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!

Tuxedo Popcorn from Kukuruza

Photo from Love with Food.
Click on the Pic to go there.

Product Information:

If you haven’t tried Kukuruza yet, we shall be the first to say that your mouth is missing out. You’re curious, we can see it now. This unique combination of premium milk and white chocolate will help satisfy your savory and sweet cravings, all in one bite.

I received a pouch of Kukaruza Tuxedo Popcorn in my November Love with Food Box!

Tea Suggestion:

I brewed up a cup of this Dian Hong Congfu Black Tea from Joseph Wesley to enjoy with this yummy confection.  The malty notes brought out some of the caramel-y notes that were a little obscured by the chocolate coating and i liked the way the tea complemented the delicious popcorn.

What I Think:

Delicious!  Kukuruza starts with their classic caramel coated popcorn, and then they drizzle milk chocolate over the popcorn, and then they drizzle white chocolate with a hint of vanilla over that!  Mmm!

The result is a decadent, delicious confection.  These morsels are very chocolate-y, and the milk chocolate is what I taste first and foremost.  Then I notice the sweet, creamy vanilla tones.  I can taste the buttery caramel and hints of saltiness.  It’s a dreamy concoction that is both sweet and savory, but, mostly sweet.

In fact, if there was more in this “flight” bag than just 1.5 ounces of the popcorn, it might end up becoming too cloying.  However, with the small portion, it was just enough to satisfy a sweet craving without getting too sweet.

My Final Thoughts:

I love this stuff!  I will definitely keep my eye out for this product while I’m out shopping.  If I don’t find it, I’ll have to buy some online, because I can see myself craving this.  So yum!

Sea Salt and Butter Poplets

Product Information:

You know the crunchy half-popped kernels at the bottom of each popcorn batch? The ones with crisp, concentrated corn flavor and a healthy dose of butter and sea salt? Yeah, here’s a whole bag of those perfect, delicious morsels. You’re welcome.

I received a small bag of Poplets in my August Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I chose iced tea to drink with these salty Poplets, and I had a frosty pitcher of Root Beer Float Black Tea from 52Teas in the fridge, so I poured a big glass.  The tea was much better than the Poplets, I’m afraid.  (In fact, I absolutely love this tea iced!)

What I Think:

Once upon a time, I received a package of Half Pops in one of my foodie tasting boxes.  I loved the Half Pops, because I love it when I pop a bowl of popcorn and I find those yummy half popped kernels of popcorn at the bottom of the bowl.  They’re crunchy and delicious.

When I received this package of Poplets, I thought that my experience would be similar to what I experienced with my package of Half Pops.

Not!

These … well, a sizable portion of my package wasn’t even “half popped.”  There were quite a few kernels that were completely UNpopped.  The ones that were at least partially popped … tasted stale.  They tasted like they came out of a bowl of popcorn that had been popped three days ago and left out on the counter, uncovered.

Very disappointing.

My Final Thoughts:

I didn’t even finish the tiny bag of these Poplets.  I was really disappointed by the stale taste of these.  At least the Half Pops … had a very memorable and fresh taste to them.  These Poplets taste like some popcorn company trying to pawn off their waste on me.  No thank you.

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn from Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn from Rocky Mountain Popcorn

Product Information:

Cinnamon Sugar is our newest flavor that tastes like your mom’s cinnamon toast! We are proud to have this fantastic product in our line up and we are sure you will love the sweet taste.

I received a bag of this popcorn in my December Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

Because this popcorn already has a delicious sweet and cinnamon-y taste, I decided to go with a pure tea (rather than a flavored tea!), so I chose this delicious Royal Golden Safari Black Tea from Butiki Teas.  The natural spice notes of the tea were accentuated by the cinnamon sugar coated popcorn.  A really delightful tea time!

What I Think:

After trying some other gourmet flavored popcorn, Cinnamon Sugar popcorn just seemed kind of … ho-hum.  Boring.  Or so I thought until I tried it!  This is really yummy! It reminds me a lot of kettle corn, but with a delicious cinnamon-y twist.

The popcorn has a fluffy yet crispy texture, and I didn’t find the hulls to be too bothersome.  I was a little disappointed in the state of the popcorn … there were more small pieces of popcorn rather than full-sized, popped kernels … as if the package had been smashed or something.  I got some full-sized kernels, but there were considerably more “crumbs” than anything to this pouch.  The “crumbs” are still tasty, of course, but it’s easier to eat the full-sized kernels than the crumbs so it was a little less than ideal to snack on because the majority of my package was crumbs.

I did find a few un-popped kernels, as well as a few half-popped kernels.  I like half-popped kernels, so I’m not going to complain about that, but, when the package is mostly crumbs, and I’m left needing to pour the crumbs in my hand to eat them, and I bite down on an un-popped kernel in the handful … that’s a little unpleasant.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this snack, it was tasty … I just wish that there were more big, fluffy kernels and fewer kernel bits.

My Goodies Box for April arrived … before May!

Yeah, I’m just late writing about it!  I’m behind writing about EVERYTHING … but I hope to get caught up eventually.

April’s Goodies Box has all been devoured by now, with the exception of the Raspberry Acai Celsius beverage.  And since I’ve already eaten nearly all the April box, rather than writing individual reviews on each of these, I’ll just tell you my thoughts briefly on each of the products here.

The first product I tore into was the Sea Salt MultiGrain Sweet Potato Chips from Green Giant.  These are pretty darned tasty.  I loved the multi-grain aspect of these … they ended up tasting a lot like “Sun Chips” but with a sweet potato taste that made them better than most other multi-grain chips.  These are something I will definitely keep my eye out for when grocery shopping!

Next up was the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Zone Perfect Nutrition Bar.  I love cookie dough, and the consistency of this nutrition bar … before biting in to it … was very much like cookie dough, so I had high hopes for this.  But, unfortunately, after I bit into the bar and started chewing … the texture became very “diet food” like.  It tasted alright, but it wasn’t something that inspired me to want to buy another bar.  It wasn’t what I’d call tasty … it was acceptable, but the texture made it less than enjoyable to eat.

Then I tasted the Apricot Almond Chai True Bar.  This is seriously yummy!  The spice in this is very distinct and I like that.  Lots of cardamom, ginger and cinnamon!  The cardamom is especially nice here, it has a slight citrus-y tone that compliments the apricot very well.  Lots of crunch to this bar, and a whole lot of flavor.  The apricot comes through nicely.  The texture is crunchy and I like that it didn’t feel overly sticky to the fingers. This will be something that I’ll want again and again – definitely one of the very best energy/health bars I’ve ever tasted.

Angie’s Sweet & Salty Popcorn is an entirely different story all together.  I really enjoyed this tasty snack.  The popcorn is light and crispy, the sweet coating on the kernels isn’t a heavy one – it’s lightly sweet, but, there is enough of an almost-caramel-y taste there that makes me think of a salted caramel without being too cloying.  It’s a nice alternative to the overly sweet snack.

The last product that I’ve tried from this box are the Olomomo Chai Bliss Almonds.  I LOVE THESE … and it’s not just because they’re chai-ishly flavored.  They are delicious and crunchy and sweet and spicy and just about everything I want from a snack (except possibly, they’re not chocolate.  What can I say, at the end of the day, I’m still a chocoholic!) I could snack on these every day … and my only real complaint about this “goodie” from my Goodie Box is that the package was so small, and it was just a handful of Chai Bliss goodness.  This is something I WILL hunt down and get more of!

Overall, I really enjoyed my April Box, and as I said, some products were more memorable than others.  I haven’t yet tried the Celsius drink, but, when I do, I’ll post a review of it.  Until then … maybe I’ll get May’s Goodie Box article posted!  ha!

Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn from 479°

photo from 479°
Click on the pic to go there

Product Description:

Indulgence doesn’t have to be guilty — especially when it comes in our 100-calorie single serving packs. Now you can enjoy a delicious treat of air-popped organic popcorn coated with caramel and sprinkled with sea salt. No regrets!

I received this pouch of Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn in my Love with Food tasting box for December.

Tea Suggestion:

I enjoyed this popcorn with a cup of this Japanese Black tea from Tealet.  I liked the way the cocoa notes of the tea brought out the sweetness of the caramel.  It made for a decadent treat at tea time!

What I Think:

What do I think?  YUM … of course!

I love caramel, I love salted caramel even more.  And this Sea Salt Caramel popcorn from 479° proves to be my favorite popcorn from 479° so far.  I mean, I’ve tried a few different popcorn flavors form 479° … and some I’ve liked, and some I found just alright.  But this … this is AWESOME!

There is just the perfect amount of sea salt on these fluffy, crispy popcorn kernels that are well coated with caramel.  I like that it doesn’t just cut through some of the sweetness to lighten the sweet notes a little, but, I can taste enough salty taste to make this a true salty-sweet snack.  And a deliciously satisfying crunch, too!

My Final Thoughts:

What I liked best about this, really, is that I found it to the sweet point before I finished the 1 ounce pouch that I received in my tasting box from Love with Food.  I didn’t feel like I over-indulged.  I felt like I got just enough salty-sweet flavor without feeling guilty after I munched on this treat … and my sweet-tooth was satisfied after consuming only 50 calories!  That doesn’t happen often … and I love it … and I love this popcorn!

Vermont Maple & Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn from Quinn Popcorn

Photo from Quinn Popcorn.
Click on the pic to go there.

Product Description:

Subtle, sweet, salty, and slightly addictive, our Vermont Maple & Sea Salt is a little like kettle corn excpet with the smooth sweetness of maple.

Like all of our popcorn, we never use GMO crops, coatings or chemicals on the bag, or any other scary stuff! This is truly microwave popcorn reinvented.

Learn more about Quinn Popcorn on their website.

Tea Suggestion:

I generally like iced tea with popcorn, because I like something I can drink easily (not so hot that I need to blow on it to cool the surface!) to help tone down the saltiness as it builds on my palate.  I wanted something crisp and clean, something that wouldn’t interfere with the yummy flavors of the popcorn.  I chose to chill some Dragon Well Tea from Foxfire Teas, and it was just perfect.  The tea was sweet and mild, slightly vegetative, and allowed the flavors of Maple from the popcorn to really shine through.  Yummy!

What I Think:

This review is LONG overdue.  I received this popcorn in my Earth Day Foodzie box (yes, that’s right, back in April), and I did eat one bag of the popcorn back in April.  It was so good, and impressed me so much, but the flavor was so distinctly autumnal, I decided to save the second bag of microwave popcorn for an evening later in the year, when the maple flavor would be something I really savored.

This popcorn reminds me a little bit of the original Orville Redenbacher’s flavored microwave popcorn varieties that were released a few decades ago … back when the cheese powder or the caramel were packaged separately from the popcorn, and you’d first pop the popcorn and then add the caramel or cheese powder.  Not in flavor or quality, mind you, because this is infinitely better than anything I’ve ever tasted from Orville Redenbacher’s, but because the flavoring comes in a separate pouch and you sprinkle it on yourself after the popcorn has been popped.

But that’s where the similarities end.  First of all, unlike the microwave popcorn that you buy in the grocery store, this is not all caked onto the center portion of the bag, because there is no oil or whatever that congealed gunk is in the microwave popcorn bag.  The popcorn in this compostable, chemical-free bag is loose, freely roaming in the popcorn bag, not stuck together in some weird goop.

After the popcorn has been popped, you open the bag, and pour in the package of canola oil.  According to this, the oil used is supposed to be good for you, or at least better for you than aforementioned caked gunk that is in the other microwave popcorn bags, and I’m inclined to believe it.  I don’t know why I believe it, I just do.  congealed goop versus clear, pourable, expeller pressed canola oil.

This canola oil doesn’t really impart a lot of flavor, but it does keep the powdered flavor of maple sugar and grey sea salt on the popped corn kernels.  I like that these flavor pouches come separately, and I can choose how much of each ingredient I want in my popcorn.  I used half the pouch of the oil, and I still very much enjoyed the popcorn.  This did result in some of the maple and salt ending up loose, in the bottom of my bowl rather than stuck to popcorn, but I didn’t really seem to mind as the bowl of popcorn vanished in record time.

The popcorn – underneath the flavored sugar and salt, underneath the canola oil – is the key to what makes this popcorn so much better than any popcorn that had been popped in a microwave.  It is light and fluffy.  Tender yet crispy.  The hulls are thinner and not as hard as some other microwave popcorn.  Even without the flavoring, this is easily the best microwave popcorn I’ve ever had.

But the flavoring!  Oh wow!  Maple sugar and grey sea salt.  Do I need to say more?   This is the best kettle corn ever!  This flavor of popcorn could easily be a vegetarian’s substitute for bacon.  All that’s missing is a little bit of smoke, which could easily be supplied by tea if you choose a Lapsang Souchong like the one I mentioned above.

My Final Thoughts:

I requested an air popper for Christmas, because I do prefer air popped popcorn.  I like the option to serve popcorn without any additives (although occasionally, I’m sure I’m going to melt some butter and have a little sea salt on it), but, for the times when I want flavored popcorn, I’m probably going to order some Quinn’s Popcorn online.  I want to try the other flavors too!   This stuff is outstanding!  My one complaint:  I wish there were fewer unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bowl.  Other than that, this popcorn is without fault!

White Cheddar Popcorn from Oogie’s

Product Description:

Oogie’s Popcorn just may be the perfect snack. Made from the highest-quality non-GMO corn, perfectly popped in small batches, it’s delightfully light, airy and crisp with a dash of white cheddar tang. Plus, it’s healthy to boot.

I received this sample bag of Oogie’s popcorn in my November Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I usually prefer iced tea when I have popcorn, an icy cold beverage just seems to go perfectly with the salty goodness of popcorn!  I chilled some of this Key Lime Ceylon from Fusion Teas, and I thought it made a delicious pairing with the salty, cheesy, spiced flavor of the popcorn.  A refreshing and zesty snack!

What I Think:

Having previously tried the Sundried Tomato & Parmesan Popcorn from Oogie’s, I was fairly confident that I’d enjoy this White Cheddar gourmet popcorn, also from Oogie’s.  I mean, really … what’s not to like?  Cheddar cheese & popcorn?  YUM!  Yes please!

The popcorn is light, fluffy and crispy.  Each kernel is coated with a seasoned powder that is salty and cheesy, with hints of garlic powder and onion powder, just to keep it interesting.   Perfect for when you want a salty snack, I’d take this over potato chips anytime!

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this bag of popcorn … and I found that it disappeared way too quickly!  It was deliciously savory, and neither I nor my palate felt weighed down after snacking on it – and usually both my palate and I feel a little weighed down after snacking on something like chips, so I’d say that this popcorn, in addition to being a healthier snack choice, is definitely a WIN-WIN!  I don’t know that it’s necessarily what I’d consider a healthy snack, but it is definitely better for you than something that’s been fried, like a potato chip.

My Goodies Box for November has Arrived!

The box arrived on the afternoon of November 20th.  I was kind of surprised, really, because I have gotten used to the box arriving much closer to the end of the month… but it seems that with each month, the Goodies Box arrives just a little sooner than it did the month previous.  I’m OK with that.  They’re ironing out the kinks, and still managing to keep the price at just $7 per month.  I’ve been happy with this subscription.

The theme of this month’s box is “Entertaining Made Simple,” and while I don’t usually do much entertaining (I am agoraphobic, and I usually have trouble with one guest, more than one is positively anxiety-inducing!) I do enjoy the foods one might serve at a dinner party … as they make fantastic tea-time treats.

And, incidentally, this box does include a tea!  Granted, it’s bagged tea (Hey, Goodies Company, get in the know!  Loose leaf is the only way to go!) but it’s still tea.  Bigelow Tea’s Pumpkin Spice tea, to be precise.  I’ll be reviewing that tea on the SororiTea Sisters blog at some point!

The other goodies in this month’s box include:  American Vintage Wine Biscuits, Lotus Bakeries Smooth Biscoff Spread, Bobbysue’s Original Flavored Nuts, Pumpkin Souffle Mix from Flourless Bliss, White Cheddar Popcorn from Oogie’s, and a Dark Quinoa chocolate bar from Alter Eco.  Yum!  Looking forward to these yummy items … and they are all new-to-me!  Bonus!

And speaking of bonuses, this box did include a special bonus gift!  Upon opening the box, I was greeted immediately with a reusable, canvas shopping tote!  Wow!  The card insert that is included with every box explains:

We are grateful to have you as one of our first subscribers!  To show our thanks we are excited to gift you the enclosed Goodies Co. Farmer’s Market Bag.

Yay!  I do try to bring my stash of reusable bags every time I shop … sometimes, I forget, but, I do try.  And it will be nice to have yet another to add to my stash!  It will definitely be put to good use.

This is the best box from Goodies Co. yet!

Ginger Caramel Gourmet Popcorn from Bernod’s PopCity

About Bernod Group:

After a combined 30 years of natural retail and restaurant food experience,
what drives us?

Nothing less than a passion for novelty, and a keen taste for quality.
Our key aim is to research and develop food products and flavor profiles that set new standards for innovation.

Learn more about Bernod Group on their website.

Tea Suggestion:

What a lovely alternative to the traditional tea-time treat this Ginger Caramel Gourmet Popcorn made.  I enjoyed this popcorn with some Fengqing Dragon Black Pearl tea from Teavivre.  The richness of the tea brought out the ginger flavor just a little more, and the caramel notes of the popcorn seemed to bring out more of the sweetness of the tea.

What I Think:

As I mentioned before, after my review of the Organic Cherry Vanilla Cotton Candy from Bernod’s SpinCity, Bernod Group sent me a few of their popcorn selections to try.  This is one of those popcorns, and it is the last popcorn from Bernod’s I have left.  How I managed to keep it this long is surprising to me, I had to keep it well out of sight to keep it out of mind.

I knew I’d love this Ginger Caramel Popcorn … I love caramel corn, and I love ginger, and I figured the addition of ginger to the caramel would amp up the spice level a bit.  And I LOVE the combination of spicy and sweet!

The first couple of kernels that I popped in my mouth tasted very much like the original Caramel Popcorn from Bernod’s.  Sweet and crunchy with just enough chewiness from the caramel to give it an interesting contrast in texture.  The buttery flavor of the caramel.  But … I didn’t taste much from the ginger.  Then, after the third or fourth bite, I noticed a heat starting to develop.  Yeah, that’s the stuff!

It never becomes overwhelmingly spicy, and I don’t think I’d want it to.  I enjoy the level of ginger here.  It adds just enough peppery spice to it to offer contrast and to keep the flavor interesting enough to keep wanting to have another bite … which becomes sad when you reach the bottom of the bag!

My Final Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this Ginger Caramel Popcorn from Bernod’s… it just might be my favorite yet.  When I spoke to Bernod’s about the availability of this product, I was told that it can be found at HomeGoods – and I did find the original Caramel Popcorn at my local HomeGoods.  But I didn’t see any of the other popcorn flavors from Bernod’s there.  I don’t know if that is because they just didn’t have it in stock at the time or if they do not stock any other varieties other than the original Caramel…. if you find this product any where else, be sure to let me know!