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.

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?

Degustabox September 2018

Where does the time go? 

It's September, so it's time for another Degustabox. As you know, they send me these boxes at no cost to me, so I can tell you all about the contents.

The theme of this box was Lunchbox, which I guess is all about back-to-school lunches.

I usually ate the school lunch because that was easier for mom and I wasn't a picky eater, but these days I make my own lunch. How about you? Eat out or eat in?

So, here we go!


Hippeas
Not tie-dyed food, but these are like cheesy puffs, but made from chickpeas instead of corn, like those big brands I'm sure you know. They're not exactly the same, but there's an appealing crunch along with additional flavor. I got one bag with cheddar and one with a hickory barbecue flavor that was totally different. Everyone sing with me! Allll we are saying ... give chickpeas a chance ...

Handfulls Crrrunch Bites
If these were in the snack bowl, you might not know what the heck they are. They're almonds covered with a mesquite-flavored rice cracker. Lots of crunch-worthy snacking. It's an interesting idea, yes?

GoCo Crunchy Coconut Bites
Ah, here's the coconut! It's so popular, but it's one of the few things I don't like, so I had to pass these along to someone else. I should really start liking coconut. It's everywhere!

The Chia Company
This is chia in a little package that you can take with you to add to your smoothie or salad, or keep it at home to add to recipes. Convenient, if you like chia.

SunRype
Fruit strip snacks. Mmmmm, snacks. These are 100 percent fruit unless you get one that has veggies, but there's no chocolate, nuts, sugar, salt, fillers, or car parts. So you get your fruit serving in a handly snack that you can shove in your desk drawer for that day when lunch wasn't as good as you hoped and the vending machine has eaten all your quarters.

The Better Chip
Ah, yes, tortilla chips. These have herbs and vegetables mixed in rather than stuff dusted on top, so your fingers won't be suspiciously orange after you eat them. Like, for example, jalapeno and cilantro. Not like beets and tarragon. Wait, maybe they do have that flavor. But probably not.

Marions's Kitchen meal kits
General Tso and Kung Pao kits include most of what you need to make a meal. Of course you have to add the protein and fresh vegetables, but this makes it pretty easy to whip up a dinner on a busy night when the last thing you want to do is raid the spice drawer and measure a dozen different things.

Mighty Spark food company
Basically, these are chicken sausage snacks with flavoring like cranberries and jalapeno. Great if you prefer your snacks to be more about savory protein than crunchy carbs.

Bauducco chocolate wafers
Three-layered chocolate wafer cookies. Do I really need to say more? These are made in the US and don't have any artificial colors or preservatives.

Tigertail mustard
I've had Tigertail mustard before, but this is mustard in a metal squeeze tube. Besides taking less space in the fridge and being an easy way to dispense, less of the product is exposed to oxygen after you open in, so I'm guessing it will stay fresher, longer.

PB Crave
Peanut butter sweetened with honey, and maybe with some flavorings. I'll be honest here. I'm a peanut butter purist, and tend to like it without extra flavors. Honey is nice, though. Can't argue with that.

Idahoan Foods instant mashed potatoes
I always keep instant mashed potatoes on hand, but I seldom use them to make mashed potatoes. Instead, I add them to bread recipes. Normally I use unflavored versions, but the cheesy flavors would be really nice in bread. They're also good for thickening soups or gravy. Sneaky, eh?

Marquis Citrus Yuzu energy drink
I've been avoiding energy drinks since the last time one of them kept me awake for half the night, so I had to pass this one along to someone else. Yuzu is an Asian citrus fruit that's something like lemon, but not quite. Sounds tasty.

Garden of Life clean protein bars
A to-go snack or emergency desk ration for folks who are eating clean and want more protein than carbs. I haven't tried this one yet, but it's set aside for later.

So there we go. Another month, another box. And as I said, I get these at no cost from Degustabox. Munch, munch.