Livin' and Lovin' in the ROC city

I’m super excited to share something awesome I recently discovered! With the acquisition of a special promo code, I got a smashing deal on something I’ve been eager to try since the minute I found out about it – a Try the World subscription box!

This chef-curated box of authentic gourmet food from a different country that is sent once every 2 months combines my deep love of travel and cultural exploration with my deep love of food. There are hundreds of unique and wonderful subscription boxes out there (they’ve become a big thing lately), but I can’t think of one that is more “me” than Try the World! It’s like receiving a vacation in your mailbox every other month!

First, the details: A single box is $39, 3 boxes (a 6-month subscription) is $35 per box, and 6 boxes (a 12-month subscription) is $33 per box. All boxes offer free, 2-day, track-able, priority mail shipping (first box ships within 10 days of placing your order), and you can pause or cancel your subscription at any time, which is a great perk for those of us on tight budgets. Each sturdy and whimsical box arrives artfully and beautifully arranged, focuses on a different county, and includes 6-7 local artisinal culinary delicacies from that county (curated by a celebrated chef who specializes in that country’s cuisine), a card that describes each of the products, their makers, the product’s history, and how to use it (and tells you which of the products are antique recipes, family businesses, sustainably grown, support the local community in some way, etc.), and a culture guide booklet that includes a few recipes, music (with a link to an online playlist), a movie list, important art (paintings, poetry, etc.), landmarks or points of interest, history, and local traditions from that country. The Try the World website also offers an online shop where you can purchase more of a product from your box that you fell in love with, and a free online magazine regularly updated with super interesting articles about the featured country and more recipes that can be made using the ingredients in your box.

They also have a referral program, so if you use my link, you’ll receive a $15 credit toward the order of your first box and I’ll also receive $15 to use in their online shop. Win-win! Needless to say, a Try the World single box or subscription would make a great, thoughtful, and unique gift of a fun experience for a travel lover, foodie, or adventurer in your life…or for yourself (because you deserve it!). Shameless hint: I’ve a birthday coming up in August and I wouldn’t mind one bit a 1-year subscription to this but, somehow, the boxes are more expensive if you order them as a gift for someone than if you just order them normally under the person’s name and shipping address…so I’d recommend doing that instead of going the “gift” route on the website.

Onto the good stuff! Here’s how I used my box: A Sunday night in Paris!

Based on the items that arrived, I did some research and found a French-inspired recipe I wanted to make. I chose to do French onion soup grilled cheese toasts (soooooo good). Recipe here. I followed the recipe as listed, but I added about 3/4 tsp. of the delicious whole grain mustard from the box to my onions while they cooked and sprinkled some of the box’s fleur de sel finishing salt on top. I paired it with a nice chilled glass of Pinot Grigio from a friend (and by a friend I mean my Geva co-worker found 4 super old bottles of wine stuffed deep in a desk drawer last week when we were purging our offices in preparation for the big renovation move).

I also made myself a super swanky dessert plate using items in my box. I added orange creme macaroons from Rochester’s own Village Bakery, but aside from that, all my sweet goodies came from Try the World. And they, too, were excellent. Especially those salty, buttery caramels. I need to buy them from the online shop with my referral credit money. I can’t stop thinking about them. They’re incredible!

I put on the playlist of lovely Parisian music from the culture guide to set the mood (which was relaxing, romantic, and nothing short of magical), opened up my windows to enjoy a soft, cool, evening breeze (like I might were I sitting outside at a street cafe with a cafe au lait and a pain au chocolat or by the banks of the Seine), slowly read through the product description card and culture guide, and did some online browsing for Parisian art, landmarks, and other fun cultural interests while I leisurely enjoyed my luxurious dinner and dessert. It was a fun, flavorful, and relaxing Sunday evening! I imagine this would also make an awesome date night! I intend to do a similar “Night in Morocco” type thing for my next box, Marrakesh (!!!), which was a freebie with my special promo code!

*This is not a sponsored post. Nobody paid me to try this subscription box or write about it. But I wish they did!

Welcome to the tank, Martini!

We’ve unintentionally given all our past crayfish alcohol names, so we felt Martini should follow suit. Ted was in Italy when I got her, so we’re honoring his blissful time in Florence by naming her after the Italian vermouth and sparkling wine brand, Martini & Rossi.

She’s beautiful, but feisty…and definitely not one to be messed with. She is the boss and the other fish are her humble minions. Just the way she likes it!

{Strong, salty margaritas and nachos with a friend}

{Shimmery opening night drinks for The Mountaintop at Geva}

{Piggies for adoption at Lollypop Farm! I need a farm of my own one day so I can adopt all the animals my heart desires…which is all of them}

{A long Sunday afternoon walk and a big cone from the neighborhood ice cream stand}

{Jack & Ginger whiskeys, s’more cookie sandwiches, crunchy Chex mix, a cool spring night, a toasty bonfire, and a swell group of friends…and two horses, cats, and a rooster…to enjoy it all with}

Easter Sunday, in pictures.
(Except for church. I didn’t take pictures in church for obvious reasons.)

{Hard boiled eggs and Polish sausage}

{Small-batch vanilla bourbon latte, raspberry lemonade macaroon, and palmier at Village Bakery – a table by the window at which to read my book and watch the peaceful snow fall, as it does on Easter Sunday in Rochester}

{A pop of color to celebrate spring…right before it started snowing}

{My first attempt at homemade jasmine bubble tea. A few kinks to work out, but a noble first pass!}

{Ah, there’s the rub!}

{Lamb, frenched}

{The beginnings of a mint pesto}

{Easter dinner – garlic and herb rubbed lamb shanks atop homemade buttery, garlic mashed potatoes, served with garlic-mint pesto and a red wine blend}

{Walnut and sea salt dark chocolate brownies}

 It was, indeed, a day of gratitude, reflection, and deliciousness. It’s a little a lot late, but I hope your Easter celebration, whatever it was, was beautiful as well!