Simple Loose Leaf Subscription Tea Box Review

Last month I briefly introduced you to Simple Loose Leaf, a monthly subscription box for tea drinkers. I told you that I'd be back with a review once I had the chance to try it out, so as promised - here is that review. With a Simple Loose Leaf membership, each tea box that you receive will include at least 4 different loose leaf teas - a black, a green, an herbal, and a surprise or two, plus 2 reusable muslin tea bags.

Each box also contains a beautifully done card with information about the products in your box. Along with descriptions of each type of tea that you received, it also tells the proper steps for making a cup of loose leaf tea, which I think is important, especially for those less familiar with loose leaf...like myself. Knowing how much of each tea to use, what temperature the water should be (because it's not the same for all types), and how long to let it steep can be a bit daunting if you've only ever used prefilled tea bags.

Pork Picadillo Bowls

Isn't it funny how you can cook a certain dish for years without really thinking about its origins? Okay maybe not for everybody, but for me, a girl who has a thing for history, culture, roots, and tradition as they relate to food, it is. For example, I've been making these empanadas for several years now. They are my absolute favorite empanadas in the world and if my stomach (and conscience) would allow, I'd eat an entire batch all by my lonesome.

They have an awesome pastry case that uses not only butter, but also cream cheese, which I just know adds to their perfectly tender and flaky texture. But it's the pork picadillo filling that I just can't get enough of. Okay, so picadillo is actually a dish all on its own...I knew that. But until today, I'd never actually made it to eat any other way than inside an empanada.

Corn Dodgers inspired by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

It's time for another vampire book and a movie challenge, and this month Kimberly has chosen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for both the book and the movie to discuss. I'd already watched and forgotten the movie when it was first released on dvd. Apparently it wasn't that memorable. So, I figured I'd start from scratch—read the book and then watch the movie again.

What I didn't realize until I had the book in my hands is that it was written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who is also the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...which I read last month and absolutely loved. That was a pleasant surprise. Here's the thing about Grahame-Smith—he's kind of a master at what he does. And whether this says something about the school systems (yes, more than one) that I grew up in or something about me, I'm going to go ahead and put it out there. I learned more about the history of Abraham Lincoln reading this book than I knew before I started it.

Easy Lobster Pie | #FridayPieDay

It's the last Friday of the month, and that means it's time for another Friday Pie Day! I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but I missed it last month. Life's been crazy (what's new) and I just couldn't make it happen last month. Which is such a lame excuse, I know. Does life ever really settle down? Anyway, I think I'm making up for it today...because...LOBSTER! I brought out the big guns.

I was lucky enough to have 2 pounds of beautiful lobster meat to create with recently. I knew I'd be making Lobster Rolls with half of it, and I decided to try something else new (to me) with the other half. I came across a recipe for a super simple lobster pie in a booklet that was sent to me from Lobster Anywhere (you can find the original and some more tempting lobster recipes here), and made it with a few slight variations.

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #5

Made from two simple ingredients (sugar and the nut in question), marzipan is mentioned in Persian text dated all the back to the year 850. More than likely, it was around for many years before that. There are other varieties of marzipan made now that use other nuts, but I'm looking for the "original" nut today.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Answer to Food & Drink Quiz Friday #4: The first loaf of pre-sliced bread hit shelves on July 7, 1928 labeled "Sliced Kleen Maid Bread".!

The Best Lobster Rolls

Let's talk lobster rolls. Until recently, they were a mere item on a long list of foods that I had to try one day. For me, lobster tends to be one of those elusive meals due to both price and availability in my part of the country. I'll admit that even though I spent an entire day experiencing the quirks of being a "lobster killer" during my time in culinary school, it's been a good 14 or 15 years since then. Aside from the few times we featured them on the menu when I was still working in the restaurant, I haven't touched a lobster. So, it's been at least 7 years.

Thanks to my love for clam chowder, I recently connected with Joe from Lobster Anywhere, and realized that I could actually have delicious, high quality lobster delivered right to my front door! And while they offer all sorts of options, I don't think you can top having a couple pounds of sustainable fresh knuckle and claw lobster meat shipped straight from the cold Atlantic waters at your fingertips - no preparation required.

Toshiba Chromebook 2 #Giveaway

I'm pretty excited to announce another fabulous giveaway today. I have several going up all week long, so be sure to browse my home page so you can enter for your chance to win everything from Seasons 1-5 of The Walking Dead on DVD to a retro 50's-style SMEG toaster to sweet and delicious lobster meat to an awesome on-the-go Libre Tea Glass to this amazing Toshiba Chromebook 2 with accessories! This is going to be an awesome week (to say the least).

Today I'm joining Angie from My So Called Chaos again, along with some more of her blogging friends and sponsors to giveaway a Chromebook 2, an OGIO Hamptons Laptop tote, and other laptop accessories to one lucky winner! We're focusing on blog follows this month, so to enter for your chance to win, you'll be able to follow these lovely blogs - which will hopefully give you inspiration to blog on your own once your prize arrives, too! Or you know, do whatever else you do on your laptop.

Cinnamon Currant Tangzhong Bread

No joke, we go through toasters like they're going out of style. I can't tell you how many I've had over the years, both before getting married and since. I've had cheap ones and expensive ones, but never found one that I could rely on to consistently give me perfectly golden brown toast. Until now. At least so far.

I was recently offered the opportunity to try a SMEG 2-Slice Toaster. With it's fun 50's retro-look and extra-side slots, I couldn't resist. The hardest part was choosing whether I wanted it in cream, chrome, black, or sky blue. I seriously love all of them, and while I think I actually wanted cream the most, I thought that black would fit in better with our current kitchen, I choose that.

Creamy Tomato Shrimp Curry and Turmeric Rice inspired by The Lunchbox | #FoodnFlix

This month's Food 'n Flix pick is a feast for the food lovers senses. Set in India, The Lunchbox is about a mistake in Mumbai's famed efficient lunchbox delivery system.  Ila is a lonely housewife and "stay at home mom" who is trying to win back her husband's affections by preparing and packing delicious food in his lunchbox. The first scene in the movie begins this way, handing his lunch off to the Dabbawala (one who carries the lunchbox) to deliver to him at work.

Although the Dabbawala insist that their system is flawless, referencing a study done by Harvard, the lunchbox meant for Rajeev (Ila's husband) winds up on the desk of the lonely and somewhat grouchy widower Saajan Fernandes. From the moment he unzips the carrier, he smells that his lunch is different than it's been in the past. It's better. It's a pure delight watching him open each compartment of that tiffin, leaning into their aroma.

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #4

The answer to ragged, irregular slices that consumers got every time they had to cut a piece of bread from their store-bought loaves, Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the Rohwedder Bread Slicer. This machine that sent the first wax paper-wrapped loaf of pre-sliced bread onto shelves measured 5 feet wide and 3 feet high.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Be Frank With Me | #TLCBookTour #MeetFrank

Today I'm hosting a stop on the TLC Be Frank With Me Book Tour.

My Sweet Vidalia | #TLCBookTour

Today I'm hosting a blog tour stop for the My Sweet Vidalia by Deborah Mantella. I'm just going to dive right in and tell you that this was a bit of a hard book to read due to the fact that abuse was the main subject matter. I did see spousal abuse mentioned in the description before I signed on to review this book, but if I had realized just how much the entire book centered around it, I would have declined.

I almost stopped reading several times. Abuse weighs heavy on the soul and after feeling its full weight in the first 50 pages, I wasn't sure if I was willing to go on. So I took a breather, but decided to keep reading. And while I had to stop a few more times, I did wind up finishing the book.

Coca-Cola Ham inspired by The Walking Dead

"Talk about miracles, that recipe for cola canned ham. Mmm. Ms. Peletier, you are an honest to goodness hero."

I get it. Food that actually resembles food before the zombie apocalypse. Food that tastes good. It is pretty miraculous. It's also a harsh reality that you can be praising somebodies kitchen prowess one minute, and then being mercy killed by them a few hours later. Little did Erin know how true her statement rang.

Ham Biscuits inspired by The Walking Dead

It's day 6 of Dead Eats: Recipes Inspired by The Walking Dead, and I'm super excited to be sharing a recipe inspired by the man of many profound sayings and one magical mullet—Dr. Eugene Porter. But first let me say - ONE MORE DAY 'TIL GO TIME! I've had a blast with Kim and Dionne this week, cooking up TWD-inspired food.

Okay, on to today's recipe. This reference is easy to miss, because the line slips out of Eugene's mouth as he and Tara are walking into the "doctor's office" in Alexandria. As they come through the door, we hear Eugene say "It hams my biscuits is all".