Graze Box Openings and Review

Graze is a new healthy snack subscription service that delivers a box of 4 different snacks to your home or office once a week. Each box costs $5 and when you try the service you get your first and fifth weeks for free. It's so new that right now it's invitation only. There are lots of invitation codes out there but each member is limited to how many invitations they can give out. I think I have one left at my invitation code: 9V1G62J

What I like about Graze is that you can customize your boxes. They have over 100 different types of snacks in categories such as Dips & Dippers, Flapjacks (Granola bars essentially), Savory Snacks, A Touch of Chocolate, Healthy Treats, Pure Fruit, Whole Nuts, Pure Fruit Nuts & Seeds and Super Seeds. You can vote on each snack by choosing Trash if you don't want it, Try if you want to try it, Like if you think it's okay and Love if you adore it and want it again.

I went through all of the snacks before I got my first box and trashed anything I knew I didn't want to try. For example, I don't like Pistachios so I got rid of any Pistachio treats. I tried to keep an open mind and want to try as many as possible. As I get each box, I go back to my box's page (yes each of your boxes has it's own page, sort of like Birchbox) and I rate if I Liked it, Loved It or don't want it again, aka Trash. So far I have Liked or Loved everything I tried.

You can also customize your deliveries by choosing a Nibble Box or a Light Box. A Light box would only include low calorie treats whereas a Nibble box could include everything. If you are Vegan or have allergies to Gluten or Dairy, you can also customize based on your diet. Each box is a surprise but the customization helps for sure.

Below I am sharing my first boxes and each of the snacks and what I thought of them. I hope you'll give Graze a try! I am NOT sponsored by them and I only got some discounts based on their starter promotion and getting $1 off a box for each person I invite who joins the service. So basically these opinions are my own.

My only complaint about these boxes is that they take a while to arrive and there is no tracking because they are shipped via USPS ground. They are packed over the weekend and you have to set your ratings by Friday if you want to Trash anything and don't want it showing up in your next box. I usually get them on a Thursday or the following Monday.

 This is how the boxes arrive. I peeled off the label with my address for privacy.

My first box!

 Each box comes with a nutritional pamphlet, invitation codes and a 100% recycled napkin!

 Summer Berry Detox: Blueberries, Goji Berries, Golden Raisins and Cranberries

LOVE!

Cookies and Cream: Mini chocolate cookies, Roasted Hazelnuts, White Chocolate Wafers and Sunflower Seeds

LOVE!

 El Picante: Jumbo salted corn, hot chili peanuts and mini paprika breasticks

LOVE!

 Fruit & Seed Flapjacks

I almost trashed all the flapjacks as I assumed they would they would be dry and bland granola bars. To my surprise they are really moist and quite decadent in flavor and texture! These are my favorite. The sealed boxes help keep the snacks fresh.

LOVE!

 My second box

 

 Herby Bread Basket: Mini Garlic Croutons, Mini Basil Breadsticks and Oregano Rice Crackers

LOVE!

Garden of England: Mini Strawberries, Blackcurrants and Apple

LOVE!

I was skeptical but ended up loving this one. It's such a deliciously tart mix of dried fruit.

Hot Cross Yum: Mini Meringues, Cinnamon & Honey Almonds and Orange Infused Raisins

Like 

This one was okay. Wasn't too terribly impressed. I might try it one more time and trash it.

Natural Vanilla Seeds: Vanilla Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds

LOVE!

I was convinced I would hate this one but the vanilla coating made them crunchy and sweet and delicious!

 My third box!

 

My Thai: Sweet Chili Sauce and Baked Soy Bites

Like or possibly Trash

It was tasty and spicy but not worth the money in my opinion. Too much dip too few bites.

Nacho Libre: Salsa Almonds, Cheesy Sombreros and Jumbo Chili Corn

LOVE!

 Apple Cinnamon Flapjacks

My favorite of all the snacks I have tried!

LOVE!

 Honeycomb Crunch: Milk Chocolate Coated Honeycomb, Raisins and Plain Almonds

Like

It was way too sweet with the raisins but the honeycomb and almonds were a good match.

My fourth box

Cheddar Gorge: Cheese Cashews, Baked Herb Bites and Salsa Corn Sticks

LOVE!

 Marvellous Macaroon: Amaretti Drops, Almond Slices, Coconut Flakes and White Chocolate Wafers

LOVE!

Perfect mix of crunchy and smooth!

Mango Lassi: Yogurt Coated Peanuts, Pumpkin Seeds and Dried Mango

LOVE!

My favorite of the snacks are the ones that aren't too sweet like this one!

Tutti Frutti: Blueberry Infused Cranberries, Pineapple, Cherry Infused Raisins and Golden Raisins

Like or Trash

I'm confused by this one. I feel like infusing one fruit with another is kind of strange. The raisins seem more like filler. It was tasty though so I'm torn.

Alexia Sweet Potato Rolls Product Review

Alexia contacted me about reviewing their Sweet Potato Rolls. I've never had Sweet Potato bread before and I was really curious to try them! I've never enjoyed Sweet Potatoes but lately it's been my mission to eat them and learn to live them. I love having bread rolls with soup so I was happy to see that this was a healthier bread option with my new favorite super food to boot!

My bag had only 7 rolls which I thought was strange. The package did not mention how many sweet potato rolls were inside which I also thought a bit odd. It just said 10.5 oz and since I don't have any kind of food scale I couldn't verify if 7 rolls equaled 10.5 oz. The bag's baking instructions showed 8 rolls so I'm assuming 7 was a bagging error. If it was not a bagging error, I would definitely suggest Alexia change to an even number either 6 or 8. It's hard to split odd number of rolls between two people.

I baked these rolls in a 350 degree pre-heated oven on the center rack for 12 minutes. They came out slightly crusty on the outside and very soft in the center. These are absolutely delicious served piping hot with a little bit of butter. They are not as great cold or at room temperature. I would also have these with butter and honey as a dessert (the bag suggests that as a way to serve them too).

I thought these were to be more savory rolls so I served them with soup. They were too sweet to go with the soup I made so I'd like these more as a dessert rather than part of a main course. As a dessert they are really delicious!

Thank you Alexia for providing me with a bag of these Sweet Potato Rolls to try. They were delicious!

Tuttorosso Tomato Review, Sloppy Joe Recipe & Giveaway

Tuttorosso is a brand of canned and jarred tomato products that has been around since 1929. They pride themselves on "producing the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world."Tuttorosso is becoming more popular recently and they have been getting a lot of good coverage on social media and blogs. They are expanding their product reach across the U.S. but right now are available mostly on the East Coast including my home state of Massachusetts (full list of states and their availability can be found here).

Tuttorosso sent me a couple of cans of their product to try. Last night I made a big batch of my Sloppy Joes with Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce in the 29 oz. can. It's a lot of sauce so that is why I made such a huge batch. The end result was delicious. I love that the tomato sauce wasn't too acidic and how it was really smooth. It worked really well with my Sloppy Joes and I would definitely try Tuttorosso again. Let's hope they work on producing smaller cans as I usually don't use such huge cans of tomatoes!

Sloppy Joes with Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of Ground Beef
Salt, Pepper and Seasoning (I used Onion Powder)
1 large onion chopped
1 cubanelle or regular green pepper seeded and chopped
1 29 oz. can of Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce
3 tbsps of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsps of White Wine Vinegar
2 tbsps of Brown Sugar

toasted hamburger buns
shredded cheddar

This makes 16 mini sloppy joes or 8 large ones. It makes a lot of leftovers. You can use half of the sloppy joe mix for the sandwiches and use the rest the next day and serve over pasta or alongside some white rice.

Season the ground beef. Heat a large skillet with extra light olive oil. Add half the beef when the oil sizzles. Brown, drain fat, set aside. Add more oil and cook the second batch of beef. Repeat. Set both batches of beef aside when fully cooked.

In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil and cook the chopped onion and green pepper. Once the onions begin to be translucent, add back the beef and stir. Then add the Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce, the Worcestershire Sauce (I like using a lot!), White Wine Vinegar and Brown Sugar. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Then lower heat and cook about 10 minutes more or until sauce has thickened to the consistency you like.

Serve on top of toasted hamburger buns. I like putting a bit of shredded cheddar on top. Delicious!

It's giveaway time! 

Enter for a chance to win a Tuttorosso gift pack including a kitchen mitt, mug cozy, red apron, four recipe cards and a can of Tuttorosso's  Peeled Plum Tomatoes in Juice (not shown) to try. 

Giveaway Rules:

1) You must be in the Continental U.S. to enter.

2) The deadline for entry is Noon EST Sunday January 27th.

3) To enter answer the question: "What is your favorite way to used canned tomato?" in the comment section below. Include an email address so I can contact you. This is a required entry.

4) For a second entry, "Like" Tuttorosso on Facebook and leave a comment below telling me you did so. This is a voluntary entry.

5) For a third entry, follow me on Twitter @thoughtfuleats and leave a comment below telling me which Twitter account you used to follow. I keep track of unfollows so please don't try the third entry if you don't want to follow me! This is a voluntary entry.

The winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. I'll also make a note of the winner on this post once he or she has been chosen. Good luck!

Chile Olive Oil #ChileEVOO Event hosted by David of Cooking Chat

My friend David from the blog Cooking Chat (he can also be found on multiple Twitters including @CookingChat) invited me to attend a Chile Olive Oil dinner he was hosting at his home. The dinner was sponsored by ChileOliveOil.com -  The National Association of Manufacturers of Olives and Olive Oil in Chile (ChileOliva) and Whole Foods Woburn. David was kind enough to let me bring along my husband and my father-in-law, who happens to be from Chile! At the event were some social media experts including @BostonFoodFan @clownface3 and @eric_andersen. It was a wonderful time and David and his wife Jodi did a great job as hosts!

All the food at the #ChileEVOO event was prepared using Chile Olive Oil in either Smooth or Bold flavors.

Appetizers included this Roasted Red Pepper Dip made with Chile Olive Oil and David's secret ingredient: pomegranate molasses!

Next up were Pesto Crostinis made with Chile Olive Oil. I'm usually not a big fan of pesto but these were delicious!

There is my husband Carlos @fastefelson enjoying a Pesto Crostini.

We all enjoyed Chilean Red and White Wines while we were waiting for the main course.

The third appetizer was a Caprese Salad served with the Bold version of the Chile Olive Oil. What's not to love about this salad? It's so light and refreshing and fulfilling. The smooth Chile Olive Oil over the top made it all come together.

While we waited for the main course, we were able to check out some pamphlets about Chile Olive Oil and where in Chile the olives were harvested. Carlos' dad talked a lot about Chile and his experiences with olives from the Northern region. The olives used in these oils were from the central region.

Next up was an Olive Oil tasting. I have never drank straight olive oil before! It was quite an experience. David poured Smooth and Bold flavors of the Chile Olive Oil in these little square cups and we got to taste them separately to note the differences in flavor. We cleansed our palates in between oils with some slices of Granny Smith Apple.

The smooth was by far my favorite. I primarily use Extra Light Olive Oil in my cooking versus Extra Virgin Olive Oil which to me is too heavy in taste. The smooth Chile Olive Oil was just like my favorite olive oil but a deeper yellow in color. It also had a peppery aftertaste. The bold was quite heavy and the peppery taste is something you can tell right away. The smooth is a great cooking oil while the bold would be better for dressings and dips.

Here David is sauteeing some red and white onions for the main course.

Carlos waiting for the food.

Another glass of Chilean wine!

And here was the main course! On the right is a mixed green salad with walnuts and tomatoes topped with Bold Chile Olive Oil and Balsamic dressing. On the right was Honey Chicken with Onions and Yukon Potatoes cooked with some thyme and Smooth Chile Olive Oil. The meal was absolutely delicious! Good work David!

David's son has a Egg allergy so this was a Chocolate Olive Oil cake sans eggs. It was delicious! Almost brownie like in texture. Since I've been dieting for my wedding in July, it had been a VERY LONG TIME since I had chocolate cake. So I savored every bite.

The other dessert was courtesy of Whole Foods Woburn. An Angel Food cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh berries. It was quite delicious. Carlos isn't even a cake person, he hates overly sweet and dense cakes and fake frosting, and he had two slices!

It was a wonderful evening of good food, good olive oil, good wine and good conversation. We took lots of photos, tweeted with hashtag #ChileEVOO and generally had a great time. David sent us home with little gift bags with Chile Olive Oil samples and some more information about the product.

I really like this type of event. David wasn't a sales person, just a host, so we didn't feel a lot of pressure to buy anything and it didn't feel like we were being pitched. The casualness of it allowed for independent exploration of a product which I think worked very well. Thank you to David, Chile Olive Oil and to Whole Foods Woburn for a great night!

Product Review & Giveaway ~ Yoplait Smoothie

MyBlogSpark gave me an opportunity to try out the newest flavor of the Yoplait Smoothies: Chocolate Banana. I was pretty excited to try it because I have an affinity for banana yogurt and I love chocolate so I figured these were a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, I could not find them anywhere. I tried my local Target and various supermarkets and no one carries the Chocolate Banana flavor. Market Basket, my go-to super market, has stopped carrying Yoplait Smoothies altogether. Oh well.

I have reviewed Yoplait Smoothies in the past and today Carlos and I shared a Mango Strawberry Smoothie as a sweet treat after lunch (and a tough morning of cleaning). In my previous review of Yoplait Smoothies, I noted that when properly blended the smoothie is very smooth. It's quite delicious too although it has a slight artificial aftertaste. It's a bit pricey but it's the equivalent of making your own with fresh fruit or buying one at a local eatery like Panera. Maybe my area will start carrying the Chocolate Banana flavor soon so I can try it.

MyBlogSpark has given me the opportunity to give one lucky reader a Yoplait Smoothie prize pack! It includes a coupon for a free Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie, a cushy travel neck pillow, a Lavender scented eye mask (with it's own bag) and a Yoplait Smoothie branded tumbler complete with straw. It's a pretty sweet package, perfect to use on a day in which you want to pamper yourself.

Contest rules and form below. Good luck! If you want to try out Yoplait Smoothie, download a $1 off coupon on their website.

Yoplait Smoothie Website
Yoplait Smoothie Facebook Page
Yoplait Smoothie Twitter