Graze box. (review)

If you love trying different healthy snacks like me, you’ll love Graze.

Graze (www.graze.com) is a subscription snack box that comes with 4 individually packaged snacks. There is a wide range of snacks which you can choose to try, and based on your top ratings, you will get a surprise combination in your mailbox. There are also snacks for vegans, dairy-free and gluten-free people!

The snacks have tasty unique flavors, and the little containers are the perfect size to carry with you on-the-go. Although I’ve read reviews of people raving about their flapjacks, they are a bit too sweet for me -but I love the dried fruit snacks! Oh, and the chocolate, of course. ;)

I first learned about Graze last year when it was just starting and I was lucky enough to get on the waiting list. After a few months, I got an invitation code in October to join and try my first box, and since then have been hooked. I have tried a few similar subscription boxes in the past, but have usually canceled after the first few boxes. Considering that I just got my 9th box this week, I think that says a lot already! Each box costs only $6, and it’s awesome that there is no commitment required. You can choose whenever you want your box to be delivered (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) and cancel any time.

A cute little card always comes in the box with more information…

…and nutrition facts for each snack on the back!

If you’d like to try Graze, I have a Friend Code, where you can get your first and fifth box free! Click here or contact me if you’d like my promotional code!

And no, I am not sponsored by them or associated with them in anyway. I honestly just enjoy their snacks! (you’ll get a Friend Code if you join too, don’t worry.)

Leave me a comment!

Q: What do you like to snack on?

 

 

The best Pad Thai. (V, GF)

Wherever I am with my mom, she always insists on trying every Thai restaurant in the area. Even when we’re in Thailand. (Go figure, right?) So what’s the first thing she’ll order? Pad Thai. If the Pad Thai isn’t good, don’t expect a return visit. Ever. Sorry cooks, she’s got high standards. ;)

Of course, it is no surprise then that the Pad Thai she makes is the absolute best. Twenty years of me being alive, and I had never learned her secrets! So when she came to visit me, it was time to teach me her skills.  She then also thought it was a great idea to teach all her friends individually, on consecutive days, how to make her Pad Thai… I had Pad Thai for 2 weeks straight… A little too much, but thanks mom…

My mom knows this recipe by heart, but she was willing to nicely type it up for me to share.

Pad Thai Sauce Ingredients:

• 11/2 cups tamarind juice (tamarind soaked in hot water for about 20 min)
• Two pieces of palm sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of fish sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of ketchup

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1/2 hour.

Pad Thai Ingredients

• Pad Thai sauce
• 1/2 pack of rice noodles (preferrably from Chantaburi, Thailand) soaked in luke warm water for an hour or until softened
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 2 cups of Chinese chives (chopped to 1/2 inch)
• organic tofu 1/2 piece
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped salted radish
• 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped shallots and garlic
• dried shrimps or fresh prawns (shelled, optional)
• sliced tofu (the other half) or thinly sliced chicken or pork (optional)
• 1 egg (optional)

Directions:

1. Cube the tofu and deep fry in oil. Set aside.
2. Brown the mixture of chopped shallots and garlic in oil.
3. Add chopped salted radish, dried shrimps, and deep fried tofu (if you use fresh prawns, you must put it at the end of the process so that your prawns won’t be overcooked.
4. Add fresh sliced tofu or meat, then and noodles.
5. Put sauce in little by little (too much it will be too soggy, too little it will be too stiff)
6. Add egg if desired.
7. Add chives and keep on stir-frying.
8. Add  fresh prawns. (if you use dried shrimps, no need for this step)
9. Add bean sprouts and stir-fry until the bean sprouts are soft.

Serve with wedged lime, crushed peanuts, chili powder, fresh bean sprouts and fresh Chinese chives.

Four-Ingredient Nutella Brownie Cakes

This post is way overdue, and I am so sorry for that, but I did promise a successful recipe last time, and this is definitely it! 

As it was my boyfriend’s birthday a while ago and he goes a liiittle crazy over Nutella, I wanted it to be the main ingredient in the cupcakes I wanted to make for one of his gifts. However, they turned out to have so much Nutella in them that the texture is more brownie-like, so I fittingly named them Brownie Cakes. As you can see from the title, they also only require four ingredients! And that’s including the frosting. How great is that? Seeing as I used an entire big jar of Nutella though, I would definitely not call these healthy. But let’s be real… guys don’t care about that. Am I right? (Yeah, I’m right.)

This recipe was originally found here. It says it yields about 28 mini cupcakes, but I got 35.

I also finally bought new measuring cups and spoons, and I was so excited about them that I had to include them in this picture. (yes, I get excited about new kitchenware.)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Nutella
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 oz cream cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and place cupcake liners in mini cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of Nutella to bowl, and mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the flour and stir mixture well.
5. Pour batter into cupcake liners.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

For the frosting, combine remaining 1 cup of Nutella and cream cheese in a bowl and mix well. Make sure the Brownie Cakes are cooled well before piping the frosting on top! I added chocolate sprinkles because if you’re gonna bake yummy Nutella cupcakes and have Nutella frosting, why not top it off with more chocolatey goodness?!Tip: Make your own cute flags! I cut up Post-it notes, glued them on toothpicks and wrote the letters on them.And lastly, some extra hearts for cuteness. ;)

I have so many ideas and good recipes planned and will start posting more regularly now, so get ready!