Loving Love With Food? My First Box! May 2015

I got my first Love with Food box a couple of weeks ago and it was so pretty in the red box.

Love with Food is a subscription based snack box that's delivered to you monthly. Every box purchased feeds a child in the United States. May's theme was "Fiesta Fiesta". I had to share the contents with my family otherwise they would've been kind of upset with me, haha.

Here's what I received in my May tasting box:

Homefree- Lemon Burst Mini Cookies

These were refreshingly simple, light lemon tasting cookies. We loved them.

Smooze- Coconut + Pink Guava Fruit Ice

I am not a fan of coconut, so I was really hesitant to try this. But I had a couple of licks and all you taste is the guava, so I was happy.

Vintage Bee- Hibiscus Creamed Honey Vintage Mini

I really haven't tried this yet. But I intend to in my next tea or acai bowl.

Bell Plantation- PB Things

I don't like peanut butter, so this went to my family. I didn't hear much talk about it, so I guess it was just ok.

The Better Chip- Spinach & Kale Chips

I like spinach and kale chips and unfortunately, so does my daughter. I never saw this after it was taken out of the box. She claims it was "very yummy".

Dick & Jane Baking Company- English & Spanish Educational Snacks

I was a little disappointed in this one. It tasted a little bland. And honestly, if you're hungry, you won't notice the little pictures or words on the little cookies. So the spanish lesson is a little lost here.

GoOrganic- Blood Orange Hard Candy

I tried this candy, while my girl tried the mint mango. To me, this tasted like sweetened oranges. Nice, but just ok.

I liked eating this one. It was huge, and I mean huge as your thumbnail, corn nuts. Seasoned with a bit of spice. Not too hot at all.

GoOrganic- Iced Mint Mango Hard Candy

My daughter tried this one and she loved it. Unfortunately, that's all she said. Oh, and that it tasted like mango. Sigh.

Overall, I think there were some hits and misses. There's definitely a lot more variety in this box compared to Graze's boxes. Is it worth the $10 + shipping?? I dunno about that. But since these were pretty good sizes samples, I'm willing to give Love with Food another try.


Images are courtesy of Love with Food, I have no claim to them.

Are you interested in Love with Food? Check out my link here.

Make Ahead: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

Another make ahead meal that has become a favorite of mine. Really simple, and requires only a few ingredients.

You've probably seen something like this on Pinterest, but this is my own take on it.

Ingredients
1/2 c. quick 1-minute oatmeal (not cooked)
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips (or a good handful for me, since I love chocolate)
1 c. vanilla almond milk (You can also use unsweetened almond milk, soy or regular milk. I have acid reflux and can't take dairy very well, so almond milk works for me.)

Put everything together in a microwaveable container, mix it, and let it sit overnight. By the time you take it out in the morning, the oatmeal will have absorbed almost all the milk. You can add more if you like at this time. I like my oatmeal a little loose so I add more milk. Cover it up and take it along with you. I like to carry mine in a little covered plastic mug so I have a firm hold on it.

Normally, at this point, other recipes tell you that you can eat it. Umm...I'm not sure if it's just the way I'm used to eating it or because I find the oatmeal still a little too chewy for my tastes, but I pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds, just enough to melt the chocolate chips a little. Since the oatmeal absorbed the milk the night before, heating it brings it to just the right consistency for me.

Mmmm...quick, easy, no stove, portable and delicious!

Make Ahead: Pasta Salad

With summer starting to heat things up, I find myself always looking to things that are simple to make and cold!

I don't want to be slaving in front of a stove to make a hot meal for my family in warm weather. I'd rather be chilling on my lanai (Hawaiian for porch or in my case, my outdoor balcony) enjoying some time with my family.

I found a go-to meal that my family really appreciates and loves; especially my girl since she loves pasta. You can make it ahead of time for a dinner the next night or a potluck or picnic the next day. It's really much better to let it sit overnight to let the flavors meld together.

It's a really simple, 5 ingredient pasta salad. You just throw together the following:

1 box of your choice of cooked pasta (I favor farfalle or penne)
Italian Dressing
Sliced Olives (canned or fresh)
Pepperoni Slices
Cubed or Shredded Cheese (Any cheese you want. I prefer to have Parmesan and mozzarella.)

Everything is to your taste, so you can add more if you want. For me, one of everything is pretty good. (1 box of pasta, 1 can of olives, etc.)

That's it! Refrigerate and serve cold. I'd say this feeds anywhere between 6-10 people, depending on if this is a side dish or entree.

Simple, right?