Taste Trunk - July 2013 BBQ Trunk (Review and Coupon)

I'm really excited to share a new subscription service with you all today!  After much deliberation, I finally decided to cancel my GLOSSYBOX subscription (I'll probably share more details of why in a future post).  I had been seriously considering canceling GLOSSYBOX for a few months, and when I discovered Taste Trunk at the end of June, that was the last little push I needed to seal the deal.

Taste Trunk is a brand new foodie subscription service.  From what I can tell, they just launched in June.  From their website, Taste Trunk allows you to order individual products through their online store and also to sign up for their monthly trunks.  Taste Trunk offers 4 different trunks each month to subscribers: The Gourmet Trunk, The Health Trunk, The Sweet Trunk, and The BBQ Trunk.  Each trunk caters to a specific theme and "includes 5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on companies and amazing recipes."  The service allows you to cancel or switch to a different trunk theme at any time.  For $29/month (which includes shipping - my box was sent via Priority Mail and arrived incredibly fast) you'll discover new products to enjoy and share with others.

My July BBQ Trunk came carefully and beautifully packaged.  The exterior and interior of the box were beautifully branded with a wax seal.  Recipe and information cards were wrapped in a lovely old-timey bag and tied with a raffia bow.

A lovely and thoughtful welcome from Mike and Dawn Shipley, the founders of Taste Trunk, "Our goal is to introduce you to amazing products, many of which you might be seeing for the first time.  As part of that, we'll tell you the stories of how these products ended up in your trunk.  We'll also show you the inspiring people working hard to bring each brand to life.  We hope to make Taste Trunk a monthly voyage of discovery that will take you from small farming towns in California to vast olive trees in Tuscany.  Thanks for giving us a try and cheers to discovering what's out there!"

What I received in my July 2013 BBQ Trunk:

Bone Doctors' - Original Barbeque Sauce
Retails for $6.99 on BoneDoctorsBBQ.com

afire - Northern White Cedar Mini Grilling Planks
Retails for $12.99 on afireinc.com

México Lindo - Habanero Green Hot Sauce
(Couldn't locate this exact product for sale online.)

Community Spice Company - Tale Gator spice rub
Retails for $5.00 on communityspiceco.com

Miners Mix - Salmon Marinade
Retails for $5.49 on MinersMix.com

Total value: $30.47 + value of the hot sauce

The beauty of Taste Trunk is that you get to try unique products from brands that you may otherwise never have been introduced to.  Every brand and item in my July BBQ Trunk was a completely new experience for me.  I am incredibly happy with the variety of the products I received in my BBQ Trunk!  My husband and I really enjoy grilling and I can't wait to put these items to use.  The only item that I'm not over the moon about is the hot sauce, only because my husband and I tend to prefer our food on the mild side.  However, this hot sauce smells divine and I think it will add a lovely flavor and subtle heat when used in moderation.  I already have plans for how I'm going to use several of the items and I hope to share the recipes with you in the future.

Overall, I think the value of the July BBQ Trunk was great.  Assuming the hot sauce retails for around $5.00, the total value of the box would be around $35.00.  Each Taste Trunk costs $29.00, however, I purchased mine with a 25% discount code and paid only $21.75.  While I may not have received a huge excess of product value beyond the price I paid, I truly think this service is a great value and worth the investment.  For the sheer uniqueness of the products you're receiving and the attention to detail, Taste Trunk is providing a fantastic service at a reasonable price.

I wholeheartedly recommend this service if you're a foodie and like trying out new products.  Even if you're not a brilliant cook, the recipe ideas provided in the trunk along with the products take the guesswork out of what to do with the items you receive.  I think Taste Trunk would make a fantastic gift as well!  I really love that the service offers four different Trunk varieties so there is truly a Trunk for everyone.  I really loved the July BBQ Trunk, but I'm very curious to try the Gourmet and Sweet Trunks in the future.

If you'd like to try Taste Trunk, you can save 25% with the discount code "winsomegirl25" which will bring the cost of the Trunk of your choice to $21.75 (including shipping)!  If you would, kindly provide me as your referral by listing my full name (Amy Kelly) in the "Special Instructions" box during checkout!

Visit the Taste Trunk website to learn more and sign up.
Become a fan of Taste Trunk on Facebook.
Follow Taste Trunk on Twitter.

*Full disclosure: I paid for the Taste Trunk subscription with my own money.  I receive no commission or any other benefit if you use the discount code that Taste Trunk kindly provided me to share with you.  I will, however, receive a 10% discount on the purchase of future Trunks if you decide to enter my name as a referral during checkout.

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UPDATE as of 7/16/13: Taste Trunk will begin charging new members a $5.99 shipping fee (in addition to the $29/month charge for trunks) to insure they are able to continue including premium (and often heavy) items in the trunks.  Considering how large and heavy the trunk I received was and the fact that it was sent via Priority Mail, I think this a fair and reasonable charge.

Additionally, I wanted to share the following details:

• After you have signed up to receive a monthly Trunk, you will be charged each month thereafter on the 1st and trunks will ship during the first week of the month to arrive by the 15th.
• In order to change your Trunk theme, fill out and submit this form by the 25th to receive your newly requested theme for the following month.
• If you wish to cancel your subscription, you should do so by the 25th of the month to avoid being charged for the next month's Trunk.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Sunday night was the season 8 premiere of Dexter, everyone's favorite serial killer.  Hubby and I have enjoyed having a couple of friends joins us over the past few years to watch Dexter.  Each week I like to prepare a couple of snacks for us to enjoy while we watch the show.  For season premieres and finales I like to plan drinks and recipes that are appropriate for the show (lots of blood red treats, etc.).  For last night's premiere I decided to try out these Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies which looked simple but sounded delicious.

The cookies themselves are quick and easy cake mix cookies.  They bake up beautifully, staying soft and chewy but still sturdy enough for sandwiching.  They're filled with a delicious homemade cream cheese frosting that is satisfyingly sweet and creamy.  These are a fairly simple but truly drool-worthy dessert.  The stunning contrast of the deep red crackled cookie against the bright white, smooth filling makes these an eye-catching treat.

Red Velvet anything is pretty classic here in the South.  These are great for so many occasions.  Dip the edges of the frosting in patriotic sprinkles and they'd make a gorgeous treat for the Fourth of July.  Of course, these would be amazing at Christmas or around Valentine's Day as well.  But, really, you can't go wrong with these red velvet sandwich cookies anytime of the year.  I mean, who needs an excuse to enjoy a giant sandwich cookie?

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
adapted slightly from Let's Dish

Cookies
18.25 oz box red velvet cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Filling
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon milk (I used half-and-half)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cookies, mix sift together the cake mix and flour, then stir in the eggs and oil.  Scoop* cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, rotating the sheet halfway through, or until the tops look cracked and the cookies have set.  Cool on the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, begin by beating together the cream cheese and butter until light and well combined.  Mix in the vanilla and milk, then beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture is completely smooth.  Using an offset spatula (or a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip), spread 1-2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of a cookie.  Top with a second cookie and press together until the filling reaches the edges of the cookies.  Serve immediately or refrigerate (if refrigerating, remove the cookies 1 hour before serving to allow the filling to come to room temperature).

*I used a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop which yielded 7 very large bakery-style sandwich cookies.  For smaller cookies, I suggest using a 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon scoop.

I chose to double the filling to make sure I had plenty to generously fill my sandwiches.  I had about a cup of filling left over, so I wouldn't recommend doubling the recipe unless you want a lot of frosting.  I'd estimate that I filled each of my large sandwich cookies with about 3 tablespoons of filling.

Oreo Pudding Pops

There is nothing quite as delicious and satisfying as an ice cold popsicle to cool you down on a hot summer day.  From rich and creamy pudding pops to refreshing and healthy fruit pops, I've never met a popsicle I didn't like.  I've been wanting a cute popsicle maker for a few years now.  With summer in full force around here, I was finally motivated enough to splurge and purchase one.  I decided to test out my new Freezer Pop Maker with a quick and simple pudding pop recipe.

These Oreo Pudding Pops couldn't be easier to make.  Just three ingredients and about ten minutes work will yield you some seriously yummy popsicles.  After a few hours in the freezer these indulgent frozen treats will be ready to enjoy.  The pudding creates a cool and creamy base studded with Oreo cookie pieces.  My favorite thing about these pops is the half Oreo hiding in the pudding... as you nearly finish the treat there is a little surprise waiting.

These pudding pops may not be the most glamorous or gourmet, but they're guaranteed to please.  I'll definitely be reaching for this recipe throughout the summer.

Oreo Pudding Pops
adapted slightly from No. 2 Pencil
makes 6 popsicles*

4.2 oz box of Oreo Cookies 'n Creme Jell-O Instant Pudding
1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
6 Oreo cookies

Separate your Oreo cookies, leaving one side of the cookie with the creme attached.  Break the remaining cookie halves (without the creme filling) into small pieces; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the pudding mix, Oreo pieces, and milk until well combined.  Carefully spoon prepared pudding into your popsicle molds.  Once filled, tapped your mold gently on the counter to help bring any air bubbles to the surface and even out the pudding mixture in the molds.

Slide one Oreo half into each of the filled popsicle molds, being careful to insert it with the chocolate side against the side of the mold (for a pretty presentation and to leave room for the popsicle stick to be inserted in the middle).  Insert the popsicle sticks and freeze for 2-3 hours, or overnight.  Once frozen, you can enjoy your popsicles right away, or freeze them for up to a week.

*I used the Progressive Freezer Pop Maker.  Depending on the size of your popsicle maker, the recipe may yield a smaller or larger quantity of popsicles.