For the Foodie: Degustabox September 2016* Unboxing & Easy Ratatouille

Time for another Degustabox unboxing! In case you haven't seen my previous posts, Degustabox is a monthly food subscription service featuring new brands and products just coming to our market. Each box is $19.99 (but you can get your first one for 50% off) and comes packed full with at least 10 different products. Let's see what I found in my September box!

Again, everything was packaged very securely in lots of bubble wrap, which I removed for the sake of taking photos. The September box came with 11 products - I divided them for the photos into three groups: salty snacks, sweet snacks and cooking ingredients/ condiments:

1 bag of popCORNers, $3.29 each:  air-popped vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free chips that we will enjoy with our homemade guac
2 packets of BustaNUT! peanuts in the Maple Bacon & Bourbon flavors, $1.49 ea: I like snacking on nuts although flavored varieties always contain more sodium and sugar

2 little boxes of Michel et Augustin Shortbread Cookies in the Pure Butter & Sea Salt and Pure Butter & Chocolate Chips flavors, $1.99 ea: shortbread cookies are some of my favorites for a quick sweet treat so I'm excited to give this brand a go!
1 bag of Entenmann's Little Bites mini chocolate chip muffins, $4.69 ea: I'm a little skeptical about pre-packaged muffins but at least these don't contain high fructose corn syrup or trans fat
1 large bag of Zollipops, sugar free & vegan hard fruit candies/ drops, $4.99: Apparently these candies are supposed to keep your teeth clean after meals?! Not sure how that's even possible but I'll give them a go!
1 bar of Toosum oatmeal bar, $1.79 ea (I got the Cranberry & Acai flavor): I don't eat granola bars very often but it's sometimes handy to keep one in your purse for emergency hunger pangs.

1 packet of Hak's One Pot Cooking Sauce in Rustic Ratatouille, $3.99 each: This is basically a ready-made tomato-based sauce to use with veggies or your choice of protein. We don't use premade sauces but this has very straightforward, natural ingredients, and I'll give it a go for a quick dinner!
1 bottle of Sparkling Bitters, $1.99 each: I quite like trying new drinks, and this sounds like it could be a good choice for cocktails (or mocktails) as well.
3 small jars of English Provender condiments in Caramelized Red Onion Chutney, Sweet Tomato & Chili Chutney and Luxury Lemon Curd, $2.45 ea: I love love love trying new condiments and having them on hand to pair with cheese or cold cuts, so I'm quite excited about these!
1 box of Sam Mills Gluten Free Corn Quinoa Fusilli Pasta, $2.39 ea: I've tried gluten-free pasta in the past and didn't like it, but maybe this will be different. We're not gluten-free in this house so it's not a huge selling point for me.
1 bottle of Nando's Peri-Peri Hot Sauce, $3.49 ea: My husband would have loved to try this as a big hot sauce fan but unfortunately it contains garlic :( I'm not into very spicy food at the moment so I may pass this bottle on to a friend.
Value of the September box: $40.93

So far, this was the largest and best value box we have received. Compared to last month, I like the product selection a lot more, and I'm excited to have lots of new snacks to try out. If you'd like to try this subscription for yourself, you can use my affiliate link here for 50% off your first box.


As for the recipe using products from the September box, to be honest I wasn't massively inspired - but being this pregnant has made me a lot less excited to spend time in the kitchen cooking elaborate meals. Which is why I decided to take the simple route and just try the recipe featured on the little description sheet that came in my Degustabox; I made a veggie & chicken version of the Hak's Rustic Ratatouille and served it first over some brown rice and then the Sam Mills Gluten Free pasta.

On the packaging, the cooking suggestion is to combine one packet with one pound of protein or veggies; I think I've had slightly more than that and I do wish there was more sauce in my dish. I diced half a medium onion and one chicken breast, browned them a little in olive oil, and then added 1 chopped zucchini, half of a red bell pepper, and half of a can of drained chickpeas. I poured in the contents of my Hak's sachet and simmered for about 20 minutes. I did enjoy the taste of this dish but the sauce was a bit too liquidy, perhaps because of the moisture from my vegetables. I like how this premade sauce doesn't contain any nasty ingredients or fillers, although to be completely honest, I don't see it as massively easier than just adding some tomato paste into my saucepan along with flavorful herbs de provence, salt and pepper and maybe some garlic. But overall it was tasty and saved me some time in the hot kitchen, so I'm not complaining :)

Just a heads up, I won't be reviewing any more Degustaboxes for a while now - not because I'm not happy with the subscription but for the simple reason of having a lot less time to do so as baby bean is going to be here next month already. If you enjoy food posts from me, please let me know and I'll do my best to feature more snacks and meals on the blog in the future; for now you can always check out my Instagram for food p0rn pics. Have you tried any new snacks this month? I'd love to know what you've been cooking up lately!

Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. The post contains an affiliate link, which means I'll earn a commission if you decide to sign up to Degustabox after clicking. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog! 

I Turned 30 This Week & This Is How I Celebrated

That's right, the big 3-0! Happy birthday to me! This post is going to be a bit of a departure from all the recent product reviews; something more along the lines of 'A Week in Photos' series I once wanted to do on the blog so you could get to know me a little better on a personal level. As you may know from this ramble, or may have realized along the way, I don't post hauls here anymore. I know that 'What I Got for My Birthday' posts or videos are always click-worthy (and certainly a great way for the birthday person to look back on their special day), but I wanted to share something different instead: all the fun and extraordinary experiences I've had this week to celebrate the occasion. This is not to say that I haven't received (or bought for myself) any gifts - it's just to shift the focus a little bit from 'having' to 'doing'. I hope you enjoy!

On Labor Day (Monday), my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. In general, we're not big on anniversary presents but we like treating ourselves to a fun night out together. This year we've been going to quite a few concerts; not those crowd-packed dancing by the stage type rowdy affairs because we're much too introverted for that, but more of a 'seated at the table, enjoying cocktails/ snacks and listening to live music' type of events. So for our anniversary, we booked a table at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola to listen to Robin Eubanks & the Mass Line Big Band. We love going to jazz concerts but it just so happens that we've never seen a big band performance before, so it was a very memorable experience. We were seated right by the window (the venue is located in Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle) so we could also enjoy the view of the park and shimmering lights of the city in the distance. Since cocktails are out at the moment (I'm 8 months pregnant and Mr is taking antibiotics), we decided to order dinner, and I was very pleasantly surprised by my vegan 'risotto cake' entree. Even though the dish was a simple combination of rice and veggies, it packed a ton of flavor from heirloom tomato sauce and firm, lightly sauteed pieces of squash and green beans. If you're a fellow New Yorker - or visiting - and you like jazz music, I definitely recommend Dizzy's.

On Tuesday, I relaxed at home and tried not to get too caught up on my regular to-do list. I didn't do anything special, but I wanted to take some time to pamper myself in the evening. I redid my badly chipped manicure - I opted for a never before worn bottle of Zoya Toni, a dark blackberry plum shade. I love those vampy shades on the nails but then I sort of ruined the mani by applying an old and gloopy top coat, which now - 48 hours later - is still not completely hardened and causing bed sheet creases and the like. Lesson learnt; and needless to say the top coat went straight into the empties bag. In the evening, I took a soothing cool shower using some new products I recently ordered from Ulta (even though I still think body scrubs are not absolutely necessary in my routine, I really enjoy my repurchase of Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub), and applied a luxuriously hydrating face mask from Laneige (reviewed here). I currently tend to get very tired at night and can't get out of the bathroom fast enough before I fall asleep, but I really wanted to do a little something for myself and loved looking at my freshly polished nails.

On Wednesday (my actual birthday) I had a doctor's appointment in the morning to check up on the baby bean. You guys may think it was silly of me to go to the doctor on my birthday - I mean, people generally don't find doctor's visits very alluring - but I quite like going to my obstetrician. The entire office is friendly and efficient, but most of all, I get to hear baby's heartbeat and feel reassured that he's doing just fine in there. I also learnt that his head is very low now, so that's probably the reason right there why I have to get up every 2 hours at night for a trip to the bathroom, lol. On my way back, I stopped at a Sephora store to redeem my free birthday gift and have a little look around. I purchased Sephora brand Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes to pack in my hospital bag, and was seriously tempted by Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick, but decided to put it on my wishlist for the November VIB sale instead. My cashier that day was genuinely kind as well - we had a nice chat about Zoya polishes, and she assured me the make-up wipes were really good :)

On my walk home from the subway station, I went into Sugarcube Patisserie in Long Island City for a decadent sweet treat. I opted for their tasting menu of handmade gelato + pastry, and I ordered a small latte to balance out the sweetness. I've had their gelato before and thought it was excellent - this time I got hazelnut as well as mango & passionfruit sorbet - and the Middle Eastern-inspired cheesecake I chose for my pairing didn't disappoint either. I'd definitely recommend Sugarcube for a sweet treat if you're ever in the area; but mind you, the pairing is a very large dessert and I kinda wished I could share it with someone :)

When I got home I had some PR packages waiting for me, and it just never gets old for me you guys - opening those up always feels like Christmas. But I satisfied myself with a quick peek and turned on the laptop to Skype with my parents, who wanted to wish me happy birthday 'in person'. In general, it was a day of long-distance video calls: later on I also FaceTimed with my brother, and then with my best friend late in the evening. I felt touched that they all remembered and wanted to chat on the day. I also received lots of birthday emails, and again really appreciated the thought - lots of people prefer now to write something quick on your Facebook wall and while that's nice, I don't really use Facebook anymore so I was doubly thankful a lot of people remembered that and chose to send an email instead. Other than that, I relaxed, watched some YouTube, and did a quick spot of blogging - I guess the latter was the most productive part of my day.

After my husband came back home from work in the late evening, he surprised me with an entire cake from one of my favorite French bakeries in the city, and he also bought 30 candles for me to blow out. I'm obviously not telling you my birthday wish - but I did manage to blow out all thirty in one go :) He also gave me a gift certificate to a nail salon in our neighborhood, which I was super happy to receive - while I still enjoy doing my own manis, at-home pedicures are nigh on impossible with my very large watermelon belly, and I would definitely like to squeeze one more in before I deliver. Apparently the certificate is also only part of the gift; he wanted to give me something while we're waiting for the other part to come in the mail. It's all very mysterious and I love the anticipation - it makes the present that much more exciting :)

Overall, I had a perfectly beautiful, peaceful and happy birthday. I felt pampered and cherished and even though we did not have some huge celebration, it was exactly how I wanted it. Early in the week, I also indulged in some online shopping: I ordered two make-up bags from Korean brands in incredibly cute patterns (I'll definitely show them to you once they get here, but as they're being shipped from South Korea, it will take a few weeks), and placed an order at The Body Shop for some bath and body products - I have been missing having their body butter in my stash, and I'm really unhappy with my current make-up remover so I got their Silky Cleansing Oil among other things. Oh - and I also bought lots of new knickers from Aerie. My current underwear is a state - and mostly too small to boot.

There you have it - I hope you enjoyed this glance into my birthday week. In case you're wondering if I feel any different or perhaps a little sad not to be 20-something anymore, than my answer would be no: I guess to me it doesn't feel like a milestone, it just feels like another date. I enjoyed my twenties, but I think my thirties are going to bring even better and bigger things; you know, what with the arrival of a new family member and taking on a whole new role in my life. Also thank you to everyone who wished me happy birthday on Instagram/ Twitter - I never cease to appreciate your guys' support and kind words. Thank you for reading!

For the Foodie: August Degustabox* and Homemade Pizza

Time for another Degustabox* unboxing, folks! Honestly, Degustaboxes (together with local produce farmshare boxes) give me a much bigger thrill than beauty subscription boxes ever did in the past - because really, as a hungry preggo with a voracious human bean inside her, getting delivered an awesome box full of ready to eat snacks and ingredients to get creative with is living the dream right now :D I'm sure fellow foodies get me on this.

The size of the actual box is the same as the last one (click here if you want to see what I got!) and again, it was packed to the brim with products neatly tucked into bubble wrap to survive shipping. I received my box about a week ago, so I already had a chance to try out some things and give you mini reviews as well. I got:

ALO Allure Pulp Free (aloe vera, mangosteen and mango juice blend), $1.99 - tasty mango flavor but a bit too sweet
Popchips Ridges snack-sized baggie in the Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor, $1.25 - haven't tried these yet but regular Popchips in the Barbecue flavor are some of my favorite chips to munch on
Goetze's Mini Cow Tales, $3.49 - haven't tried yet but they sound suspiciously similar to a popular Polish candy called krówki, which are sort of like dulce de leche/ soft and chewy caramels...?
White Lily White Grape and Wheat Flour, $5.49 - I've used White Lily Bread flour in the past to bake our sourdough loaf so I was very excited to try this; see below.

Sir Kensington's Chipotle Mayonnaise, $5.99 - haven't tried yet but I can see an awesome BAT (bacon, avocado, tomato sandwich) featuring this mayo in the very near future
Post Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, $2.83 - had it this morning with greek yogurt and berries instead of my regular homemade granola and while I loved the crunch factor, I found it (like 99% of store-bought cereal) to be way too sweet
Oregon Chai Tea Latte instant powder drink mix, $3.99 - tried once so far as an iced drink and again, too sugary for me

Loacker Rose of the Dolomite x 2, $1.76 each - OMG. If there's one thing to take away from August Degustabox, it's these chocolate pralines. They're creamy and chocolatey with a little crunch from hazelnuts and wafer pieces and they're SO GOOD (that's why there's only one pack in the photo, I just couldn't stop eating once I opened the other one I had). If you like Kinder Bueno candy bars, you NEED to try these.
Goya Maria Cookies, $0.99
Vermont Smoke & Cure Mini Meat Sticks, $4.99 for a 6-pack (we got 4) - I believe that as a Polish person, I know most of what there is to know about good sausage and maybe I'm spoilt as a result. I tried one of these 'sticks' and really did NOT like it. Your experience may vary though.
Approx. value of the August box: $33.04 for $19.99/ month

Now for the recipe, or rather what I was inspired to make with a product from my Degustabox. You guessed it - I went right for that bag of flour and set on making the perfect thin crust pizza for one (or, uhm, one and a half? How should I count the baby bean?) from scratch. I rarely eat pizza, and I almost never make it at home, the chief reason being that my husband is not only allergic to garlic but also cow's dairy (meaning, mozzarella, parmesan, asiago... all the delicious pizza cheese). But, Mr is currently away on a work trip, and that coupled with the arrival of this flour in my Degustabox, and a bulb of porcelain neck garlic in my farmshare box, is what I call the perfect opportunity.

I used the dough recipe from The Kitchn (here). My only note here would be that I suspect the grape seed and wheat flour needs a bit more moisture (water) than just plain wheat/ all-purpose, so I'd adjust that next time I'm baking with it. I let the dough rise a bit for about an hour and fifteen minutes, then halved it, used one half right away and popped the other in the fridge to make another fresh pizza the next day.

For my toppings, I made a classic tomato base using canned tomato paste thinned with a bit of water and olive oil, and added crushed garlic, lots of oregano leaf, fresh thyme, a little bit of onion powder and some salt and pepper. I decided on my favorite childhood flavor combo - ham and pineapple (I realize some people are strongly against pineapple on a pizza but I don't care, I love it), and added some onion slivers and corn kernels as well. I sprinkled a fair amount of shredded mozzarella on top and baked for about 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven.

Was it the world's most Instagrammable pizza? Not really. Was it delicious though? Oh, absolutely. The crust came out nice and thin but not too crunchy (it supported the weight of all the toppings but was still easy to bite through) and I really enjoyed my garlicky base with plentiful ham and pineapple pieces. In fact, I cannot wait for lunchtime now just so I can go ahead and make a second pizza with my refrigerated dough from yesterday. Mmmm.

All in all, I'm happy with the products that came in my August Degustabox, but I guess I wish there was a bit less candy/ sugar-heavy food in it. I have a bit of a sweet tooth in general but even more so now that I'm pregnant, and I try to be careful about it, so I know I shouldn't be having any of those Cow Tales or sugary instant chai lattes :/ If you're interested in this food subscription, you can use my referral link (click on the banner below) to get your first box for 50% off, shipping included.


Are you a pizza lover? Do you like making your own at home or do you have a favorite pizzeria where you live? What are your favorite toppings/ flavor combos? Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. The post contains an affiliate link, which means I'll earn a commission if you decide to sign up to Degustabox after clicking. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog! 

New Food Subscription: Degustabox Unboxing & Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

We're back from Iceland! While it's sad that our holidays are over and it's now back to the daily grind, I'm actually glad to be home. It's just nice to have everything on hand for when you need it and not have to live out of a suitcase, you know? Moreover, whenever we travel, after about a week of being beyond happy about eating out (as in, someone else having to cook and do the dishes while I can just kick back and enjoy the deliciousness), I do start missing making my own meals. I guess I find it hard to maintain my normal diet while traveling and at the end of the trip, I'm itching to get back to more balanced meals.

You guys may remember from my mentioning in passing that I cook about 90% of our meals myself, and both me and Mr consider ourselves 'foodies' - by which I mean that we like to eat, and we like to eat well. I've wanted to incorporate some more food-related content into the blog for a while but wasn't sure how to start, and then Degustabox*, a new food subscription service, reached out and asked if I'd be interested in showcasing their box and coming up with a recipe incorporating the products they sent. Not only was I excited about the prospect of free food (I mean, who wouldn't be?), I also thought that it's a subscription service I could actually put to good use - the products from various beauty boxes I've tried in the past would usually end up lingering in drawers untouched for years, but food really is a consumable resource, and thus more in line with my somewhat minimalist tendencies. It's fun to share food porn, so why not? Maybe it'll be inspiring for someone out there.

Degustabox* is a subscription service that will set you back $19.99/ month, including delivery, and each of the monthly boxes contains between 10-15 food products, some full size, some trial/ snack size. Obviously all the products that come in the box are non-perishable food items, and many of them are products that are just being released on the market, so that you get a chance of trying something new you may not have heard about before. If you're interested in signing up, you can use my affiliate link here to save $10 off your first box (or not - whatever you prefer!), and you can cancel your subscription at any time.

 Now, onto my first Degustabox unboxing! The box was delivered about 5 days after I received my shipping confirmation and everything inside was packed with care (lots of bubble wrap, heavier items on the bottom). The box also came with a welcome card and a page detailing all the products, their prices and short descriptions, as well as two recipes featuring two of the items. I have received 10 different items but there were more than one packet/ bottle of some:

4 snack-sized bags of Wise Popcorn (2 x reduced fat sea salt and 2 x Cinnabon flavors) - $0.75 each
1 bottle of Briannas Italian Vinaigrette salad dressing - $3.99
3 foil packets of Vita Coco Coconut Oil - $1.29 each
2 bottles of Topo Chico Mineral Water (one unflavored sparkling, one lime flavored) - $1.00 each
1 jar of Jif Peanut Butter in the Cinammon flavor - $2.99
2 snack-sized bags of Orchard Valley nuts - $1.98 each
1 bag of Haribo Sour Gold-Bears candy - $2.79
1 carton of Elmhurst Harvest Pistachio milk-alternative beverage - $3.00
1 bottle of Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce/ Marinade - $4.99
1 bag of Honees Cough Drops - $2.75
Total Value: $33.34 for $19.99 

I find this to be a pretty good value - and to be honest, if I were to shop for these products in store locally (in Brooklyn), I would probably pay closer to $40-45 for all of these items (NYC livin' ain't cheap). You could probably find some of these items cheaper if you shopped around online/ used coupons, but I still think the box is great value. Also, I found all of the products included to be relevant to my lifestyle and preferences - I was excited to see a nut milk since my husband is allergic to cow's dairy, and while he's also allergic to garlic so that we won't be able to use the Soy Vay marinade, I can easily pass this item on to a friend (I'm keeping the garlicky cheesy Italian dressing for myself though, muahaha). We eat lots of nuts and peanut butter in this house and I like snacking on popcorn, so those are all great as well - and I'm excited to try the sour version of Haribo Bears, which used to be one of my favorites candies when I was a kid.

As for the creative aspect of this post - a recipe featuring some items from this month's box - I was a bit pressed for time so I went for something very simple (not that the food I make is generally complicated; rather the opposite, to be honest). Most mornings, we eat homemade granola with Greek yogurt (me) or soy milk (him) and berries for breakfast, but I decided to make this Triple Nut Vegan Overnight Oatmeal this time. I'm sure most of you have heard of and tried overnight oats before, but if you haven't - here goes:

1/4 - 1/3 cup of old fashioned oats (I use Bob's Red Mill - don't use the instant kind!)
3/4 - 1 cup of grain/ nut milk: I used the Elmhurst Harvest Pistachio Beverage, which is sweetened - if using unsweetened variety, add in some sugar/ honey/ maple syrup to taste
1 tablespoon of flax seed (you could also use chia - or skip altogether)

Mix everything in your breakfast bowl the evening before and set in the fridge overnight to soak and thicken. The flax seeds/ chia seeds expand and get more of a jelly consistency when soaked in a liquid, which gives this oatmeal a pleasant creamy texture, while the oats soften so that you don't actually have to cook them. In the morning, you can reheat in the microwave if you like, and top with just about anything - I used unsweetened coconut flakes, raspberries and blackberries, and a teaspoon of Jif Cinnamon Peanut Butter in the center; hence the Triple Nut (Pistachio, Coconut and Peanut) - get it?

And that's it, a quick, simple and customizable breakfast that's also filling and relatively healthy (although a bit on the sweet side from the sugar in the Pistachio milk and Jif Peanut Butter - we normally eat unsweetened kinds of both of these items). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this somewhat different post, and let me know what you usually have for breakfast; I recently tried dairy-free overnight yeast waffles on the weekend (which you may have seen on my Instagram) and those were a big hit too. Now I'm thinking of venturing further into the world of yeasted deliciousness... I'll keep you posted.

Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. The post contains an affiliate link, which means I'll earn a commission if you decide to sign up to Degustabox after clicking. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the product featured was purchased with my own money or provided free of charge. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

Current Favorite Teas and Dark Chocolate

While the Anti Make-up Phase is still going strong (and by the way, thank you for all the amazing comments - you guys are obviously my tribe!), I thought I'd entertain you with a little non-beauty favorites post, focusing on my favorite teas and dark chocolate bars of the moment. Because let's face it: if I don't blog about them now, there soon will be nothing left to blog about in the first place :)

You may know from my '30 Random Facts About Me' post that I'm a discerning coffee drinker, but I actually drink more tea than coffee, and my tea consumption reaches about 4 mugs a day in the depths of winter - I just like hot drinks in my cold, cold belleh! I do try to moderate my caffeine intake, so some of the teas you'll see here are of the herbal variety. Recently, my husband also got me really into dark chocolate (I used to be a milk chocolate kind of girl, and Lindt's bars are still among my favorites) and now a nice hot cup of tea with some dark chocolate is my all-round favorite treat.

Let's start with the ever-so-popular David's Tea. One of the benefits of moving to New York is that we now have access to a physical David's Tea store and are able to smell all the goodies in person. My general impression of David's is that while they do have some wonderfully tasty teas, unfortunately some of the varieties they carry smell better than they taste (looking at you, chamomile-laden Mango Lassi!), but you know, there's always a bit of trial and error with previously untested teas.

David's Tea Organic Cream of Earl Grey (black tea with vanilla and bergamot flavor) is my ultimate favorite for the mornings. I think Earl Grey is a bit like Marmite in that some people love it and some people hate it, but if you enjoy this classic variety, try to hunt down something with a touch of vanilla as well. I also like Adagio Tea's Earl Grey Moonlight, which has the same taste profile.

Next up, a little night time treat: David's Tea Jessie's Tea, which is a rooibos blend with coconut and lavender. Jessie's Tea is a case of something that sounds pretty weird on paper, but tastes really good in reality - you get the slightly sweet, grassy notes of rooibos, creaminess of coconut and a bit medicinal, relaxing lavender finish.

Lastly from David's Tea, the unassumingly-named Citron Oolong. We bought it to replace sadly discontinued seasonal Tangerine green tea, and I love it just as much. Oolong ('black dragon' in Chinese) is a variety that sits somewhere in between green and black tea, and this blend is scented with jasmine (those are actual jasmine flowers you can see in the photo!), lemon myrtle and citrus essences. I'd also like a matchng perfume, please.

Now for an old favorite: Adagio Tea's Thai Chai. It's a comforting, warming black chai tea blended with coconut, lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. This particular blend differs from most chai teas in that it has the light freshness of coconut and lemongrass. I don't usually take my tea with milk, but I find that this benefits from a little splash to mellow out the spice and bring out the Thai flavors.

Now for the newest favorite: Mountain Rose Herbs Hibiscus High Tea. This is obviously an herbal tea (or what the French like to call 'tisane') - a blend of hibiscus flowers, lemongrass, mint, rose petals and orange peel. It tastes sweet, fresh, fruity, slightly cooling with lemongrass and mint; I actually need to try it as iced tea, I bet it would be pretty fantastic. It's a good substitute for fruit juice in the winter months, but quite difficult to get hold of (only available online from Mountain Rose Herbs store, and I found the shipping to be pretty extortionate), so I might move on to a diffrent hibiscus infusion after I finish this box.

Time for dark chocolate noms! Gourmet dark chocolate can get very expensive very quickly, so here's a little online shopping tip: I get my dark chocolate bars from Vitacost (this is my referral link, if you care for it*) - I find their prices a lot lower than any grocery store around me, Whole Foods included, and they have a very nice selection of fair trade, single origin, oftentimes organic dark chocolate. Their customer service is pretty outstanding and they have lightning fast shipping!

Madécasse is a Madagascar chocolate brand we've been buying for a long time now.  My older favorite is Citrus & Pink Pepper (63% pure cocoa) for it's bright, subtle spiciness, but now I've been cheating on it with Sea Salt & Nibs (63% cocoa) - it's a bit bolder, less sweet, with the delightful saltiness and crunchy texture from cacao nibs. Yum! Husband also really likes hot Cinnamon & Chili Pepper variety.

Our favorite inexpensive discovery: Equal Exchange Chocolates in Organic Very Dark Chocolate (71% cacao content) and Organic Panama Extra Dark (80% cacao). I used to dislike very dark chocolate because I often found a strange bitter/sour taste to it; these two have none of that, just super intense, concentrated cocoa flavor with a hint of vanilla bean. You really have to let a piece melt in your mouth a bit to savour all the amazing chocolate-ness of these... no rushing! Between the two of us, we go through a couple bars a week.

Let's wrap this up with a little bonus treat - my current favorite pastry. This is Tarte Framboise Meringuée from Maison Eric Kayser bakery here in New York. So far, I've found this international bakery chain to be the only one to properly execute a French tarte pastry; the crust has to be buttery and uhm, crusty, and this version (not to be confused with the regular Tarte Framboise, which comes with vanilla cream filling and no meringue) has a sweet and sour lemon cream, meringue AND fresh raspberries on top. Simply indulgent. Get their Torte de Meule, a large sourdough bread, and some Mini Cereales bread rolls while you're there.

Let me know in the comments your favorite teas and dark chocolate of the moment, or any other treat for that matter! I love discovering new things through your suggestions, and I need to replete my stocks pretty soon :) Also, if you're craving more tea reviews, especially of the bagged variety, check out my older tea favorites right here.

*Disclaimer: If you use my referral link to make a purchase at Vitacost.com, we will both receive a $10 coupon off of a minimum $30 purchase. You don't have to use my link - but it IS a nice deal. I'm not affiliated with or sponsored by Vitacost, I just genuinely like their service.