May 2013 Goodies Box Review

Got my May Goodies box today!!

Goodies is a subscription box. It's super cheap...7 bucks a month including shipping. You have to request an invite and it takes about a month to get one. After that, you have about a week to enter your credit card info before it expires. BUT...it can still take about 2 months to get your first box. You won't be billed until the month you are going to receive your first box.

Anyway...this month's is my favorite so far. It was full of good stuff....

This months' box included:

2 packs of Sour Power Straws. I wanted to try these tonight but got distracted with chocolate covered pretzels...

1 Numi Moroccan Tea Bag

1 Coupon for Wholly Guacamole and a Wholly Guac Chip Clip

Kathie's Kitchen Super Seeds Pumpkin Seeds

Beanitos Bean Chips with Sea Salt

2 sample pack's of California Olive Ranch Olive Oil

Bronco Bob's Roasted Mango Chipotle Sauce (I look forward to this, jar recommends serving it over cream cheese)

And a HUGE 'box' of coconut water. I have tried coconut water once, it was good but not something I would want constantly. Will give it a try again!

Again...this month's box was AWESOME. What would you be most excited to try?

May 2013 Conscious Box Review Regular and Vegan

I signed up for my 2nd subscription box this month. Along with Goodies Box...I now get Conscious Box. The reason I signed up for this was because I found a discount code online to get it for $9.95 a month versus the normal $19.95. I ALSO won a sweepstakes on another blog for 3 free months and decided to use it toward trying out the Vegan box as well.

Conscious Box is a subscription box that contains more all natural products, organic products and environmentally friendly products. We are trying to stick to those items in our lives as much as possible so I thought this box would be a fun way to try new products!



The boxes were smaller than the Goodies box I've received before but they were crammed packed full of items.

First up is the Vegan box...

It came with:

2 shots of Dream and Relaxation water. The first thing I thought of when I saw these were they were the opposite of 5 hour energy. I haven't tried them yet...but do look forward to trying them on a restless no sleep night. It also came with a coupon for BOGO if I decide to purchase them. 

Pack of Happy Hemp seeds. They're toasted and GMO free. 

A sample of VeirID Revive and Shine Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. It's the pretty pink pack in the lower middle. 

2 Ecover dishwasher tabs. I've used these before and liked them. I will save them for the time we have a functioning dishwasher in our lives....

A teeny-tiny sample of dark chocolate...bitter, bitter dark chocolate...I spit it out. 

2 sample packs of Earthpaste All Natural Toothpaste. One in peppermint and the other lemon twist. Peppermint is something I'm used to, but we'll see how I feel about the lemon....

A pack of Ultima Replinsher, a zero sugar zero calorie all natural balanced electrolyte powder to add to water. It's lemonade and GMO free...

The most 'interesting' item in the box was a pack of Pollen Ranch's Fennel Pollen. I am NOT a fan of fennel and the box reeked of fennel. I also found it interesting that the recipe that came with the pollen was for a pork loin...and this was the vegan box. (now my hand stinks of fennel because I touched the pack)

2 business cards. One offering a free conscious box if I sign up to become a member of a clean energy something or another and the other for 15% off an order at Mac N Mo's Morselicious Treats!

A Graw Bar...Raw Sprouted Energy. Looks good...plan on eating it for breakfast. 

A pretty postcard.

A sample and coupon for Herbamare sea salt seasoned with herbs. I like the idea of this...

Sample of YES! soothing all natural sunscreen. I've seen Yes! products in Target and always wondered if I'd like them, so now we'll find out...

Sample of Sukibody Butter Cream salve. Organic lavender and organic cocoa butter. Yum. 

1 BIJA lemon ginger echinacea tea bag. I try to drink hot tea...but I'm not good at it...and it reeks of fennel now..

Now onto the regular box..

It also came with the Relaxation shots, BIJA tea, sea salt, dishwasher tabs, postcard, sunscreen, and Ultima Replinsher. 

But it also came with...

A healthy kids organic nutritional drink. We'll see how Coop likes this...

An Earthpaste sample in Wintergreen and a full-sized tube in peppermint. 

A sample of Relax-All pills for a better nights sleep. 

Sample pack of Somersaults - Crunchy nuggets baked with sunflower seeds and toasted grains. Sound yummy!

Coupons for a couple different products. 

And...a sample of Healthy Hoohoo...gentle feminine cleanser..interesting. 

It was exciting getting the boxes. I will keep getting the free box for 2 more months and will keep paying for the discounted box for at least 2 more months. I don't feel like it was worth the normal 20 buck price tag. I am also cheap...

Do you get any subscription boxes? 

Sweet Potato Medallions with Dipping Sauce

This day is just dragging....dragging and dragging. My husband goes to a Toast Master meeting on Wednesday nights and it makes the day super long.

Ok, just being honest...not very 'chatty' right now so just onto the recipe. HA! :)


These are SO GOOD. There are no exact measurements for this recipe, you can make as many or as little as you want.

Sweet Potato Medallions with Dipping Sauce

Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch circles

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Sour Cream

Fresh Dill

Preheat oven to 350. Toss potato slices with enough olive oil to lightly coat and salt and pepper to taste. Place slices on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. 

Meanwhile, mix as much sour cream as you think you'll need with the dill. Put this in the fridge while you wait for the potatoes. 

Dig in!

Sour Cream Cucumber Salad

I am currently watching The Weeping Angels episode of Doctor Who....you should watch it and get and get all freaked out like I do when I watch it.


Anyway....

Today I am sharing another cucumber salad recipe with you. I LOVE cucumbers....love love them. I really should grow some. By the way...the tomatoes are doing well and I've also planted some zucchini, peppers and herbs. I will post a picture soon!

Sour Cream Cucumber Salad

2 seedless cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill or 1/4 cup fresh
Salt to taste

Mix together sour cream, vinegar, cayenne pepper, dill and salt. Pour over cucumbers and combine. Chill in refrigerator for an hour before serving.



Dig in!

Chili Lime Avocado Topping

Happy Saturday!

We are doggie sitting two little Dauchshund's this weekend so we took them out for a walk early this morning. We are really enjoying them!

I planted some tomatoes the other day in containers. These are in Global Buckets and I plan on trying other container's this weekend.

Today, I am sharing a super-easy yummy topping for taco's, could be used for a dip or spread on pita for a sandwich. We had our's on top of the Southwest Pasta from a few days ago. 

I actually planned on making sort of a salad, but my avocado's were too ripe and mushy. SO I converted it and was super happy with the results!!

Here ya go...

Chili Lime Avocado Topping

2 ripe Hass avocados 

Juice from 1 lime

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Chopped fresh chives, about 3 sprigs

Scoop out Avocado and mash in a bowl. 

Combine lime juice, sugar, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and pour over avocado. Mix well and stir in chives. 

Dig in!

The Critter

We have learned that as homeowners, you encounter all kind of crazy stuff. CRAZY stuff. Like for example....

(Please ignore grimmey looking floor. It's stains. Horrible finish on the wood floor. Also, grease on the back wall is from a previous tenant that fried constantly apparently. OH the grease we cleaned when we moved in...)

That's a possum...under my stove. A baby possum to be exact. We thought we had a rat in our laundry room...but it turns out, it was this guy...or his sister. 

I heard scurry in the kitchen 2 nights ago, I hauled it out of there and waited....waited for the 'rat' to come around the corner. Tink chased something in the dining room a little later...kept waiting...then I heard something under the couch. I got brave, peeked...and it was a baby possum. I woke up Kevin and we chased it out with a very handy set of plastic golfclubs we bought for Coop that exact evening. 

So this MORNING...Kevin wakes ME up..and tells me there is scratching under the stove...and it was this possum. He was sitting in my muffin pan. We chased him out AGAIN...or we chased it out the first time if it was the sibling. I am now in the process of washing all of my cookie sheets, lasagna pans etc....he peed in them. OH LORD. 

So I went to Home Depot and got a couple cans of that expandable spray foam stuff to fill in the gap we believe he or she or they are coming in in our laundry room..wish us luck. Hopefully they will be gone in a few days. I read that they only stay in one den for 3 or 4 days, a little longer if babies are involved. SO we will see. Eek. 

Southwest Black Bean Pasta Bake

I'm going to post 2 blog entries today...one for the recipe below...and one for a fun little story about a critter we've had in our house...


OK, so this pasta is easy, yummy and super healthy!

I veganized it with Daiya cheese, but you can use regular cheese if you like.


Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Southwest Black Bean Pasta Bake


2/3 box of rotini, cooked according to package directions in salted water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked black beans (1 can if using canned, drained)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a casserole dish.

Saute garlic and jalapeno in olive oil until tender, don't let garlic get too brown! Add black beans, chili powder and oregano. Stir in salsa and simmer for a 5 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta and pour into casserole dish. Top with cheese and cover with foil.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.


Dig in!