My Final Goodies Box arrived…

Yes, that’s right, my final goodies box.  I resubscribed to Love with Food, and I really think that two boxes per month is enough for me (and I gotta keep my Knoshbox!) and this … Goodies Box … I hate to say it … but, I’ve come to the realization that it’s just … not up to par with the other boxes that I receive.

So, instead of receiving my box from Goodies, I decided to upgrade my Love With Food box to receive their deluxe box every month.  I’m hoping this was a winning decision.

The first thing that I notice with this box is that instead of a card explaining that there will be no product card in the box … there’s just … no card whatsoever.  OK … now, I understand … this is an inexpensive box.  $7 a month … no big deal, right?  But, come on … please make some attempt to make the box special … put more effort into it.  I’d be willing to pay more per month if I felt like there was some effort in these boxes, but I’m just not feeling it anymore.

So, here’s what I received in this month’s box:  a bottle of Acai Grape flavored Pure Life Splash water, a bag of Kashi Hummus Crisps, a pouch of pitted snack olives, a bag of Fuji Red Apple Chips from barefruit, a Zone Perfect bar, a tube of Attiki Honey, and a savory tea (Spinach Chive) from Numi Organics.

Of these items, I will be giving my youngest daughter the snack olives and the apple chips because they’re more up her alley, so I won’t be reviewing these products.  The item I’m looking forward to most (and it probably comes as no surprise) is the savory tea, as I’ve wanted to try Numi’s savory teas ever since I noticed that they are carrying them.  That review will eventually publish on the SororiTea Sisters blog.

The other items, I’ll give ’em a try and publish my thoughts about them when I do.  Anyway … my Knoshbox should arrive soon … and that’s what I’m looking forward to!

Dark Chocolate Dreams from Peanut Butter & Co.

Product Information:

Our all natural peanut butter blended with rich dark chocolate. It’s like a peanut butter cup in a jar! Great on a sandwich, but just as wonderful spooned over ice cream, spread on fruits, or simply eaten out of the jar. It’s equally delicious as an ingredient in your all-time favorite baked goodies like chocolate cake and bread pudding. 

I received a sample of Dark Chocolate Dreams in my February Goodies Box.

What I Think:

For the purposes of this review, I tried this product several different ways.  The first was to slather some on my Toasted Sesame Seed Graham Crackers.  Then, I cut up a Honeycrisp Apple (I love it when my favorite apple is in season!) and dipped the apple into the peanut butter.  Finally, I tried some spread onto the Banana Nut Bread Bakery Crisps from Stacy’s Bake Shop (my review of this product will post soon!)

My overall impression of this product is very good – I like that this is very peanut butter-y … the chocolate is there but it doesn’t overwhelm.  Don’t get me wrong, the chocoholic in me is all about as much chocolate as possible, but, the parent in me is more inclined to purchase this product for my daughter knowing that there’s at least some peanut butter goodness to this.  It is sweet, creamy, peanut-y, and salty.  Luscious!

On the graham crackers, this peanut butter is insanely good.  I love the way the salty and sweet interact this way.  The salty really comes out to “play” on these graham crackers, and I like the way the chocolate tastes with the salty notes.

On the apple, I found that the sweetness came out more.  I liked how the juiciness of the apple kept my mouth from feeling dry from the peanut butter.  But my favorite way to enjoy this chocolate-y peanut butter – by far! – is atop the banana nut bread crisps.  My favorite way to enjoy peanut butter is with bananas, and then to add chocolate to it … it was heaven.  YUM!

My Final Thoughts:

I think I’m going to pick up a jar of this the next time I see it on a grocery shelf.  My daughter, who is a nutella fan, would really enjoy this, I think!   And I’m envisioning how good this will taste on a peanut butter, banana and marshmallow cream sandwich.  Oh … goodness … just the thought of that is enough to send me to a very happy place!

Veggie Sticks from The Daily Crave

Ingredients: 

Potato flour, expeller pressed safflower oil, rice flour, tomato flour, spinach powder, salt, beet powder.

I received a bag of these Veggie Sticks in my August Goodies Box!

Tea Suggestion:

I wanted iced tea with these salty snacks, so I chose my new favorite iced tea:  Pink Lemonade flavored Black Iced Tea from 52Teas!  YUM!  The sweet and tart drink went very nicely with the salt in these crunchy sticks.  Psst … click here to learn about Zoomdweebies (aka 52Teas) campaign to re-open their tea bar in Wichita, Kansas!

What I Think:

My first observation:  there a lot more potato sticks in here than tomato, or spinach or beet sticks.  They resemble an uncooked french fry from McDonalds.  (That is to say that the color is not golden brown like a french fry!)  When I bite into them, the texture reminds me a bit of my favorite onion ring snack “chip”:  Funyuns!

They don’t taste like Funyuns, though.  The potato sticks … taste like potato chips, but without the greasy feel that often comes with potato chips.  These still are slightly “greasy” but not quite as greasy as the chips would be.  I noticed some “grease spots” on the paper that I put out to catch these sticks … for my “grease test.”  As I continue to eat, I notice more of the greasy taste though.

There is very little taste variation when it comes to the greener “spinach” sticks and the reddish “tomato/beet” sticks.  The flavor is very mild here, and is most noticeable in the aftertaste.  If I eat a couple of spinach sticks together, I notice more spinach-y taste, and the same is true of the tomato sticks … and the flavor for the reddish sticks is definitely tomato (not beet), making these my favorite part of this bag of snacks.  Unfortunately, of the three color sticks … there were fewest of the red sticks.

My Final Thoughts: 

They’re tasty enough.  I didn’t really like the developing greasy taste though, especially since I would most likely purchase something called “Veggie Sticks” as a healthier alternative to chips, and if these are still greasy … that doesn’t feel “healthier” to me, you know?  Also … my favorite of the three flavors represented here was the tomato, and it was under-represented in comparison to the other two flavors.  So, I don’t think I’d buy these in the store, unless I was given an option to choose just the tomato sticks.

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!

My Goodies Box for May!

And it arrived in a timely manner too!  I was happy about that … it would seem that Goodies is getting into the groove!

And there were some tasty items to be found in May’s Goodies Box!  First of all, there was a coupon for a free package of Wholly Guacamole, and as I’ve professed in this review, I love this stuff!  Since Wholly Guacamole has to be refrigerated, it makes sense to send us a coupon for a free package rather than sending us a package of it … it would have spoiled on the journey.  Also included was a “chip clip” from Wholly Guacamole.  A nice freebie gift.

Also in this month’s box were two packages of Sour Power Straws which are a gummy-like candy.  I am not all that in to sour candy, so, I passed these along to my eleven year old daughter, and she enjoyed them.

There was a small pouch of SuperSeedz Sea Salt flavored Pumpkin Seeds and I enjoyed these.  SuperSeedz has some really intriguing flavors of Pumpkin seeds, including Cocoa and Tomato Italiano … and I’d really love to try some of the other flavors.  The sea salt was tasty, certainly, but rather ordinary when compared to some of these other unique flavors.

Beanitos Original
with Sea Salt

The Beanitos Black Bean chips (again, sea salt flavored) were yummy, I really enjoyed these.  Imagine corn tortilla chips that were dipped in black bean dip … then take out the corn and add a little bit of rice … and you have these chips!  Nice, crunchy texture with just the right amount of salt.  With these chips, I didn’t mind so much that they were the “original” sea salted flavor, because it allowed me to really experience the flavor of the black bean and the hint of rice.  These have definitely piqued my interest and I’d like to try some of the other flavors from Beanitos.

Also in May’s Box was a teabag pouch of Numi Moroccan Mint Herbal Tea (watch for the review of this tea on SororiTea Sisters), large carton of Zico Coconut Water (Yes!), two small sampler packets of California Olive Ranch Olive Oil, and a small jar of Bronco Bob’s Roasted Mango Chipotle Sauce … I haven’t tried these yet, so watch for individual reviews of them … the Olive Oil and the Sauce will probably come along with some sort of recipe … I haven’t decided how that will go just yet though!

A really good box … I’m happy with it!

Oatcakes from Effie’s Homemade

Effie’s Oatcakes

Product Description:

One bite of these buttery, crisp and flaky oatcakes will transport you to Effie’s farmhouse kitchen. Made by two best friends from mother Effie’s fourth generation family recipe, these lightly sweetened biscuits taste of pure homemade goodness.

I received a package of these Oatcakes in my December Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

These Oatcakes go great with a cup of hot tea … a delightful breakfast or tea-time treat!  I like them with this New Vithanakanda Ceylon from Kally Tea.  The flavor of the tea is bold enough to enjoy with a dense “cookie” like this, and the two complemented each other quite nicely.

What I Think:

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from these before I opened the package, but I was definitely intrigued!

They look a bit like … well, I guess they are aptly named, because they look like what I would think an oatcake would look like.  They look like cookie bars with visible bits of oats baked in them.

They taste a bit like a cross between a granola bar and an oatmeal cookie, with the texture of a crisp oatmeal cookie.  I can taste the salt, and the sweetness.  I taste the oats, but it doesn’t have a really mealy texture … not bad … not bad at all!  In fact, I really like these!

My Final Thoughts:

These are really tasty. I saw an Oatcakes display when I was at Chuck’s Produce the last time I shopped there, so I think I might take a closer look next time I’m there and maybe pick up another package of them, because these definitely belong on the “I’d eat them again” list!  I’m also interested in trying their Nutcakes and their Semolina Crackers (the lavender flavor is especially intriguing!

Light Sea Salt Plentils from Enjoy Life

Product Description:

This crispy, crunchy lentil chip tastes similar to a potato chip with subtle earthy undertones. Made with lentils, one of the best sources of plant-based protein, and with 40% less fat than the leading potato chip, it’s a smart and tasty snack choice.

I received a bag of these Plentils in my January Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

With salty snack chips like this, I prefer to drink iced tea, and this Blue Shadow Black Tea from The Tea Smith is yummy iced.  It was a really nice pairing … the sweet, fruity flavor of the tea was a nice contrast to the lightly sweet, crunchy Plentils.

What I Think:

These are really … unique.  They have a texture that is similar to the onion ring snacks, only thinner and a little crispier and less “fluffy” … the flavor is unlike any other snack chip I’ve ever tasted.

I’m not generally big on lentils.  Not that I dislike them, really, there’s just so many other things that I prefer, so since it’s been a while since I’ve actually had lentils (we’re talking years here … I used to eat them pretty regularly when I was a vegetarian, but I’ve only had them maybe a handful of times since then, and not at all in the last five years or so) it’s hard for me to say that these taste like lentils.  But they do not taste like any other snack chip… so I’m guessing the difference is the lentil.  And while they are different … they aren’t bad at all.

My Final Thoughts:

The light sea salt is just right.  These taste lightly salted, not salty.  Very enjoyable, and surprisingly satisfying.

Organic Spicy Falafel Chips from Flamous

Product Description:

Like a bold tortilla chip, these spicy falafel chips are a fun way to explore the exotic flavors of the East Mediterranean. Made with organic corn, beans, veggies and spices, they’re packed with flavor and also rich in protein, fiber and antioxidants.

I received these falafel chips in my January Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

Because these chips are on the spicy side, I chose a white tea to enjoy with them – white tea has natural cooling properties and helps to calm the palate after eating something spicy!  I found this Silver Needle tea from Enjoying Tea to be just the thing to sip while munching on these delicious chips!

What I Think:

Having tried the “Original” variety of falafel chips from Flamous, I was pretty sure that I’d enjoy the spicy variety as well.  But I had no idea that I’d enjoy them as much as I do!

I think I may have just found a new favorite chip.  These are unbelievably good.  They have a nice, satisfying crunch and a similar texture to a tortilla chip.  They are hearty like that … but they’re thinner than most tortilla chips – which I really like – and they are not greasy.  I even did the white paper test … I opened the package and poured the chips out onto a piece of white paper to see how much residual grease the paper would absorb.  Usually with most conventionally produced chips, there are grease spots, usually quite a bit!  But with these there are only the tiniest grease spots.  And more importantly, they don’t taste greasy either.  They just taste delicious.

This particular variety is SPICY, and as someone who favors spicy things, I like that too.  They certainly don’t need a salsa dip … but you might want to consider a ranch dip or sour cream (or perhaps a cucumber yogurt dip might be delicious!) to help cool things off.  Me … I like the spice.  It warmed me up!  Delicious!

My Final Thoughts:

These are absolutely delicious.  I prefer them over “traditional” chips like tortilla/corn chips or potato chips … I prefer the texture, the flavor and the fact that they are not greasy like those other products.  These are just … really REALLY good.

My Goodies Box has arrived!

I was pleasantly surprised with the early arrival of this month’s Goodies box, especially after having received January’s box in early February.  I actually received the box earlier this week!  Nice!

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t really mind a whole lot when the box arrives late.  Better late than never, right?  But I do find it a little upsetting that they’re never late at charging my account for the monthly subscription, and when the box arrives late every month, it gets a little … old.  You know what I’m saying?  So it was nice that this box arrived earlier than I was expecting it to.

The theme of this month’s box is “Better Together” – which explores some classic food pairings as well as some unique new flavor combinations.  Inside the box, I found two samples of Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter & Company, a pouch of chickpea snacks from Nutty Bean ChickPz, a pouch of Yogurt Pretzels from SnackWells (I’ve already devoured these – so there will be no individual review for them.  But they were tasty.  Not as tasty as chocolate covered pretzels, then again, keep in mind that I am a chocoholic!), a bag of Plentils Crunchy Lentil Chips from Enjoy Life, a bag of Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip with Reese’s from Nabisco (I also ate these cookies already … and of course they were yummy, but, they were rather “commercial” – you know?  Nothing really special.  Something I can buy off the grocery store shelf.) and something that I’ve tried before:  Bacon Popcorn from J & D’s.  But I’m not complaining because I enjoyed it, and this gives me an opportunity to review it for the blog.

Some nice choices for this box.  Some of these items I’ve not tried before so I’m looking forward to trying them.

My December Goodies Box has Arrived!

Just when I thought that the Goodies Box had gotten their act together and the boxes were going to start arriving a little sooner rather than later … the December Box arrives on January 2.  Yeah, I know that the holidays and the slow delivery this time of year could have been the reason for the hold up, I get that, but, really?  Did Christmas and New Years come as a surprise to anyone?  These two holidays arrive the same time every year, and I think some careful planning could have helped to avoid such a late delivery.

Better late than never?  Yeah, I suppose, except that they never are late to charge the account for the box, you know?

Anyway, now that I’m finished grumbling, let’s explore this month’s [err… last month’s] Goodies Box, shall we?  This month’s theme is “Naughty or Nice” according to the card in the box, and the box includes some familiar favorites as well as some new goodies that I am really confident that I’ll enjoy.

On the more familiar side are two Sun Cups from Seth Ellis Chocolatier:  one mint and one sunflower butter.  Since I’ve previously reviewed these delightful confections, I won’t review them again, but, even though I have tried these before, it doesn’t mean that I’m disappointed to find them in this month’s box.  These are seriously yummy!  I think it was with these delicious Sun Cups that I discovered just how yummy sunflower butter really is!

Also in this month’s box are a bag of Cinnamon Apple Chips from Bare Fruit, Chocolate Mint Cookies from World Table, an Oatcake from Effie’s Homemade, Garden Veggie Crisps from EatSmart Naturals, and Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn from Rocky Mountain Popcorn!  YUM!

Another deliciously assembled box from Goodies Co.  I look forward to tasting each and every one of these Goodies!