ATM Favorite Thing: Try the World

After eyeing the subscription service Try the World for quite some time, I finally decided to take the plunge on a promotional deal for a free box with purchase.

So, I paid the monthly subscription fee of $39 and anxiously waited for the mail.

A little over a week after my purchase my two Try the World boxes arrived.

(These boxes are quite sturdy and could easily be re-purposed as gift boxes or to hold craft supplies)

After opening the boxes, I was so happy to have purchased a subscription.

I received eight items in each box. Here's what came in my Brazil box:

Churraso spice rub, Churrasco bbq sauce and  Jabuticaba jam

I tend to collect jams to use in fillings. I'm also excited about cooking some meat flavored with the Churrasco spices. 

Brazil nut cookies, Brazil nut spread and Pao de Quito mix

I can't wait to make the cheese bread for my husband's Brazilian coworker. 

Guava paste

Cupcake filling anyone?

Not pictured: A box of Brazilian coffee

All of the items were actually from Brazil, not Americanized versions. I looked up the price of the guava paste on Amazon. I couldn't find the the same brand but packages this size ranged from $8-$10. Overall, I think this subscription is a really good value and I am excited to see what I will receive next. If you'd like to try the world yourself, use THIS LINK and you'll get the same promotion I did-a free box!

Orange You Glad I'm Bringing You A New ATM Favorite?!

The name of this subscription service reminds me of that old knock knock joke that ends with the punch line "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?".

I can't tell you how many times I subjected my parents and grandparents to that particular joke.

Regardless of your stance to that age old joke, if you like sweets as much as I do, I think you'll like this! Side note: I'm writing about this product because I've tried it and loved it. I paid full price for my product and I just want you to know how much fun it was!

OrangeGlad is basically a sweets delivery system. You can purchase a one time box or a reoccurring subscription. I signed up for the one time deal and would like to purchase a subscription but they are currently limited to monthly and since I'm trying to lose weight that is far too often for me. I'd love an every other month delivery option. Anyway, you sign up and they send you a box of curated sweets. Each box is a surprise!

Here's what I received and what I thought about each item:

Everything arrived packed in a cute box. They also sent a little booklet giving extra information on each product.

I haven't tried this but I think this is the most exciting item in the box. I love that all of the ingredients in this bar are organic and fair trade. This bar contains no soy which is HUGE  in my book as most chocolate contains soy lecithin these days. 

I received three truffle piglets, each in a different flavor. They were tasty but I was disappointed by the fact that they contained soy lecithin.

I love lemon so I'm excited to try these too. They were made in the same town my grandparents live in which gives them bonus points. The packaging is beautiful and will probably be saved but I was bummed when I read that they use butter flavoring and not real butter. I also wish they didn't use the enriched flour and used whole wheat instead.

The bag of caramels was extra buttery which is how I typically like my caramel. Also, the pieces are huge. I couldn't figure out why they use caramel coloring. Doesn't caramel already have caramel coloring?! Leave it out please!

The Clairesquares bar made for a delicious breakfast on the go and contained minimal ingredients! I would love to try this product in other flavors. The flavor I tried was raspberry and oats. I loved it and I'm not a raspberry girl by any means. I passed the wrapped onto a friend who is also trying to live a cleaner lifestyle.

I am definitely going to try another box in a month or two! If you want, check out their site here.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies!

I bought a pound of cherries at Aldi for around $2. I ate a few in my ice cream and failed at making a cherry milkshake, but there were still a lot left so I decided to make cookies!

I found a great recipe at Cooking Debauchery, based on a recipe from Alton Brown who I think is fabulous.

Ingredients:

2 sticks  butter


2 1/4cups flur

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

6 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups milk and/or semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup sour cherries


Steps':

1. Pit and slice the cherries. Pour vanilla over them and let stand for 1 hour.

2. In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat.  Cook on lw until the butter turns a golden caramel color  Set aside to cool for a few minutes. (I missed the cooling step and think I almost caramelized my sugar!)

3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.




4. Put the sugar in a bowl and add the butter. . Mix on medium until the sugar is thoroughly coated and beginning to melt. With the mixer still running add the egg, egg yolk and milk. Once thoroughly combined begin adding the flour mixture in several parts.

5. Stir in chips and cherries. Transfer dough to fridge for a least one hour.

6. Preheat oven to 375. Cook 6 on a tray for approx 12 minutes at a time.

These turned out yummy, but a little more cake-like in texture than I like my cookies to be. That didn't stop me from eating a handful of them. But I did make some to share!

I wonder what lucky person will receive this later in the week:

I got a PACKAGE!

I don't get much mail in South Korea so it is doubly exciting when it happens. Today I received the package my mother sent.

I opened the package and found all of the goodies packed in a shoebox!

I unpacked everything and discovered:

(a sweet bear card, beef jerkey for Mr. Groom, gum, our favorite granola bars, creamy peanut butter)

(the two newest Real Simples and baggies for us to bring liquids home in our carryons)

Thanks Mom! We'll be eating PB & Banana sandwiches for dinner  tonight! Yum! Oh, that reminds me, I'll have to post tomorrow about the amazing restaurant I went to this weekend!