy taffies, and I like the way the smoky elements contrasted with the sweet confection.  A very interesting pairing!

What I Think:

Seriously yum.  Every time I get my hands on a taffy from the Salty Road … I become more enamored with this company.  These are the BEST.  Taffies.  Ever.

I love that little crunch of sea salt that I get in every little bite.  It’s not overly salty … but there’s just enough crunch to give a different texture to the very chewy taffy … and just enough salt to cut into the sweetness of the confection.

I taste the apple.  I taste the caramel.  I taste the allspice and cinnamon.  I taste the salt.  And this is total yummy deliciousness.  It tastes like apple pie with a drizzle of salted caramel!  So very, very good.

My Final Thoughts:

My final thoughts this time are really simple:  MORE PLEASE!