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| Thanks to Terra Americana for providing this Epicurean Explorer Kit. All thoughts are my own! |
In my elementary and teen years, spring break did not exist in our household. School life on the Eastern Shore of Maryland started after Labor Day. We had a few teacher work days, federal holidays, and built in snow days, but outside of Thanksgiving & Christmas, there were no fall or spring breaks. We did receive Good Friday off around Easter (I can't remember about Easter Monday now!).
So, for my family, there was no traveling for a "Spring Break." Even if we did have off school, my parent's work schedules and budgets prohibited major travel for us, as we planned large family vacations during the summer, usually around the NASCAR season.
If this sounds like your family at all, yet, you still want to add some travel inspiration into your family life at home, then Terra Americana has something for you to try!
Their new subscription bags will bring the taste of travel and culture right into your own home for great culinary adventures!
I was sent the Epicurean Explorer package to check out.
Now, in full disclosure, my ability to make this meal apparently failed, because I had 2 faux pas with the corn bread and cookies. As any good chef does, they can figure out how to remedy their mistakes, but take heed and read ALL directions before beginning your adventures!
The Epicurean Explorer package has several themes to choose from. Being sent the Spirit of the Southwest package, I was transformed to the "American southwest", where blends of cowboy and Mexican cultures combine to create tasty culinary infusions.
My package included
- a small insert of amazing recipes,
- 2 spices (Chinese 5 spice & Pacific Sea Salt)
- 1 cornbread mix,
- 1 Salsa Chili mix
- 1 "Cowboy Cookie" mix
The insert talks about the evolution of the Southwestern Culture and how different culinary flavors were introduced by immigrants and settlers. If you want to learn more, you can google things to talk about with your family, so that your culinary experience might be like you were visiting a new region! I don't know about you, but when I travel, I also like to experience the local culture with tourism offerings.
The insert included the following recipes along with recipes located on the back/ tags of each item. Skillet Cornbread, Pork, and Cowboy Cookies ended up on my menu last weekend. I have not tried the chili mix yet, although the insert included a recipe for "Ranch Style Refried Beans" that sounds tasty!
Pork:
I happened to already have a pork butt in the freezer, so took it out to thaw upon receipt of this package. Following instructions, I used my crock pot and the spices, plus my favorite BBQ sauce, to create a tasty shredded pork recipe. Perhaps not exactly like the southwest, but that is the exciting thing about cooking at home-we can adapt to our likes and dislikes!
Fair warning, the Chinese 5 spice blend usually contains star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds. A little bit goes a LONG way, and the packet provided will last you a while.
Pacific Sea Salt is less processed than traditional table salt, retaining minerals that aid in the flavor process when prepping meat.
It's better to use this as part of a rub, rather than just throwing it into the crockpot, so that the meat soaks up the spices, but you do you and what your time allows.
Cornbread
Provided instructions include some tips on setting up success for your cornbread. I've discovered that everyone loves a different variation of cornbread, so make it the way that you know your family will love!
One of my recommendations of provided tips to follow is to preheat your skillet, especially if using stove top.
I didn't, thinking I'd be okay, but it took longer to cook through the cornbread, resulting in a burned bottom.
Also, I miscalculated the amount of butter needed (accidentally flipped the amts for the cornbread and cookies), causing it to be slightly runny! It firmed up, but the timing cooked was off.
Cookies:
Cowboy Cookies are full of ingredients that provide energy, made to withstand long hot days, and are a great snack.
I admit, my butter snafu didn't help these at all, as the cookies melted into a mess. I had to remove from the oven and try to use extra flour to make up for the issue. Next time I bake, I need to take my time, reread ingredients before putting them in, and don't do math in my head :)
The cookies still tasted okay! Definitely not the prettiest, and didn't turn out flat like Cowboy cookies should be. Consider that baker's error and NOT the mix, though. I fully ate all the cookies this week though. I will say, if oats and coconut aren't your thing, then these cookies might not be for you!
I would love to try out some of the other recipes. The pork turned out really well. I cooked it in the crockpot for about 6-7 hrs. Use your judgement based on the size and type. Mine was a butt, as that's what I had, but any pork would be amazing to try out for this southwestern experience.
I wish my cornbread and cookies had turned out better, but that's what happens in life sometimes! I still have the chili mix to go. After those things, I decided I'd better wait to attempt that in case another fiasco happened!
This was a great way to experience foods that I might not normally cook. I appreciate the included recipes in the insert and on the packages themselves. It offers a few variations and ways that you might want to utilize the ingredients!
I also like learning, so learning about how these foods were created, how the spices were introduced, were things that I didn't know before.
Often cowboys cooked on open flames and needed quick, easy meals that were portable and didn't spoil fast, which is how these variations of chili, pork shoulder, and cornbread developed.
Subscription Bags
Other subscription bags may take you on a journey throughout Europe or various parts of the United States. Designated themes can be purchased individually, or subscribe and enjoy culinary adventures all year!
Ship culinary adventures to your home in 3, 6, or 12 monthly deliveries, or even purchase bimonthly subscriptions with adventures shipping every other month for 3, 6, or 12 months! Note, if you purchase all 12 months, you get a "bonus" bag!
(Also, be sure to check out their baking subscription bags. I am certainly eying these wonderful creations!)
In fact, this month's March subscription is based on Ireland, so get your St. Patrick's celebrations on by purchasing an Epicurean Explorer package right now!
Want it? Get it!
Find your favorite Epicurean Explorer package, subscribe, and ship culinary adventures directly to your home this spring.
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If your family could travel anywhere, where would it be?
What foods from that region do you want to try out?
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