Love with Food Review December 2013 ("Winter Wonderland")

Love with Food has a Winter Wonderland theme for December. I think the box certainly fits the theme, and I'm loving it! Love with Food is $10/month, and the company donates a meal to a food bank for every box that they ship.

The front of the information card. The back lists all the items. I love the cartoons they have on these cards. Adorable!

Donsuemor Chocolate Dipped Madeline Yum! This was more like a cake than a cookie, which I think is typical of madelines. I really enjoyed it.

34 Degrees Savory Crisps in Natural I don't think I have ever had a blander cracker. These kind of remind me of communion wafers. I think they would be a lot better with a spread, dip, or cheese, but on their own they couldn't be more boring.

Grey Ghost Bakery Molasses Spice Cookies These were amazing. They were soft, but not with an artificial flavor that some soft packaged cookies tend to have. They had a really nice spiced flavor, kind of gingerbread-y. Perfect for the season.

Desert Gardens Spinach Dip Mix I'm not big on dips, and I don't really like spinach either, so this isn't for me. I'm sure I have a friend that can use it, though.

St. Claire's Organics Peppermints I haven't tried these yet, mostly because the package isn't resealable. I am not going to eat all fifteen mints in one sitting, so it would be nice if the packaging was a little different. It would be nice to be able to keep them in my purse or car without having to worry about them spilling all over the place.

Snow Angell Organic Candy Bar I had this and it was awesome! It is a candy bar with coconut and almond slivers coated in white chocolate. It was kind of like a white chocolate Almond Joy basically. Really sweet; I think I prefer milk or dark chocolate but the white chocolate was a nice change of pace.

Madyson's Marshmallows Marshmallow Beverage Topper I had this last night, and it was so cool! The marshmallow is an amazing soft texture, and it fit just right in my mug and melted perfectly over the cocoa.

Chocolate en Poudre Drinking Chocolate I paired this with the marshmallow (I am glad they included cocoa to go with it), and it was pretty great too! I am not sure if it was the cocoa or the marshmallow (or both), but I haven't had such a good cup of cocoa in a long, long time! I added a pinch of salt to my cocoa to bring out the flavor a little better (I learned this trick in Modern Family).

Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Square This was the perfect dark chocolate. Not too bitter, not too sweet. The square was teeny tiny but it made for a great treat after lunch.

Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips I am so not a sweet potato person, but plenty of friends are, so this will be passed along to someone who can appreciate it.

Love with Food Reusable Grocery Bag I love this extra! So handy, and it still fits the "food" concept.

This was one of my favorite Love with Food boxes ever, and it totally got me in the holiday spirit. Use the code FB7OFF to get your first box for only $5. If you want to try out a subscription for yourself, click here to use my referral link. 

Fancy Pants Food Box November 2013

This is a new box for me. I got a coupon code for a free box, and...hey, free is free, right? I had to try it out. Fancy Pants Food is $10 a month.

First Look

Snapz Zucchini Crunch I don't really like zucchini, and I definitely don't like it in chip form, so I had a friend try this out. She said it was "kind of like fruit leather." Um, ew.

Oats Granola in Toasted Coconut This was very tasty! It had pieces of toasted coconut throughout but the coconut flavor was nice and understated.

Lord Nut Levington Peanuts I am not a fan of tomato flavors, so I passed the bloody mary bag onto a friend, but I tried the jalapeno cheddar and I really enjoyed them! Definitely unique for a peanut, but not outside my comfort zone.

Hunt Mint in Citrus Ginger I haven't tried these yet, but I am curious about the citrus ginger flavor. I think these mints fit the "fancy pants" category perfectly. I love the packaging! I am totally throwing them in my purse when my current mints run out.

Cocomels I have had these before, I think maybe in Love with Food? They were good, though! Basically picture coconut milk mixed into caramel. The texture of these is great, and I enjoyed the taste too, but I don't think I would purchase them just because the coconut would get to be a bit much.

Kelapo Coconut Oil This product seems to be marketed to be used in place of oil or butter for frying, but I am totally going to use it as a deep conditioner on my hair instead. You can't tell me what to do, coconut oil!

There you have it, folks! I would say this box is worth the $10 price tag. You get quite a few goodies for that cost! My only criticism is that they included three coconut products out of six products total. Luckily I like coconut, but I could see this being an issue for those that don't.

Love with Food November 2013

Love with Food is pretty much always half "love it" items and half "hate it" items. This month's box is no exception.

The theme this month is Flavors of Fall, and it is curated by Chef Ryan Scott. See that little PopChips logo? I did, in fact, get one of their products this month! They must be a sponsor?

Sweet Potato PopChips I am really not a fan of sweet potato, and I think PopChips are just okay, so these went to a friend immediately. They are quite appropriate for this time of year, though.

Sweet Corn Crunch Dried Snack Hmm. This seems like a really, really weird snack item. BUT I love corn on the cob so I will give this a chance.

Laura Secord Maple Fudge I was really excited to try this, but it was a really awful texture. Really, really gooey and sugarey, more like a sugar paste than anything. I wasn't a fan, even though I wanted to badly to love it.

Dancing Deer Savory Shortbread in Rosemary & Sea Salt I was kind of scared of this one, so I gave it to a friend. She said it was delicious, but that it was both sweet and salty. Interesting!

Mighty Leaf Tea in Ginger Twist I love this tea bag! It's so cool that you can actually see the tea leaves. For some reason that excites me. I don't really like much tea (unless it is minty or cider-like), so I gave this to a friend.

Arora Creations Chicken Tikka Masala Seasoning I'm pretty sure this would be good on fries or popcorn if you're not interested in making the tikka masala recipe that's included.

Eat Natural Apricot & Almond Bar I love having granola bars to pack in lunches, take to work as snacks, etc. so this is a great item for me!

 Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate I love that they gave me two bars so that I can enjoy them on two separate occasions. I tried one already and it was good quality dark chocolate, though there was nothing super special about it. I also like the little pouch they included. I'm totally going to repurpose it to gift jewelry, or maybe to store rings (I always end up having them everywhere and then losing them which is no good).

All in all, kind of a mixed bag this month, but it's always fun to see what I get.

Use the code HOLIDAY2013 to save $5 off a gift subscription, and click this link if you are willing to use my referral link! Love with Food is $10/month and they donate a meal to a food bank for every box you purchase, so it's a subscription you can feel good about.

Goodies.co Review October 2013

I'm sorry to say that Goodies.co is no longer in business after this month, so this was my last box with them. I had been considering canceling anyway, since they were sending me less and less items in smaller and smaller packages, but I think that was a sign of their struggle.

However, if they could have kept their quality of the level of this month, I would totally be a loyal subscriber. This box is one of my favorites ever from them! At least they are going out gracefully I suppose!

Full Box Pic

Enjoy Life Bar in S'mores I haven't tried this yet, but I think I will like it. It's s'mores flavor; what's not to like?

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Truffles I was really excited to try these, so I ate them pretty much immediately. I will be honest here, though...not a huge fan. I mean, they're chocolate and hazelnut so of course I like them. But not as much as I should like a chocolate hazelnut truffle. Tasty, but Ferrero Rocher has these beat big time.

Lunchables Jr. in Very Beary Crunch Is this not the cutest thing ever? I think I love Lunchables way too much for being a grown up. These have Ritz Bitz (cheese flavor), strawberry flavored dried apples, and graham cracker bears. Not a bad snack, even for adults.

Easy Make Focaccia Mix I have never had focaccia bread. I think it's kind of weird that I haven't, especially considering my love affair with carbs, but I haven't. So this is a two in one for me: I get to make my own bread and I get to try focaccia. I love this item, even if I don't end up liking the bread!

Caffe D'Vita Enchanted Chai I don't like coffee, but I do like chai, so I will give this a shot. Maybe the chai taste will make the coffee taste bearable and I will love it?

Choco Pie Well, this is cake with marshmallow filling covered in chocolate. It sounded yummy and it was yummy.

Happy Squeeze Greek Yogurt in Peachy Keen How can they get away with sending me yogurt without refrigerating it? It must be something about the pouches, but that is so weird to me! I like some greek yogurt, as long as it's not too sour. I like the Yoplait kind but not the Chobani kind. Peach is my favorite yogurt flavor though, so I will probably like it. But it's going in the fridge first!!

Special K Nourish in Maple Brown Sugar Crunch I have been eyeing these forever, but they are kind of pricey (well, pricey for an oatmeal) and I'm a little scared of what the quinoa in it will be like. I'm so excited to get to try it! The lid has almond pieces that you mix into the oatmeal.

There you have it, folks. Eight items, and I will eat all of them! I think that might be a first. Even though it frees up $7 of my money every month, I have to say that after this great box I am really sad to see Goodies go. It was fun while it lasted!

New Graze Invitation Codes!

I just got an email from Graze and it looks like they're expanding memberships!

"Hi Kara,

Great news - we're here! The new graze kitchen is now open… As a thanks for being one of our first US grazers we've given you a new invitation code. It's called friendcode and allows you to invite up to 4 friends to join graze (so they will stop stealing your snacks)." My friendcode can be used by up to four people, but it's the same for everyone, so I'm just going to post it here. I will edit the post ASAP if all of them get used. Graze has been nearly impossible to get into these past few months, so it's great that they are expanding! It looks like they have finally added some new recipes too--key lime pie and jalapeno fiesta are being advertised. Yum!! Anyway, onto the code: click here to use it to try out a Graze membership! Boxes are only $5 each (including shipping) and you get four single-serve snacks. You can get boxes weekly, but it's super easy to set it to bi-weekly or monthly (or skip huge periods of time altogether). Not to mention you can tell Graze how much you want a snack, which means this is wonderful for people with dietary restrictions. I highly recommend at least trying it out! ETA: Codes are now claimed! Thanks!

Goodies.co Review September 2013

This is my third mediocre month with Goodies in a row, and I'm starting to think that even at $7, I should consider canceling. The items haven't been a good fit for me, and they recently changed their points system so that it takes way longer to get rewards. But the price point is so low, I just don't think I can do it! I think I'll be switching over to the kid's subscription to check that out for a bit first.

Onto the box contents:

Mario Pitted Snack Olives I don't eat olives (though I used to...I'm not sure why, but something about them really freaks me out now), so this item isn't very useful for me. I'm sure a friend will be happy to devour them for me.

Zone Perfect Bar in Greek Yogurt Chocolate I'll eat this. It doesn't "wow" me, but at least it's usable! And the Greek yogurt element is kind of unique.

Numi Organics Savory Tea in Fennel Spice There was savory tea in Love with Food this month as well (and Love with Food has already featured savory teas in the past). No more tea, guys! Please!!

BareFruit Crunchy Fuji Red Apple Chips These exact same chips were in Love with Food this month, except theirs were cinnamon flavor. They're okay tasting but they aren't amazing. It is a good item for lunches though so I won't complain too much about getting a duplicate.

Nestle Purelife Bottled Water in Acai Grape Well, first of all, Nestle is a terrible company so I'm not a huge fan of their products. Secondly, this water was really weird. It literally tastes like grape cough syrup plus water. Not tasty at all. I only drank a couple of sips before I had to toss it.

Attiki Honey Well, this is an interesting addition. I used to always have honey on my toast when I was little, so maybe I'll try that again. I don't really use honey much, but I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil, & Feta Hummus Crisps So...I don't like tomato flavored items much, I don't like feta, and I don't like hummus. Obviously this item was not meant for me, even though I love Kashi. I have a friend that will try these, I'm sure.

Plain and simple, I don't think this box is worth the $7 it cost me. I continue to be disappointed by Goodies, so I think it might be time for us to break up.

Love with Food Review September 2013

This month's Love with Food was a special gluten free theme. Since I love gluten, I wasn't super excited by the theme, but there are lots of awesome things that also don't include gluten, so I was open minded.

Licious Organics Cherry Berry Honey Cookies I fully expect these to be delicious, even if they are gluten, soy, and wheat free. I'm hopeful, at least. They sound like they might be good!

Cosmos Creations Cinnamon Crunch I got these fairly recently, I think in a Goodies box. They're not bad, kind of like dry cinnamon cereal. Not my favorite, but not bad, either!

Wild Garden Hummus Dip, Dip In Pepper & Artichoke Bruschetta Um, both of these items are just not my thing. I am just too darn picky for these boxes sometimes! I will give these to more worldly friends.

Millie's Savory Teas in Spicy Tortilla and Indian Spice Savory tea? No, no, no. Another item I'm totally not feeling. Yuck. I like my tea to be tea and my soup to be soup.

Yum Earth Organics Fruit Snacks I tried these, and they're interesting. Way less gummy than I was expecting, and they have kind of a weird flavor, probably from some of the juices that are included. Edible, but I probably wouldn't subject my kids to them.

BareFruit Cinnamon Apple Chips I don't love apple chips, and I don't hate them. These are a good item for a September box but I'm not particularly excited for them. I got a big bag in last month's PopSugar. One person can only eat so many apple chips!

Good Boy Organics Organicasaurus Cheddar Cheese Corn Snacks So on first glance, I thought these were like organic Goldfish crackers. Now I'm thinking they are more like Cheetos bites. I am hopeful that they will be tasty either way.

This month's box wasn't my favorite or my least favorite, just a middle of the road box. Not bad for being gluten free, either! If you want to take Love with Food for a spin, click here to use my referral link. I love that they donate a meal for every box they send out!

Goodies.co Review August 2013

This box arrived just a couple of days after I left for vacation, so I am way behind on reviewing it, but I wanted to make sure I did eventually. This is kind of a quick and dirty review, but I don't think this box warrants anything too in-depth anyway.

The Daily Crave Veggie Chips Hmm...veggie chips? You're really testing my limits, Goodies. The only veggies I want in my chips are potatoes and corn. I will pass these along to a hippie friend of mine.

Poplets I tried these..any they are exactly what they seem like. They are slightly more popped versions of the old maids at the bottom of your popcorn. They are break-your-teeth level crunchy, and not in a good way. I ate a few and threw them out. Yuck.

Cosomi Cookie Crackers I actually loved these. They had a light, crispy texture and were coconutty and salty and sesame flavored all at the same time. I don't know if I would buy them but I definitely would eat them again. The highlight of the box (but that's not saying much).

Barnie's Coffee Kitchen Liquid Coffee Brewstick I'm not a coffee drinker, so this is a bust. This will go to one of my coffee loving friends.

Tangy Zangy Twisties These were good! Kind of like sour straws. The package of them was teeny though. Maybe half a serving worth.

Refresh Alo Drink So...this is a beverage with aloe vera, cucumber, and cantelope. Chunks of all of them apparently. I'm a little worried. I will try this on the off chance it's good but I totally expect it to be disgusting.

I am pretty disappointed with this month's Goodies box, and I haven't been particularly impressed with them lately. I'm thinking it might be time to cancel, or at least switch to the kid's sub. Sad, because they used to be so great!

Love with Food Review August 2013

This month's theme was Backyard BBQ. Sounds good to me!

Lightly Salted Snapea Crisps These are a little on the weird side for me, and they don't really fit the theme, but I guess they're pretty summery. My roommate will eat these.

Bops Potato Crisps in Sea Salt These were just okay. Definitely edible, but nothing special. I would rather have Lay's or Pringles, but the packaging is cute!

El Pinto All Natural Medium Salsa This cup is perfect for a single serving of chips and salsa. Can't wait to try it!

Aunt Sally's Creamy Pralines I wanted to like these, I really did. And they were pretty good, just not as amazing as I hoped. That being said, I'm not opposed to trying more flavors. You hear that, Love with Food?? Especially the chocolate kind!

Sahale Crunchers, Fruit and Almond Snack This was okay, good for a fairly healthy snack. I probably wouldn't buy them on my own, though. I'm just not as into almonds as I am into walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.

Rap van Wafels Amsterdam Wafel I got one of these in my Goodies box, and I liked it, but I regretted not putting it on top of a mug with a hot beverage to melt the caramel. I'm so happy to get a do-over! I think hot apple cider would be a good compliment.

Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust I'm always happy to try seasoning, although I don't prepare meats much. I will find something to use this for, though. I love the name!

Project 7 Mints I got these in a PopSugar box and I love them. They're not very minty for being mints, but sometimes that's a good thing. They're nice and sweet and perfect for freshening breath. The test tube type package is really fun, too. I'm a big fan. Oh, and they fund food and water projects for underdeveloped countries. This one is a winner!

This was probably one of my favorite Love with Food boxes so far. If there's only one 'loser' in the box, I'm definitely happy! If you want to subscribe to Love with Food, click here to use my referral link.