One More Time!

Hello Everyone!  Since my last blog post did get some attention toward my Kickstarter campaign, I thought I’d come back and try again, since we’re trying again with a new Kickstarter Campaign!

The goal of the last campaign was a bit too big and I wasn’t able to attain that goal.  However, we have now reached the goal for the new campaign and if all continues to go well with it – we’ll successfully take over 52Teas!

As those of you who have read my past reviews are probably aware, I’m a bit of tea freak and this acquisition is a DREAM coming true for me.  I hope that you’ll all support me and help me make this dream a reality!

While we have reached the goal – we still could really use your help in reaching the stretch goals of the campaign.  We want a new website and we need some other equipment and the extra boost of those stretch goals will help make those things happen for me.

So PLEASE – visit my Kickstarter campaign and contribute what you can to help us!

I’ll reward you with some awesome tea!  And really, is there a better reward than tea?

If Anyone Reads This Blog … Please Read This!

I know I’ve been absent from this blog for a long time.  I kind of got more involved with my tea blogging and decided to devote more time to that than to my foodie endeavors.

As you are probably well aware, I’m very passionate about tea.  I love tea.  I drink it several times a day (actually more than just several times a day!) and I write about it daily.

Recently, I was approached by Frank of 52Teas (one of my favorite tea companies) who told me that he wanted to narrow his focus.  You see, in addition to owning the brand 52Teas, he also owns the brand Southern Boy Teas which is an iced tea business.  His passion is iced tea.  I love iced tea, but my passion is really for hot tea.

So, he is ready to take Southern Boy Teas to new heights and he is ready to let go of his 52Teas brand.  He offered to let me take it over!  Wow!

What a tremendous opportunity for me!  It’s also a tremendous opportunity for my daughter who is going to become my business partner, and well, it’s a great opportunity for my family.

Which brings me to the reason for this post.  PLEASE help me take advantage of this opportunity that has been presented to me.  I can only do this if I get the help I need through this Kickstarter Campaign!

Please take a moment to check out the campaign and contribute if you can.  Please spread the word about the campaign!  Please help me make this dream of mine a reality.

Also, please help Frank build his iced tea business – Southern Boy Teas – with his Indiegogo Campaign.

I truly appreciate anything you can do to help me reach this goal!  Thank you for reading!

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!

April’s Knoshbox!

Yep … I’m still working on all my past tasting box posts!  This is my post for April’s Knoshbox!  Knoshbox remains my favorite foodie tasting boxes of the few that I’ve been trying over the past year or so.  The reason is simple:  Knoshbox truly is a foodie box.  It’s a thoughtfully curated box with a theme, and tasty, unique foods that you don’t find everywhere.  For those of you who miss Foodzie and don’t like what they’ve become with Joyus, I think you’ll be really satisfied with Knoshbox.  (More on why I love Knoshbox with my May/June box information … coming soon!)

This month’s box included some real tasty foods!  First and foremost were three sample packages of Justin’s Nut Butters.  I won’t be writing a review on most of these because, well, I’ve tried most of them!  There were three nut butters in the box, including the Maple Almond Butter which is probably my favorite nut butter ever and I keep it on hand in the full-sized tubs now, the honey peanut butter and one I haven’t tried yet, the Chocolate Almond Butter.  (I’ll do a review of this soon.)

So, immediately, I was a happy foodie to get more Justin’s Nut Butters … I love Justin’s!  Also included in this month’s box was a tub of Garlic Basil Crackers from Z Crackers.  These were pretty tasty, although, I did find them a wee bit disappointing only because the flavor was not consistent.  Sometimes, I’d bite into a cracker and get next to no flavor.  Then I’d bite into another cracker and it would have a really nice garlic-y and basil flavor.  I like the texture of these – crunchy and I could taste the multi-grains which gave it a nice, nutty kind of flavor.  Better than your average snack cracker that you’d buy at the grocery store, and really tasty with cheese spread.  Since I’m not big on eating snack crackers, though, I don’t think these are at the top of my must buy list.

Garlic Basil Z Crackers

Also in this month’s box was a Simple Square (I’ve previously reviewed their Cinnamon Clove bar, their Coconut bar, and their Rosemary bar.)  I love Simple Squares … but I was not as excited about the bar in this box, because, well, it was a Coffee bar.  I’m not big on coffee.  I ate the bar, I liked it OK, but I would have been happier with one of the other three flavors that I’ve already tried or perhaps one of the other two flavors I haven’t yet tried:  Sage or Ginger!

I was much happier with the Battenkill Brittle.  I’ve got to tell you, this stuff looks like a treat you’d feed to your parakeet.  Seriously, this looks like bird food.  Since I’ve never actually eaten bird food, I can’t say whether or not it tastes like it.  But, it does taste good.  It has a delicious, sweet, nutty flavor (and crunch!)  I like that most of the sweetness comes naturally, from the seeds themselves, and there is very little “added” sweetness by way of the Vermont maple syrup and organic brown rice syrup that is used.  There is a delicate maple note to this, it isn’t so heavy that it obscures the seeds.  I taste the sesame seeds, I taste the sunflower seeds, and I taste the pumpkin seeds too!

Battenkill Brittle

I like that there are six simple ingredients to this brittle.  It doesn’t taste overwhelmingly “candy-ish” the way most brittle does, and it isn’t as hard as most brittle is either.  It has a gentle, crackly crunch from the “brittle” but most of the crunchy comes from the seeds!  It is gently sweet, and very energizing!  Definitely something I’d be happy to eat again!

I’ll be reviewing the Green Tea and Lemon Kombucha Wonder Drink (yes, Tea!) and the Raaka Virgin Chocolate (yes, CHOCOLATE!) separately at some point!  I love it when there is TEA and CHOCOLATE in the same tasting box.  This box gets extra points just for that!

My February Love with Food Box is here!

And I’m in love with the food that was sent in my February Love with Food box!

This month’s theme is “Sweet and Spicy Valentine’s Day” and they sent me some amazing treats in my box!

Included in this month’s box is a pouch of BobbySue’s Nuts (which I immediately opened and devoured, since I have already tasted and reviewed these yummy salty-sweet-gently spiced nuts!  I was so happy to have these in this box, because they are SO good!)  Also in this month’s box are:

• two Truffle Piglets from Hagenborg Chocolates
• Chocolate Madeleines from Donsuemor
• Fruit Snacks from Funny Face
• Jer’s Squares Chocolates
• Pico de Gallo Bean & Rice Chips from Beanfields
• Nektar Honey Crystals from Nektar Naturals
• Tomato Basil Sipping Broth from Millie’s Savory Teas (This sounds like one very interesting “tea” blend – I can’t wait to try it!) 

There you have it, a stunning list of goodies from Love with Food.  This is the last month of my pre-purchased subscription that I got through my friend’s Groupon account, so, I’ve been considering whether or not I wanted to cancel this subscription … but, after receiving this box stuffed full of amazing goodies, I’ve decided I’m going to keep this subscription!  Yay!

Watch for reviews of each of these items.  I’ll probably be reviewing the tea broth on the SororiTea Sisters site … so be sure to check that site out as well for that review!

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!

Bobbysue’s Nuts (Original Flavor)

Product Description:

You’ll go nuts for these candied nuts! Bathed and baked in a bold blend of spices, they’re simultaneously sweet and savory. We’re not talking peanuts here; this jar is filled to the brim with plump almonds, cashews and pecans.

I received a packet of these nuts in my November Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

These candied nuts make a wonderful tea time snack.  They’re so flavorful and I love that gentle nudging of the spices in these nuts, so I wanted something that would bring out some of those warm spices even more.  So I made a chai latte, and I found that this Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai made a perfect chai to go with these sweet, salty and warmly spiced nuts.

What I Think:

Yummy!  I’m totally loving these nuts!

When I first opened the pouch, I was kind of “ho-hum … another batch of flavored nuts.”  So I popped the first one in my mouth without paying much attention, and WOW!  These taste amazing!

First of all, I love that it’s a blend of mixed nuts:  almonds, cashews and pecans.  Then the nuts are candied in a sugar and spice combination that is a little bit sweet and a little bit savory.  The result is a crunchy, toasty, salty, sweet and warmly spiced mix of nuts, and I’m going nuts for this!  I love the contrast in flavors, I love the crunchy texture of the nuts together with the subtle chewy texture of the candied coating.

These are so tasty and completely irresistible.  Before I knew it, my package was empty!  I want more!

My Final Thoughts:

I only wish that the sample bag that I received in this month’s Goodie box wasn’t so small, because it was gone way too fast.  I don’t think that this is going to be available in the stores, so I think I’m going to actually have to order more of this … and I definitely will be doing just that!

Lan Su Chinese Garden

Recently, my daughter and I visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden.  I have been wanting to visit this place since I learned of it several years ago, however, this was my first visit … thanks to LivingSocial!  And guess what?  The Chinese Garden has a teahouse!  Well, you know we had to stop in during our visit…

Location:  239 NW Everett Street, Portland

What I Think:

Portland is a busy city, and there’s lots to do and see (and eat!)  I absolutely love Portland, but even with all the time that I’ve spend in Portland, I really had no idea that the Lan Su Chinese Garden was a beautiful, peaceful paradise right inside the city.  This gorgeous garden is confined to the space of a city block, but, it managed to transport me from the hustle and bustle of the city to a tranquil, inspiring wonderland!

even the “mosaic – like” rocks of the paths have significance at the Chinese Garden.

We arrived just in time for a tour.  I’m glad that we took time to take the tour, because I learned so much about the splendor and wonder of this garden – knowledge I would not have gained if we had journeyed through the gardens on our own.  If you do ever have a chance to visit these gardens (and I highly recommend that you do!), do take the tour.  You’ll have a much greater appreciation for the beauty that surrounds you as you walk through the gardens!

After the tour, my daughter and I took time to have some tea at the Tao of Tea teahouse (conveniently located in the garden, with a view that overlooks the pond).  Therefore the atmosphere of the teahouse very much reflected that of the serenity of the gardens.  The afternoon that we visited, there was live music featured in the teahouse, which seemed to enhance the sense of calm even further.

I enjoyed the Dragonwell tea, as we snacked on sweet and savory treats.  The sweet tray was brought out with our teas.  It included pieces of dried fruit (including a sliver of mango, a kumquat, a date, as well as a piece of the most delicious candied melon I think I’ve ever tasted), and a confection-like piece that looked like the inside of a petit four but seemed to actually be made of layers of fruit leather.  Also on this tray was a chestnut and a rice cake that was a bit like a rice crispy square only not as sweet.

After we finished all the delights on the sweet tray, our savory steamed bun tray was delivered to our table.  The pastry of the steamed bun was tender and moist, and concealed within it a green vegetable – I think it was spinach, but it was chopped very fine, and looked a bit like the steeped leaves of Gyokuro, and since this was a teahouse, I wouldn’t have been surprised it it was indeed tea leaves!  Either way, these steamed buns were tasty, I really enjoyed them.

We finished up our visit to the Lan Su Chinese Garden by stopping by the little gift shop just outside the garden, where you can pick up post cards, tea, and music that will help you bring a bit of the garden back to the home.

My Final Thoughts:

If you ever have the chance to visit the Lan Su Chinese Gardens in Portland – you should!  What amazed me, even while walking through these beautiful gardens, is just how much beauty they could pack into a city block.  It truly is a euphoric respite from the hurried, busy life that lies just outside the garden walls.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti from Gilda’s Biscotti

Product Information:

most popular, loaded with bittersweet chocolate chips and roasted hazelnuts, best for coffee, steamed milk with honey and hot chocolate

Learn more about Gilda’s Biscotti on their blog.

Tea Suggestion:

Well, despite the “best with” recommendation in the product description above, I did not eat these with coffee, or steamed milk, or hot chocolate.  Instead, I brewed a cup of this incredibly rich, delicious Golden Monkey Superior from Teas Etc.  The sweetness of the tea was enhanced further with the deliciously nutty hazelnut flavor of this biscotti, and the savory bitter as well as the sweet of the chocolate emerged strongly.  Delightful!

What I Think:

I mentioned in my last Gilda’s Biscotti review (Almond Anise Biscotti) that those were my favorite, and they still are.  But, these are nearing in at a very close second.  And for those who don’t care for anise (it is somewhat of an acquired taste), these Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti I think, would be more to their liking.

Like the other two biscotti varieties I’ve tried from Gilda’s Biscotti, these are deliciously crunchy and sweet, but I like that they aren’t too sweet.  They are somewhere between a biscuit and a cookie as far as sweetness goes – less sweet than a cookie, but a little more sweet than most biscuits.

These also have big chunks of hazelnut baked in them, but I don’t think that is where most of the hazelnut flavor is coming from.  I think they also have a hazelnut flavoring in them, because the hazelnut flavor has infiltrated every morsel of these biscotti.  The hazelnut is a strong flavor – very prominent in every bite.  Yum!

I find at least 1 chocolate chip in each biscotti, and that seems to be the only real chocolate flavor here.  Normally, the chocoholic in me would balk at the lack of chocolate, however, the hazelnut is so delicious that I find it difficult to complain about the lack of chocolate.

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed these… and the more I eat them, the tastier they are … which makes it quite difficult to stop!

Jasmine Tea Ginger Ale from Bruce Cost

Product Description:

Our most unusual ginger ale, perfumed with jasmine flowers and earthy with tannins, we infuse this with a fine, whole leaf green jasmine tea from Taiwan.  Unique among soft drinks, this seems to improve with age and has our most passionate followers.

Learn more about Bruce Cost’s Fresh Ginger Ale on the website.

What I Think:

Wowie!  Let me tell you:  you’ve never had ginger ale until you’ve had some of this unfiltered ginger ale made from fresh ginger (unless you happen to make some yourself).  It’s a completely different experience from any ginger ale I have tasted in the past.

While perusing the soft drink section of the local New Seasons market – searching actually for a bottle of the Chai Cola that I fell in love with a couple of months ago – I came across this soft drink.  What caught my attention initially was that it was a “real” ginger ale and not one of those bland soft drinks you can find in any grocery store.

Then I noticed that there are actual bits of ginger (this is an unfiltered ginger ale!) that had settled at the bottom.  A little discomforting at first, but then I read the fine print at the bottom of the label that read:  “separation is natural.  Shake gently.”  Finally, I noticed the words “Jasmine Tea” on the neck label and I was sold.  I HAD to try this.  So I put the Chai Cola away (yes, I love it, but I don’t like to drink a lot of soda, especially when I’ve so much tea at home waiting for me to taste it) and decided to purchase this instead.

Oh. My. Gawd!  This is amazingly good.  It’s zingy, zippy, zesty and all the other vibrant words that you can think of to describe a delightfully spicy, peppery drink.  It isn’t as sweet as other soft drinks including other ginger ales that I’ve consumed.  Perhaps this is because of the strength of the ginger which may offset the sweetness.  Either way, I appreciate that this isn’t overly sweet.

I wish I could taste more of the jasmine green tea in this, and I guess if I were to change anything at all about this soft drink, that would be it.  I was hoping for a bit more of a jasmine tea flavor, but, even so, this is still knocking my socks off.

My Final Thoughts:

Well, as I just said, I would like there to be more jasmine green tea taste to this, I think that the power of the ginger just overwhelms the delicate flavor of jasmine green tea.  Perhaps the next time I get this, I’ll hang on to it for a few weeks before consuming it to see if the jasmine green tea comes to life.  Either way, I really like what I’ve tasted.  If you like ginger ale, you’ve gotta try this stuff!