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Creative Cookery Product Reviews Taste Tests Video Podcast

October 2017 Foodstirs Kit – Little Monsters Cupcakes

Carma’s Cookery Foodstirs Series, Part 2

October 2017 Kit – Little Monsters Cupcakes

My second Foodstirs Kit was perfect for Halloween … but I made them much later. These Little Monsters Cupcakes are fun, creative, adorable and tasty!

Foodstirs October 2017 Kit - Little Monsters Cupcakes

Extra Ingredients You’ll Need

The kit comes with all the non-perishable ingredients you’ll need to make the cupcakes. What you’ll need to add to the list are these perishable ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Yogurt

Unboxing and Baking Video

What I Liked About Foodstirs Little Monsters Cupcakes Kit

First, even when I was impatient and screwed up, the kit turned out adorable.

Second, they tasted fabulous! I could barely bring myself to share them!

As with the last kit, the instructions were easy to follow and simple to implement.

I had a lot of fun assembling the monsters. They were creative and well-designed.

What I Didn’t Like About Foodstirs Little Monsters Cupcakes Kit

I wish I had been more patient and let the cupcakes cool off before putting on the frosting. Also, the frosting is very soft at room temperature, so I would advise trying a little less liquid when whipping it up.

Overall Thoughts on Foodstirs Little Monsters Cupcakes Kit

Since I started this Foodstirs project, I received four kits and have only done three of them. The third, I didn’t even think to photograph or video record, so I won’t be able to share it with you. Out of the three, this kit was my favorite. They were fun, delicious and so very cute!

Who Is This Kit Suitable for?

Foodstirs makes kits that are suitable for parents to do with their children. I think kids would really get a kick out of this kit.

Score: 5 out of 5

[one_fifth] thumbs up [/one_fifth]

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Categories
Creative Cookery Product Reviews Taste Tests Video Podcast

August 2017 Foodstirs Kit – Campfire S’mores Brownie Cupcakes

Carma’s Cookery Foodstirs Series, Part 1

August 2017 Kit – Campfire S’mores Brownie Cupcakes

I’ve had my eyes on Foodstirs for awhile for three reasons:

  1. One of the founders is Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  2. The kits are very creative, which I believe helps home cooks unleash their kitchen creativity easily and safely
  3. The kits use organic ingredients

I purchased a three-month subscription. Today’s post is for the first kit I received, which were Campfire S’mores Brownie Cupcakes. I made them for a house-warming party I hosted and they were a hit.

Foodstirs August 2017 Kit - Campfire S'mores Brownie Cupcakes

Extra Ingredients You’ll Need

The kit comes with all the non-perishable ingredients you’ll need to make the brownies. What you’ll need to add to the list are these perishable ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Oil
  • Yogurt

Unboxing Video + Baking and Display Images

What I Liked About Foodstirs Campfire S’mores Brownie Cupcakes Kit

The kit comes with pretty much everything you’ll need, including a frosting dispenser and cupcake liners. The frosting mix is da bomb. I pretty much could just eat that (and I did with the leftovers!). The brownies were tasty, as well.

What I Didn’t Like About Foodstirs Campfire S’mores Brownie Cupcakes Kit

The kit made eight cupcakes, which turned out to be just the right number for my party. However, under normal circumstances, I probably would have wanted to make more.

I’m not sure if it because the mix is organic, but I found the brownies to be a bit heavier than I like them. I like my brownies to be a little more cake-like in density.

Overall Thoughts on Foodstirs Campfire S’mores Brownie Cupcakes Kit

This was a fun kit to make and resulted in a tasty treat that my company loved. Although the assembly was a bit trickier than it looked, so I probably wouldn’t buy another kit. That said, it certainly was fun the first time!

Who Is This Kit Suitable for?

I think that this kit would be good for parents to make with their kids, as well as adults who want to present a different kind of treat at a potluck, but don’t have a lot of time to get creative on their own.

Score: 4 out of 5

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Categories
All Things Pumpkin Taste Tests

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #5

This past weekend I baked the remaining bread, muffin and cupcake mixes I had left, as well as tried a couple more products. Frankly, nothing this week really wowed me, but here are my comments on each one.

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #5

Exclusive Holiday Edition Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread Mix

Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin BreadI purchased a three-month subscription to Foodstirs’ kits and have been having some fun with them. (I’ll be posting my results later.) Because I’m a customer, they sent me a coupon for a dollar off my next in-store purchase (you can find Foodstirs mixes at grocery stores and Target). Since I had the coupon, I thought I’d check out what they had … and found this pumpkin mix, as well as pumpkin pancakes. You can only get these two products at Target, and by the time I got there they were on clearance. So, you may not be able to get some for yourself until next year. Check your local Target, just in case, though.

This pumpkin bread is different than the ones I tested last week because it has chocolate chips in it. I liked the novelty of it and was impressed that they achieved a nice balance of having just enough chips to add flavor without overpowering the pumpkin bread flavor.

To my tastebuds, this bread didn’t taste much different than banana bread or peanut butter bread (perhaps a fusion of the two?). The pumpkin flavor was light and you can barely discern the spices (cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and other, according to the box).

Of course, this may be a plus since there are a lot of people who are adverse to pumpkin or pumpkin spice flavors. I think this pound cake-like bread would make a great part of a breakfast or brunch. Perhaps lightly toasted with some butter? And, if you get two packages, you could easily make a nice Bundt cake!

[one_half] Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread [/one_half][one_half_last] Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread [/one_half_last]

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Limited Edition Decadent Duncan Hines Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Spice Cake & Frosting Mix

Duncan Hines Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Spice Cake & Frosting Mix
The box comes with cupcake mix, frosting mix and a bag to pipe the frosting with.
These light and fluffy cupcakes are flavored with a combination of cinnamon, allspice, coriander, ginger, and nutmeg. The texture — and flavor — is light and airy, just as a cupcake should be.

The mix comes with a frosting mix — add butter and touch of water — for an orange, faintly pumpkin-spicy frosting. It was very tasty. Not too sweet, but clearly a buttercream frosting.

In my opinion, these cupcakes strike a nice balance of just the right amount of spice, balanced with the sweet. They are good enough to serve without the frosting.

Note: The instructions suggest you fill the cupcakes with frosting. I found that when I did that, the frosting overwhelmed the cupcake. If I were to do this in future, I’d just top them with frosting.

[one_third] cool cupcakes in the pan first [/one_third]

[one_third] allow to cool thoroughly on a rack before frosting [/one_third]

[one_third_last] frosted pumpkin spice cupcakes [/one_third_last]

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Krusteaz Supreme Muffin Mix Pumpkin Spice

Krusteaz Supreme Muffin Mix Pumpkin SpiceThese simple, lightly spiced muffins underwhelmed me. They are really not that spicy. They are really not that pumpkin-y. In fact, they are kind of nondescript. If I didn’t know they were pumpkin spice muffins, I would think they were ordinary spice muffins.

Again, this might not be a bad thing. Krusteaz is a good brand, so the quality is good. The flavor just didn’t impress me.

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

R.W. Knudsen Limited Edition Sparkling Pumpkin Spice Juice

R.W. Knudsen Limited Edition Sparkling Pumpkin Spice JuiceTired of sparkling apple juice? Are you looking for a different kind of beverage to serve your guests? Then this could be a nice change of pace.

This is a non-alcoholic, sparkly beverage made from both apple and pumpkin juices. To me, it both smelled and tasted like mulled cider … only a bit different.

Compared to Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Juice, it has a more mild apple flavor. I’m guessing the pumpkin juice is having that mellowing effect, however I couldn’t identify pumpkin as a flavor. And although it was reminiscent of mulled cider, it was also somehow different.

Frankly, I’m struggling on how to describe this beverage. It was unoffensive without being particularly interesting, either.

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin O’s Cereal

Trader Joe's Pumpkin O's CerealCompared to Cheerios, this O’s cereal is larger and lighter in texture. The flavor, however, is just robust enough to get your attention without screaming, “This is spice!”

I enjoyed them with some Oat Milk. If I were a cereal eater, I’d totally buy these again, if only for some variety to my breakfast. If fact, I would choose them over Cheerios, which I felt had a bit too much spice by comparison.

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Previous Pumpkin Tastings

Forthcoming Pumpkin Tastings

  • Pumpkin pancake mixes: Foodstirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix, and Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix Pumpkin Spice Light and Fluffy
  • Pumpkin bar mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bar Mix vs. Krusteaz Supreme Bar Mix Pumpkin Spice
  • Pumpkin cookie mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix vs. Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix Pumpkin Spice
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