New Snack Service - Graze

I received an invite code to try a new (to the US) snack subscription called Graze. They've been delivering in the UK for awhile now and while the selection of snacks is a bit different in the US, the line up looks really tasty! I've been in a snack rut lately and since I switched to five meals a day, snacks are as important as regular meals. The timing on this was perfect. And my first and fifth box are free! My first box arrived last Monday. At this point they are shipping these from the UK so a week is really impressive. The boxes are $5 each (shipping included and billed from the US so no foreign fees) and include 4 portioned snacks. You can select the Light box or the Nibble box. The Nibble box has more options and includes some chocolate snacks! This subscription is weekly but you can push back a week if you sign in to the web site.
Here's my first box...

... minus the lemon slice and tea bag. I ate that as soon as I opened the box. Unfortunately that one looks like it's not available right now but I hear it will be back. $5 may seem a little high but go look at the nearest vending machine. And most of those snacks aren't that great for you. The nutrition and ingredient info is included with each shipment. Everything in my first shipment was delicious. My only real criticism is I wish it was five snacks so I had one for each work day.
The lemon slice was like a lemon poppy seed cake and the tea was delicious. I added some goat cheese to up the calorie count. Delicious. The Dark Rocky Road contains pecans, dark chocolate (about 50%) and dried cranberries. The Herby Bread Basket contains mini garlic croutons, basil bread sticks and oregano rice crackers. And last but not least the Mississippi BBQ pistachios. All were delicious. I can't wait to try more!
Sign up for this is still on a referral basis so if you are interested email me at melanie0971 at gmail dot com and I will try to get you an invite code. I can't recommend this one enough.
Happy Snacking! 

PopSugar Must Have Box - January 2013

From what I've seen PopSugar has taken a lot of criticism for it's boxes the last few months. I can't say I agree with that sentiment. I'm still really happy with the boxes I've received. Of course I didn't order the Luxury boxes and it seems a lot of disappointment stems from those boxes. Having seen the pictures of the contents I would probably agree with that. That being said, if PopSugar goes back to focusing on the monthly Must have boxes, I think many people will be much happier.
I thought the January box was a nice mix of things we look for in January. New Years Resolutions often mean starting a new work out regimen. And for those of us in colder climates, we need something to warm us up.

The Stability Ball covers the resolution part just fine. The box included a card with six different exercises to do using the ball. What you can't see from the picture is that it also includes an air pump to blow up the ball. You may not think that's a big deal but plenty of them do not come with one or worse are made to blown up by mouth. By the time I finish that, I'm not so inclined to work out anymore. I've only gotten to use the ball briefly as my 2 1/2 year old daughter has claimed it as her own since shortly after it was inflated. But it's held up really well!

As for warming you up on a cold January day, what's better than hot chocolate? Um... hot chocolate with marshmallows! I'm sipping on the milk chocolate variety as I type this. I tend toward dark chocolate but figured I'd start with the milk. it's a really good quality chocolate (especially for milk!) It's at least comparable to a Dove bar. It melted really nicely in my almond milk and went well with the little mallow bits that were also included in the box. I just found out that these are available on Amazon. Unfortunately the shipping is three times the cost of the pop. I guess I'll have to savor that dark chocolate one.

First, I apologize for the quality of this picture, the bars just didn't want to cooperate and smile pretty. The Think Thin bars were all delicious. And that's saying a lot since one had coconut in it. Coconut and I have not gotten a long for years. The Divine bar had such a good chocolate taste to it that I almost didn't notice the coconut! The only negative is that the peanut butter bar was to many calories for a snack but not enough to be a meal replacement. I guess I could have paired it with fruit and made it breakfast... 

  

The Epicuren Discovery Lip Balm is a nice addition to a winter box. I can never have enough lip balm, especially in the winter. It does contain tea tree oil, which I personally don't have a problem with but I know plenty of people who do. I like the texture. The last item is pure fun. here's a better picture Timebomb. I only wish I had video to post. it's got a hidden button that causes this multicolor LED light show. Cheezy? Probably. Infinitely amusing to a toddler? You bet! Some of the criticism is that this is not a professions persons watch. But isn't that what weekends are for? It's fun and at least I didn't get pink.

 

 Overall I'm happy with the PopSugar Must Have box for January. I got a reduced rate for my three month subscription but this value is still way higher than full price. And I'll use all of these items. Well done PopSugar!

Sprig - September review

 I decided to try the Sprig box in "mini snacker" September. The only regret I have is that I want this one every month now! What a wonderful mix of healthier snacks.

Unfortunately it's a little out of my price range right now. They are officially at the top of my wish list and I am watching for any deals to get another one. So what did I get? A majority of the products were single serving size, which was perfect for me to take to work as a between meal snack.

I tried these first because I had seen them in a store and was curious. Wow! These YogaVive apple chips were delicious. It was like eating little apple slices. I almost forgot they were dried.

These Shagbark Seed and Mill Tortilla chips were excellent. I didn't have that oily residue on my hands after eating them that you get from some chips. They went well with my favorite Trader Joe's salsa.

Disclaimer: I do not like coconut. Long story, but I don't like the flavor or the texture. That said, I thought I would pass on this bar. But I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. The Rise Blueberry Coconut bar surprised me. Unlike many coconut flavored things in my past, this was not a heavy coconut flavor. I actually liked this. I'm anxious to try one in a flavor I would choose for myself.

A cookie that has some redeeming qualities? I'm in! This really did taste like a cookie. So much so that after letting my 2 year old try it I had to hide the rest :-) http://www.kookiekarma.com/

I'm not sure what I expected from these before I tried them but I was surprised. The flavor was delicious. The texture wasn't quite a cracker but definitely not a chip. We had to ration these at my house. Fortunately this was the one package that was larger than single serving. I don't see how to order more at their web site http://www.realandwonderful.com/ but I'll keep checking!

I'd love to tell you how much I enjoyed this but I only got a bite and the rest was snatched and promptly eaten by 2 year old miss picky pants. A shame there was only one small fruit strip. I guess that's a ringing endorsement. I tasted apples but no sweet potatoes.http://nakededgesnacks.com/

This may have been my least favorite. Given the name Bumble Bar, I guess I expected more of a honey flavor. And of course the lemon that is on the label. While these flavors were there they were overwhelmed by the sesame seeds flavor and texture. I enjoyed it but it's not my first choice.

This is the only one I didn't get to try yet. It's still at home so I'll update when I do. I'm intrigued by the sites (http://simplesquares.com/) promise that it's never cooked or baked. I've tried some raw foods in the past and have been very happy with them.

As for Sprig, as I said, I would recommend it for anyone looking for some healthier snack options. This was the mini-snacker size but there are 2 other (larger) sizes available at their web site.