Grazin'

Back in late November I heard about a program called Graze - it's a mail-order subscription service for boxed snacks. Every one, two or four weeks, a little box gets delivered to your home (or in my case, I chose my office) with four individually packaged snacks inside. Each box costs $6. When I first heard about Graze, I used a subscription code that allowed me to get two snack boxes for free. No reason not to try it!

These types of subscription services seem pretty popular lately. I've seen other companies offering snack boxes, some for pet toys and treats, and even for beauty products. It's a pretty great idea for snacks. One less item to pick up at the grocery store, and who couldn't use a little variety? It is the spice of life, after all.

Graze offers sweet snacks, savory snacks, gluten-free options, low calorie options, high protein options and more. When you log in to your Graze account, you are able to view all of the snack offerings. Before you place your first order, or after you've tried some of the snacks, you can rate them: Try, Like, Love or Trash. Rating the snacks ensures your boxes will be filled only with what you'll enjoy.

Some of my favorites have been Scandanavian Forest (dried blueberries, lingonberries, cherry infused raisins and dried apple slices), Texan Corn Salsa (corn chips, salsa almonds, roasted corn and jumbo chili corn) and Apple Cinnamon Flapjacks (rolled oats with apple and cinnamon - like a chewy granola bar). I have lots of other favorites, but you should try them for yourself and find out what yours are!

Boxes are packed using Graze's "80/20" rule: 80% healthy, 20% treat. That keeps your snacking mostly guilt-free. Graze snacks are also free of artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors. Aside from keeping health in mind, Graze also is looking out for the environment. Almost the entire package is recyclable, including the cardboard delivery box and the individual plastic snack containers (they're each sealed with a small plastic sheet, which I throw in the trash).

Since I've been receiving Graze boxes, I've developed a taste for more varied trail or snack mixes than I used to eat, as well as more kinds of dried fruits. Because of this, I've kept my eye open when going to the store thinking maybe I'd spot one I'd like to buy in bulk and try. Whether it's the neighborhood grocery store, Trader Joe's or even my local co-op, I haven't found anything quite like what Graze puts together. And I don't know what kind of magic Graze puts in its dried fruit, but it's amazing. The apple and pineapple are my favorite - they're soft and full of flavor, unlike the hard dried fruit you might buy at the store. You know what you're getting is fresh, because if you look at the little insert that comes in each box, you'll see expiration dates for each of your snacks.

So...are you interested yet? If you'd like to try a Graze box, you can use my Friend Code, which may give you a free box or discounts: LVXH532GP (As of the posting of this entry, new subscribers get their first and 5th boxes free - you can cancel at any time, and there is no membership fee or cancellation fee. Graze makes it easy!).

A sample Graze box
(www.graze.com press pack photo)

Psst! This has not been a sponsored post. I purchase Graze boxes because I love them. I wrote about them because I thought you might love them, too! 

awesome appetizers: baked pulled pork wontons

Every so often at my house, we love to pig out on homemade pulled pork. I make it in the crock pot with beer. Dark, delicious, flavorful beer. And a few other ingredients. It's great as leftovers for lunch or dinner (I think the flavor gets better a day or two later) and it freezes well. But the last time we made pulled pork, Ash had an idea to try something new with the leftovers: pulled pork wontons.

The wontons were super easy and quick to make.

what you need:
leftover pulled pork
wonton wrappers
BBQ sauce (if desired - for recipe and for dipping)
small dish of water (a shot glass size is plenty)

what you do:
1. Lay your wonton wrappers flat on a baking sheet.
2. Put a small amount of pulled pork in the center of each wrapper (shred a little finer if needed).
3. If you like, add about 1/2 tsp BBQ sauce on top of the pulled pork (another option is to mix the pulled pork with BBQ sauce before making the wontons)
4. Dip your finger in the water, and lightly wet each corner of the wonton wrapper, then fold all corners up and pinch closed.
5. Space the folded wontons on the ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart.
6. Bake at 275º for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the folded wonton wrappers become golden brown.

These were a great snack! The pulled pork had really absorbed the flavor of the beer and seasonings, so the wantons certainly held their own in the flavor department with or without the BBQ sauce.

                                            

Awesome Appetizers: Caprese "kabobs"

This appetizer really is awesome - 4 edible ingredients plus toothpicks, a recipe as easy as it gets and they are delicious. I found the inspiration here and adapted it slightly for my needs. I was headed to an afternoon birthday party but had to leave home early in the morning with my potluck contribution already prepared. The number of guests was unknown, and I needed something with little clean-up involved since the party would be outside.

What you need:
Fresh mozzarella (one large ball or mini mozzarella balls)
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Fresh basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Toothpicks or cake pop/kabob sticks

What you do:
-Rinse the tomatoes and cut them in half width-wise (to make two half spheres instead of two half ovals)
-Cut the fresh mozzarella into about 1/2 inch squares, or if using mini mozzarella balls, cut in half
-Rinse the fresh basil and pat dry, then cut into small squares (remember a small piece of fresh basil can have lots of flavor)
-Assemble the "kabob" on the toothpick as follows: tomato first, then basil, then mozzarella (if using mini mozzarella balls, assemble so that the half tomato and half mozzarella ball create a complete sphere like a cake pop)
-Lay the finished kabobs on a trap and drizzle or spray with olive oil

After about 30 minutes of prep and assembly time and less than $8 worth of ingredients, I had a tray of around 40-50 Caprese "kabobs." All I had to do when I got to the party was take the lid off the tray. No plates needed for these awesome appetizers - just enjoy and toss your toothpick in the trash or compost bin!