Tag Archives: Review

Chocolate Covered Wasabi Peas from ChocWasabi

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Product Description:

Chocwasabi is based on the foundation of a basic snack item or tasty treat combined with the eclectic mixture of chocolate & the hot, exotic taste of wasabi. 

The first offering in our line of exciting new items is the chocolate covered wasabi pea.

I received a package of these chocolate covered wasabi peas in my March Love with Food box.

Tea Suggestion:

For these yummy morsels, I recommend something light and refreshing, and because the heat does build, you want something that will cool the palate too.  I chose a white tea, specifically, this Organic Silver Needle tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf.  A perfect choice!  Because the flavors were delicate, it didn’t interrupt the unique flavors in these amazing little treats!  A delightful tea time snack!

What I Think:

I was not sure what to expect with these.  I am not a fan of peas.  That is to say that they are probably the one vegetable that I DO NOT like.  And … I can’t even say that with complete confidence, because it’s been years since I’ve actually had peas with the exception of a few peas floating around in a soup or stirred into a stir-fry.  And I didn’t mind the peas in the soups, stews and stir-fries that I’ve had them in.  And for all I know, I might actually like peas now – after all, our taste buds do change every so often.

But, I’ve never had confidence enough to actually try wasabi peas.  I don’t like peas, and while I do like wasabi when it’s stirred into something like a ranch dipping sauce (this is awesome when served with french fried green beans), I don’t have a whole lot of experience with wasabi outside of that spicy take on a dipping sauce.

But, these are CHOCOLATE wasabi peas and I have plenty of experience with chocolate … and most of that experience is positive.  I can’t really think of anything that I didn’t like that was chocolate.  I’m sure that there have been occasions when I’ve disliked something chocolate, but nothing really comes to mind at the moment.

So I decided to give ‘em a try.  And these are AWESOME!  The pea doesn’t have much flavor at all … basically all I get from the pea is a dense crunch from it that is very satisfying.  A bit like biting into a very crunchy peanut.  The dark chocolate is sweet and smooth … and the wasabi is HOT!  And I am loving the burn from these babies!  The contrast between sweet and spicy is amazing, and I love the crunch.

My Final Thoughts:

These are a total win!  I want more.  I think this may have to be a re-order, because they’re so darned good.  (Note: I did reorder them – definitely a delicious and unique treat!)

Light Sea Salt Plentils from Enjoy Life

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This crispy, crunchy lentil chip tastes similar to a potato chip with subtle earthy undertones. Made with lentils, one of the best sources of plant-based protein, and with 40% less fat than the leading potato chip, it’s a smart and tasty snack choice.

I received a bag of these Plentils in my January Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

With salty snack chips like this, I prefer to drink iced tea, and this Blue Shadow Black Tea from The Tea Smith is yummy iced.  It was a really nice pairing … the sweet, fruity flavor of the tea was a nice contrast to the lightly sweet, crunchy Plentils.

What I Think:

These are really … unique.  They have a texture that is similar to the onion ring snacks, only thinner and a little crispier and less “fluffy” … the flavor is unlike any other snack chip I’ve ever tasted.

I’m not generally big on lentils.  Not that I dislike them, really, there’s just so many other things that I prefer, so since it’s been a while since I’ve actually had lentils (we’re talking years here … I used to eat them pretty regularly when I was a vegetarian, but I’ve only had them maybe a handful of times since then, and not at all in the last five years or so) it’s hard for me to say that these taste like lentils.  But they do not taste like any other snack chip… so I’m guessing the difference is the lentil.  And while they are different … they aren’t bad at all.

My Final Thoughts:

The light sea salt is just right.  These taste lightly salted, not salty.  Very enjoyable, and surprisingly satisfying.

Catching Up with Knoshbox!

In my slackage … I’ve neglected to write about the last two Knoshbox boxes that I received:  February and March!

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February’s “Love Box”

The “theme” for February’s box appeared to be “Love”.  Included in the box was a bag of pasta from Sfoglini Pasta Shop, A pouch of sun-dried tomatoes from California Harvest (pasta and sun-dried tomatoes tossed with a butter-garlic sauce sounds like the makings for a yummy, romantic dinner), a bag of biscotti from Two Cousins Biscotti, a chocolate bar from Great Bean (because what says love better than chocolate?), and a florentine cookie from Clarine’s Florentines.  Unfortunately, the cookie from Clarine’s arrived broken, but, it still tasted yummy.  I’ve previously reviewed this cookie from another tasting box that I received some time ago, and it’s just as yummy as I remember it being!

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March’s “Breakfast Box”

March’s box is the “Breakfast Box.”  This box was somewhat disappointing for me … because … well, I don’t drink coffee.  I used to drink coffee every work day.  I didn’t drink coffee much at home, but, every day on the way to work, I’d stop at the local coffee house and pick up a coffee.  And every day at work, around 11 am, I’d start to feel queasy.  It took a while for me to realize that the reason for my nausea was the coffee.  I stopped drinking coffee, switched to tea, and I haven’t had that problem since.  Coffee was the culprit.

And in this Breakfast Knoshbox, ther is a 10 ounce bag of Dark Roasted, Whole Bean Coffee from Dave’s Coffee.  Black Crow coffee to be exact.  But I have no use for this. I am a “tea-totaler” (hehe!) So … like I said, disappointment.  However, I might give this coffee away on this blog (I’m waiting to hear back from a friend first to see if she wants it.  If she does, no giveaway.  If she doesn’t, giveaway!)

But, the rest of the box has some promise.  There were two small bottles of maple syrup from Crown Maple Syrup.  I’ve tried maple syrup from this company before, so I won’t be writing about it again. But I’m certainly happy to be enjoying it again!  And interestingly enough … the syrup I tried previously was the “medium” syrup, and in this box, I received the light and the dark … so it is a little different!

Also in this box is a blueberry almond granola snack from Awesome Bars and a cup of cereal from Vigilant Eats.  I devoured the cereal already … and it was pretty tasty.  The flavor was “Goji-Cacao” and mixed in with the rolled oats and hemp flour was lots of dried goji berries and cacao nibs!  The nibs added a very pleasing crunch to the cereal, and the goji berries really brightened the experience.  It was all organic, and I loved that it contained hemp flour!  It was really quite tasty, something I’d eat again if given the opportunity, however, at $30 for a case of 6 cups … I don’t think I’ll be ordering it.  That’s a bit out of my budget for a cup of cereal!

Both boxes were … for the most part … a wonderful surprise.  I wasn’t thrilled about the coffee … but hopefully the beans will find a better home soon!

Apple Strawberry Applesauce from GoGo squeeZ

???????????????????????????????About GoGo sqeeZ (from their website):

We’re proud to be the leading squeezable, re-sealable, 100% fruit in a pouch. GoGo squeeZ’s products are crafted with high-quality natural ingredients to provide wholesome goodness for sipping, squeezing and enjoying, wherever life takes you.

I received a pouch of this applesauce in my January Love with Food Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I don’t have a tea suggestion for this product, because nothing can improve the taste of this.  It’s horrible.  I recommend, instead, brushing your teeth after consuming applesauce from GoGo Squeez to get the taste out of your mouth.

What I Think:

OK … there’s just no easy way for me to put this … this is awful stuff.  It has the consistency of baby food.  It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten baby food, but, it’s also about as bland as I’d imagine baby food to be.  I don’t really taste apple, I don’t really taste strawberry … I just feel mush in my mouth and it’s gross.

I could only stand a couple of squeezes of the applesauce before I had to stop eating it, I really tried to find something redeemable about this product, but I couldn’t.  It’s horrible.

I then took the pouch to my youngest daughter, and she was of the same opinion.  This stuff is nasty.

My Final Thoughts:

Gross.  I’m actually glad I had a chance to try it without having to buy a whole package of several pouches, because now I know that this stuff should be avoided.  If you want to eat baby food, just buy baby food.

Organic Spicy Falafel Chips from Flamous

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Like a bold tortilla chip, these spicy falafel chips are a fun way to explore the exotic flavors of the East Mediterranean. Made with organic corn, beans, veggies and spices, they’re packed with flavor and also rich in protein, fiber and antioxidants.

I received these falafel chips in my January Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

Because these chips are on the spicy side, I chose a white tea to enjoy with them – white tea has natural cooling properties and helps to calm the palate after eating something spicy!  I found this Silver Needle tea from Enjoying Tea to be just the thing to sip while munching on these delicious chips!

What I Think:

Having tried the “Original” variety of falafel chips from Flamous, I was pretty sure that I’d enjoy the spicy variety as well.  But I had no idea that I’d enjoy them as much as I do!

I think I may have just found a new favorite chip.  These are unbelievably good.  They have a nice, satisfying crunch and a similar texture to a tortilla chip.  They are hearty like that … but they’re thinner than most tortilla chips – which I really like – and they are not greasy.  I even did the white paper test … I opened the package and poured the chips out onto a piece of white paper to see how much residual grease the paper would absorb.  Usually with most conventionally produced chips, there are grease spots, usually quite a bit!  But with these there are only the tiniest grease spots.  And more importantly, they don’t taste greasy either.  They just taste delicious.

This particular variety is SPICY, and as someone who favors spicy things, I like that too.  They certainly don’t need a salsa dip … but you might want to consider a ranch dip or sour cream (or perhaps a cucumber yogurt dip might be delicious!) to help cool things off.  Me … I like the spice.  It warmed me up!  Delicious!

My Final Thoughts:

These are absolutely delicious.  I prefer them over “traditional” chips like tortilla/corn chips or potato chips … I prefer the texture, the flavor and the fact that they are not greasy like those other products.  These are just … really REALLY good.

My Goodies Box has arrived!

I was pleasantly surprised with the early arrival of this month’s Goodies box, especially after having received January’s box in early February.  I actually received the box earlier this week!  Nice!

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I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t really mind a whole lot when the box arrives late.  Better late than never, right?  But I do find it a little upsetting that they’re never late at charging my account for the monthly subscription, and when the box arrives late every month, it gets a little … old.  You know what I’m saying?  So it was nice that this box arrived earlier than I was expecting it to.

The theme of this month’s box is “Better Together” – which explores some classic food pairings as well as some unique new flavor combinations.  Inside the box, I found two samples of Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter & Company, a pouch of chickpea snacks from Nutty Bean ChickPz, a pouch of Yogurt Pretzels from SnackWells (I’ve already devoured these – so there will be no individual review for them.  But they were tasty.  Not as tasty as chocolate covered pretzels, then again, keep in mind that I am a chocoholic!), a bag of Plentils Crunchy Lentil Chips from Enjoy Life, a bag of Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip with Reese’s from Nabisco (I also ate these cookies already … and of course they were yummy, but, they were rather “commercial” – you know?  Nothing really special.  Something I can buy off the grocery store shelf.) and something that I’ve tried before:  Bacon Popcorn from J & D’s.  But I’m not complaining because I enjoyed it, and this gives me an opportunity to review it for the blog.

Some nice choices for this box.  Some of these items I’ve not tried before so I’m looking forward to trying them.

Traditional Hummus Dip & Multi Grain Pita Chips Snack Combo to Go from Wild Garden

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Hearty multi-grain pita chips make the perfect partner for creamy hummus in this deliciously portable snack pack that needs no refrigeration. The classic Mediterranean dip, made with chickpeas, sesame paste and a hint of lemon is healthy and all-natural.

I received this “snack kit” box in my January Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I recommend a sweet, vegetative green tea to go with hummus and pita chips!  This Lin Yun Green Tea from Infussion is perfect!  A delightfully refreshing tea to serve with this snack.

???????????????????????????????What I Think:

This is a fun snack kit.  Inside the box is a bag of pita chips and an easy-to-squeeze tube of hummus.

The multi-grain pita chips are very crunchy and dense.  They look to me like they were made from real pita bread … they’re thick and dense like that.  The flavor is hearty and nutty, with a nice saltiness.  Not too much salt … but enough to enhance the overall flavor of the chip.

???????????????????????????????I probably wouldn’t want to eat these on their own though.  The thickness is really kind of difficult to get past without the dip.  They aren’t enjoyable to snack on without the dip.  With the hummus dip, though, this becomes a really enjoyable snack.  The hummus dip is smooth and creamy … and I like that there is enough dip in this little tube to generously cover each of the pita chips in the bag … I’m not left with a lot of extra pita chips and no dip to enjoy with them.

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this snack kit.  I think I probably would have preferred a little something in the hummus dip, since I usually prefer a roasted pepper or a garlic flavored hummus as opposed to the plain or traditional hummus.  This is good, but, I think that a roasted pepper or garlic flavored hummus would have been even better.  Good, but not awesomely great.

Crunchy Cinnamon Apple Chips from Barefruit

Crunchy Cinnamon Apple Chips

Crunchy Cinnamon Apple Chips

Product Description:

These 100% natural apple chips are crisp and satisfying. They’re slowly baked in a wood-burning oven to intensify the apple’s natural sweetness, then kissed with a whisper of warm cinnamon. Only 50 calories per serving, no added sugar or preservatives.

I received a sample pouch of these apple chips in my December Goodies Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I love these apple chips as a tea-time snack!  The naturally sweet, apple-y taste goes along so well with this Dong Ding Oolong from Far Leaves, because I liked how the cinnamon notes of the chip and the sweet, apple flavor melded with the natural caramel-y undertones of the Oolong. It made for a really lovely treat!

What I Think:

Apple Chips are often a swing and a miss with me, because they are either so thin and wispy that they lack a good, strong, apple-y flavor or when cut thicker, they often lack crunch, making them more like soft, dry fruit chunks rather than something I’d call a chip.

These are great!  They thicker cut – no wimpy, thin cut apple slices here!  And they pack a crunch too!  These taste like apples with a lovely cinnamon accent.  They have a very pleasing, crisp texture that I want when I want a snack chip, and they are sweet and flavorful too.

I did get one or two “chewier” textured chips that were reminiscent of the aforementioned “soft, dry fruit chunks,” but overall, these were a definite HIT with me.

My Final Thoughts: 

Apple Chips are not something I frequently indulge in, primarily for the reasons I mentioned in my first paragraph of this review … I simply haven’t found apple chips that I found to be satisfying in both flavor and crunch.  These Apple Chips from Barefruit offer both sweet, delicious apple-y (and cinnamon-y!) flavor as well as a that great crunch that I look for in a chip-like snack.

I’m a Bit Behind!

January's Knoshbox

January’s Knoshbox

OK, so I’m a lot behind!  I have to update on the two boxes that I’ve received.  I received my January Knoshbox “on time” – that is, about the same time of the month that I usually receive it … but, I haven’t posted about it.

I also received January’s Goodies Box … in February.  I didn’t post about it either … so I’m going to combine my posts for the Knoshbox and the Goodies Box this time around.

The theme for January’s Knoshbox is “Snow Day Snacks,” and included A huge pouch of “Just Good Chocolate” hot cocoa mix.  And when I say “HUGE” I mean it … we’re talking 12 ounces of product!  Also in this box was a full package of Salted Rosemary Shortbread cookies from Lark Fine Foods, which I’ve previously reviewed so I won’t do that again.  These are a favorite of mine so I certainly was happy to have another package of them!

Also in this month’s box is a “Mighty Maca Bar” from Beareded Brothers, and a box of Sea Salt Caramels from Liddabit Sweets.  The Sea Salt Caramels are another product that I’ve reviewed previously, but I’m NEVER going to complain when I get some of these!  They are so good.

January's Goodie Box

January’s Goodie Box

January’s Goodies Box has the theme “New Year, New You” and included seven very tempting goodies.  So, even though I was a little dismayed that it appeared that we AGAIN were receiving late boxes, getting so many goodies in one box for such an affordable price, it’s a little hard to complain, you know?

This month’s box included a Whole Wheat fig bar from Nature’s Bakery, A can of Cascal soda, Strawberry Fruit Chews from Stretch Island (which I’ve already enjoyed – they were delicious!  Sweet and deliciously strawberry, I love that these are made with fruit only … no sugar added!)  Traditional Hummus and Pita Chips snack kit from Wild Garden, Blueberry Granola from Go Nola, Spicy Falafel Chips from Flamous Brands, and a cookie from Skeeter Snacks.

So, another great box from Goodies Company … but, I do wish they’d get their shipping on track.  I think this month might be better, because I’ve already received a notification that the package was shipped.  Let’s hope!

And … of course, another great box from Knoshbox.  No surprise there, Knoshbox is my favorite monthly food box subscription.  If you can only get one box per month … this is the box I’d recommend.  It might cost a bit more, but it is OH so worth it!

Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn from 479°

seasaltcaramel

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!