My Knoshy Box has Arrived – and Guess What? It’s Tea Time!!!

Yay!

OK, so I’m really behind on my posts.  I’ve got a few posts hanging out in the draft section of my dashboard, just waiting for me to put the finishing touches on them.  But, I had to put this post ahead of the rest, because … IT’S TEA TIME!

I don’t know if the great minds at Knoshy actually read my blog.  I hope they do.  But, I’ve been mentioning in several box announcement posts about my desire for a tea time box.  They’ve finally given me my heart’s desire!  The theme for this month’s box is Tea Time!

So, the first thing that needs to be in a Tea Time box is tea, right?  And what better company to select a tea from for this box than Steven Smith Teamaker?  There’s a full box of Lord Bergamot (one of my very favorite Earl Grey teas – in the top three – of all time!) and even though they’re sachets – tea tastes better when it’s loose leaf! – I won’t ding ’em for going with the sachets.  I understand … I get it … not a lot of people know what to do with loose leaf tea.

They also included a package of Amsterdam Wafel cookies from Rip Van Wafels.  I’ve had these before, and they’re totally yum.  I’m glad they’re in this box.  There is also a package of my favorite shortbread cookie baker – Lark Fine Foods!  These are Sweet and Savory Olive cookies.  Interesting.

Finally, there’s a jar of You’re My Boy BLUE-berry Bourbon Jam from the Jam Stand.  This sounds like a seriously yummy jam … it would be spectacular on scones.  I might have to make some scones soon to try it out.

I’m thrilled with this month’s box!  Thank you, Knoshy!

My March Box from Knoshy has arrived!

The box actually arrived a few days ago … but I’m behind as usual!  My box from Knoshy is always a box that I’m eager to receive.  It is a very carefully curated box and I usually love the product choices, and I also appreciate the opportunity to try something that maybe I wouldn’t have tried without this box bringing it to my door.

This month’s box is “Taste of Vermont.”  What does Vermont mean to you?  It means MAPLE to me, baby!  And that’s just what Knoshy seemed to have on their minds when they put together this box.  This box included the following yummy treats:  Maple Sugar Candy AND Pure Maple Syrup from Butternut Mountain Farm, Jan’s Farmhouse Crisps, Goat Milk Maple Cream Caramels from Big Picture Farms, and a Vermont Maple Cookbook.  (Some yummy looking recipes in the cookbook!)

I love maple, so I was quite pleased with the selections of this month’s box.  I’ll let you know what I think of each product as I try them out!

My December Love with Food Box has arrived, and …

And it looks like I hit the jackpot!

Wowza!

Not only did this month’s Love with Food box include TEN appetizing goodies, but, also a tote/grocery bag with a Love with Food Logo on it.  Yay!  And all of this fit into the one box.  Amazing.

The first thing I noticed in this box was the sweet potato chips from Food Should Taste Good.  I’ve seen these in my grocery store and I’ve been eyeing them, and I’m glad that I have the opportunity to try them.  (Interestingly, this is the one item that isn’t on the product card or listed on the website as part of this month’s box, but it is shown in the photograph.)

Then I saw this cute marshmallow called a MaddyMelt from Madyson’s Marshmallows.  It is round and flat, and created to fit atop a mug of hot chocolate perfectly.  I can’t wait to try this with the All Natural Drinking Chcoolate from Les Confitures a l’Ancienne, also in this month’s box.

And speaking of chocolate … there is plenty of chocolate to be enjoyed in this month’s box:  there’s a white chocolate candy bar called Snow Angell Candy Bar from Betty Lou’s

The snow Angell bar is tasty, but, I found it a bit too sweet for my liking.  I think if I were selecting the items for this box, I would have gone with the “Dark Angell” candy bar.  But I get why the Snow Angell was chosen, since this is the Christmas box.  I do like that there are oats in this candy bar – a little bit different, and it makes the filling in this bar a little less sweet than “nougat” in commercially manufactured candy bars.

There’s also an Excellence 70% chocolate diamond from Lindt, and a chocolate dipped Madeleine cookie from Donsaemor.

Another cookie in this month’s box seemed perfect for the season:  Molasses Spice Cookies from Grep Ghost Bakery.  Another perfect season choice is a package of Peppermints from St. Claire’s Organics.

The peppermints are nice and minty.  Sweet but not too sweet.  I found them to be a soothing remedy for after something spicy, not just did it calm my breath but also my tummy.

And rounding out the box with some savory selections are the Natural Crispbread Crackers from 34 Degrees and a package of Spinach Dip Mix from Dessert Gardens.

See what I mean?  Wowza!  What a box!

Bourbon Marshmallows from Wondermade

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

Product Information:

These could be our favorite new product of the year. These delicate morsels are crafted with pure Maker’s Mark Bourbon and exhibit notes of wood, vanilla and oak. Each box contains 16 marshmallows, a perfect amount for eating.

I received a box of these amazing marshmallows in my November Knoshbox!

What I Think:

For quite a while now, I have sung the praises of a certain marshmallow making company, so please don’t take this review as my way of changing “favorites.”  I still love that company, but I think there’s room enough at the top for two marshmallow favorites.

These marshmallows are amazing.  As in … they are SO GOOD.  They are fluffy and chewy and sweet.  And I can definitely taste the bourbon in them.  I could even smell the bourbon when I opened the package.  I’ve never been big on alcoholic beverages (as I’ve said before, I’m more like a TeaTotaler!  ha!) but I like the contrast of the flavor of bourbon with the marshmallow sweetness.  It’s like a sweet confection that’s just for adults.

And it isn’t just the flavor that I love … I love the size of the marshmallows (bite size!), I love the packaging (the box is adorable, isn’t it?) and I love the variety of flavors that Wondermade offers (I think I’m going to have to this Christmas Pack before the holiday arrives as a special Merry Christmas to me!)

My Final Thoughts:

I love these marshmallows.  I’m so happy that Knoshbox put them in the November box!  These taste amazing as a topper for hot chocolate or for sweet potatoes, and they’re delightful eaten on their own.  If you have a soft spot for homemade marshmallows, you’ve got to try these.

Sweet Potato Pop Chips

Product Information:

sweet, crispy and a lot of delicious.

I received a .8 ounce bag of Sweet Potato Pop Chips in my November Love with Food box.

Tea Suggestion:

When I munch on salty snacks like these, I like to drink iced tea because they just seem to go well together.  I brewed up a pitcher of this OYGFIB? blend from 52Teas last night, and I enjoyed a tall glass of it with these Sweet Potato Pop Chips.  A really tasty snack.

What I Think:

Wow!

When I first saw “Pop Chips” on the grocery store shelves, I didn’t really think much about them.  Something about them sounded “off” to me … was it like a thin rice cake that is made to taste like potato chips or what?

But it turns out, they’re nothing like what I thought they’d be.  These are actual sweet potatoes (and rice flour) that are air popped to create a crispy, tasty snack that is (in my opinion) just as tasty as a fried potato chip, but without the fried thing going on, because, you know, fried is not only not the healthy way to go, but, it also is greasy and after a couple of potato chips, I tend to find this greasiness rather unpleasant.

These aren’t greasy at all.  I taste the sweet potato, and it tastes the way I expect a sweet potato to taste:  Sweet and savory and delicious.  I think that this has been “seasoned” with a touch of sugar and I can taste a hint of salt too.  That’s it.  I taste a lot of sweet potato flavor, and a little bit of sugar and a little bit of salt.  And a whole lot of YUM!

My Final Thoughts:

These are the new must have as far as I’m concerned.  I’ll be buying more of these.  Fortunately, they have acquired a certain amount of popularity, as I have seen these in my local Whole Foods.  I’ll start checking the other grocery stores as well.  I can’t wait to try some other flavors, when I do, I’ll be sure to update my blog with those taste discoveries.

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!

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.

My November Knoshbox is Here!

Yay!  The day that my Knoshbox arrives in my mailbox is one of the happiest mail days of them all!  I know that my posts about the Knoshbox arrival are always very excited and happy, but there’s a good reason for that.

You see, once upon a time, there was a company called Foodzie.  And I would get a box from them every month, in fact, that was my very first subscription box.  But then Foodzie got bought out by another company, and over the course of the last year or so, it would seem that the company that bought out Foodzie has been slowly phasing out the food offerings in their company and focusing more on fashion and makeup and fitness.

I used to miss Foodzie a lot, but, then I discovered Knoshbox.  And thanks to Knoshbox, I now barely think about Foodzie at all … and that’s because Knoshbox has managed to fill the void that was left by Foodzie’s departure.  I’m seldom disappointed by a box from Knoshbox, and the one time I foresaw that I wouldn’t really be in to a box (a coffee themed box), I was able to write to them and ask them to instead send me another of the box from the previous month.  Now, I’m not saying that they’ll do that every time, I just happened to get lucky.

And a note to Knoshbox, if you’re reading this … please … please do a Tea box.  You did a coffee themed box.  I want a tea time box.  I’ll even help you choose out teas for it if you want.  haha!

This Month’s Product Card

The reason Knoshbox has managed to fill that void is because Knoshbox … quite simply … ROCKS!  Yeah, the box is a little higher in price than some other subscriptions, but, I think that it’s well worth it, because I get exposed to some products that I might not otherwise have been introduced to, and these are high quality, gourmet goodies!

Another great thing about Knoshbox is that there’s usually a theme to the box!  This month’s theme is Bourbon and Beer.  And I haven’t tried any of these products (BONUS POINTS FOR KNOSHBOX!)  Here’s what is in this month’s box:  Bourbon Wondermade Marshmallows, a “Brewer’s Bar” from Granola Lab, a bottle of Nobel Maple Syrup, A box of Alehouse Cheddar Crackers from Castleton, and finally, a pouch of “Old Salties” beer nuts from Ovenly.

I can’t wait to start tasting these yummy looking treats!

Almond, Apricot, and Yoghurt Bar from Eat Natural

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

Product Information:

Color versus Colour? Yogurt or is it yoghurt? Well no matter how you spell it, this all natural bar takes the cake. It is a simple mix of unsulphured apricots, crunchy almonds and coconut and then topped with a smooth layer of yogurt coating.

I received one of these bars in my November Love with Food Box.

Tea Suggestions:

I brewed myself a cup of chai and turned it into a latte with Chico Chai’s Original Loose Leaf Chai.  Then I decided that this bar would make a lovely accompaniment with my chai.  The sweetness of the bar enhances the spicy notes of the chai – these two work really splendidly together!

What I Think:

Tasty!

The first thing I notice when I’m reading up on this bar is that there aren’t a lot of extraneous ingredients to it.  The yogurt coating has a few ingredients to it, and then there is just crisped rice, apricots, almonds, coconuts, honey and glucose syrup.

It is a little on the sweet side.  I am thinking that this could be tasty without the yogurt coating.  I mean, I like the yogurt just fine, and I have a sweet tooth so I’m not complaining about the sweetness of it … but I’m just saying that I don’t think it needs the yogurt coating.  It would be a tasty fruit and nut type bar without the coating.

There are lots of crunchy almonds and sweet apricots in this.  I can feel the texture of the chewy coconut.  I don’t taste too much honey or syrup in this, I like that these two sweeteners don’t overpower the bar and take away from the natural taste of the fruit and nut flavors.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked this.  This is something that if I were wanting a quick and easy snack, I’d grab one of these bars.  This is something that I wouldn’t mind having on hand for when I want something a little sweet.  I like the variety of textures within the bar – the chewy of the apricots and coconut, the crunchy of the almonds and the crispness of the rice.  Overall, a really tasty snack.

My November Love with Food Box has arrived!

Yay!  It’s always a happy time when I receive a treasure in mailbox, and this month’s Love with Food box certainly qualifies as a treasure!  This is a seriously awesome box!

This month’s box had NINE treats in it, plus a bunch of coupons, including a coupon for a gift subscription to Love with Food.  I’m thinking I might treat my oldest daughter to a subscription.  In addition, I also received a $1. off coupon toward a Green & Black Organic Chocolate bar (yum, chocolate!) and there’s even a recipe card from Chef Ryan Scott (who curated this box).  The recipe is for green olive tapenade, which I will definitely try.

Anyway … on to the yummy goodies in this month’s box.  There’s a bag of Tuxedo Popcorn from Kukuruza, a bag of Sweet Potato Popchips, a sample of Rosemary and Pink Sea Salt Shortbread Cookies from Dancing Deer Baking Co., an Almond Apricot and Yoghurt bar from Eat Natural, a bag of Sweet Corn Crunch Snack from Sensible Foods, Ginger Twist Tea from Mighty Leaf (Yes TEA!), Maple Fudge from Laura Secord, a small organic dark chocolate bar from Green & Black, and Indian Spices from Arora Creations.

Wow!  This may be the most plentiful box that I’ve received from Love with Food yet!  And what’s more, I haven’t tried any of these things … including the tea!  I’m excited to start digging in!