My February Box from Knoshy is Here!

My box from Knoshy actually arrived a few days ago.  This month’s theme is “Movie Night” and while I love the theme … some of the items in the box are curious choices for the theme.  I can see the connection with two of the items … the other two have left me wondering!

The first item that makes sense to me:  Parmesan & Rosemary flavored Microwave Popcorn from Quinn Popcorn.  I mean, who doesn’t want popcorn when watching a movie?  I’ve tried the Vermont Maple & Sea Salt Popcorn from this company, so I was really excited to try this flavor.

The second item that makes sense:  Pop Corn Pop chocolate bar from Chuao Chocolate.  Again … popcorn!  And of course, a candy bar is always a welcome treat at the movies!  I’ve tried at least one or two flavors from Chuao Chocolatier, and they are the producers of one of my very favorite chocolate bars (the firecracker bar!) so I’m thrilled to be able to try something else from them.

The next item in the box is a Basket o’ Marionberries from Willamette Valley Confectionery.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I LOVE these things.  I’ve tried them before, and I was thrilled to find them in my box this month, but, what do they have to do with Movie Night?  I guess candy is something yummy to eat at the movies?  I don’t really get a clear connection, but I’m happy to be have these yummy confections again, so I’m not complaining.

The last item in this month’s box is a “footlong” marshmallow from Quin Candy.  The flavor of the marshmallow is Water Avenue Coffee – meh.  OK.  I’m not a fan of coffee, and I don’t get how a coffee flavored marshmallow has any connection with Movie Night at all.  After perusing the Quin Candy website (I love that this company is LOCAL!) I found a couple of candies that would be more in keeping with the Movie Night Theme, like perhaps Cherry Cola Gumdrops (soft drink at the movies?  Yes!  Coffee at the movies?  No!)  or how about Popcorn Caramels?  (Yeah, it would be probably really beating the popcorn thing into the ground.)

Oh well, I like hand crafted marshmallows, so I’ll give ’em a try.  A coffee flavored marshmallow should be tasty in a hot chocolate, right?  And I’m really excited about the other products in this month’s box!

Coconut Mint Milk Chocolate Bar from Theo

Product Information:

What do you get when toasted coconut and mint are combined with organic 45 percent milk chocolate? A cool, sweet tropical breeze in chocolate form! This limited seasonal release is one of our favorite bars to enjoy during the holidays.

I received this chocolate bar in my December box from Knoshy.

Tea Suggestion:

I wanted to go with a pure, unflavored tea so that nothing would compete with the flavors of the bar.  And because this is milk chocolate, I thought that a black tea might be a bit too strong, so I opted for a creamy green tea like this Magical Mao Jian Green Tea from Teasenz.  The tea is light and crisp and doesn’t attempt to interfere with the delicious chocolate, coconut and mint flavors … instead, the light, buttery note seems to complement these notes.  Nice!

What I Think:

Oh my goodness … I love this chocolate bar.

I love chocolate.  That’s no big secret by now.  Usually I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate … but, this is so good, and I think that the creaminess of the milk chocolate works in the confections favor.  The creaminess of the milk chocolate melds beautifully with the coconut.

And while I thought at first that coconut and mint were kind of a “weird” flavor combination, those thoughts vanished with my first bite.  Oh wow!  So good!

The coconut adds a delicious coconut-y flavor and texture.  The mint is cool and refreshing.  Together the mint, coconut and chocolate create the perfect marriage of flavors.

My Final Thoughts:

I am in love with this chocolate bar.

Cookies & Cream Snack from Graze

Ingredients:

mini chocolate cookies, roasted hazels, white chocolate buttons and sunflower seeds

I received this snack in my January Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

This was a yummy tea time snack with a cup of single estate black tea like this Lovers Leap Estate Indigo from Eden Grove.  The tea is a flavorful Ceylon and the rich flavor complemented the tasty Cookies & Cream concept of this snack.

What I Think:

This is a tasty “trail mix” like snack that is different from any trail mix that I’ve ever tasted.

First, you have tiny little crunchy chocolate cookies that are quite yummy on their own, but also tasty when you eat them with any of the other ingredients too.  They’re crunchy and sweet, but not too dense or hard.  Quite delightful to pop in the mouth and eat … a box of these would be gone in short time, so it’s a good thing that I have a limited quantity in front of me.

Then there are nickle-sized discs of white chocolate.  Creamy and yummy.  White chocolate is not my favorite way to eat chocolate, but, I like these little discs and they add a tasty “creamy” element to the cookies & cream idea behind this snack.

There are lots of sunflower kernels to this snack and that’s quite alright with me.  I don’t know that I’ve ever eaten a cookie with sunflower seed kernels in them … but, I like the crunchy, nutty sweetness that these seeds bring to the “party.”

There are even a few hazelnuts, and these are a nice addition too.  Crunchy and delicious, I love to eat one and then pop one of the cookies in my mouth, it’s a tasty flavor combination.

Neither the hazelnuts nor the sunflower kernels were particularly salty, and I found myself wishing that there was a bit more salt factor to this sweet snack because I love the combination of salty and sweet.

My Final Thoughts:

I “liked” this one.   It’s not my favorite snack from Graze, but, I enjoyed it enough to want to have it again on occasion.

Blueberry Vanilla Energy Bar from Off The Farm

Photo from Off The Farm.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Information:

Ingredients: brown rice syrup, blueberries (blueberries, sugar, sunflower oil), oats, currants, pears, almonds, crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, malt extract, salt, mixed tocopherols), apples, chia seeds, sesame seeds, tapioca syrup, natural flavors, sunflower oil, sea salt, citric acid.

I received this energy bar in my January box from Knoshy!

Tea Suggestion:

When I eat energy bars, I like to drink green tea.  Green tea is an invigorating tea, so I find that that extra boost of energy that I get from the green tea is nice to go with the “energy” of the bar.  I chose this Organic Mountain Indonesian Green Tea from Tea at Sea to drink with this bar.  The sweet, buttery flavors of the tea went nicely with the whole grain goodness of the bar.

What I Think:

I was really excited to find not one but two energy bars from Off The Farm in January’s Knoshy box.   Normally, my attitude toward energy bars is kind of blasé, but I make an exception for the energy bars from this company, because I really enjoyed the Apple Cinnamon bar that I’ve tried previously.

This is tasty!  Lots of seeds, lots of nuts, and lots of fruity flavors.  I don’t taste as much vanilla as I expected to since this bar is called “Blueberry Vanilla.”  But there’s a bounty of blueberries in this … it’s packed with them!

My Final Thoughts:

Really delicious.  I love the big, juicy blueberries, I love the crunchy seeds of the bar … I do wish there was more of a vanilla note to it, but, I do like the berries.

My February Love With Food Box has Arrived!

I’m running a little bit behind because I took about a two week hiatus from posting there!  This box arrived a couple of days ago, and this month’s Love with Food theme is “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.”  There are lots of delicious chocolate-y type treats in here (perfect for a Valentine’s-y type box) as well as a few savory selections.

Right at the top of the savory list is a bag of Beanitos (White Bean with Sea Salt flavored).  As some of you might recall, I’ve tried the Black Bean with Sea Salt Beanitos, so I look forward to trying these.  Also on the savory list (and the last thing on the savory list!) is a pouch of Mario Pitted Snack Olives.

These olives were the first thing I tore into after opening the box:  they are green olives.  There were six olives in my pouch and they were pretty tasty.  The package says that there is a hint of savory pepper but I didn’t taste a lot of pepper until the aftertaste, where it sort of tingled on my palate.  I enjoyed the olives, and I like that the pouch doesn’t have a lot of “brine” in it … makes it an ideal lunch bag snack.

Everything else in the box I’d consider “sweet” snacks:  A bag of honey graham snacks from Back To Nature, a bag of chocolate covered blueberries from Emily’s, A chocolate chip biscotti from Biscotti de Suzy, two chocolates from Tcho, and chocolates from Gavottes.  I am loving all the chocolate selections here!

Also, as a special gift from Love With Food is a nifty little chip clip in the shape of a heart with the Love with Food logo on it.  Love this!

Herby Bread Basket snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
Click on the Pic to go there.

Product Information:

garlic crostini, mini basil breadsticks and oregano rice crackers

I received this snack in my January Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

With this savory selection, I decided to choose something a little bit tart and a little bit sweet for an interesting contrast.  I brewed some of this Green Tea Honey and Lemon from Tea of Life.  A really nice choice.

What I Think:

This is tasty.  It’s a hearty, satisfying, savory snack.

The breadsticks are very flavorful.  There’s a big punch of basil flavor.  A nice crunch to these … but also a little bit of a “bready” inner texture that I enjoy.

I found the garlic crostini to be a little “lacking” in flavor after I’d eat one of the mini basil breadsticks mostly because the breadsticks are really loaded with flavor.  To get the most out of the garlic crostini, I found that eating them one after another helped to develop the garlic and buttery taste.

My favorite part of this snack though, is the oregano rice crackers which look like no crackers I’ve ever seen.  They are shaped like … well, imagine if you would a piece of flattened popcorn as it starts to regain some shape.  Or perhaps … they look a bit like a miniature pressed cookie.  I love the flavor of these, and I taste not just oregano but a mixture of herbs to this.  But the best thing about these little crackers is the texture.  I love the texture of rice crackers, and there seems to be a somewhat “caramel-y” taste to these too, making them quite yummy.  I’d like to be able to get a box of these on their own.

My Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this snack, but I don’t know that I liked it enough to give it a “like.”  It’s not something that I immediately felt I needed to do like I needed to do with the chutney snack from this month’s box.  I do like those rice crackers, though and I might like them enough to “like” the snack just to get more of them.

Peppermint Marshmallows from Wondermade

Photo From Wondermade.
Click on the Pic to go there.

About Wondermade:

Every box of Wondermade marshmallows is handcrafted and taste great right out of the box. You can also drop a few in a cup of hot chocolate, melt them on top of baking brownies, or toast them on a skewer or in a s’mores.

I received these Marshmallows as part of the Christmas Set available from Wondermade.

What I Think:

These are my last marshmallows from the Wondermade Christmas box.  I saved the best for last!  These were my favorite marshmallows from this package.

These are extraordinarily minty.  I can definitely taste the menthol here!  They’re very cool and refreshing and YUMMY!  They’re delicious when eaten right out of the box (I love the little boxes in which these little bite sized marshmallows are packaged!) and they add a wonderful minty flavor to a cup of hot chocolate!

My Final Thoughts:

Yum!  I love Wondermade.  Yeah … I still love that other marshmallow company too.  I just have two favorites now.

Hi I’m Skinny Minis

 

Product Information:

I’m a grain based snack packed
full of whole grains to bring you
a heart healthy treat.
I also have up to 40% less fat
than regular potato chips, YAY!!

I received a bag of these snacks in my January Love with Food Box.

Tea Suggestion:

As with most salty snacks like these, I like to drink iced tea!  And the iced tea that I have in my fridge is this Cherry Limeade Tea from Southern Boy Teas!   The tea is sweet, a little bit tart, and fruity while the snacks are crunchy and salty … and it made for a very enjoyable snack time!

What I Think:

These are interesting.  They look like straws.  They taste like corn chips, but without that dense texture of a corn chip.  These have a puffier, crunchy texture that reminds me of my favorite round onion flavored snack.  You know the snacks I’m talking about, right?  And that’s really cool, because, I think I might like the texture of those snacks as much as I like the flavor of them … maybe I like the texture just a little more than the flavor!

And I’m enjoying these.  Not just the crunchy, puffy texture, but also the sweet multi-grain taste.  There is a nice level of saltiness, and I love that they’re only 100 calories for this bag.  These are the kind of snacks that I can really enjoy because they’re not only tasty but they are guilt-free too.

My Final Thoughts:

I like these.  I’ll be on the look out the next time I’m shopping at Whole Foods or Chuck’s Produce.  I’d definitely pick up a bag if I found them in the store.  I’d be interested in trying their other flavors too, especially the sweet onion and the sweet potato flavors!

Fruity Mango Chutney Snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Information:

fruity mango chutney with black pepper dippers

I received this snack in my January Graze box.

Tea Suggestion:

This mango chutney with black pepper dippers has plenty of kick to it, so I suggest iced tea with this snack!  And the iced tea that I have cooling in my fridge now is this Vanilla Cola flavored Black Tea from Southern Boy Teas!  It was a very refreshing tea to enjoy with this spicy snack.

What I Think:

When I saw what Graze was sending me in my January box, this was the snack I was the most excited to try.  I LOVE chutney.  And this has to be one of the best chutneys I’ve ever tried.  I confess that most of my chutney experiences have been with chutneys that I’ve found in my local grocery stores, so I don’t think it would be too difficult to produce a chutney that would impress me.

I can see chunks of mango and I can TASTE the cumin seeds in this.  It has a deliciously spicy, smoky taste, and the mango adds a sweet fruitiness to it.

The dippers that come along with this chutney are called “black pepper dippers” and they’re like a small breadstick, only they’re made from rice rather than wheat flour, so they have a light, “airy” sort of crunch to them rather than the denseness I’d experience if these were made from wheat.  And there’s PLENTY of peppery kick to them too.  

I like that there’s just enough dippers to go with the amount of chutney that’s included too.  There’s enough chutney to add a heaping scoop of chutney onto each dipper … no leftovers!

My Final Thoughts:

LOVE this.  After my first taste, I clicked on “love” on my graze page, because I wouldn’t mind receiving this every month.  So good.

Organic Dark 70% Chocolate from Green & Black’s

Learn more about Green & Black’s here.

Buy Green & Black’s chocolate on Amazon.

Tea Suggestion:

Chocolate is one of my favorite tea time treats because … well, I’m a chocoholic!  This is an exquisite dark chocolate bar, and I chose to drink this Black Tea from Shan Valley with the chocolate.  The roasty flavor as well as the other notes (hints of smoke, caramel, nut, earth and toast) of the tea complemented the deep, rich flavor of the chocolate in these mini-bars.

What I Think:

These tiny bars that were in my November Love with Food box are so cute!  They are .53 ounces, and when you open the wrapper, it looks like a miniature chocolate bar, complete with the “break lines” that you’d find on a larger bar.

Put simply, this is rich and delicious.  One of the better dark chocolate bars I’ve encountered.  There is a good snap to this.  The chocolate tastes rich, sweet with just the right amount of bitterness to keep things interesting.  There is a deep fruity character to the chocolate.

My Final Thoughts: 

This is definitely a chocolate bar that I’d pick up again when I’m craving dark chocolate.  I’m glad that I have seen this chocolate in my local Whole Foods.  I’ll be grabbing a bar next time I shop there!