PeachDish ~ A Cooking Experience ~ August

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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

Interested in trying PeachDish? I know I definitely want to again…. Sign up HERE!

xo, Kenzie

 

 

My First Graze Box… a Love Story

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When a chance for a Graze Snacking Subscription Box code came up, I jumped immediately! And not only did I sign up for one box.. but I got a little bit crazy and signed up for two! So, one ships to me once a month, and the other to Kevin’s house (where I unfortunately have to share with him…)

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What exactly is Graze? It’s a subscription service that lets you customize your preferences online choosing: Trash it, Try it, Like it or Love it, which encourages what snacks are sent to you. Each week or month, based on your choosing and budget, they send them to you and you can always change your options for the next delivery! While you don’t 100% know what you’re going to get, you can definitely play with the options and try out awesome dried fruit blends, savory trail mixes and more.

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The box arrives with an awesome photograph of a fig- all close up and personal on the inside of the cover. My stomach is already grumbling. Then I see my super awesome Welcome Card which not only says “Hey, Welcome, You’re Great” and so on, but also has cool stickers and customized tags!

And of course, the nutritional information! I’m big on eating healthy, natural and staying away from processed and artificial foods. So, I skimmed through the ingredients and took a quick calorie peek and then proceeded to actually check out my snacks!

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My box came with HoneyComb FlapJacks, Apple Crumble, Smoky Gazpacho Dip and Pomodoro Rustichella mix; the perfect combination of sweet, salty and savory. Kevin’s box (not pictured as it was consumed in approximately 3.6 minutes) included the Summer Berry FlapJack, Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl (soooo good!), Lightly Toasted Pistachios and also, the Pomodoro Rustichella as well.

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I can say off the bat that the Flapjacks are like a fresh, delicious granola chewy bar and I would definitely take them over a packaged pre-made granola bar; the Apple Crumble and Blueberry Swirl fruity mixes were just taste-bud mind blowing, hitting my craving for both sweets and fruit. The Pomodoro mix was dynamite and I was definitely happy it came in both boxes. My only ‘eh’ options were the Pistachios, as they were just very basic, and the Gazpacho Dip is a little odd at first, and takes a few dips to grow on you.

For $5 per week, every other week, or once a month, I am totally sticking with Graze. I’m updating my selections now for my next box, and I’m not even sure if I can wait another 3 weeks!

xo, Kenzie

BuluBox 50% Off!

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Interested in BuluBox but don’t want to pay full price? Now is your chance! Until the end of July (July 30th, to be exact) you can buy a deal at Plum District

 Plus, shipping is free! Woohoo

Sign up here after you purchase the deal!

xo, Kenzie

Peckish ~ July 2013

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Since I was so fond of Peckish last month, I decided to order it again (and paid the full $14.99 for it!). However, I switched up the type of box that I recieved from the Energy Box to the Sweet Tooth Box. As you’ll notice in a few more reviews I have coming out shortly, I must have been craving fruit, chocolate and sugar this month because many of my boxes were sweet!

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As usual, they used a cute simple brown box, and once you popped it open it had an image with “From the Earth To Your Desk” along with the nutiritional information and details card. They have such simple, yet attractive and earthy packaging.

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Now, onto the goods! Each month Peckish sends you  three assorted items, and since last time I had a mix of sweet, salty and savory (click here to see my last review so you can see what may be included in an Energy Booster Box) I was beyond excited for my fruity, sweet selections this month in the Sweet Tooth box!

The three included were: Sweet Americana (can you say perfect for a July box!), Sweet & Tart, and Rise of the Almond Queen. This box is an in-between in terms of surprise: you don’t get completely surprised, and you don’t get to choose all three items included, but you do have a general sense of what may be included… However,  it’s as if they read my mind and knew exactly what to give me!

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Sweet Americana is simple and delicious, while also patriotic: it’s a combination of raspberries, blueberries and bananas, all dried and ready for snacking! When I say simple, I mean if you look at the list of ingredients, those are the only three ingredients… no sugar, preservatives, etc. Yay!

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Sweet & Tart mixes the sweet and healthiness of fruit with a bit of chocolate and the protein of nuts! Made with Almonds (I think they’re Marcona- spanish almonds, but not definite), dried  pineapple, and chocolate chip bits, this is sure to curb every craving regardless of what you’re fiending.

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Rise of the Almond Queen is adequately named for the amount of delicious almonds that are included in it! While the base to this mix may be almonds, there are also coconut chips/shavings and chocolate chip bits as well. This is a good combination, for you get all the protein and nutrition you need, while also feeding your sweet tooth (and a change from the fruity blends).

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Fun fact: these mixes are all 160 Calories or less per serving, with Sweet Americana weighing in at only 80 Calories per serving. So not only are you getting fresh ingredients without preservatives, but they’re also good for you and the perfect alternative to a bag of chips or cookie with lunch.

Only downside was that I didn’t get a free sample this month 😦

What am I hoping for in next months box? Right now, I’m feeling: Strawberry Banana Sundae, PB&J or Tropical Island (again- I got it in last months box… amazinggg!) But then again, I wouldn’t mind getting any of these as repeats because they were THAT good. Props to you, Peckish Co.

xo, Kenzie

BuluBox Weightloss ~ June 2013

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Hi all! I’m going to apologize in advance for the delay.. I received about 4 boxes all on the same day, and then another stack of boxes a few days later so this post got a bit delayed! And for my chipped nail polish from when I originally took these pictures!

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BuluBox is unique because it combines workout and diet supplements with some healthy snacks and lifestyle items. And now, it’s one of my favorite boxes! Why? Because it’s not expensive… seriously it’s $10 per month, shipping included, for 3-6 awesome products to try out! Plus they always have promotions going on like getting your first box for free or $5 off.

I know I got my first box FREE by using promo code HEALTHYCAREER or INSPIRED or HE6CB2 (if any of these don’t work anymore feel free to let me know)

Now, there’s even the BuluBox Weight Loss option which is the one I chose! This month’s theme was “Let’s Party” in honor of their 1st birthday/anniversary as a company! And let me say, it was a great box… they even included a post card that showed all the items with some details and information:

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Now onto the items…

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I don’t often use probiotics, so I can’t really say that this one worked or not… because it was only a sample pack with two pills. The packaging was pretty decieiving, showing a 30 capsule supplement when we only got two pills! However, the brand has a good rep so if the price was right, I would look into it.

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This interests me and weirds me out all at the same time… EatGreenTea.com Organic Edible Green Tea. This is definitely getting blended into a smoothie or mixed up in my yogurt/oatmeal to give it a try! If it has 30 cups worth of antioxidants, energy and health benefits of green tea, I’m interested.

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BlueCetin Hangover Protection… enough said, they got my attention, and this will be used ASAP!

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I’m really into thermogenics and weight loss supplements (not psycho weight-loss pills, but just natural or energy-boosting pills that give you that extra push) and so I’m excited to give the Shapeology BurnBlends a try! Anyone have luck/positive results with them so far?

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Last but definitely not least: FlapJacked Protein Pancake Mix in Apple Cinnamon! Yum! I was just making pancakes the other day trying to avoid putting any flour or sugar (basically blending oats, bananas, eggs and flax together) and I wish i had this instead! Would have definitely made things easier, plus it looks and seems delicious.

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And… here’s it all tied together! My favorites being the FlapJacked Protein Pancake Mix and the BluCetin Hangover Protector.

Interested in Signing Up for BuluBox or BuluBox Weight Loss? Use my Referral Link!

Can’t wait for next months surprises!

xo, Kenzie

Taste Trunk ~ New Subscription Box & Promo Code!

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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! 

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xo, Kenzie

Peckish ~ June 2013

I am in Trail Mix/Snacking heaven! Peckish is this great company that offers a snacking subscription box every week, every other week, or every month, all based on your preference! The pricing of $14.99 (including tax and shipping!) stays the … Continue reading