May 2016 Taste Club: Sample, Snack, & Pantry Box Full Spoilers + 50% Off Coupon!

Sea Salt Split Peas
Why We Love It:I love these peas because I thought I would absolutely hate them. Split Peas as asnack? Um, pass the Dorito’s, please. I don’t even like regular peas all that much. Butseriously, these are amazing. Truly and honestly. At first bite they sort of tasted likea glorfied corn nut but without all the preservatives and nasty artificial powderyflavoring (sorry corn nuts, I loved you when I was ten). And, unlike a lot of snackyfoods these are legitimately good for you. The high protein, gluten free, vegan,artificial free, etc etc declarations aren’t a mask for flavor because it actually has allof those things but with a truckload of taste. They’re awesome to keep in your purseor pocket of your jeans because they’re so small you can eat handfuls of themthroughout the day. I recently used them as a substitute for croutons on my saladand declared myself a genius for it. I’m proud to have taken a chance on this yummytribute to a humble legume. And you should too!

Peppermint Mints
Why We Love It:I love these little mints! I used to be obsessed with those red and white stripedpeppermints that restaurants keep in bowls by the exit but now that I’ve tried theselittle fla-ver mint delights, they’re the only ones I want to eat. They’re so smooth andmild that you can eat an entire baggie of them without getting a stomach ache – andgood thing, because the small bag is packed with what feels like a gloriously endlessamount of mints inside. They’re awesome for a quick breath freshener but evenbetter if you are a snacker out of boredom, like I am, and want something that wontfill you up or fill you out.

Asiago Black Pepper Cheesy Puffs
Why We Love It:There are so many things I love about these cheesy puffs that I don’t know where tobegin. I’ll start with the fact that they are GIANT. And when things are outrageouslydelicious, such as these, size matters. The bag itself is big but I would say it’scommon knowledge that bags lie and once you open them you realize they’re like80% air and 20% chip. Not these! There are a ton of them inside and, even betternews, the actual puffs themselves are 4 inches long and could take down a Cheeto inone bite. I’m also both astounded and admirable that the founder, Jack Kuo, decidedto come up with an artisal cheesy puff, a snack that is known for being massproduced and full of artificial flavoring. No hate on Cheeto’s – they, too, are deliciousand hold a spot in the child in me that likes to wipe orange powder on things – butthese puffs are hands down my new favorite snack and a full blown obsession.

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
Why We Love it:There’s nothing I love more than feeling like a kid and there is something aboutMarshmallows that does just that. I don’t know if it’s their airy fluffiness or the softchewy cotton-like texture – or maybe it reminds me of the only thing that I everliked about camping, which was making S’mores over a fire – but whatever it is,these marshmallows make me feel super happy and childlike. And the taste!! Theseare unequivocally the best marshmallows I’ve ever had. They melt in your mouthwithout leaving that pasty cotton-mouth residue that a lot of marshmallows leavebehind. And when you make S’mores with them (which I did) they taste like puremelted frosting! I don’t think adults get enough opportunities in their daily lives tojust kick back and throw back some marshmallows and with these delicious andpretty little past-time treats, this is the time!

Hot Chocolate Almonds
Why We Love It:I wasn’t sure what I was going to get when I opened this bag of Mexican HotChocolate Almonds but I was happy when they tasted exactly like I wanted them to:like I was drinking hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick straw made of almonds.Somehow all of the flavors of the chocolate and cinnamon and almond come throughevenly in every nut and the complexity of taste is super exciting! They’re really goodas a topping for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. And beer. SO good with beer. The artisan ofthis company created his spiced nuts with the intention of pairing them with beer so– out of the respect for the artisan, of course – I paired these chocolate almonds witha nice cold Stone IPA and just like that, my new favorite Sunday Funday snack wasBorn!

Classic Tennessee Toffee
Why We Love It:This toffee is love at first bite. I wasn’t entirely sure if I liked toffee or not because Ihaven’t had enough of it in my lifetime to have a valid opinion. That being said, Inow feel confident in saying that I am a true toffee lover. This Tennessee Toffee is sogood it makes me drool. My advice is that it should not be eaten on a date or in frontof anyone you are trying to impress because if you like it as much as I do it will belike watching an episode of When Animals Attack. There’s a shelf life of two monthsbut that’s a pretty insignificant fact because the bag doesn’t stand a chance for morethan an hour. SO. GOOD.

 Sample Box

East Shore Dipping Fudge

Why We Love It:I love that something that comes in such a small jar can be packed with so manypossibilities! This fudge is so creamy and delicious that I want to put it oneverything. And the good news is it pretty much goes on everything! I’m a big sweetand salty fan so dipping salty pretzels in them without abandon is my favorite thingto do with this fudge! I also like pouring a spoonful of it into milk to make supersatisfying and creamy chocolate milk. There are endless ways to use this fudge and Ithink the most exciting thing about it – besides the smooth and chocolate’ygoodness taste – is figuring out all the creative things to do with it!

Pork Clouds
Why We Love It:I love this flavor of the Clouds! I was never a huge fan of pork rinds until I tried theBacon’s Heir brand and now I am obsessed. My favorite thing about this snack isthat you don’t feel incredibly unhealthy eating them. They aren’t oily or so salty thatyou feel like a giant bloat when you’re done devouring them. In fact, the salt is sominimal that you don’t even have to lick your fingers incessantly to self-groom likewe do while eating most junky-type food. They don’t taste like junk food because it’snot. And same with the Rosemary as the salt – the herb is present enough to leaveyou with a savory and lightly lingering aftertaste but it doesn’t take over, it onlyleaves you wanting more. Which I really wish I had right now.

Cabernet and Cracked Pepper Jelly
Why We Love It:I generally love anything that has the word “Cabernet” in it because it either refersto my favorite color – crimson red – or my favorite thing in the whole world – redwine. I also love anything that has the word “pepper” in it because, albeit it’ssimplicity, it’s a spice that partners up perfectly with every flavor. That being said,this jelly really knocks it out the park for me. I tried making a caramelized onion dipwith it, as suggested by the artisan who made it, and it was one of the mostinteresting and delicious things I’ve made in a while. The jelly combines so well withcheeses and garlic and spices that it’s surprisingly satisfying. And it’s fantastic forcaramelizing anything. This jelly is a must try on it’s own but super fun to push theculinary envelope with and to use for testing adventurous recipes!

Flowery Lavender Caramel
Why We Love It:This aesthetically pleasing purple jar of caramel sauce caught my eye at firstbecause of how lovely the packaging is. I am a sucker for anything purple, which iswhy I love Lavender and why I love this caramel sauce. Lavender can be anoverwhelming taste so when I find food that’s infused with it I’m always a littleskeptical. But this caramel was done perfectly. The hints of lavender are subtle anddon’t overpower the sweetness of the caramel. Pouring this over some ice cream ormorning waffles for a special breakfast is a great way to use this sauce. When I wasdone  with the jar I cleaned it out and used it for a lavender spring vase!

Peppermint Mints
Why We Love It:I love these little mints! I used to be obsessed with those red and white stripedpeppermints that restaurants keep in bowls by the exit but now that I’ve tried theselittle fla-ver mint delights, they’re the only ones I want to eat. They’re so smooth andmild that you can eat an entire baggie of them without getting a stomach ache – andgood thing, because the small bag is packed with what feels like a gloriously endlessamount of mints inside. They’re awesome for a quick breath freshener but evenbetter if you are a snacker out of boredom, like I am, and want something that wontfill you up or fill you out.

Caramels
The Nashville Toffee Company story begins with family. Nashville native, Christina McCoy Cohn, grew up near her grandmother and great – grandmother. As a child, she would run between her house and theirs, which formed a triangle. Through summer breezes and oven – warmed winter kitchens, the grandmothers would share their tried and true recipes, their family stories and their love of cooking. From there the smell of cookies, candies, pies and holiday treats would fill the air, as well as Christina’s passion for baking.Years later, Christina became a massage therapist and used many of the recipes found in her grandmothers’ cookbooks to prepare treats and home-made candies to give her clients when they arrived for appointments. These recipes were a treasured part of her childhood and the foundation for something much bigger.With husband George Cohn, the Nashville Toffee Company opened for business in 2003. As the great, great – grandson of Meier Werthan, an early businessman in 19th – century Nashville, George brought a unique corporate ingredient to their recipe for success.At Nashville Toffee Company much is done the same way Christina’s grandmothers did it. Everything is made by hand, in small batches, using only the finest, all natural ingredients. The recipes have been perfected over the years to create some of the best products on the market. Each recipe we make brings to you a commitment of freshness and quality, as well as a bit of grandmotherly love.

Pantry Box