January 2014 Gourmet Taste Trunk {Unboxing and Review}

Time to unbox my January Gourmet Taste Trunk.  For those who are new to my blog (you can see my other Taste Trunk posts here) or haven't heard of Taste Trunk, let me briefly introduce the subscription.

Each month Taste Trunk offers four main trunk themes: the Gourmet Trunk, the Health Trunk, the Sweet Trunk, and the BBQ Trunk which each retail for $29.00 (plus $5.99 shipping) and include "5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on companies and amazing recipe ideas."

Additionally, they also offer two mini trunks: the Mini Sweet Trunk and the Mini-Healthy-Sweet Trunk which cost $13.99 (plus shipping) and include "3-5 handpicked items from our favorite brands."

I love Taste Trunk for the unique opportunity to try out products that I wouldn't normally have access to and to try out new brands.  The company includes really thoughtful recipe cards along with the products in the monthly trunks which makes trying out new ingredients, recipes, and techniques a delight!

My January Gourmet Taste Trunk included the following products:

Sticky Fingers Bakeries - Wild Blueberry Muffins ($5.99/18 oz.)

"Sticky Fingers Bakeries offers the irresistible taste and aroma of fresh-baked goods in just minutes.  Our quick and easy premium mixes contain no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, trans-fats or saturated fats."

These were delicious!  The mix was quick and convenient to use and the muffins rose beautifully, had a lovely texture and a bright, fresh flavor.  I was really impressed with this mix!

Kozlowski Farms - Apple Butter ($6.25/10 oz.)

"No refined sugar is added to our Apple Butter, only the natural sweet flavor of apples is used for sweetness.  This smooth butter spreads delightfully over crackers, toast, pancakes, french toast, waffles or bagels and cream cheese.  Try over smoked sausage or pork, too."

I really appreciate the all-natural, quality ingredients in this product.  I imagine this will be delicious spread on homemade biscuits and I'm curious to pair it with pork as well.

Kowlowski Farms - Raspberry & Roasted Chipotle Grilling & Dipping Sauce ($6.95/13.25 oz.)

"Our family has a long tradition of cooking with sweet red raspberries.  When we discovered how perfectly they paired with the mild heat and rich smokiness of chipotle peppers, we knew we had a grill sauce worthy of the best wine country cookouts."

The recipe card included to accompany this sauce is for Chipotle Meatballs, which sound like a unique and delicious appetizer!  I'll probably set this aside for use while entertaining.

Cucina & Amore - Potato Gnocchi ($1.85/14.1 oz.)

"These delicate potato pasta dumplings have been a staple of northern and southern Italian cooking since the 19th century.  Incredibly versatile, gnocchi can be enjoyed with thick cream and cheese-based sauces or light tomato and oil-based sauces."

Hubby and I both love gnocchi, so this is sure to be a hit.  I do tend to prefer splashing out for fresh gnocchi when possible, as I find the texture of packed gnocchi to be a little gummy at times.  I'm curious to try this offering from Cucina & Amore to see how it compares to other brands I've tried.

Himalayan Salt Block - 4" x 8" x 1" (approximately $18.00 in value)

"This is a fabulous tile made of Himalayan Salt that can actually be used for enhancing the taste of hot or cold foods."

I've been curious about cooking with salt blocks, but haven't never tried it myself.  They aren't something I would be likely to splurge on, so I'm excited to see one included in my Trunk this month.  While the size of this block is fairly modest, it'll be good for experimenting with one or two portion sizes of meat, etc.  I'm most excited to try this on the grill once the weather warms up.

Total box value: approximately $39.04

I think this is one of my favorite Taste Trunks I've received to date.  I'm really happy with the size, variety, and quality of products in my January trunk.

December 2013 Gourmet Taste Trunk {Plus a 50% Off Code}

Today I have my December Gourmet Taste Trunk to share with you, as well as a special offer for anyone interested in signing up for the service.  If you'd like to see what I have received in past Trunks and learn a little more about the service, you can read my previous Taste Trunk posts/reviews here.

This month's trunk came decked out for the holidays.  Taste Trunk always meticulously packages their boxes, but this month stepped things up even more with a lovely festive flare.

An itty bitty stocking filled with candy was tied to the usual packaging that contains the product info/recipe cards that are included with each box.

My December Taste Trunk included the following products:

Leopoldt - Oblaten Lebkuchen Assorted (approximately $3.00/200g)
"The Lebkuchen is a traditional Christmas cookie, which is often enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.  Made from high quality ingredients, they have a sweet, light nutty taste, and their aroma is spice, a bit like nutmeg and allspice.  Includes 3 sugar coated and 4 chocolate coated cookies."

I love that these were included in the holiday Trunk!  It's so fun and festive getting to try a traditional Christmas cookie from another country.  These taste and texture of these are what you'd expect if a macaron and a chewy ginger cookie had a baby.  They're really unlike anything else I've tried before.  The warmth of the spices is so perfect for a cold evening with a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa.  Both the sugar coated and chocolate coated version are delicious.  The dark chocolate cuts a little of the spice and adds a lovely sweetness, while the sugar allows the flavors to really stand out and shine.  I really loved getting to try these; unfortunately, it seems they would be incredibly hard to track down if I ever wanted to repurchase them.

Two Snooty Chefs - Spicy Sedona ($4.98/1.75 oz bar)
"Spicy Sedona brings warmth to the body with the chipotle spice, with complex layers of herbs and spices, finished with cilantro and lime to refresh the palette."

You can really taste the chipotle and lime in this chocolate.  It makes for a incredibly unique and unexpected experience.  I quite like it!

Belfine - Chau'Cho! (approximately $1.60/chocolate stick)
"This Belgian innovation has caused a sensation in Europe.  Simply put the chocolate end of the stick in a cup of hot milk, stir, and voila - rich, hot chocolate, sinfully delicious and creamy."

I really love the concept of hot chocolate on a stick.  It's convenient, portable, and great for gifting!  Chau'Cho! suggests heating 7 oz. of milk to 170° then stirring the product in the hot milk until thoroughly melted.  This worked beautifully for me and created the perfect, chocolaty concoction.  I hands down prefer hot chocolate over hot cocoa and I love Chau'Cho! as a convenient, super fast option.  The only problem is I'm having a hard time finding an easy place to purchase these online in the US.  If easy available, these would make great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers!

Biscotti Bari - Lemon Poppyseed Biscotti ($2.00/1.25 oz)
"Italian style, small-batch, homemade biscotti crafted with care the same way it's done in Bari, Italy... with slow, skilled hands using only the finest, all-natural, local ingredients."

This biscotti has a great texture and a nice bright, but not overpowering flavor.  I'm thinking the lemon poppyseed combination would be delicious dipped in a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Gourmet Temptations - Spicy Cider Bourbon Glaze ($8.00/16 oz)
"Spicy Cider Bourbon Glaze - naturally dark, rich, sweet and mildy spiced with multiple uses."

This is the product that had me most excited from first glance after opening my Trunk this month.  My first thought was that this would be perfect for glazing a ham to serve at Christmas dinner.  Sure enough, the info/recipe card included for this product provided a recipe for "Crispy Cider-Bourbon Glazed Ham."  I'm drooling just thinking about it and I'm fairly certainly I'm going to push to get that put on our Christmas menu this year.  This is a product that, if it tastes as good as it sounds, would likely be something I would repurchase again and again.

Dulcet - Tangy & Peppery Moroccan Sauce ($8.00/9 oz.)
"The perfect sauce for capturing the flavors of Morocco!  This full-flavored savory sauce, with just a hint of pepper, is excellent with chicken, beef, lamb and veggies."

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a love affair with pepper, so this is right up my alley.  Moroccan is definitely a cuisine that I haven't explored much, so I'm excited to give this sauce a try!

Total value of my December Gourmet Taste Trunk: approximately $27.58

Overall I'm really happy with the contents of my December Gourmet Taste Trunk.  Each product that I've tried thus far has been unique and delicious!  Having paid $29.00 for the box, I do wish the value had been a bit higher; however, my total was an estimate seeing that a couple of the products were foreign and I couldn't find a US supplier for a more accurate price estimate.  That said, I am really pleased with the products themselves and I'm especially looking forward to trying the Spicy Cider Bourbon Glaze!


If you're interested in trying out Taste Trunk, you can sign up and receive 50% off your first trunk using the code "Friends50" at checkout (be sure to also enter "thatwinsomegirl@gmail.com" in the referrer field at checkout).  I'm not sure how long this offer lasts, so I'd recommend signing up sooner rather than later if you were interested in the service.  With the discount, your first Trunk would only be $14.50 (plus $5.99 shipping); however, if you remained subscribed to the service, your future Trunks would be the usual subscription price of $29.00.

November 2013 Sweet Taste Trunk

November 15th came and with it another irresistibly sweet Taste Trunk.  If you're curious to see what I have received over the past few months since subscribing to Taste Trunk in July, you can browse my previous posts here.

Each month Taste Trunk offers four main trunk themes: the Gourmet Trunk, the Health Trunk, the Sweet Trunk, and the BBQ Trunk which each retail for $29/month (plus $5.99 shipping) and include "5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on companies and amazing recipe ideas."

Additionally, they recently added two new options: the Mini Sweet Trunk and the Mini-Healthy-Sweet Trunk which both retail for $13/month (plus shipping) and include "3-5 handpicked items from our favorite brands."

My November Sweet Trunk included six decadent items from four different brands:

Terrapin Ridge Farms - Chocolate Coconut Sauce/Dip ($7.60/11 oz)

"Creamy coconut is blended with bittersweet chocolate and chocolate liquor to create a luscious dessert sauce and dip.  Undeniably rich, warmed and drizzled over ice dream or crepes filled with fresh fruit.  Divine as a dip for pretzels."

I'm thrilled to have received this sauce/dip.  I haven't tried it out yet, but I really enjoyed the mustard I received from this brand in my September Gourmet Trunk, so I'm expecting good things.  I think this will be a handy product to have in the pantry for entertaining as I imagine this would be delicious in a million different uses!

Amella Caramels - Gray Sea Salt Caramels in Milk Chocolate ($9.00/2.8 oz or 6 pieces)
"Our Milk Chocolate covered caramel is made by hand with raw blue weber agave nectar in place of corn syrup.  The secret ingredient is pure cocoa butter.  It creates a unique consistency, like a caramel and truffle hybrid.  Lastly, we sprinkle them with Sel Gris, a Gray Sea Salt hand harvested off the coast of Brittany, France.  Your taste buds will find the silky texture and decadent flavor impossible to resist."

These are really delicious!  The caramel is especially smooth and silky and the contrast of the gray sea salt is glorious.  These has a truly artisan taste and texture.  Just delightful.  I think I'll be nice and even save one for the hubby.  Maybe.

Funky Chunky - Chip-Zel-Pop ($6.50/5 oz)
"Sweet and salty, chewy, crisp and crunchy.  Chip-Zel-Pop!  An incredible marriage of flavors which will keep you wanting for more.  And more.  Made with all-natural ingredients - crisp potato chips, pretzel sticks, and buttery caramel corn.  Our artisans then drizzle thick caramel and dark, milk, and white chocolaty drizzle."

What a fun snack!  Whole chips, pretzel sticks and pieces of popcorn are each drizzled in chocolate and caramel, so every bite is a different experience.  These are a nice sweet/savory mix, though they definitely learn more sweet as they are very generously drizzled with chocolate.  I'm saving these for our next Walking Dead/American Horror Story/HIMYM viewing.

Donsuemor - French Almond Cakes ($1.70/2 cakes)
"French Almond Cakes, or, as they are known in France, are elegant little cakes with the rich and nutty taste of sweet almond.  Soft and moist with crisp edges--a "Donsuemor signature"--these elegant treats are made with the finest quality."

Haven't tried these yet.  I'm not the biggest fan of whole or slivered almonds (neither is hubby).  I may set these out for guests to help themselves to.

Donsuemor - Dipped Madeleines ($2.81/3 madeleines)
"Donsuemor madeleines are elegant little French cakes with distinctive shell shapes.  Rich and buttery with a unique flavor and texture--soft and moist with lightly crisp edges--they are made with the finest quality, all natural ingredients."

These are good but nothing special.  They texture is a little dry and the chocolate dip is pretty low-quality.  To me these taste like something you'd pick up at any ol' grocery store in the cookie aisle.  Honestly not impressed.

Donsuemor - Lemon Zest Madeleines ($1.73/3 madeleines)
"Donsuemor madeleines are elegant little French cakes with distinctive shell shapes.  Rich and buttery with a unique flavor and texture--soft and moist with lightly crisp edges--they are made with the finest quality, all natural ingredients."

These Lemon Zest Madeleines have a better (more moist) texture than the Dipped Madeleines, but, again, don't really wow me.

Total value of my November Sweet Taste Trunk: $29.34

For the first time, I'm slightly disappointed with the contents of my monthly Taste Trunk.  I really loved the first three products and thought they were unique, high quality, and very tasty.  The three offerings from Donsuemor were a disappointment, however.  In presentation and taste, they just didn't seem up to the quality that I've grown to expect and appreciate from Taste Trunk.  I think the month would have wowed if the value/place of the three Donsuemor items had been replaced by something with more uniqueness and quality.

I was excited to see this card included among the info and recipe cards in my Trunk this month...  Taste Trunk will be offering One-Time Christmas Trunks for holiday gifting!  Order by December 5th and you (or your recipient) will receive the single trunk of choice by December 20th.  I think Taste Trunk would be a fantastic, unique holiday gift for any foodie in your life!  Every truck is packaged beautifully and would make a perfect present.  In addition to gifting, this is such a great way to try out one month of the service for yourself with "no strings attached."

If you would like to try Taste Trunk, you can save 25% on your first trunk with the code "winsomegirl25" which will bring your cost down to $21.75 (plus $5.99 shipping).  If you do decide to sign up, please kindly provide my name (Amy Kelly) as your referral during checkout.

*Full disclosure: I paid for the Taste Trunk subscription with my own money.  I receive no benefit if you use the discount code Taste Trunk provided me to share with you.  I am, however, an ambassador for the company and receive a very small commission when new members enter my name as their referral during checkout.

October 2013 Sweet Taste Trunk

Four months subscribed to Taste Trunk and my love of the service continues to grow.  For October I tried out the Sweet Trunk for the first time and was beyond thrilled with the selection I received.

Just before the death of flowers,

And before they are buried in snow

There comes a festival season

When nature is all aglow.

Each month Taste Trunk offers four different trunk themes to choose from: the Gourmet Trunk, the Health Trunk, the Sweet Trunk, and the BBQ Trunk.  For $29/month (plus a $5.99 shipping charge--these trunks can be quite heavy and ship USPS Priority Mail, arriving promptly on or before the 15th of the month), you receive "5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on the companies and amazing recipe ideas."

My October Sweet Trunk included a variety of decadent cookies from four different companies.  I was pretty much drooling the entire time I snapped these photos and immediately enjoyed a sampling of the cookies once I finished taking pictures.

Cake - Coconut Macaroons (value unknown, estimating approximately $10.00)
"Our distinctive Coconut Macaroon, made from the finest organic ingredients, is one of life's little pleasures.  A sinfully delicious alchemy, it's caramelized exterior encases a chewy, moist, center that is sure to send your senses into a state of euphoria.  Isn't it time to indulge yourself?  Gluten free by design, organic by choice."

Oh my gosh, these were amazing!  These were definitely the highlight of this month's trunk, in my opinion.  Funny thing because I was most disappointed to see these when I opened my box.  It wasn't until earlier this year that I really began embracing coconut in desserts.  I had never (at least not to my recollection) even tried a coconut macaroon until I bit into one of these glorious morsels.  I was blown away!  The description on the back of the package described these perfectly 'a chewy, moist center encased by a caramelized exterior.'  The taste and texture of these was brilliant.  I'm now on the hunt for the perfect macaroon recipe to recreate these in my own kitchen since, unfortunately, I can't purchase these anywhere near me.

Wooden Table Baking Co. - Alfajores ($5.50/3 alfajores)
"We make our alfajores from scratch with high quality all natural ingredients in small batches.  Try our alfajores with your favorite afternoon beverage or for dessert.  Discover a special treat that so many Argentineans already know and love."

These cookies had a beautiful texture and bold, yet balanced flavor.  These alfajores were also a first for me and they were delicious!

Il Molientto Bakery - Baci di Dama ($6.00/3.17 oz)
"A speciality in Piemonte, Italy, these Baci di Dama or "Lady Kisses" cookies are made with hazelnuts and almonds, with a rich layer of dark Belgian chocolate."

I loved these "Lady Kisses" far more than I expected.  These humble little cookies reminded me of Sandies, which were a favorite of mine growing up.  Next to the Coconut Macaroons, these were my favorite of the box.  Absolutely delicious!

Marlo's Bake Shop - Original and Midnight Marlos ($14.99/6 cookies)
"For starters, it's not biscotti.  Marlos are...well, different.  Sure, they're twice baked like biscotti, but the similarities end there.  Marlos are unique, handmade cookies baked in small batches using the highest quality ingredients available."

These biscotti were good, but definitely the least memorable of the bunch.  Neither my husband or I were particularly crazy about these.  Plain they were definitely bland and somewhat dry.  Dipped in coffee or milk enhanced them a bit, but they weren't anything overly special.

Approximate value of my October Sweet Taste Trunk: $36.49

The October Sweet Trunk definitely didn't disappoint.  Not only were these contents unique and delicious, I really enjoyed trying out several new-to-me types of cookies.  The experience was utterly satisfying and I love the inspiration the experience brought me to try out a few new recipes.  I can't wait to see what the November Sweet Trunk has in store!

If you'd like to try Taste Trunk, you can save 25% on your first trunk with the code "winsomegirl25" which will bring your cost down to $21.75 (plus $5.99 shipping).  If you do decide to sign up, please kindly provide my name (Amy Kelly) as your referral during checkout.

*Full disclosure: I paid for the Taste Trunk subscription with my own money.  I receive no benefit if you use the discount code Taste Trunk provided me to share with you.  I am, however, an ambassador for the company and receive a very small commission when new members enter my name as their referral during checkout.

September 2013 Gourmet Taste Trunk

September marks my third month with Taste Trunk, a new foodie subscription service.  Each month Taste Trunk offers four different trunk themes: the Gourmet Trunk, the Health Trunk, the Sweet Trunk, and the BBQ Trunk.  For $29/month (plus a $5.99 shipping charge--these heavy trunks ships USPS Priority Mail so they arrive punctually every month on or before the 15th), you receive "5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on the companies and amazing recipe ideas."  With your Taste Trunk subscription, you are free to change trunk themes each month, as long as you submit a request to do so by the 25th of the month.  In July I received the BBQ Trunk, while I received the Gourmet Trunk in August and September.  Next month I'm trying out the Sweet Trunk.  I really love and appreciate the variety of offerings that Taste Trunk provides.

Each month the Taste Trunk of your choice arrives safely and beautifully packaged, perfect as a little treat to yourself or as a present for a loved one.

This month my Gourmet Trunk included 5 products in addition to cards with coordinating recipe ideas:

1849 - Artichoke Pasta Sauce with Merlot ($5.50/34 oz)
"In 1849, Pasta Sauce was clean, natural, fresh and delicious, just like our 1849 Pasta Sauces... in 1849 the average man ate pasta hot or cold, more than 10 times a week.  Miners in the hills came from Northern Italy, and when they weren't digging for gold, they were cooking their tomatoes, adding their basil, and getting the pasta ready.  The original carbo-loaders, Italian miners in 1849 were better known for their cooking than their skills with the gold pans!"

I have to admit, I was both intrigued and hesitant to see this Artichoke Pasta Sauce with Merlot.  I'm usually not the biggest fan of wine used in recipes and Burgundy is listed as the second ingredient on the sauce.  I was a little... scared.  However, I served this for dinner while entertaining a girlfriend and it was great.  The wine and artichoke flavors were more of a supporting act rather than the main show and I found the flavors subtle and approachable.  This wasn't my favorite pasta sauce I've had, but it was certainly yummy and the unique flavor made it memorable.

Amphora - Premium (Traditional) Balsamic Vinegar ($7.00/200  ml)
"For the purists, we offer our finest ages balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy.  Aged up to 18 years, using the Solera Method, this rich, dark balsamic can be used as a dessert topping, a salad dressing base, or an every day condiment!"

My hubby isn't a fan of balsamic vinegar, so I don't use it a ton in cooking, but I'm curious to try out this product maybe drizzled over a caprese salad.

Amphora - Premium (Arbequina) Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($7.00/200 ml)
"Well balanced and complex, our early harvest Spanish Arbequina is loaded with green olive aroma.  Notes of red apple are followed by a creamy, green center.  A considerable amount of pepper lingers on the finish."

The description of this olive oil pretty much left my mouth watering.  I want a loaf of crusty bread and some italian seasoning STAT.  I'm really looking forward to putting this to use as it sounds amazing.  I also have to note that I thoroughly enjoy the style and packaging of these Amphora bottles.

The Pasta Shoppe - Vineyard Pasta ($5.50/14 oz)
"Vineyard Pasta makes a beautiful and colorful pasta dish... great for everyday entertaining!  This is the ideal pasta salad to have in the fridge for a snack or as a side dish at any occasion."

I served this Vineyard Pasta to company (along with the 1849 Pasta Sauce) and I really enjoyed it.  While I didn't notice anything special about the flavor of the pasta, the shapes made a fun and quirky experience.  This product is from the Pasta with Personality range from The Pasta Shoppe which includes pretty much every shape of pasta you could imagine.  I think these shapes would really shine served up as a pasta salad when entertaining guests.  Something with a thin sauce would really allow the shapes to pop.  These would be PERFECT if you have kids.  They would be so cute floating in a cup of soup as well.  I'm really glad to have discovered this unique range.

Terrapin Ridge Farms - Sweet Beet & Horseradish Mustard ($6.70/10.7 oz)
"A perfect marriage of beets and horseradish combined with while grain gourmet mustard create a distinctive condiment, perfect for roast beef, steak, grilled salmon or crab cakes.  All natural and gluten free."

Hands down, this wins as most unique/exciting product from my September Trunk.  I look forward to slathering this on sandwiches, meat, etc.  This mustard is a really unusual but pleasing contrast of sweet and spicy.  The bright color and the texture of the whole grain mustard creates a beautiful presentation as well.

Total value of my September Gourmet Taste Trunk: $31.70

Overall, I'm really pleased with my September Taste Trunk contents.  This month didn't wow me as much overall with highly unusual products (except the mustard), but the products were great, practical, and high quality staples.  I'm really looking forward to receiving my first Sweet Trunk next month (anyone who follows my blog will know I have quite the sweet tooth).

If you'd like to try Taste Trunk, you can save 25% on your first trunk with the code "winsomegirl25" which will bring the cost down to $21.75 (plus $5.99 shipping).  If you do decide to sign up, please kindly provide my name (Amy Kelly) as your referral during checkout.

*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 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 your referral during checkout (which I would greatly appreciate as I enjoy saving money as much as the next gal.)

Taste Trunk - August 2013 Gourmet Trunk

Last month I introduced Taste Trunk, a new foodie subscription service, by sharing the July BBQ.  Each month Taste Trunk offers four different trunk themes: The Gourmet Trunk, The Health Trunk, The Sweet Trunk, and The BBQ Trunk.  For $29/month (plus a $5.99 shipping charge--these trunks are darn heavy), you receive "5-10 products, discount coupons, backgrounds on the companies and amazing recipe ideas."  With your Taste Trunk subscription, you are free to change trunk themes each month, as long as you submit a request to do so by the 25th of the month.  While I loved the assortment and value of last month's BBQ Trunk, I was excited to try out another trunk for August and decided on the Gourmet Trunk.

My August Gourmet Trunk included six unique products:

The Jam Stand - Drunken Money Jam ($10.00/8 oz)
"Sugar coated bananas, a splash of rum and a dash of lime." The ingredients on this small batch jam couldn't get any simpler: just bananas, sugar, lime, all natural pectin, and rum.

This is such a unique jam.  I've never encountered a banana jam before and I find it utterly fascinating that this one is flavored with lime and rum.  I think it'll be great slathered on toast, waffles or pancakes.  It would be a real "wow" factor to any breakfast served to company.

Cucina & Amore - Pesto alla Siciliana (~$4.50/7.9 oz*)
"Pesto alla Siciliana is a traditional Italian sauce originating in the southern Italian region of Sicily.  Prepared with a combination of pounded basil, sun-dried tomatoes and seasoned with sunflower oil.  Cucina and Amore selects only the finest and freshest ingredients to prepare this ancestral Italian pasta sauce."

I love pesto.  The hubby isn't the biggest fan of sun-dried tomato pesto, so I'll probably utilize this for a few lunches.  I particularly enjoy pestos used for cold pasta salads and I think this one will be delicious in that utilization.

*I could only find this sauce sold in bulk packs of 6 on Amazon for around $28.00.  I'm sure the individual retail value is considerably higher.

Two Snooty Chefs - Kansas City Steak ($6.95/2 oz)
"Robust blend for all your grilled or roasted meats."

The recipe card included to accompany this seasoning blend is for Kansas City Smoked Bleu Burgers and they sound killer.  I'm definitely going to give this seasoning (and that recipe) a try before grilling season is over.

The Girl & The Fig - Lavender Sea Salt ($4.00/2 oz)
"Sprinkle on fish, chicken or pork before pan searing or grilling.  Toss with grilled vegetables.  Serve as a condiment on the table."

At first this product sort of surprised me.  I'm curious to see how it would taste in savory situations as the description suggests; however, I think it could be lovely as a salty touch in a dessert (perhaps some lavender salted caramel concoction).  Something about lavender and fancy sea salt feels so luxurious.

Susan's Salsa - Gourmet Green Tomato Salsa Relish ($4.25/12 oz)
"Susan's Green Tomato Salsa Relish - a tantalizing mix of fresh green tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and tangy jalapeno pepper, plus savory and sweet spices.  The result?  A salsa relish that is great for chips, delicious in tacos, and a special delight as a topping for seafood or grilled dishes.  Go green!"

I'm hosting a girl's book club next week and I think I may use this salsa relish for one of the appetizers I serve.  The accompanying recipe card for this products suggest mixing 8 oz. of the relish with 8 oz. of whipped cream cheese to serve as a dip for Wheat Thins or crackers.  Sounds divine!

Ivéta - Apricot Scone Mix ($7.50/10.6 oz)
The Ivéta Apricot Scone Mix was featured on Oprah's "O" list and is made with the finest California Blenheim apricots.  The scone mix is simply prepared with a cup of heavy cream which results in scones that are "tender and moist, not hard and dry."

I'm mostly a purist when it comes to baking and tend to prepare things from scratch.  That said, the ingredients in this scone mix are as basic as can be (exactly what you'd expect to see on a from-scratch recipe) and I love that the preparation only requires heavy cream.  I'm a huge fan of scones and biscuits that utilize heavy cream in place of butter and/or eggs as I find the flavor and texture outstanding.  I'm looking forward to trying these out, perhaps with a smear of honey.

As always, each Taste Trunk includes a beautifully packaged array of information and recipe cards to accompany the products included in the trunk.

The recipes are usually incredibly unique and thoughtful, providing some fantastic ideas on how to utilize and experiment with the gourmet products included in the trunks.

Total value of my August Gourmet Taste Trunk: approximately $37.20.

I'm really pleased with the products from my Gourmet Trunk.  Most of the items are very unique and they all have a very simple, quality ingredient list.  Some of these products have a real quirky "wow" factor to them (I'm looking at you, Drunken Monkey Jam), while others are a little more subtle but sure to please!

If you'd like to try Taste Trunk, you can save 25% on your first trunk with the code "winsomegirl25" which will bring the cost of the Trunk of your choice down to $21.75 (plus $5.99 shipping).  If you do decide to sign up, please kindly provide my name (Amy Kelly) as your referral during checkout.

*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 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 (which I would greatly appreciate as I enjoy saving money as much as the next girl.)

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.