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.

Alehouse Cheddar Crackers from Castleton Crackers

Product Information:

Castleton Crackers of Vermont never ceases to amaze us with their delicious new crackers. The latest out of Vermont is their Alehouse Cheddar made with local craft ale, cheddar cheese and very mild horseradish mustard. All natural, and hand-made in Vermont.

I received a full sized box of these crackers in my November Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I chose a mild white tea go to with these crackers.  I wanted something mild because I didn’t want anything to interfere with some of the more nuanced flavors of the cracker and I wanted something cooling to soften the effect of the horseradish mustard.  The horseradish is mild, as the description above states, but, it does build a little bit and the white tea helped to cleanse the palate in between crackers.  I chose this China Mutan White Tea from Mark T. Wendell – and the crackers and tea made for a lovely tea time!

What I Think:

I’ve tried a few different Castleton Crackers since I’ve started this blog.  The first package that I tried were the Windham Wheat crackers, and then I tried the Rutland Rye and the Sesame Graham crackers.  Now we have the Alehouse Cheddar Crackers and these are reaffirming for me why I love this company’s crackers so much.

Not only are they a handcrafted cracker that are made in small batches and obviously broken by hand rather than crafted in an assembly line in a factory somewhere, but the flavor of these crackers just cannot be beat!  You just can’t get this kind of taste in a commercially manufactured cracker.  The crackers not only look like they were made in someone’s home kitchen, but they taste like it too!  You can taste the love in them.

As much as I loved the salty and sweet contrasts of the aforementioned Graham Crackers that I tried most recently from this company, I think that these Alehouse Cheddar might be my new favorite.  It’s surprising to me, really, because I’m not a big fan of alcohol, as I’ve mentioned before, but, I love the way the flavors are represented in these crackers.

I taste the cheddar, but it doesn’t hit me over the head with cheesy flavor.  I taste notes of the ale, but the most intriguing note that captures my interest is the horseradish.  It’s not an overwhelming flavor … it’s in balance with the other notes in the cracker.  But, it is a flavor that builds and after I’ve eaten a couple of crackers my mouth is pleasantly warm and I can feel that enjoyable “burn” in the top of my throat and even that hint of a sting near my eyes and nasal passages that one gets from horseradish.  I love horseradish, so these notes were certainly a welcome surprise to this cracker.  I like that it starts out subtle but the heat builds.

My Final Thoughts:

I really like these crackers.  Then again, I’ve really enjoyed all the different crackers I’ve tried from this company … but I think that the unique layers of flavor in this cracker might just make it my favorite!  They have the cheese, they’ve got some ale flavor, and some horseradish mustard … all that you need is a cup of tea!

Toasted Sesame Seed Graham Crackers from Whitney’s Castleton Crackers

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

Product Information:

Castleton Crackers does it again! These all natural, hand made crackers are unlike any graham you’ve had before; toasted sesame seeds are baked in to create a unique, nutty flavor that will tempt you to devour the entire box.

I received a box of these crackers in my July Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I’ve been on a bit of a chai kick lately … probably because the cooler weather of autumn inspires it!  When I enjoyed these crackers as is … I chose to prepare a chai latte using this Star Anise Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai.  I loved the way the spicy chai contrasted with the salty sweet crackers.  When I ate these crackers as S’mores, I went with something more basic, like this Lapsang Souchong from the English Tea Store.  This was a perfect pairing, because the smokiness of the Lapsang gave the gourmet S’more made with the roaring heat of the broiler in my oven a bit of that campfire authenticity.  Yum!

What I Think:

These are crazy good!  They have the naturally sweet taste of a graham cracker, with a savory salty note and nutty sesame seeds.

They are crunchy and tasty … and they satisfy not only that hunger that tends to have one grabbing for cracker snacks, but they also satisfy one’s craving for both salty and sweet.  These are really unlike any graham cracker I’ve ever tried.  I like that they’re not too salty – just a delicate sprinkling of salt to these.  And they’re not too sweet – the salt cuts through some of the sweetness to bring balance and deliver a not-too-sweet sort of snack.

I’ve sampled these a couple of different ways.  First, I tried them right out of the package with a cup of tea.  They were very good that way.  Then I tried them with some cheese spread.  The saltiness of the cheese brought out the more savory qualities of the cracker but did not completely overpower the sweeter side of the graham.  This made for a very unique and tasty experience.

Finally, I decided to get out the Elephant Ear Marshmallows from 240Sweet that was also included in this box, and I roasted the marshmallows atop some chocolate which I placed on a couple of the larger crackers in the box for a unique twist on s’mores.  Yummy!  Using these crackers as the base of s’mores (especially when a sugary marshmallow like the Elephant Ear Marshmallows are used) is when I really got to appreciate the salty notes of the cracker … It was a salty sweet TREAT!

I also tried these with some Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co. and it was out of this world good.  (My review for this chocolate peanut butter will be posted tomorrow!)  Again, I liked the way the salty and sweet interacted here.

My Final Thoughts:

However you choose to serve these … these crackers are really good.  The best graham crackers I’ve ever tasted.  I was reading the box and noticed that they also have lemon ginger flavored graham crackers … those sound insanely good, too!  I think I’m going to have to try those at some point!  Maybe Knoshbox will be good to me and have a lemon themed box someday … and include these as part of that box.  Hey … Knoshbox, are you listening?

Vanilla Pound Cake Bakery Crisps from Stacy’s Bake Shop

Product Information:

Stacy’s Bake Shop Bakery Crisps are made from bread that is twice baked to create a flavorful, crispy snack.

Bake Shop Bakery Crisps can be enjoyed by themselves or with dips and toppings to accompany any snacking occasion. These versatile snacks are appropriate throughout the day, whether as a mid-morning snack with coffee or an end-of-day treat.

Learn more about these Bakery Crisps here.

Tea Suggestion:

These Vanilla Pound Cake Bakery Crisps make a really, REALLY great tea time snack.  I enjoyed them with a chai latte that I made using this Strong Brew Chai Concentrate from Chico Chai.  Delicious – and I liked how the vanilla notes of the crisps brought out the vanilla notes in the chai!

What I Think:

This product has been catching my eye lately in the grocery store, and when one of the grocery stores offered a dollar off coupon, I decided that I’d try them.

Basically, they’re like a snack cracker/cookie that has been made by thinly slicing bread and then baking them until they’re crisp.  They come in several different intriguing flavors – two sweeter varieties:  this Vanilla Pound Cake and also Banana Nut Bread (I got a box of this flavor too, so I’ll be reviewing it at a later time), and two varieties that are on the savory side:  Herbed Baguette and Pretzel Bread.  The store where I purchased these two boxes only had the two sweeter crisps, so, those were what I grabbed … but I think even if all four were offered, I would have definitely grabbed a box of this Vanilla Pound Cake.  It just sounded too yummy.

And these are really tasty.  They are crunchy and sweet, reminiscent of a butter shortbread cookie, but a little sweeter.  I really like the texture, because in addition to the crunchy … there is this fine … buttery texture to it that evokes thoughts of … well, of a rich, buttery pound cake.

My Final Thoughts:

I really like these.  They make a great tea time treat.  I also served some of these to my youngest daughter and her best friend and they both really enjoyed them. I can definitely see myself buying these again … and again!

Organic Original Crackers from Mary’s Gone Crackers

Product Description:

We have combined organic, gluten free, whole grain brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds and sesame seeds into an organic gluten-free cracker with a rich, nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch. Delicious on their own or with your favorite topping Mary’s Original Seed Crackers are a staple in
households all over the US!

I received a package of these crackers in my March Love with Food box!

Tea Suggestion:

I love eating crackers with my tea … and these delicious nutty crackers were a perfect accompaniment to a nutty green tea like a Genmaicha … specifically I ate these with this Laoshan Genmaicha Green Tea from one of my favorite tea companies:  Verdant Tea!  A truly delightful pairing!

What I Think:

There’s something different about these crackers.  You can just tell from the moment you take one out of the bag.  They have a sort of slick back side to them, as if they were once a dough that was spread on flat surface, and then baked.  They don’t have that uniform, processed sort of look to them.

These are really tasty.  Lots of seeds add a cool, crunchy texture to these thin crispy crackers.  And what I like is that they’re NOT uniform.  Every once in a while, I’ll get one that’s just a little thicker than the others.  Slightly denser … they’re still tasty, but my favorite ones are when I find one that’s thinner than the rest.  So thin that the cracker is almost transparent.

These remind me of florentine style cookies.  You know, the super thin cookies that look more like clusters of slivered almonds than of cookies?  These look more like clusters of seeds – sesame seeds and flax seeds – than like crackers.

My Final Thoughts:

These were really delicious crackers.  I love the thin, crispy texture and the crackle of all the seeds as I bite into these.  I love the nutty flavor.  These are really very tasty, and I’d definitely get them again if I were to see them while out shopping!

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!

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!

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.

White Wine, Shallot & Cayenne Cracker Snacks from American Vintage Wine Biscuits

Photo from Goodies Company.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Description:

These irresistible wine-infused cracker snacks are like savory shortbread. They’re crisp, flavorful and jazzed up with a trace of white wine, mellow shallot and a hint of cayenne-induced heat. Enjoy them solo, dipped, spread, topped or as a topper!

I received a small sample box of these cookie-ish crackers in my Goodies Box for November. 

Tea Suggestion:

Since these are wine-infused crackers, I decided to grab a wine-inspired tea to enjoy along with them.  It was a fantastic pairing!  I went with this White Tea Riesling from Vintage Tea Works and I loved how well the fruity flavors of the tea played with the savory notes from these crispy, cookie-like crackers.  It was a delicious snack!

What I Think:

These are some of the most unique crackers that I’ve ever tasted … they look more like a shortbread cookie than a cracker, and they do have a similar texture, but, they are not quite as buttery as a typical shortbread cookie.  Nor are they sweet – these are savory!

The first flavor I notice when I bite into one of these crunchy snack crackers is the flavor of the shallot.  It is a sharp onion flavor, a little spicy but also a little sweet.  After eating about three of the crackers, the cayenne really caught up to me, and I could feel the peppery heat on the back of my throat, a heat that spread to the back of my tongue, and slowly crept up to the very tip of my tongue.

I didn’t taste a whole lot of wine flavor in these.  Most of the time, it’s like, if it’s there, it’s really subtle.  And then every once in a while I’ll taste a bite and I can really notice the wine.

My Final Thoughts:

I really liked these!

The back of the sample package of these crackers suggests a list of different foods to eat with these crackers, like cheese, dips, soup or salad … but I ate them on their own with my cup of tea, and found them to be marvelously flavorful just like that.  If pairing these with a food, I would recommend choosing something that had a subtle flavor on its own because the flavor of these crackers/cookies gets intense, and it’s really enjoyable, I think that if I were to choose a strong cheese some of that flavor would be overwhelmed, and I wouldn’t want that!

Rutland Rye Crackers from Castleton Crackers

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

Product Description:

Unlike most crackers, Castleton crackers are not just vehicles for other foods but are flavorful and hearty enough to be standalone snacks. They come in large cracker sheets that you break, which adds a nice rustic quality but are sophisticated enough to present at a dinner party. With the addition of caraway, sesame and poppy seeds, this rye cracker has not only a strong rye flavor but also pleasant nuttiness. It would be stellar with cream cheese and lox or for snacking on its own.

These Castleton Crackers are available from Petit Amuse.

Tea Suggestion:

With such a hearty texture and tasty rye flavor, I wanted something that would complement the cracker without overwhelming it.  I chose this 2012 Margarets Hope 2nd Flush Darjeeling from Darjeeling Tea Lovers.  The delicious muscatel notes of the tea seemed to accent the unique complexity of the cracker, while something about the buttery taste of the cracker and the astringency of the tea just seemed to really go together perfectly.

What I Think:

Having already tried the Windham Wheat crackers from Castleton, I was pretty confident that I’d probably enjoy these crackers, even though rye crackers are not usually something I tend to reach for when shopping for crackers.  I usually prefer wheat (and I like the rice crackers too!).  It’s not that I dislike rye, I actually quite like rye bread, I just never really considered rye crackers.

But now that they’re sitting in front of me and I’m devouring the small sampler package that was part of my Petit Amuse box for October, I’m asking myself WHY have I never really considered rye crackers?  I really am enjoying these.

I love the caraway seeds and the flavor they add to the cracker.  They are slightly anise-y, adding a hint of licorice-y flavor to the cracker, while the poppy seeds add a nice crunch and the sesame seeds add a nice, nutty flavor to the cracker.  These crackers are even better than rye bread, and I daresay that I like these better than the Windham Wheat!  They have that same buttery, delicious quality of the Windham Wheat crackers, but, with more texture!

My Final Thoughts:

I like these crackers a lot.  I am considering making these a permanent staple in my pantry.