I had heard some mixed reviews about this upcoming Goodies Co. box and so I was not sure what to expect… however I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did they accidentally send me two boxes (woohoo!) but some of the … Continue reading
My Peckish Co. September Box has arrived… and that means time for some healthy snacks like dried fruit, dehydrated fruit, chocolate nibs and nuts! I can only wonder what variations I got this month… As usual, they have the cute … Continue reading
So my Taste Trunk arrived a few days ago, and of course I picked the Sweet Trunk again! With my variety of health-conscious boxes, I knew I shouldn’t pick the Health Trunk, plus I’m not a BBQ-er… perhaps next month if I continue, I’ll switch up to the Gourmet one!
As usual, I love their packaging. The first look is the gold stamped logo on the simple white box, and then you open the package up to see black and white printed images that take you back in time. With the color scheme: black, white, burgundy, and newsprint, they have won me over in that category.
And so, I eagerly began to unwrap it, carefully taking the info cards out of the newsprint paper bag, and shufflling through the tissue paper…
Like last month, Taste Trunk included some interesting information cards on the products! They wrote a bit about where the product comes from, the companies histories, etc.
First up is the Iveta All Natural Cupcake Mix in Chocolate Coconut. I love to bake, and so I was pretty excited to get this in my package rather than a pre-baked, pre-packaged cake or something along those lines. It came with instructions as to what to add to the cupcake batter, how to make the frosting, etc. While I may sub some of the ingredients for healthier options, I know I will have fun making these.
Next up, I got these crazy gummy/jelly candies. Made by Cheri’s Desert Harvest. In flavors like “Prickly Pear Cactus Candy” and “Margarita Morsels” I was intrigued and curious as to how they would taste. The consistancy is inbetween a gummy and jelly candy, and it’s pretty sweet I have to say. While they may be too sugary sweet to purchase (personally), I would recommend them to anyone who likes sour patch kids, gumdrops, etc.
In terms of baked goods, I recieved The Cookie Department Peanut Butter Choc Chip Protein Cookie! It’s like they read my mind and knew I wanted a protein-based one! I have been making protein pancakes so much lately, and so this is great because it fills your craving for sweets while also giving you the protein you need.
CC Made Salted Caramel Sauce just sounds heavenly. Last month I recieved CC Made Caramel Pistachio Popcorn, so I had a good feeling about this. I didn’t realize it was a ‘salted’ caramel until I realized the name Sel Gris Caramel Sauce. Yum- I know I love Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates, Caramel Macchiato and various other treats, so I will definitely put this to good use. I can just imagine the caramel thumbprint cookies already…
Finally, we have a familiar food: Nunes Farms almond caramels and chocolate caramels were wrapped up in one of the newsprint brown paper bags. I did enjoy getting the regular caramels last month, and so I had no doubt the chocolate ones would be good as well. However, I’m not a big fan of repeats.
I was really happy with everything I got… except:
I wish I had received the Pacific Beach Toffee Peanut Butter that was included in their Health Trunk… and in my opinion should have been in the sweet one! I love nut butters- peanut, almond, cashew, chocolate peanut- and of course cookie butter!
Additionally, while I was happy to receive some of the Nunes Farms chocolate caramels, I did in fact get about a dozen caramels with almonds last month. Luckily I enjoy them, however I think they need to increase their variety and reduce chances of duplications.
I think I may switch up my trunk for next month in order to avoid duplicates… perhaps to the Gourmet Box? Anyone prefer one over another?
With a cost of $29.00 a month + shipping, this is a pretty good box for the total foodie; You definitely have to love sweets to get this trunk (just like how the BBQ trunk is perfect for a GrillMaster!) If you decide to sign up, use TASTE25 for 25% off your first box, and please be amazing and write my name “Mackenzie Degen” in the special instructions area.
xo, Kenzie
So, this great new subscription box has been released containing a combination of healthy snacks, natural bath and beauty products and other unique items to keep you ‘dreaming on Cloud9‘. These items are supposed to keep you feeling joyous, relaxed, and happy, thus called the Cloud 9 Sample Box!
And so, begins the unpacking! This cute little orange box arrived via priority mail in perfect condition. Once I popped it open, I saw a cute little note stuck to the inside of the lid with stickers.
Then, on top of everything was an info card with the details on all the products included in the box and their website links/some discount codes.
So first up, we have a jar of Lisa Ann Skincare Coconut Lime Body Butter. I immediately unscrewed the top and smelled it, and felt as though I was sipping on a tropical drink in the bahamas. It has a nice texture: not too thick or sticky, but goes on easy and keeps your skin feeling smooth. I believe this is a full-sized product (or at least big enough for me to consider that) which is definitely a perk.
Now, onto the oils!
I recieved 3 sample packets of oil in this months box: 1 Kelapo Coconut Oil, which I have already used while making some awesome protein pancakes. Surprisingly, Kelapo must either be a popular brand or a new brand trying to get its name out there, because it also arrived in my August BuluBox Weight Loss Box (review up soon!).
I also got 2 packets of California Olive Oil, which is a great extra virgin oil that can be used for cooking, making salad dressing, or, as a smoother for dried/ripped cuticles.
Now, some snacks:
This is a brand I’ve never heard of before- Jaxn’s Twice Baked Potato Sticks. In my mind, I suddently think of those greasy potato sticks I used to eat when I was a kid, either coming in individual packs or a big round tin. However, these are apparently supposed to be healthier and better for you, weighing in at 160 calories per serving, 19g carbs, super low sugar. I personally can’t see myself going out and purchasing bags of them, but definitely will enjoy this sample bag!
Next to the sticks is a packet of CharCrust Orginal Hickory Grilled spice rub. I’m not much of a griller myself, however I could imagine either rubbing some chicken breast with this and baking it in the over, or passing it over to my Dad to try out.
Finally, we have some sweets:
There was a bright blue bag of Geraldine’s Bodacious Key Lime Cookies, which are all-natural tangy-sweet cookies. I actually recieved a similar style cookie in my Juniper Box a few months ago, and thought they were great! You usually expect a chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie, so this was a new refreshing twist (and also went with the theme of the key lime coconut body butter!)
I recieved a few creamed honey sticks! These three sticks were wrapped up together with a ribbon and came in the flavors cinnamon and lemon. I’ve never had creamed honey before (I’ve had honey sticks, however, which can be seen in my past Juniper and Taste Trunk boxes) and so I was excited to get these. I think I’ll test out the cinnamon flavor with a chai tea, and lemon with a green tea… or perhaps use them in one of my next baking adventures.
In general, I was pretty happy with my first Cloud9 Box. I was happy to find out that it was not ‘just a food box’ and not ‘just a bath and body box’ but combined the best of all worlds to keep you feeling happy and relaxed. I like how they had somewhat of a theme going on with the Key Lime Cookies, Lime Coconut Body Butter and Coconut Oil, and which that they kept up with that, perhaps adding in some powdered margarita drink mix, or macadamia lemon balls, etc. It could have been called their “August Tropical Vacation Escape” box or something clever!
Would I recommend the Cloud9 Box? Definitely. It seems like they try to cater to many crowds, as they tried to pick some items that were comforting and some that were healthier options. How much does it cost? The box costs only $15 plus $5.95 for shipping and handling. In general, I would nix the BBQ seasoning and instead throw in a lip balm, or to stick with the food-theme, a pink himalyan sea salt sample packet. However, I was very happy with all of the other items: I’ve already used the coconut oil, brought the honey sticks to work today and know I’ll be using that body butter when my hands get dry!
xo, Kenzie
*I recieved this complimentary box for reviewing purposes*
PeachDish is a brand new company, led by CEO and Founder Hadi Irvani, that wants to help making cooking easier and more fun for you! For only $20 per week/shipment, they send you the ingredients and recipes to create a 3-course-meal for 2 people! Yeah, for only $20! Many other companies start at $40 per meal, if not more, and usually come with just one or two main courses.
Since PeachDish is a new company, they only offer one option at the moment: a surprise 3-course-meal, shipped once per month. However, as they have plans to expand, they will begin to allow you to customize your order (perhaps choose 1 out of 3 options, or something along those lines). They ship out of Tuesdays, so they generally arrive on Wednesday or Thursday, all ready for you to start cooking! Plus, if you’re out of town, you can delay your shipping so it doesn’t arrive and rot on your doorstep, and you can cancel anytime. Or, if you need to prep for 4 people, they offer a larger version for only $40 per shipment…. At $10 per person, this really is awesome.
But, the most important thing, besides the money and shipping, is the food: quality, flavor, ingredients and recipe cards! Previous recipes include Hanger Steak with Ratatouille and Arugula & Pine Nut Salad, and Tilapia Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Guacamole. For mine, however, I received the ingredients and recipes to make a Goat Cheese and Cracker Appetizer, with Baked Lemon Chicken, Fingerling Potatoes and Broccolini! (recipe in link)
So now, onto the box and the food! My FAVORITE part of the delivery was that my box was labeled to “Princess Mackenzie Degen”, I had no idea it would be coming that way, and definitely made my mailman laugh, but it was a very clever addition and I like the royal mention.
You can see they put a ‘cooling case’ inside the brown box to try to keep the food as fresh as possible. I was a little worried about the chicken, as the ice packs sent with it were completely soft and warm, however it was still in good condition. I recommend to anyone expecting a delivery to make sure someone is home at your house/delivery location, because if the box sat until I got home from work, it could have cooked in the heat for a few hours.
Everything else seemed to be in good condition- the lemons, basil and thyme all fresh, the goat cheese, olive oil and other packages sealed, crackers all in one piece, and cute packaging for the fingerling potatoes! The broccolini was a tad yellower than I’m used to, however it didn’t taste different than normal after cooking it.
I laid out all the ingredients so that you can see everything they sent, from packaged raw chicken, fresh potatoes and broccolini to fresh herbs, packaged spices. They thought of everything, so you don’t even need to use your own olive oil or salt.
Prepping was pretty easy: the chicken was almost fully cleaned, I just gave it a rinse and cut off a few small fatty bits (I’m just picky) and then worked on the marinade. I squeezed the fresh lemons and combined them with the designated olive oil and thyme. I normally eyeball measurements, but for this review I tried to stick to the guidelines! I then laid out the chicken and fingerling potatoes in a glass-baking dish, covered them in the marinade and put almost a whole bulb-worth of garlic (included) on them. Then, I added some salt and pepper as encouraged, and popped it into the oven to start cooking while I set up the other dishes!
I laid out the crackers on a dish, and tried to cut up the goat cheese into slices to put onto it. As many of you know, goat cheese has a super creamy, soft texture, so I ended up spreading most of it onto the crackers. Then I topped with chopped fresh basil, a dash of sea salt and the red peppercorns, and drizzled the olive oil over the top.
After taste testing, I definitely say that the basil and olive oil are a great addition, but the sea salt was definitely unnecessary. I would, instead, add the rough salt to the chicken and potato’s, or save for the broccolini. As with the peppercorns, I think if they were crushed up, they might be better than whole, and as a personal preference, I would add them to one of the other dishes. I had a few of the crackers as designated, and then updated them ‘my way.’ That means, I rolled half of the peppercorns off, added sliced fresh peaches on top and drizzled with a bit of honey and balsamic vinegar. Yum!
Then, I put a pot of water on to boil the broccolini in while the chicken continued to cook. I seasoned it with a dash of salt, and let it come to a boil. Then I added the fresh broccolini to the water and let it cook for about 5 minutes, and drained it. While it tasted good and would have been a ‘healthy choice’, I decided to give it a little more pizazz BY USING ONLY THE INGREDIENTS I WAS GIVEN. I heated up a small pan with some of the leftover olive oil and threw a few of the fresh garlic cloves to cook and soften up/brown, and then added the broccolini with a touch of salt and pepper to cook for just about 2 minutes. Delicious.
Finally, the chicken and potatoes were ready to come out! The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the potatoes just starting to break open, meaning they would be soft and delicious. I added a half of a chicken breast, a few fingerling potatoes and the broccolini to my plate and dove in for the official taste testing. The chicken, while cooked well needed an extra something… either some hot pepper flakes, more herbs or a dry seasoning rub. It was like a mellow lemon-oil chicken flavor. I think if the garlic cloves were crushed up and the chicken marinade for 30 minutes, it would probably soak in that flavor. The potatoes, in my opinion were perfect. For an extra ‘oomph’ you can add a little extra oil or butter to the potatoes once you cut into them.
All in all, PeachDish definitely is a great concept and included more than enough food for two people. Some constructive critisicm I have it that I think they need a dash more flavor/spices/herbs included in their recipes, and maybe revamp the recipes or change a few things up. I think because my entrée was so savory, I wanted something sweet or refreshing to start/finish with, which is why I added the peaches and honey to the goat cheese appetizer.
A plus in my book was that they threw in 3 Lady Finger cookies, which I was not at all expecting. They were yummy as is, but would be even better if they added a packet of ground coffee (enough for 2 people) to brew and serve with them, or a chocolate sauce or mascarpone/ricotta to spread on like a DIY Tiramisu.
I mentioned PeachDish to a few friends who loved the idea and overall concept (and oooh-ed and ahhh-ed at my pictures) however a few of them are vegetarians. I would love for them to come up with an option to choose a meatless meal if possible, so that I would invite one of them over for dinner and have everything I need accessible to cook for both of us!
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Interested in trying PeachDish? I know I definitely want to again…. Sign up HERE!
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xo, Kenzie
I had been interested and tempted by Kona Kase for quite some time, but I never made the jump in until now… and I wish I had sooner. This box is a little different than others as it combines healthy … Continue reading
I just love finding out about new subscription box companies! Especially when they’re actually ones I can use (i.e. not baby/dog-related boxes, and that ship to NY (so sad that HerFashionBox only ships in Australia!) So, I just connected with Taste Trunk, this great new company that puts together gourmet edible items based on the category you choose. Taste Trunk offers 4 different boxes: Gourmet Trunk, Healthy Trunk, Sweet Trunk and BBQ Trunk, of course the Healthy and Sweet boxes being the ones that grabbed my eye. I asked a few questions about the boxes I was interested in, and was told that the Health Box contains a mix of healthy attributes, such as low-fat, gluten-free, organic, all natural, low sugar, vegan, etc. So that might be the perfect box for any of you with allergies or strict diet requirements.
For only $29 a month (shipping included) this box is a steal! It’s like getting all those gourmet items from specialty stores for half the price.
Now, tbey have an Ambassador program, so I would appreciate it if you put my name (Mackenzie Degen or Kenzie Degen) in under either “Sponsor” if you’re also signing up for the Ambassador Program or in the “Special Instructions” Box when you’re checking out after signing up for subscription box delivery!
Best of all, I have a discount promo code for all my readers for their first Taste Trunk Box for 25% off if you enter in Degen25 at checkout!
xo, Kenzie
Stylish in Suburbia 
