Special Delivery from Taste of Home is a quarterly subscription box that delivers recipes, kitchen gadgets, and other products that are selected by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen experts. They guarantee to bring "a little fun and whimsy to your life!"
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the $39.95 a quarter box.
About Special Delivery From Taste of Home
The Subscription Box: Special Delivery from Taste of Home
The Cost: $39.95 a quarter or $49.95 for a single box. Shipping is $10.
The Products: "Taste of Home cookbook, exclusive recipe cards, exciting new kitchen gadgets, and more!"
Ships to: U.S.
Special Delivery From Taste of Home Winter 2018 Review
Inside you will find an information card with a special note from the Taste of Home Test Kitchen. This month's note is all about the Winter season and everything that comes along with it! On the back, you will find a detailed list of each product featured in the box.
Let's take a look at what is inside!
Taste of Home Cookbook: Comfort Food Makeovers - Retail Value $17.99 (found here for $12.20)
Each quarter you will receive this giant Taste of Home Cookbook! Living in a Pinterest world, I can honestly say that I don't often buy cookbooks for myself. However, it is something that I would like to start using more after receiving my Taste of Home Cookbook last quarter. This month's book features comfort food recipes remastered into guilt-free dishes. I can't wait to start diving into making some of these dishes for my family!
OXO SoftWorks Vegetable Brush - Retail Value $4.99
I have never owned a vegetable brush, but I must say I have gotten a lot of use out of this little guy! The bristles are made of nylon so they can withstand lots of use. Plus, this is dishwasher safe! The funky green grip is easy to hold and you won't slip and slid while washing. Now I know my vegetables are getting extra clean!
Chef'n Looseleaf Kale & Greens Stripper - Retail Value $7.95
I do not enjoy removing the stems from greens, to be honest, I usually ask my husband to do it. I am just not patient at all. This cool little gadget allows you to slip your greens through to quickly remove the leafs from the stems without having to pull, pluck, and chop. The first time I used this it wasn't seamless, and I had a hard time getting my large bundle of kale through the tiny holes. However, once I got the hang of it I was able to get a good amount of the leaves off from the stem. Not the easiest tool to use, but I will keep this around to use when I don't have such a large bundle of greens.
Lodge Silicone Magnet Trivet, 5.75 inches - Retail Value $10.00 (found here for $6.51)
If you own a cast iron skillet then you know how hot they get, but they are also super heavy and tricky to move around. This little trivet is silicone and has magnets to keep your cast iron skillet in place while making sure it doesn't damage any counters or tables. For me, this is an awesome kitchen tool because I love taking my skillet right from the stove or oven to the table. Dishes from the cast iron skillet always have great presentation and I want my guests or family to see before serving. This magnetic trivet allowed me to move the skillet quickly and safely, plus I didn't damage my antique wooden table!
Family Wooden Sign - Estimated Value $11.99
"Family: May this home be filled with love and laughter." This wooden sign is made to either sit on a counter or can be hung on the wall. A pretty sign that would look great in any home! If you are like me and have a very specific decor style in your house, then this might not be exactly your style. However, it makes the perfect gift for a loved one and carries such a sweet message! I decided to gift this to my cousin who happily added this to her kitchen counter. I wasn't able to find this exact size and style online for purchase, but I did a price estimate based on somewhat similar styles I found on Etsy and other sites.
Elastic Tupperware Lid - Estimated Value $6.00
I am so sad that I wasn't able to find this online for purchase because I wanted to buy one for my Mom. I am obsessed with this little Tupperware cover. Honestly, when I first took this out of the box I thought it was a shower cap. It is extremely well made with elastic and a super thick cloth material. I absolutely love the retro print on it as well! This fits over larger bowls or even square cooking dishes. I was able to use this to cover some soup that I made without having to transfer everything from my dutch oven into various plastic containers.
Cherchies Pasta E Fagioli Soup Mix, 18 oz. - Retail Value $7.95
Cherchies is a gourmet and specialty food company that takes traditional Italian recipes from their family and makes them into "quick cooking" packets like this one! I make a similar soup pretty frequently, but I was excited to try this recipe to see if I could pick-up any tips and tricks for my next homemade batch. There were a few ingredients I needed to buy on my own, but the packaging itself comes with beans, pasta, and a yummy spice blend. Overall, this probably took me about an hour of cooking time.
I started by chopping and then sauteing my onions and garlic with olive oil.
The recipe notes that you can either cook your beans or let them soak overnight. I decided to soak mine overnight in water, and then I just drained them in the morning. Super easy!
Then, I added the spice packet that was included in the package and stirred it together with my garlic and onion. I let this all sit for about a minute to just take in all of the flavors of one another.
Next, I added my water, but you could absolutely use vegetable or chicken broth here if you have some at home. In went the beans that I already soaked overnight. Stir, stir, stir! Then, I just covered and let this simmer for about 20 minutes.
In went the pasta and one can of diced tomatoes. I covered my pot again and let this all simmer together for another 20 minutes.
The finished product was nothing short of perfection! I topped each bowl with some parmesan for that extra cheesy goodness. This soup was so filling and packed full of flavor. I didn't think to add any extra ingredients to this batch, but if I made it again I would most likely add some fresh vegetables and some ground turkey or sausage to really round the dish out.
Special Delivery from Taste of Home Recipe Cards
Each quarter you will also receive an envelope of seasonal recipe cards! I received a total of six this month, all with a wonderful comfort food for Winter theme. Each recipe ranged from difficult to easy so you can always pass along any that you decide aren't for you and keep any that you love or want to test.
Warm Tasty Greens With Garlic
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Actual Cook Time: 20 minutes
I love cooked greens of any kind, but I was interested in this recipe after I saw it included sundried tomatoes. This looked like a new take on my traditional greens recipes.
The recipe called to steam the kale in water, but I really love when kale has a bit more of that crispy texture to it. I decided to cook mine on the stove in olive oil. This eliminates one step and gives me that crispy crunchy kale that I really love! If you cook yours this way, just make sure you are stirring to get each of the pieces coated in that rich olive oil and to help everything cook down nicely.
While I waited for my kale to cook, I chopped my garlic and sundried tomatoes.
Next, I just added my garlic and tomatoes to the kale. I mixed everything together so that all flavors could meet. Then, I added some salt and pepper to taste.
There you have it, a beautiful greens dish! Honestly, I would have never thought to add sundried tomatoes to greens, but I think I am going to make it this way from now on. This dish was so flavorful, rich in crunch and texture. The next time I make this, I might add some white beans and ground turkey to make this a main dish. So yummy!
Verdict: This was my second box from Special Delivery from Taste of Home, and I have to say that I loved it more than the first. The products were all very unique and things that I would never buy for myself. I love to cook, now that I have a family, I find myself cooking pretty much every night (not to mention breakfast and lunch for my son). These products are a dream for a busy Mom that cooks but doesn't always have the patience for certain steps. Plus, each product was super fun to try and I found myself thinking "why didn't I think to make this." I received a total retail value of $66.87, that isn't including the envelope of recipe cards. This box is perfect for the chef at heart!
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No, order now to get the Spring box!
Value Breakdown: At $44.95 for this box, I received a total of 7 products (not including the recipe cards). This is an average of $6.42 per item. For high-quality kitchen products, this box is such a great value!
Check out all of our Special Delivery from Taste of Home reviews and more home essentials reviews in the Home Subscription Box Directory!
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What did you think of the Winter Special Delivery from Taste of Home?
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