Coco Paradise Snack from Graze

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

Ingredients:

milk chocolate drops, coconut flakes and cranberries

I received this snack in my February box from Graze.

Tea Suggestion:

I don’t usually pair similarly snacks with teas, but I decided to eat this snack with this Cranberry Black Tea from A. C. Perch.  I found that the cranberry snack really brought out the cranberry notes in the tea.  It was an interesting experiment!

What I Think:

Cranberry and coconut are two flavors that I wouldn’t think to mix, but I like them together.  The sweetness of the coconut softens the tart notes of the cranberry.

I like the texture of the coconut shred.  It almost reminds me of the coconut chips that I love from Dang, although they are a little less dry.  They have a little more moisture to them, and as a result, they’re a little less crisp than the coconut chips.  But they still have a really nice texture and I like the contrast to the snap of the coconut to the chewy cranberry and the creamy chocolate.

The chocolate is absolutely my favorite thing about this mix, and I’m glad that they didn’t skimp on the chocolate drops.

My Final Thoughts:

I “liked” this one.  It isn’t my favorite snack that I’ve gotten from Graze, but I do like the combination of chocolate, coconut and cranberry, and I wouldn’t mind getting this snack in the future.

Strawberry Coconut Energy Bar from Off the Farm

Ingredients:

Ingredients: brown rice syrup, strawberries (strawberries, sugar, rice flour, sunflower oil citric acid), oats, cashews, figs (dried figs, rice flour), crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, malt extract, salt, mixed tocopherols), apples, coconut, 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:

I decided to go with a bowl of Matcha to sip with this energy bar to get the most out of the energy aspect of the bar, since Matcha is one of the most energizing teas I know of!  I had this Lucuma flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea.  Lucuma is a fruit, but it’s a very subtle tasting fruit in this Matcha, tasting a bit like maple.  Although this particular energy bar was not my favorite from Off The Farm, these two things together:  Matcha and energy bar … had an energizing effect!

What I Think:

Off The Farm has three different varieties of their energy bar, and with this one, I’ve tried all three!  And of the three … this one is my least favorite, and it surprises me to say that, because I love strawberries and coconut.  I thought for sure this would be my favorite, but I have to say that if this had been the first bar that I had tried from this company rather than the last, I would not have been as excited to try the other two flavors.

Don’t get me wrong … this is alright.  But … it isn’t as delicious as the other two.  It … needs something.  The bar itself is tasty, it’s chewy and has a lot of nuts and seeds in it to keep it crunchy.  The strawberries are flavorful and the coconut adds some nice texture and flavor to the bar.  But … something … is lacking in the flavor combination and I am not sure exactly what it is.

After reading the ingredient list, I see that the nut here is cashews, and maybe that’s the issue.  Hey, I love cashews … but they are kind of a … mellow tasting nut.  Maybe something with a little more pizzazz.  Walnuts, perhaps?  Pecans?  Almonds?  Macadamia nuts might be a really cool addition to these and would elevate the flavor of the coconut in an interesting way.

My Final Thoughts:

It’s a tasty bar … but, it lacks the interest and excitement of the other two bars.  It just needs something, because it’s kind of boring.

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.

My December Knoshy Box Has Arrived!

As I mentioned in my review of Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups earlier this month, Knoshbox changed their name to “Knoshy.”  So, if you’re looking for past reviews of Knoshbox products and/or monthly subscription boxes that I’ve received, they can now be found under Knoshy in the category section rather than Knoshbox.

This change also comes with a slightly higher price tag.  We were once charged $29.95 with free shipping, and there is no longer free shipping.  The new shipping charge is $7.95.

That said, I still love Knoshbox/Knoshy and I’m not going to let this higher price tag deter me from getting my Knoshy!  As someone who used to run my own online business, I know that the cost of shipping is a killer!  And as long as Knoshy continues to crank out the boxes every month that made me fall in love with them in the first place, I’ll continue to get my Knoshy every month.

The first treat that I uncovered in this month’s box is an old favorite – but one that I’m glad is in the box because I absolutely LOVE these things:  The Pepp from S’more Bakery.  These were also in last December’s box, but, like I said, they were so good that I’m thrilled to find them in this year’s box.

Then I found a box of Lark Cookies!  This is the Holiday Trio Box, which includes Burnt Sugar & Fennel Shortbread Cookies and the Salted Rosemary Shortbread Cookies – both of which I’ve also already reviewed.  But the box also comes with some that I’ve not yet tried:  Espresso Chip.  I especially like what Knoshy said on their product card:

Pairs well with Earl Grey tea, family, friends and good cheer.

Sounds to me like they’re finally getting the tea thing.  (Heh!)

There were TWO chocolate bars in this month’s box too.  Yes, I said TWO – count ’em … 2! – CHOCOLATE bars in this month’s box.  And they’re from a somewhat local company:  Theo Chocolates.  Two of the seasonal chocolate bars:  Gingerbread Milk Chocolate bar, and Coconut Mint Chocolate Bar.  YUM!

Finally, there is a package of Sugar & Spice Pecans from LaLa’s Nuts.

All of these items are so tempting and again, exemplifies why I love Knoshbox … or Knoshy … or whatever they want to call themselves.  I love them.  Please guys, you can change your name, but, please don’t change what you mean to me:  yummy food in my mailbox every month!

Coconut Chili Macadamias from Oren’s Kitchen

Photo from Petit Amuse.
Click on the pic to go there.

Oren’s Kitchen nuts are high quality, farm-fresh, and uniquely seasoned to create gourmet treats. Their elegance is perfect for dinner parties but their delicious taste will keep you snacking.

The coconut chili macadamia nuts have the perfect balance of salty, sweet, crunchy, and spicy. Fresh macadamia nuts are paired with generous amounts of coconut, a hint of honey, and red chili for a hot kick at the end.

I received a pouch of this snack mix in my November Petit Amuse Sampler Box, and is available for purchase from Petit Amuse.

Tea Suggestion:

OK… so this spicy-spicy-SPICY sweet salty snack packs a real punch of flavor, so I wouldn’t recommend choosing something that will detract from that, instead, I would recommend ICED TEA because you will want to refresh your palate!   I chose this tea:  RadioactiviTEA Southern Boy Teas from 52Teas mostly because it was the iced tea that I had already prepared in the fridge, but I think any unflavored iced tea will do when it comes to refreshing the palate, but what I really liked about this selection is that while it is a good, strong tea, it’s not overly sweet nor does it offer flavors that either get lost or interfere with the distinct flavors of this nut mix.

What I Think:

This stuff is good … but be warned, it’s got some KICK to it!  I’m not even sure what to call this … it’s not just nuts, because there are big chunks of coconut in there too … maybe a trail mix of some sort?  But I don’t know if you’d want to take this out on a trail, only because you wouldn’t want to be too far from a source of liquid refreshment – this trail mix bites back!

Its a mix of toasted macadamia nuts and toasted coconut flakes that have been coated with honey and then tossed with red chili flakes!   The result is a deliciously crunchy, spicy-sweet-salty mix that burns so good, with a flavor that is positively addictive!  Seriously, once you get started eating this, it’s hard to stop.  It’s so yummy!

The macadamia nuts are sweet, crunchy, salty and delicious.  The coconut adds a slightly chewy texture to the mix, as well as it’s own distinctive sweet flavor.  The honey adds a touch more sweetness and I’m happy to say there isn’t a sticky texture from the honey here.  And of course, the red chili adds some serious heat!  It’s a great exploration of contrasting flavors and textures.

My Final Thoughts:

If you’re one who has a sensitive palate to the spicy side of food, this is not a product I’d recommend purchasing.   But, if you’re someone who – like me – LOVES indulging in snacks that explode with contrasting spicy and sweet flavors – YOU MUST TRY THIS!

Toasted Coconut Chips from Dang

Product Description:

Made from the nutrient-packed copra, or meat of the coconut, our toasted coconut chips are a delicious snack that provides loads of energy. The meat is sliced out of mature coconuts then gently toasted until golden brown with a dash of sugar and salt. The toasting process brings out the natural sweetness of the coconut meat and turns it from white to golden brown. Professional tasters detect notes of vanilla, yogurt and pear. What do you taste?

I received a pouch of these delicious coconut chips in my Goodies Box for October.

Tea Suggestion:

With these snacks, I suggest something crisp and light … nothing that is going to interfere with the fabulous flavor of these coconut chips.  I chose to brew some Jasmine Pearls from Nature’s Tea Leaf.  The delicate flavors of the tea were a lovely compliment to the deliciously nutty, sweet, amazing flavor of the chips.

What I Think:

Oh my goodness!  These are so good!  So good that I started munching on them before I took a picture, and I was nearly finished with the bag before I realized … I don’t have a picture yet!  They’re so good that I am almost finished with them now, as I write this, and I had to force myself to stop munching on them long enough to write my thoughts on them.

Seldom do I find something that is THAT good, that I just can’t stop eating them long enough to type out my thoughts.  This product alone makes the October Goodies Box worth it.  If you like coconut … you have got to try this!  Even if you don’t like coconut, you should try it, you might change your mind!  Everyone* should try these coconut chips!

These are thin and crispy, and unlike toasted coconut flakes, they aren’t moist nor do they have that typical coconut chewy consistency.  These are dry and crisp, more like a potato chip than shredded coconut.  There is some chewiness to these, but, I find these chips to be more nutty than coconut – like thinly sliced almonds that have been toasted.  Not just in texture, but also in taste… these have a sweet, toasted nut taste.  Even the hint of saltiness to these sort of emphasizes that “nut-like” taste.

In the above description, it suggests notes of vanilla, pear and yogurt.  And I taste those subtle nuances as well as the stronger nutty tones.  And yes, of course, I can taste coconut.  And while I do love coconut, I am really loving that I can taste more than just coconut with these chips!

My Final Thoughts:

These – seriously! – are one of the very best food items that I’ve received in any of my food tasting boxes since I started subscribing to them.  They are so ridiculously good.  I want MORE … no.   I NEED more!!!  They are definitely something I’m going to be watching for when I’m shopping.

*Well, maybe not everyone.  One of my tea friends is allergic to coconut.  I don’t condone her trying this because it could have an adverse reaction.  So, I think everyone who is not allergic to coconut should try these chips!

Cinnamon Clove Bar from Simple Squares

Photo from Knoshbox. Click on the pic to go there!

Product Description:

We teamed up with Kim at Simple Squares to bring you her amazing new cinnamon clove whole food bars. They have no wheat, gluten, dairy, soy or refined sugar. They’re kosher, and make an excellent treat to snack on any time of the day.

We paired them with aged Gewurtztraminer (pronounced “Guh-vertz-tra-mean-er”), a unique white varietal which has aromatic notes of allspice, cinnamon and baked fruit. It’s concentrated color is one of the darkest you’ll see in a white wine, and when aged its cinnamon and honey flavors are amazing.

This product was part of my September Knoshbox tasting box; however, it is no longer available on Knoshbox (sold out!).  It can be purchased from Simple Squares on Amazon.

Tea Suggestion:

As this was the last product that I had left from the September Knoshbox (the Wine Pairing themed box), I decided to continue with the wine pairing theme and I selected a white wine-inspired tea to enjoy with this Cinnamon Clove bar.  I chose this White Tea Riesling from Vintage TeaWorks, and it was a stunning collaboration of flavors!  The fruity flavors of the tea really melded in a beautiful way with the spiced notes of the Simple Squares bar.

What I Think:

This isn’t the first Simple Squares product I’ve tried, I’ve been fortunate to try the Coconut Simple Squares Bar as well as the Rosemary Simple Squares Bar, so I was confident I would most likely enjoy this Cinnamon Clove Bar.

And I do!

Just like the Coconut and the Rosemary Simple Squares, these are simple bars, composed of just a few ingredients:

Organic Cashews, Organic Almonds, Organic Honey, Unsweetened Coconut, Organic Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, Organic Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves.

I like that this is nutty, sweet, and warm with spice.  It has a nice crunch and a pleasant chewy consistency, and it doesn’t feel sticky as I hold it in my hands … I don’t feel like I need to run off and immediately wash my hands after finishing the bar, it doesn’t leave that sticky feeling on my fingers the way some “soft” granola bars can.

The cinnamon and clove tastes pleasantly spiced without out tasting overly spicy.  It makes a great pairing with tea, because there are some complex flavor notes that accentuate the complexity of the tea.  I’m eating this with the aforementioned tea, but, I think this would also taste great with a Darjeeling or a Dark Oolong.

My Final Thoughts:

I’ve enjoyed all the Simple Squares Bars that I’ve sampled, and this one is no exception.  In fact, this one might be my favorite yet.  I love the zesty spices that taste warm without tasting too spicy.  This is delicious and very satisfying.

My Portland Tasting Box from Foodzie Arrived!

I received my shipping notification yesterday afternoon, so imagine my surprise when the shipping notification indicated that the package was actually out for delivery!  Yay!  I ended up getting this package much earlier than I expected because I hadn’t gotten my notification … it might be nice if Foodzie delayed the notifications like this in the future, that way I’m not constantly and impatiently checking the tracking to see when it will arrive!

The three box themes that we could select from this month were:  Portland Box, Spring Brunch Box, and Some Like it Hot Box.  I was really tempted by the Some Like it Hot Box (I LOVE spicy food!), and I would have selected it if not for the Portland Box.  I mean, come on!  I’m Hungry in Portland!  You know I’ve got to choose the box that represents my beloved city!

OK, yeah, so I actually live in Vancouver, but Portland is right over there.  Like, a five minute drive.  And usually when I go out to eat, it’s in Portland, and really, I doubt Foodzie will ever have a Vancouver, Washington box … because typically when someone mentions “Vancouver” … people think Canada, not Washington state.

So let’s talk a bit about the Portland Box.  Here’s what Emily and Rob at Foodzie had to say about their inspiration behind the box:

People often make the joke that Portland is the place where young people go to retire.  But if retirement tastes like this, we’re all for it.  For a mid-sized city, Portland’s food scene is packed with food trucks, farm-to-table cuisine, and talented artisan foodmakers.  We rounded up some of our favorites that show off the Pacific Northwest’s finest flavors.  Get ready to taste locally grown hazelnuts, roasted with just a touch of salt.  You’ll also taste the sweet, earthy flavor of the native marionberry, the “cabernet of blackberries,” packed inside tender pâte de fruit.  And you’re in for a treat with Good Food Award-winning, local charcuterie.  No travel required for this tasting trip to Portlandia, dig in and enjoy.  ~Rob & Emily

And you know what?  Surprisingly enough, even though I live there (or very close to “there”), these are all foods I’ve not yet tried!  Inside this month’s box, I received a bottle of Raspberry Soda from Hotlips Soda, a package of Roasted Hazelnuts from Freddy Guys, a Chocolate Coconut Cookie from Sunna’s Cookies, Cacciatore salami from Olympic Provisions, and Marionberry Pâte de Fruit from Willamette Valley Confectionery that’s been packaged in a cute produce basket.

I am really excited to start tasting from this box!  YUM!

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from Kelapo

Product Description:

• Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
• Vegetarian Certified
• Fair Trade Approved
• Amber Glass Jars with Gold Metal Lid

Kelapo Extra Virgin Coconut Oil can be used as a replacement for butter and other oils. The unique flavors of our extra virgin coconut oil turn any ordinary meal into a truly indulgent experience.

Learn more about Kelapo on their website.

Tea Suggestion:

Since, I tried this on a slice of toast, I went with a smooth Ceylon to drink with it:  Morowaka Ceylon FBOP from KTeas.  This made for a delicious, light breakfast.  However, I think that this can go with just about any tea … I’m wondering how it would have been to enjoy that slice of toast with this Coconut Cream Black Tea from Zen Tara Teas – YUM!

What I Think:

I’m not going to lie, I had my doubts about this one.  I mean, I was raised on the cheapest margarine available at the supermarket, and after a few years on my own, I switched to unsalted butter and I’ve never looked back.  I don’t miss margarine one bit.  I love my butter!  (Or, in the words of Paula Deen:  Butter makes it better!)  So, when Foodzie included a sampling of this in the Jump Start my New Year, I was certain I was NOT going to like this!

But I do like it!  For the purposes of this review, I spread the sample on a piece of toasted 8-grain bread.  It provides a nice, creamy texture like butter, but it adds a lovely coconut-y flavor!  With this product, not only would I not need to spread butter on my toast, but I also would not need jam, because the coconut flavor is delicious on it’s own.

Then I compared some information.  With this product versus my unsalted butter, I’m not really saving any fat or calories.  In truth, this Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is slightly higher in both fat and calories.  The biggest difference is cholesterol.  My unsalted butter has 30mg of cholesterol while this product has 0.  That’s right.  Zip, zero, zilch … nada!

So, if you’ve been ordered by your physician to lower your cholesterol intake and can’t stand the taste of margarine, you should really give this stuff a try.  I personally have not been told that my cholesterol is high by my physician, but that’s probably because I’ve not been tested.  But, given that my family has a history of heart problems, I can see how this can be a very beneficial addition to my diet.  There are other health benefits to adding coconut oil to your diet, read more here.

My Final Thoughts:

I only tried this on toast, but it was good enough to pique my interest.  I am going to look for coconut oil the next time I’m shopping, because I’m really curious how this will affect other foods in which I use butter (I’m really wondering how an egg fried with this tastes!)

Breakfast at Isabel Pearl

Have I mentioned how much I love Living Social lately?  I love that there is a new deal daily, and these deals offer 50% savings (sometimes more!) on local restaurants and services.  Living Social has allowed me to discover so many new places to eat that I would have probably never tried otherwise.  That’s how I discovered the Isabel Pearl.

Coconut French Toast

Order:  I ordered the Coconut French Toast ($9) and my husband ordered the Breakfast Burrito ($8)

Location:  330 NW 10th Avenue in Portland

What I Think:

Before visiting a restaurant, I usually visit the website and check out the menu if it’s available for online viewing, so that I can get an idea of what I’d like to try when I visit.  I am glad that I did that with the Isabel Pearl, because, otherwise, we would have likely visited at a lunch hour rather than for breakfast, and after perusing the menu I knew what I wanted to try:  the Coconut French Toast!  Just typing out Coconut French Toast makes my mouth start to water.

When we drove past the Isabel Pearl, we almost missed it.  It has a very modern, minimalist style to the exterior of the building that doesn’t scream out “I’m a restaurant!”  The interior decor is also quite modern and minimalist.  It’s a very hip, clean, streamlined type of place, with a nod to steampunk/industrial influence.

The Coconut French Toast is more like a celebration of coconut and the bread rather than the typical custard-y french toast that I expected.  That said, I was thrilled with this off-the-beaten-track interpretation of French toast.

The bread is very crusty and is slightly sweet and has a very chewy texture.  It was thick cut and very lightly coated with an egg custard (while most bread is dredged through the egg custard, this instead seemed like it had been lightly brushed with it) and then coated with coconut.  It was cooked until the coconut was golden brown.

The Breakfast Burrito

The result is a lightly crisp, deliciously bread-y coconut breakfast treat.  I love the chewy texture of this, it was incredibly satisfying.  The rim of the plate was garnished with a raspberry puree, and if I were to offer any type of complaint at all about this dish, it would be that I would have liked to have more puree so that I could use this instead of the syrup.

My husband seemed to enjoy his Breakfast Burrito, but did state that he thought there was too much of the cheese and egg in the burrito and he would have liked a little something else inside.  The deliciously seasoned black beans was his favorite part of the dish.  It wasn’t overtly spicy, but had a little bit of heat to it.  He shared a few bites of it with me and I must say that it was quite tasty, but I think I probably liked it better than he did … but not enough to swap plates!  There was no way I was giving up my French toast!

My Final Thoughts:

As you probably have gleaned from my review, I loved the French toast.  I enjoyed how deliciously different it was from the usual French toast.  YUM!  The breakfast burrito was enjoyable also.  This is a place I’d be happy to visit again.