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 March Box from Graze is Here!

The day that my Graze box arrives in my mailbox is a happy mail day, indeed!  And this month is the first month where I am seeing the “power” of choice with Graze.  I received two products that I previously liked/loved.  Yay!

Both of the revisited products are from my very first box from Graze.  The first snack is the Fruit & Seed Flapjack snack – I had marked this one as a “like” and the second snack is the Toffee Apple snack, and it’s a snack tray that I LOVED.  I’m especially happy to have this snack again … and I’m eager to find out if I enjoy it as much now as I did then.

As I write this, I’m snacking on the Fruit & Seed Flapjacks and they’re so yummy!  I’d take a tray of flapjacks to a granola or energy bar any day.

Also in this month’s box are two new-to-me snacks:  Bonnie Wee Oatbakes and Nature’s Immunity Nuts.  I’ll be writing reviews on these two snacks later (after I’ve had a chance to enjoy them), but I won’t be writing another review on the previously reviewed two snacks.

Interested in getting your own Graze box?  I can give you a “friend code” that will allow you to join Graze!  Just comment on this post with your email and I’ll respond to your email with the code.  It’s a great price:  just $6 per box!  It’s a great way to get yummy fun in the mail.

Brewers Bar from Granola Lab

Picture from Knoshy.
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Product Information:

Granola Lab’s Brewers Bar is a unique, chewy-crispy fruit and seed granola bar made with barley malt (also called spent grain). To brew beer, barley malt is first soaked in water to create a mash. The resulting liquid is further processed into everyone’s favorite alcoholic beverage, but the malt itself is discarded.

The spent grain is collected from Kelso Beer Co of Brooklyn and baked into these bars along with dried apples, apricots, dates, pumpkin, sesame and hemp seeds. It’s mostly organic, vegan, and doesn’t contain any nuts. 

Tea Suggestion:

I thought that a nice, earthy white tea would be a good choice to drink with this Brewer’s Bar, so I selected this Silky Silver Needle Tea from Teasenz.  It is a light, refreshing tea that allowed the sweetness of the fruit and the flavors of the seeds to come forward.  A really nice tea time – unusual, yes! – but, enjoyable.

What I Think:

My various subscriptions have offered me many different opportunities to try a bunch of different granola/energy type bars.  Some I’ve liked more than others, while some were just sort of “meh” or maybe less than “meh.”

This bar is different from any that I’ve tried thus far.  The grain used for these bars is the spent malt from a brewery which gives the bar a different base flavor as well as a different texture.  I like the flavor of this.  I mean, I usually enjoy the oat-y flavor of most of the granola bars out there, but, this is tasty too.

There are also lot of seeds to this and that gives the bar a sort of crackly crunch that I enjoy.  One seed that I was particularly pleased to see as an ingredient is hemp seeds because I think that hemp is a product that we need to further explore.  And there are lots of fruity notes in this too:  I taste the apple and the apricot and the dates add a nice sweetness.

My Final Thoughts:

A really tasty and interesting bar.  I found this one different from the usual bar … and in this case, different was really good!

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!

Justin’s Organic Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Pic from Knoshbox.
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Product Information:

Nothing says Halloween quite like a peanut butter cup! These organic peanut butter cups are unlike any you’ve tasted before. They’re crafted with organic ingredients and contain no hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients.

I received a package of these peanut butter cups in my October Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I brewed a cup of steaming hot chai to go with my peanut butter cups, and one of my favorite chai blends is this Witches’ Brew Chai from 52Teas!  It’s spicy, a little bit smoky, and a whole lot of WOW!  It made for a compelling accompaniment for these rich, delicious confections from Justin’s.

What I Think:

Before I begin on this review, I think I should make mention of the fact that when I visited the Knoshbox website to get the information on this product, it would seem that Knoshbox has changed their name to Knoshy!  As long as they keep up with the amazing boxes … I don’t really care what they choose to call themselves!  Just please don’t do something like sell out to a company and then disappear on us.  I need you, Knoshbox or Knoshy!  You can change your name but don’t go changing what you’re about, please!

Anyway, back to these treats!  I’ve tried a few different “gourmet” peanut butter cups, and while those that I’ve tried have been superior to the best known peanut butter cup (you know which one I’m talking about, right?) I have yet to find one that compares to Justin’s.  I guess the same is true for their peanut butter too.

These peanut butter cups look just like the “better known” peanut butter cup that you can find in any convenience store candy aisle (you know the one I’m talking about, right?)  In fact, if you put just the peanut butter cups up next to each other, side by side, you’d probably have a hard time determining which was which based on appearance alone.  They’re both about the same size, they’re both about the same shape with the same ridges around the edges, and they’re both lined with the wax paper cups.  They’re both made of chocolate and they both have peanut butter inside them.

But that’s where the similarities end.  They might look the same, but the certainly don’t taste the same.  Sure … the milk chocolate is sweet and creamy, and the peanut butter is smooth and and deliciously peanut-y.  But with these Justin’s peanut butter cups, everything just tastes of better quality, you know?  The chocolate is better, the peanut butter is better … and this just creates a better tasting product.

My Final Thoughts:

Everything that I’ve tried from Justin’s has just simply been YUM.  Their nut butters, their peanut butter cups … just … yummy.  Sure, the products cost a bit more than the commercially processed competition, but give Justin’s a try and you’ll find that when it comes to taste there simply is NO competition.  Justin’s is just better.  Period.

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.

Salsa Fresca Snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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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.

Almond, Apricot, and Yoghurt Bar from Eat Natural

Photo from Love with Food.
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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.

Rosemary & Olive Oil Kettle Cooked Potato Chips from Deep River Snacks

Photo from Knoshbox.
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Product Description:

These Deep River Snacks Rosemary & Olive Oil chips are delicious with various Belgian and German premium beers.

I received a bag of these potato chips in my September Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

Because this month’s Knoshbox is all about “Perfect Pairings” I read the product card before tasting these chips and tried to choose a tea according to what the curators of the Knoshbox recommended.  For these chips, Knoshbox recommended Allagash White wheat beer from Maine because it has “balanced notes of coriander, orange peel and clove” … which does sound rather intriguing but, I’ve found even with the most intriguing sounding beer, when it comes right down to it, I’m often disappointed with a beer.  So, instead, I did a little investigation into my tea collection, and came up with this Market Chai African Redbush Tea from MarketSpice, and I brewed some of it to enjoy with these chips.  Nice!  There are delightful citrus notes, and warm notes from the cinnamon and ginger, and a pleasant nutty flavor from the nutmeg … and all the delicious flavors of the chai melded quite nicely with the flavors of potato, olive oil and rosemary.  A really delightful, spicy-sweet, savory treat!

What I Think:

These are really tasty … so tasty in fact, I found it difficult to stop munching on them long enough to start typing out my thoughts about them.  The bag is nearly gone now!

The potatoes have been slightly thick cut – these aren’t the thickest cut potato chips I’ve seen, but, they’re thicker than your average potato chip.  And they’ve been kettle cooked to give them that hearty crunch.

After they were cooked, they were flavored with rosemary and olive oil.  I like how these are flavored … nothing overwhelming.  I like the combination of the olive oil and rosemary.

Rosemary can be a very aggressive herb and take over the dish that it flavors, and because the description on Knoshbox’s website suggests a robust rosemary flavor, I thought that the herb might overpower the chip, but it is balanced nicely here.  I taste resin notes and notes of pine.  It’s a very pleasant flavor and I like the way the rosemary is presented here.

My Final Thoughts:

A delicious, savory chip, and even though I didn’t pair it with the beer they suggested, I found that the flavor profiles they described helped me immensely with the choosing of the tea suggestion for this snack.  I don’t usually choose a chai to drink with potato chips, but I’m glad I did today!

Billionaire’s Shortbread Snack Mix from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Description:

fudge pieces, blanched almonds, milk chocolate drops and cranberries

I got this snack mix in my first Graze Box!

Tea Suggestion:

I went with a deliciously light, vibrant green tea to enjoy with this sweet “trail mix.”  The High Grade Dragon Well from Yezi Tea was an excellent choice.  The tea was refreshing and lightly grassy, and made a nice contrast to the sweet-tart cranberries.  The natural nutty flavors in the Dragon Well married deliciously with the blanched almonds, and the chocolate and fudge … well, they just made the tea time that much yummier!

What I Think:

I was so excited to start digging in to my snacks in my first Graze Box!  And of course the first snack I had to try has chocolate in it!

I was very interested in the Graze program when I first heard about it, mostly because I love trying gourmet foodie subscriptions like this, as well as the uniqueness of this particular program (You can’t get these mixes anywhere else … unless you make them yourself!) … but what else I really liked about this program was that the kind of snacks that it offers is exactly what I was looking for … something healthy to snack on while sipping on tea.  Because I drink a lot of tea.  A lot of it … and I like to find foods that are healthy and easy to snack on while I sip the tea.  Something tasty and preferably, something I didn’t have to make myself.  (Big bonus points for that one.)

This “trail mix” has four ingredients:  blanched almonds, dried cranberries, chocolate drops and fudge bits.  I would say that in my tray, all four ingredients were fairly represented.  I didn’t see like 75% of one ingredient, and scarce little bits of other ingredients.  

It’s a tasty combination of flavors.  When each item is eaten individually, the ingredient I like least is the blanched almonds, mostly because they’re blanched almonds, and I prefer my almonds toasted, roasted, salted … but not so much blanched.  Even so, these aren’t that bad, especially if I happen to scoop up one of the other ingredients and pop both the almond and one other ingredient in my mouth at the same time and allow the flavors to meld together.  My personal favorite with the almond is the cranberry.

But what’s really delightful is if I pick up one of each item in the mix and pop all four ingredients in my mouth at the same time. The combination of these four ingredients at the same time is quite tasty.

The cranberry is tart and chewy.  The fudge is sweet and chewy.  The chocolate is sweet and creamy.  The almond is nutty.  It’s a tasty combination of sweet, tart, chewy and nutty with a hint of creaminess.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked this alright, but I don’t know if I like it enough to “like” it on the Graze website.   But I ‘am glad I tried it.  I like the size of these snack trays!  This is just the right amount of trail mix to satisfy me when I’ve got the munchies … it works great as a tea-time snack.