Subscription Food Boxes

Hello. Let me first say, IT IS FALL!


Now, on to the subject of this post. Recently, I stumbled across two different deals for monthly-subscription food boxes. I haven't done the Foodie Penpals program lately and I have missed receiving food, so of course I grabbed these opportunities.

The first box that I received was Love With Food
They donate meals with box purchases.
 The box that I ordered was the Tasting Box, which costs $10 a month, and promises 8+ items in each box. This month's theme was "Spice Up Your Life."

Pictured above: A brochure detailing the info for the products
Amazing Grass Green Superfood - waiting for the right moment to use this one
 Maruso Ghost Soy Sauce - Made from black soy beans with the addition of ghost chili powder, this one might be spicy, so I might donate to a spice-loving relative.
 Shotwell Candy Co. 5 Spice Caramels - These are very good. Plus, they don't stick to the teeth!

Pictured above: Ziggy Marley Organics Caribbean Crunch Roasted Hemp seeds - having tasted hempvseeds before, I was prepared for the strange flavor that was awaiting me. However, that flavor wasn't as strong here, plus there were spices to improve on flavors. Tasted pretty good, though still an acquired taste.
 Mandy's Chocolate Cookie Thins - NOT gluten-free, so I plan to split the 3 cookies with a certain gluten-eating mother
 Fogg City Spice Co. Lemon Rosemary Seasoning - this smells fabulous and I can't wait to use it!

Pictured above: Way Better Snacks Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips - I'm excited for these, because they are non-GMO and sprouted! Who knows if sprouting changes anything with processed foods...but, I'd like to think it does.
Love With Food Churro Kettle Popcorn - this was very delicous!
3 coupons for purchases of the some of the products contained in the box

Verdict: For the price I paid (nothing for the box + shipping), I'm quite pleased. If I was paying for the whole thing, I might be disappointed with the amount of items in the box.

The second box that I received was Urthbox.
The box that I ordered was their medium-sized gluten-free box, guaranteeing 12-15 gluten-free items. This was a big, heavy box, so I wasted no time in opening it.

Pictured above:
The September card
A sample of a WaterWipes wet wipe, purported to be, "The world's purest baby wipes", with 99.9% water and 0.1% fruit extract.
A sample of Kelapo extra-virgin coconut oil
A sample of Weleda "skin food" creme
Coupons

Pictured above: I was so surprised to find drinks in here!
Sneakz Organic Chocolate (Vegetable) "Milkshake" - waiting for the right moment to use this one
Bai5 Antioxidant Infusions Tanzania Lemonade tea - SO excited to try this. It says it's made with the outside of the coffeefruit (which is where the coffee bean comes from), a supposed superfruit.
EBOOST Superberry Energy Shot with Coconut Water - I'm a little afraid of this one, since I'm quite sensitive to things of this nature. I might share it with someone who volunteered to drink the whole thing, on account of aforementioned sensitivity.

Pictured above: Glenny's EasyPeasy Chili Lime Quinoa Chips - will be trying these soon
Maya Kaimal Seeded Multigrain Chickpea Chips - this is a pretty big bag so I'm saving it for a special occasion...like hunger.
Simply7 Quinoa Chips - these were tasty and had a good crunch

Pictured above: Pretzel Perfection Twice-Baked Chipotle BBQ Pretzel Sticks - these were one of two snacks that I smuggled into the movie theater, but didn't end up needing, so I haven't tried them yet.
Snapz Apple Chips - I think I've tried these before, so I'm looking forward to eating these.
Goldbaums Multigrain Piedmont BBQ Kale Chips - These were the second snacks smuggled into the theater; not eaten during the movie, but several hours later. I was quite disappointed when I opened these and found that they were NOT dried kale chips. Had I read the ingredients, I might have come to that conclusion, for the only kale listed is in the form of powder. Once I got over my disappointment, however, I fairly enjoyed them. They are pretty spicy, though, which required me to eat them without stopping and have a drink nearby.

Pictured above: Cafe Britt Organic Cafe Arabica Coffee - not a coffee drinker, though I do plan to have a cup when the coffee-drinker of the house makes it for herself
Schar Gluten-free Penne - This had a sticker that said, "BONUS", which was a little bit exciting. I'm not usually a penne fan, so I'll have to find a good recipe with which to use this.
Glutenfreeda Apple Cinnamon with Flax Instant Oatmeal - I think I'll soak this for a while before eating it, because 1) for proper digestion, we should be soaking all of our grains and legumes, etc. and 2) I seem to be able to digest oats better when they're soaked (see point number one).
Nature's Path Organic Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Gluten-Free Granola Bar - reluctantly gave this one up to my mom, because I don't eat peanuts anymore (metabolism death food!)


Verdict: I'm glad there were more things to try in this box and that they were all gluten-free. (I couldn't order the gluten-free Love With Food box because it wasn't included with the promotion.) I paid a reduced price for the box + shipping. Had I paid the full price, I might not have felt that it was completely worth it.

Final words: I enjoyed getting both boxes, though I won't be able to continue with the subscriptions.
Would I do them again? Maybe. If I found another good deal... ;)
HOWEVER, I think I still prefer Foodie Penpals,  for, even though you might have to pay more with that, you get to correspond with someone, have the fun of picking out items for them, and you usually don't get just a bunch of snack-sized items. Plus, you don't have to cancel a subscription with Foodie Penpals, just sign up when you can.

Have a good Fall weekend.