Hepp's Salt Passport Collection

Salt is something you'll find in pretty much every kitchen. Even people who don't use salt in cooking probably have some sitting around for guests who want to add salt at the table.

Some people have more than one kind of salt. Perhaps it's a flavored salt. Perhaps it's bigger flakes. Perhaps it's canning salt. And then some other people have a lot of salts.

This passport collection from Hepp's Salt is perfect for people who want to explore different salts, but who don't want to commit to large quantities. It would also be a sweet gift if you have a friend who likes to cook.

The jars are small, but since these are meant as finishing salts, there's enough for several recipes or many plates of food. So they're not just tasters. There's enough to use. And then when you decide that you love the lemon salt but the ghost pepper salt is too scary, you can order just the salts you love the most.

Not only is this a fun collection, the packaging is nice, too. The box holds the little jars neatly and the cover slides on to keep them secure. I could imagine using the jars and the box afterwards for other things. Maybe spices. Maybe crafty things.

My favorite was the lemon, which is nice on a lot of things. Salad, fish, vegetables. The black lava makes a pretty presentation. Imagine it sprinkled on shortbread cookies or eggs. The Thai ginger was different. I've tried flavored salts before, but I don't think I've ever seen a ginger salt.

All of the salts were interesting, though. I loved some more than others, but that's kind of the point of a collection like this. You get a chance to try before you buy the big bottles.

I got these at no cost to me from Hepp's Salt. Besides these salts, they have others that aren't part of this collection. They also have flavored sugars. Yum.

True Made Sauces

My dad wasn't a particularly demanding guy, when it came to food. Whatever my mom cooked, he was happy with. It helped that she was a pretty good cook, but he was also pretty chill about whatever got put on the table.

I can only think of three times when he said anything negative about food. The first was the great rant about ketchup on a hot dog. The short version is that hot dogs are sausages, and you put mustard on sausage. Ketchup is for burgers and meat loaf.

The second time was when my mom tried instant mashed potatoes. Let's just say that she didn't buy them a second time.

The third was not at all my mom's fault. He read somewhere that a ketchup manufacturer was using sugar beet pulp to help thicken their ketchup. This was well before there were GMOs, and he had nothing in particular against sugar (which he put into his coffee) or sugar beets, when used as a sweetener. What he didn't like was the pulp. It was an impostor!

Prior to this horror, ketchup was thickened using tomato pulp. Allegedly. According to my dad. But I don't actually know for sure. I just remember him being all mad about sugar beet pulp that was being substituted for tasty tomatoes.

The reason this comes to mind is that the nice folks at True Made sent me a selection of their sauces. There was barbecue sauce, ketchup, and sriracha. The labels make a point of saying that these are vegetable sauces, which I thought was kind of odd because I didn't expect to find meat in my ketchup. But their point, really, is that they use a selection of vegetables to make these sauces, and they don't include sugar. Or no sugar beets, I guess. Which would have made my dad really happy. The ketchup label lists tomatoes, butternut squash, carrots, and spinach.

To be honest, I wouldn't have noticed that these were so vegetable-forward if the information wasn't on the label. Which is a good thing. I like it when my food tastes like it's supposed to, and the healthy aspect is just there, in the background.

If you're looking for tasty and less sugary condiments, these are worth a look. If you're not stuck on particular brands and you like trying different flavors, for sure give 'em a try when you see them.

Why, yes. I did get these at no cost to me.

Degusta Box February 2019

Another month, another box of goodies from Degusta Box. They send me a box every month, at no cost, so I can tell you all about it.

The theme for this month's box was ... hmmm ... I'm not sure. There were some Mexican-related items, but there were others as well. In any case, here's how it went:

Manitou Trading Company Truffle, Parmesan and Black Garlic Seasoning
Okay, I'll admit it. I've been sniffing at this stuff like a bloodhound. Or maybe a truffle dog. I haven't used it yet, but this would be excellent on popcorn. Or chicken, I think. Or anywhere that truffle, parmesan and black garlic would play well. Oh! On potatoes! That would be awesome. So anyway, it's a standard size spice jar full of yum.

Manitou Trading Company Piri Piri Sauce Starter
This is a pouch that you'd use to make a piri piri sauce - which means "pepper pepper" in Swahili - that can then be used for cooking, sauces, dressings, and dips. I haven't tried this yet, but I've had piri piri sauces before. Tasty stuff.

Just Add Guacamole Quick Mix
This was interesting. It's a powder that you add to two avocados when you're making guacamole. It add flavor, but it also helped to keep the guacamole from browning, so it can sit out at a party and not get all brown before the night is over.

Raindrops Candy Taco
This was candy in the shape of a taco. It was a bit much for me, so I passed it along to someone else. It looked interesting, though, and one would be plenty to share.

PB Fit
I've had this stuff before. It's powdered peanut butter with the fat removed. You can make fat-free peanut butter by adding some water to it, or you can add the powder to smoothies or baked goods or wherever you want peanut flavor. They sent three pouches, which is enough to see if you like it before you commit to a big jar.

Sourdough Craft Beer Pretzel Rings
Hey. they're pretzels, Ring-shaped. And they include malted barley and some hops. Good for snacking. I thought they were particularly good with a little smear of pimento cheese. But I'm weird like that.

BeanSmash!
These are little cups with dehydrated refried beans. You just add boiling water or you add tap water and then microwave it. Then wait and stir. Admittedly, these weren't the best refried beans I've ever eaten, but those take hours. These were ready in no time. When I need a lot of refried beans, I'll probably spend the time with them, but when I want just a little for a few tacos or a side for a single meal, or when I'm craving beans and chips, these make sense. They sent two of these in different flavors, but I've only tried the cheesy one so far.

PopCorners
I freaking LOVE these things after getting my first sample from Degusta Box, and I've gone on to buy them several times. They're triangle-shaped, like a tortilla chop, but they taste like popcorn. The ones they sent this time were spicy queso flavor which was pretty darned good.

Emmy's Organics Coconut Cookies
And here it is, the item with coconut. I really wish coconut wasn't so trendy, since it's showing up everywhere. But hey, other people like coconut, so I found a good home for these cookies. I'm sure they were good. Just not my thing.

So there we go. Lots of stuff, lots of winners. And, no, you can't have my PopCorners. As I mentioned up top, I get these boxes from Degusta Box every month, at no cost to me. Yum.

Degusta Box January 2019

It's a new year, and I'm still getting a free boxes of goodies from Degusta Box every month, so I can tell you all about the stuff in the box. They want you to see what you could get if you subscribe. I'm okay with that.

So here we go.


Chocolate Frey
Hey, Frey, it's a chocolate bar! The difference here is that the bar is more than 25 percent nuts, so you get a lot of nuts in every bite. Edging closer to chocolate covered nuts than a chocolate bar with bits of nuts. And I'm totally fine with that. Totally.


Partners Crackers
Slow-baked crackers. Yum. I love crackers. The ones I got were flavored with olive oil and sea salt. So ... not really strong flavors which is perfect when I'm looking for something to serve with a flavorful cheese and I don't want clashing herbs. I've had these crackers before, and they're pretty danged good.


Idahoan Foods
Instant mashed potatoes, here. Flavored versions. I got cheddar and sour cream as well as smokey cheese and bacon. I used instant mashed potatoes in bread but they're also useful as a thickener for soups and stews. I haven't tried the one with bacon yet, but it sounds pretty interesting. I'm thinking about using it to make a loaded baked potato soup. Sounds good, right?


MaraNatha
They sent almond butter snack packets, little single serve goodies that would be good as is or spread on a cracker or with fruit. I got one each of dark chocolate, coconut, and caramel. I've never seen these little packs in the store, but I've seen jars. But if you're sticking something into your purse or backpack, these make a lot more sense than a jar, right?


Vitabella
Breakfast strawberry pillows. Hmmm. These are like a rice breakfast cereal, or maybe a snack. I think I'd opt for a snack. There was also a chocolate version that went into some boxes. This wasn't my favorite concept in the box, but it's certainly different.


La Tortilla Factory (low carb version)
I've bought this brand of tortillas many times, but I've never seen the low-carb version (or more likely, I just didn't look for them) so it's good to know they exist, even though I'm not following a low-carb lifestyle. Because you never know when I might decide to so that, right? These are also high in fiber, so that's a good thing for most of us.


Michel et Augustin cookie squares
Oooh, cookie squares. These were baked in France and had chocolate and hazelnuts. Yum. I like chocolate and hazelnuts! These were wee little things, so not a big calorie commitment, so they were nice as that little sweet thing after dinner without being an actual big dessert.


Lundberg Family Farms grounded snacks
Described as "baked grain bites" I'm not even sure how to describe these. They were flavored with vanilla and chai flavors, so they're an interesting crunchy snack. I know Lundberg Farms from their grain products, like rice for cooking, so I guess it makes sense that they're using their grains to make ready-made products as well.


Smashmallow
The name might not be familiar, but the product should be very recognizable. This is a crispy rice treat bar thingie. In a single-serve package. But with a twist, because these had flavors. I got one that was cinnamon churro and one that was strawberries and cream. If you like those crispy treats, these are worth a peek.


Sweet Baby Ray's hot sauce
I know this brand from their barbecue sauce, but this time I got a hot sauce. Apparently this is a new product for them and they say it's got aged cayenne, which is something I've never heard of. I haven't opened it yet because I like to limit the number of open hot sauces in the fridge, but I'll be cracking it open soon. It sounds intriguing, yes? Besides getting a bottle of this hot sauce, there was also a coupon for a free bottle of hot sauce, so this was kind of a two-fer. Sweet!

Why, yes, I do get a free box of goodies from Degusta Box every month.

Pamela's Products

Pamela's Products makes gluten-free mixes and ingredients and finished goods as well, and they sent me a big box of stuff to try.

I passed along the few items that had coconut in them (coconut just isn't my thing, but I have friends who are more than happy to take them off my hands), then moved quickly into tasting the cookies. Because, well, cookies.

I'm not gluten-free, but I'm always interested in trying what's out there. While the cookies weren't the absolute best I've ever eaten, they were tasty. I liked the shortbreads, the best, but the others (chocolate mint, chocolate chunk, and chocolate chunk with walnuts) were good, too. For folks who can't have wheat flour, these would be a good option.

Among the bags of ingredients, there was almond flour, which is something that I often use, and tiger nut flour, which I've never used before. That's the best of both worlds - the familiar and the new. I haven't open the tiger nut flour yet, but the almond flour made its way into cookies pretty quickly.

Overall, it was a fun box of stuff to try, and I was able to share goodies with a friend who avoids gluten, so that's always a plus.

Being totally honest, I don't think I'll be buying gluten free cookies for myself, but I appreciate that Pamela's Products makes them for folks who need them. Apparently their pancake mix is a best seller, if you're looking for that, and even if you don't avoid gluten, things like almond flour can come in handy if you bake a lot.

Meanwhile, I need to figure out what I'm going to do with that tiger nut flour. I'm sure it will be amusing.

Why yes, I did get this stuff for free.

Pereg Gourmet Zahtar

Pereg Gourmet sells a whole bunch of spices, and this time they sent me a free sample of their zahtar (sometimes spelled zatar or za'atar) which is a Middle Eastern spice blend. It can be used as an at-the-table seasoning, or for cooking.

Like many blends, the ingredients can vary, depending on who is making it, so if you've tried one zahtar, it's worth it to look around and see what others have to offer. This version include hyssop parsley, sesame seeds, chickpea flour, coriander, olive oil, salt, and citric acid.

The flavor is unique, and a little hard to describe, but somehow it reminds of of pizza. Interestingly, one of the suggested uses is to sprinkle it on pizza, but I think I'd be more likely to use it on hummus or pita bread.

The jar from Pereg Gourmet was larger than I expected (5.3 ounces), which isn't a bad thing, particularly for a spice that you will use on the table and in the kitchen.

Pereg Gourmet makes a lot of different spice mixes along with selling single spices, so if zahtar isn't on your must-have list, it's a sure bet you'll find something you have to have.

I got this spice for free, and I've gotten spices from them previously, as well.

MustKetch

Nope, this isn't something that you have to catch. It's the tasty, saucey child of ...

... drumroll, please ...

Mustard and Ketchup.

When I got the pitch about this product, they talked about how Chicago folks don't use ketchup on hot dogs, but you could use this stuff instead.

I thought that was kind of funny, but perhaps it's true. Perhaps.

I got to sample three versions of MustKetch, the original, the zesty, and the smoky. It's hard to describe this stuff. At one moment, it's like a mustardy ketchup. The it's like a tomato-y mustard. It's different. And kind of orangy-red.

You're saying to yourself that you can just grab ketchup and then mustard and add them separately. Well, sure, you could do that. But this is somehow more than just a blend of two condiments. It has become it's own condiment, if that makes any sense.

So far, I've just used this on burgers and sausages, but I think it would be pretty awesome on a meatloaf sandwich. I'm also thinking about using it as a glaze on meat. The smoky, in particular, is on my list for slathering on pork. Maybe even ribs. Or for adding to a stew, perhaps.

Yup, is might actually be a must catch.

Hehe. I'm funny. But looks aren't everything.

By the way, I did get this at no cost to me. Freebie in mah belly.

DiSaronno wears Trussardi

When they holidays come, it's a sure bet that liquor stores will have displays of a variety of products that are fit for celebrating or for gifting. Some of the most interesting are the limited-edition boxed products, some of which include extras, like fancy glasses.

When the nice folks at DiSaronno emailed me about their limited edition bottles, covered with a design by a fashion designer, I thought, well, sure, I'll take a free sample.

I've loved DiSaronno for a long time. It's great over ice, and there are plenty of cocktails where it fits the glass, too. It's sweet and a little nutty, and it has a nice warmth without being harsh. While I normally think if it as a winter drink, I've also seen it used in an "Italian Margarita" which included lime juice for a refreshing, summery cocktail.

Luckily, the bottles I got were full and not just samples of the design. Lucky, lucky me, right? Not only did I get a single boxed bottle, but also a set that included some pretty glasses, and some three packs of little bottles that would make awesome stocking stuffers. Look for 'em next time you're shopping for beverages - they'd all be darned easy to wrap.

Trussardi is an Italian fashion house, so it's a good pair for the liquor, and the colors are interesting with bright yellow, bright and light pink, pale blue, and orange, among other colors. My inner hippie approves. These are not your usual Christmas colors, so it will look good behind the bar long after the tree is kindling and the presents are no longer new and shiny.

Why yes, I did get these at no cost to me.

Stillhouse Whiskey

Oooooh, lookie here. It's hand packed for ME.

What could it possibly be?

Does it get any better? Okay, sampling is better. The smaller metal flask contains black bourbon that's been "mellowed in coffee beans." I didn't notice a coffee flavor, but this was definitely mellow. No harsh flavor. Smoooooooth. It would be great neat or over ice, but I'll admit that I've been spiking eggnog with it.

Since it's not actually flavored, you could use this in any cocktail that uses bourbon. I'd suggest something where the flavor comes through.

The Apple Crisp Whiskey is corn whiskey infused with apple crisp whiskey. It's got a nice green apple flavor and it's just slightly sweet. Not super sweet, but just slightly. So it would be good for mixing into fruity cocktails. I'm thinking perhaps something with a little lemon or orange. Maybe a bit of cinnamon.

Hush, I'm thinking here.

So many cocktail ideas. So many.

But it could also work well all by itself, over ice.

Wait, could I make a margarita with this? It's not tequila, obviously, but it would pair well with lime. Oh, the possibilities!

The Apple Crisp Whiskey came in a box that would be nice for gifting, and included two shotglasses, plus a pourer that fits the metal flask. Aside from being a unique container, the metal flask and metal accessories also makes this whole thing a lot more sturdy for gifting and sending. If it drops, nothing's going to break.

This is a fairly new company founded in 2016. They've got a bunch of other flavors, too, including spiced cherry (yum), mint chip (yum) and coconut (the dreaded coconut!)

I'll be looking for these at the liquor store. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying my free samples.

Dave's Sweet Tooth Toffee

One of my favorite candies is toffee. It's just sooooo good. So when the folks at Dave's Sweet Tooth asked me if I wanted samples, I said "heck no."

No, I'm kidding. Of course I said yes.

This stuff is really good.

The toffee was the perfect texture. Crisp and crunchy, but not so hard that you feel like you're going to crack a tooth. And the flavors were nice.

I'll be honest. I was a tad skeptical about the pumpkin spice, but I was very happy munching on it. The warm spices work well with the chocolate and sweetness. Nothing to complain about here.

But ... I think my favorites were the traditional milk and dark chocolate, along with the coffee toffee. Or maybe I just like saying coffee toffee. Coffeeeee tofffffeeee.

You can order these either in plastic jars or in bags that sort of look like jars. I think I like the bags better. The jars seem sturdier at first glance, but the toffee moved around in the jar and smudged the inside, so it wasn't particularly pretty. The same thing probably happened inside the packages, but you couldn't see it.

Then again, if you need some plastic jars for storage, they could be a pretty good option.

Oh, and these aren't all the flavors. So go check 'em out. Great stocking stuffers. Or stuffers for people who are stuffing stockings.

I got these at no cost to me from Dave's Sweet Tooth.

Spiced Ghee

Ghee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee heeee he eeeeeeeee

It's just a fun word. It's butter that has been heated and the solids have been removed so you've got the clarified pure fat that's just a bit toasty. Sure, you can do it yourself, but it's easy to buy these days, too.

One of the cool things about ghee is that although it's made from butter, it doesn't have to be kept refrigerated. You can, if you want, to but you could also tuck it into a convenient cabinet or store it in your pantry.

I recently got a sample pack of spiced ghee from Pure Indian Foods. Interestingly, one of them was called Italian ghee, and it smelled a bit like oregano, but it also had rosemary and thyme. I can imagine using it for toasting gnocchi or other pastas, or for vegetables.

The garlic ghee was appropriately garlicky. I used it on some roasted cauliflower, but it would be pretty awesome for sauteeing shrimp or chicken. Of course, there's always the very obvious garlic bread. Herbs de provence ghee was pretty self-explanatory. Lots of uses for that.

Digestive ghee smelled vaguely minty to me, but the ingredients listed cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. Hmmm. This could be good in a dessert, perhaps. Speaking of dessert, the Indian dessert ghee included fennel, cardamom, and saffron. That could be good in shortbread cookies, Or maybe just on toast.

Last, we have Niter Kibbeh ghee, which for sure I've never heard of. It had cardamom, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and nutmeg. Each jar has suggested uses, and this one suggests using it for a curry. I could see that.

The sample pack included small jars, so this would be an awesome stocking stuffer or part of a hostess gift. Or, you know, if you want to taste a bunch of flavored ghees before committing to a larger jar of one of them.

I got these at no cost to me.

Horseshoe Brand Hot Sauces

My relationship with spicy foods is interesting. I don't eat spicy foods all the time, but when I start, I go a little crazy. Spice on everything!

The nice people at Horseshoe Brand sent me some samples of their hot sauces just in time to scratch my spicy itch. I got four bottles, but they've got a LOT more flavors. Which is very cool.

Different peppers have different flavors and different types of heat. And different amounts of heat, too. So, just the choice of peppers makes a difference.

And then they add other flavors, like garlic or kiwi. Some of the sauces are smoother and some have bits of stuff. And there are a ton of different colors of sauces, so you can pick the perfect one to be the right garnish for whatever you're making.

To be honest, I'm kind of enamored with these. They're spicy, but the flavor really comes through. They're not so spicy that one drop is too much. And the multitude of flavors and colors made me happy.

Horseshoe Brand is a small company, and these are said to be handcrafted, and these taste like it. There's just ... something ... about them that made them really appealing. I'm slurping my way through the ones they sent me, and there's a darned good chance I'll be ordering some as well, or seeking them out at my local stores that carry the brand, like Whole Foods.

They also seem to have barbecue sauce, but I haven't had a chance to try those yet. The hot sauces, though ... yum.

Yup, I got these fer free. I'm lucky like that.

Davidson's Organic Tea: Chai

Want chai?

Davidson's Organic Tea recently sent me samples of three of their chai teas, along with a sweet mug. Yes, that's a ginormous mug. And there's a fox inside. Yup.

But back to the chai.

To be honest, I'm not sure what makes tea chai or not chai, but I'm okay with that. They called these chai. I drank. Job done.

They sent Cardamom Macchiato, S'mores Chai, and Pumpkin Chai. All three were quite different from the usual teas that are, well, tea leaves or "tea" that is actually herbs and stuff.

The Cardamom Macciato included coffee beans, among other things; the S'mores Chai included marshmallow and chocolate, and the Pumpkin Chai included pumpkin flakes and caramel.

Which was the best? Yeah, that's personal taste, but I think the S'mores might have been the winner for me, although I wouldn't turn down any of 'em.

These would be great stocking stuffers for anyone you know who likes tea and who has already tried all the ones at the grocery store. Or, you know, grab yourself a ginormous mug and settle in on a cool evening to enjoy some chai.

Why, yes, I did get these from Davidson't Tea at no cost to me.

American Heritage Chocolate

Seriously, if someone asks me if I want samples of their chocolate, there's only one sane answer.

Yes, I want to sample your chocolate. Send it now.

I'm not exactly sure why this chocolate is historic or heritage, but the website says it's made from authentic heritage recipes. So there you go.

This wasn't just plain chocolate, there was a bit of a spice component - maybe cinnamon? Some kind of warm spices were in there, for sure.

While these are great as-is, if you want to cook with them, I think they'd work well in Mexican recipes where you want the earthy spices but not the chile flavors. Or, you know, just snack on them. Or chop them up and use them like chocolate chips in cookies. Or use the drink mix as a substitute for cocoa in recipes.

These would also be nice stocking stuffers for people who like to try different types of chocolate. Yup, it's that time of year. Stuff the stockings!

Did I mention that I got these at no cost? Yup.

Goya Olive Oil

Them: Do you want to sample our olive oils?

Me: Yup.

The company was Goya, who I'm very familiar with, and I've used their olive oils before. I'm a fiend for olive oil, and I love sampling different ones, so I was curious about what they were sending.

The clear bottle with extra virgin olive oil is readily available at my grocery store, so it was a good baseline oil. This is the one I'd use mostly for cooking. Not over super-high heat, but for pretty much everything else.

Then there was an organic premium and an ultra premium.

I have to say that none of these were bad, but they were all different from each other. Yes, I actually did sample all of them. The ultra premium was my favorite of the three. This is the oil you use when you want to taste the oil. Like when you're drizzling it over fresh tomatoes or using it for dipping bread.

The premium was nice, too. I'd be happy to use it on salads or drizzled over vegetables and in other situations where the oil is a flavor component, but it's not the primary focus of the dish.

Yup, three nice Goya olive oils. One of the bottles is already empty. Did I mention that I use a lot of olive oil?

I received these at no cost to me.

Degustabox - October 2018

Yup, they just keep sending these boxes, month after month. Free snacks!

This month's box didn't have an announced theme, but it seemed rather Halloweenish. Like, if kids actually came to my house on Halloween, there were lots of things in the box that I could give them. If I hadn't eaten them first.

Oh well. Sorry kiddies. I had fun.

Brown & Haley's
Caramel Roca! If you've had almond roca, you pretty much know what this is, but this has a browned-buttery caramel flavor. This was a bag of wrapped candies, so it wasn't really appropriate for Halloween giving as it was packaged. Too bad, kids, this one is all mine. Bwaa ha ha!

Pirate's Booty
When I unpacked the box, I though, okay, more popcorn. But it's not. It's actually baked corn and rice puffs with a white cheddar flavor. Duh. These might be okay for Halloween giving, but there were only three bags, and now just two. Seems silly to have two of something in case there are four kids at the door. Sorry, kids. I'll be crunching these.

Bahlsen Waffeletten
These seem to be what some of my European friends refer to as wafer rolls. There's a crisp waffle-like cookie thing that rolled up and introduced to some chocolate. I picture these being eaten with coffee or tea while admiring the countryside. Maybe a castle off to the left. Or, you know, they're nice snacking cookie things. No way am I going to give a kid a whole box of cookies. Also, it's open now, so ... hmmm. I guess these are mine, too.

SunSpire
Peanut butter chips. You know, like chocolate chips, but made with peanut butter instead of chocolate. I didn't open this yet, but I have ideas. Maybe chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. Or oatmeal cookies with peanut butter chips. Too bad trick or treaters don't like home made goodies.

Bush's Best
Crisp roasted chickpeas. I've made these before, and they're a lovely snack that's not terrible for you, since they're full of fiber and not super fatty. Having them show up in a handy package is nice. I buy a LOT of Bush's products and they're always high quality, but usually I'm buying canned beans. This is an interesting addition to their product line. The ones I got were Sriracha Lime. Would kids like these for Halloween? Too LATE! (oopsie)

Garoto
This was interesting. Most of the package was not in English, so I wasn't sure what it was. It was a small roll candy with chocolate on the outside and a dense caramel-like interior with banana flavor. I've never had these before, and I've never even seen them before, so it was interesting to try. Happy Halloween to me. There was just one piece, and now it's gone.

Sixlets
I got one bag of chocolately Sixlets and one bag of chewy fruity ones. They're round candies with the choco ones in primary colors and the fruity ones with a glimmer-dust look. A bag of these would be nice for a Halloween witch at my door, but I had to taste test, so ... none left for the kids. Oh well, I guess I'll just keep looking.

Tastykake
I got one slice of a yellow cake with chocolate frosting and a three-pack of Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes. The yellow cake was just a little sweet for my taste, but still good. The Kandy Kakes seemed a little less sweet, maybe because of the peanut butter inside. There was also a little cakey layer, so it wasn't quite as dense as a peanut butter cup. Would kids like these for Halloween? I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter because they don't seem to be here any more.

Welches Fruit Snacks
I've had these before, but now there are new flavors like pomegranate-passionfruit or goji-apricot. Made from real fruit. Probably good for you. To be honest, I don't tend to reach for things like this often enough to want to keep a whole bag of them here, so I passed them along to someone else. For some strange reason, now I'm craving grape juice.

Idahoan Foods
Steakhouse Potato soup in a bag. Hmmmm. So, this arrived on the day that the weather went from nice to "oh heck, it's really cold now" so I decided to make this. It couldn't be easier. I just boiled water, added the contents of the package, and cooked for about 5 minutes. Then it was supposed to rest for another five, and it thickened a bit during that rest. During cold weather, I make a lot of soups from scratch, so I don't know how often I'd use something like this, but it would be handy to have for emergency soup days. There was more than enough for a couple meals, so on the second day I added cheese. I was tempted to add some hot sauce, but refrained. Needless to say, I'm not offering bowls of soup to trick or treaters.

Oh well, I still have the empty box.

I get these boxes delivered at no cost to me every month, so I can tell you all about 'em. Ain't I the lucky one?