Cranberry Pecan Ancient Grain Granola from Purely Elizabeth

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

Product Information:

Get ready to enjoy some of the best granola on the planet. Made with all natural, organic and gluten-free ingredients, including: quinoa, an ancient grain considered a complete protein; amaranth, high in b vitamins; chia seeds- providing excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants; and raw virgin coconut oil containing medium-chain fatty acids that get used as energy rather than stored as fat.

I received a pouch of this granola in my January Box from Knoshy.

Tea Suggestion:

Because I ate this granola as a breakfast cereal with milk, I decided that a breakfast tea was the way to go!  Recently, I discovered Glen Arbor Breakfast Tea from Whispering Pines Tea Company, and it’s a great breakfast tea.  Very woodsy and rustic, a perfect complement to a granola cereal!

What I Think:

This just may be the best granola I’ve ever tasted.  I was surprised with the first taste, because while it LOOKS like just about every other granola out there, the flavor is much better.

The cinnamon is well-defined.  The oats have been baked to a nice crispy texture.  A tasty nutty flavor from the pecans, and just enough plump, juicy flavor from the cranberry to give it contrast.

My one complaint:  I would like a little more cranberry in this.  That’s something that’s easily remedied by adding a handful of Craisins to the bowl, and even though I’d argue that the right amount of cranberries should be in the granola already, the flavor of the granola makes it worth it to me to open my package of dried cranberries and add a few to the bowl.

My Final Thoughts:

I really liked this.  It was a delicious granola, and I’m going to be picking up more from Chuck’s Produce, as I’ve noticed this on the shelves the last time I was there.  I’m definitely going to be wanting more!

Key Lime Pie snack from Graze

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

Snack Ingredients:

lime infused raisins, sponge pieces, mini meringues and green raisins

I received this snack in my February box from Graze.

Tea Suggestion:

When I eat pie, I like to sip on hot black tea.  And even though this is a snack mix and not technically “pie” – I decided to brew myself a cup of Malty Assam Tea from Tea People.  A really lovely pairing!

What I Think:

YUM!  This might just be my favorite snack that I’ve gotten from Graze yet!

There are two different kinds of raisins:  dark raisins that have been infused with lime, and green raisins.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen “green raisins” before.  They look like gold raisins to me, and taste like them.  Sweet and plump.  The lime infused raisins are my favorite of the two raisins though, I love the bright, citrus-y note they add to this snack mix.

The sponge … isn’t as sponge-y as I recall other ‘sponge’ from graze to be.  These are actually crunchy … like a Nilla wafer.  Tasty and they add a pie crust flavor to the mix.

I love the meringue!  Crisp and light and airy!

This snack is fun to eat when I put one of each element into my hand and eat it all at once … it is very “key lime pie” ish!  But I also enjoy popping each item into my mouth individually and exploring the flavors.

If I were to change anything about this particular snack, it would be to have more lime flavor to it.  Maybe there could be some lime in the meringue bits or the cookie bits.

My Final Thoughts:

I “loved” this snack on my Graze account.  I hope they send it to me again soon.  I’d be happy to have it in every box.

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.

Apple-2-The-Core Dried Fruit from Peeled Snacks

Product Description:

Peeled snack’s Apple-2-the-core are one of our favorite healthy snacks to eat on the go. Stash a bag in your purse or car for healthy snacking at any time. These dried apples are organic, gently dried and all natural- no sugar added.

I received a pouch of these snacks in my January Box from Knoshy.

Tea Suggestion:

I think that these tasty pieces of dried apple would taste good with just about any tea, but I wanted to choose a pure tea so that the flavoring wouldn’t compete with the flavor of the apple.  I chose this Hoji Cha Gold from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantation, and I loved how the nutty, sweet flavor of the tea complemented the sweet flavor of the apple.  A really nice pairing!

What I Think: 

After having tried the Pine-4-Pineapple from Peeled Snacks, I was fairly certain I’d enjoy this dried apple snack from Peeled Snacks.  And I do!

The apple has been sliced and they’re fairly thick slices so I get lots of apple-y flavor in every bite.  These aren’t like the crisped apple chips that you can find in just about any grocery store these days (I like those too though!)  These are softer and chewier, and the way these have been crafted allow for a lot of true-to-the-fruit flavor.

That is to say that this tastes like apple.  It doesn’t taste like sugar.  It doesn’t taste like cinnamon or caramel or anything else (not that there’s anything wrong with cinnamon or caramel … love ’em!)  These snacks have one ingredient:

Organic Apples.

Nice ingredient list!

My Final Thoughts:

I really like these dried apples.  I love the texture:  soft and chewy!  I love the sweet taste, and there’s just a hint of tartness to them too.  I love how the drying process has concentrated the flavor of the apple so I’m just getting APPLE in every single bite.  There’s only one thing I don’t like about these snacks … I don’t like that the pouch is now gone.

My February Graze Box is Here!

Again, it’s not late, it arrived on the 26th, I’m just a little late at posting about it because I’m behind on all my posts!

This month, I got an exciting box that appears to be more sweet than savory (hey, it IS February, it should be a little sweeter for Valentine’s Day, right?)  On the savory side, I got Jalepeño Fiesta which is a nut and seed mix.  I got three sweet selections this time around:  Summer Berry Flapjacks (flapjacks = soft and chewy granola bar), Coco Paradise (berries, coconut and chocolate!), and a trail mix-y type of combo called Key Lime Pie (Yum!)

This has become one of my favorite monthly boxes, because I love these snacks!  They are unusual and thoughtfully created.  The flavors are there, and there’s just enough “snack” in each tray to curb that hungry feeling when I feel like snacking.  And you can’t beat the price:  $6 per box!  You can set up your “grazing” for every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks (mine is set up for every four weeks), and you can even choose between the nibble box (this is what I get) or the calorie counter box which is more dieter friendly.

What I really like about this box is that if you like a snack, then you can rate it “like” and this snack will be sent to you again in the future.  If you LOVE a snack,  you can rate it “love” and this will be sent to you more often than a liked product.  Or … if you really just don’t like something, you can rate it “trash” and it won’t be sent to you.  I rated a couple of items as trash that I was pretty certain I wouldn’t care for (stuff with seaweed, I’m not big on seaweed), and if I come across a product that I don’t like, I can always trash it and be assured that I won’t get it again in the future.

Are you interested in getting in on Graze?  I have one more friend code available – if you want it, please just comment on this blog post with your email address and I’ll send you the code via private email!

Eleanor’s Apple Crumble Snack from Graze

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

What’s In It:

raisins, cinnamon and honey almonds and apple

This snack was in my January Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

When I’m eating a “crumble” … I can think of no tea I’d rather have in front of me than a black tea … perhaps a warmly spiced chai?  So I chose to brew this Bourbon Chai from Vintage TeaWorks.  It’s honeyed sweetness melded wonderfully with the sweet flavors of this mix, and the spices accentuated the warm cinnamon notes of the almond.  This tea turned this snack into a dessert!

What I Think:

This is pretty good, but perhaps I’m a little spoiled on some of the previous fruit snacks that I’ve had from Graze previously, because I found myself wanting the flavor infused raisins that I’ve tried before.

The almonds are definitely my favorite part of this snack.  They are “candied” with honey and cinnamon, and that candied coating is absolutely scrumptious!

The apples and raisins are sweet.  The raisins are nice and plump golden raisins.   The apples are dried and chewy, and have a delicious, juicy taste to them.

My favorite way to enjoy this snack is to grab either a raisin or a piece of apple and eat it with an almond so that I get fruity goodness along with that delicious candied almond.  I wish there were more almonds to this!

My Final Thoughts:  

I enjoyed this snack (especially with the chai that I brewed to go with),  but I found myself wanting something a little more.  The candied almonds were delightful, but, everything else – while tasty – missed some of that excitement that I have experienced with the other snacks from Graze.  I didn’t “trash” this product, but, I didn’t like or love it either, I’ll keep it at a “try” status.

My January Box from Knoshy is Here!

The box actually arrived a few days ago … they aren’t running late, I am!  I know that every month I write out my gushing praise of this company, but, trust me, the gushing praise is well deserved.  I love Knoshy!

This month’s box was crafted with health in mind – starting the new year off right with healthy snacks!

This month’s box included:  Apple-2-the-core dried apple snacks from Peeled Snacks, an 11 ounce container of Zico Coconut Water, TWO energy bars from Off The Farm (I love Off The Farm bars!), a package of Vampire Killer Kale Chips from Brad’s Raw Foods, a pouch of granola from Purely Elizabeth, and a chocolate bar from Theo Chocolate.  (YES!  Chocolate!)

It would seem that “healthy snacks” seems to be a similar theme with my two boxes that I received this month, but, that’s OK.  However, I would have probably been more thrilled with a tea time box (January IS hot tea month, you know!)  Then again … I’d be thrilled with a tea time box any time.  Ha!

I can’t wait to start knoshing on these boxes!

Apple Cosmo Snack from Graze

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

Ingredients:

lime infused raisins, cranberries and apple

I received a tray of this snack in my December Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I enjoyed a glass of iced tea with this fruit snack from Graze.  And the tea that I had in my fridge this afternoon was this Strawberry Zabaglione Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas.  The fruitiness of the tea together with the fruits – made for a very fruity afternoon!

What I Think:

A tasty snack.   The apples are soft and chewy and are pleasantly sweet.  The cranberries add some tartness, and the raisins taste more of lime than of raisin, but that’s quite alright with me.  It’s like eating a bright, tangy piece of lime but with the chewiness of a raisin.  Very unique.

The lime infused raisins are actually my favorite part of this snack.  I love how they just brighten it all up.  When eaten together, the three fruits taste a little bit sweet and a little bit tart leaning just this side of tart.  And while it is a little more tart than it is sweet, I’m not disappointed by this (and I usually am not too crazy about tart!) because I like the way each component in this snack complements the other ingredients.  It’s a really tasty medley of flavors.

My Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this snack while it lasted, but, I am not sure if I liked it enough to “like” it on Graze.  Enjoyable, but, I’m still hoping for the fruit snack that just knocks my socks off from Graze.

My Graze Box for December has arrived!

And no that doesn’t mean that Graze is late.  It’s just the way my payment schedule has been set up.  This is not the “usual” subscription service, that charges your account on the same day each month, and you receive a box every month.  Graze ships your box every four weeks, charging your account before your box is put together and shipped.

I’m excited about this month’s box!  The snack trays that I received this month are:  Bananas Foster (which is a dried fruit and nut trail type mix), My Thai (baked soy “bites” with a sweet chili sauce), Apple Cosmo (a dried fruit mix), and Sour Cream & Onion Cashews (yum!)

I like how this box is set up:  two savory selections and two sweeter selections!  I can’t wait to dig in!

I have a couple more Friend Invitation codes for Graze if you’re interested in joining!  The cost is just $6 per box, and this covers shipping and you can customize your shipping options to have a box sent to you every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks.  Every snack tray has health benefits – these are thoughtfully curated boxes with nutritious snacks!

If you’re interested in obtaining a Friend Invitation Code, just comment on this post with your email and I’ll send you an email with the code!

Salsa Fresca Snack from Graze

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

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.