This is a review of the February 2016 My Texas Market box. My Texas Market is a monthly subscription box that sends you 4-6 carefully selected products from Texas farmers’ markets and local businesses. The small-batch artisan items fit a monthly theme and could be anything from foods, snacks, teas, candles, beauty products, crafts or any other thing you might find in a Texas farmers’ market. Their purpose is to expose customers to new products and companies while supporting local artisan businesses. Subscription costs are:

• 1 month – $35
• 3 months – $100
• 6 months – $195

Subscription prices do not include shipping or any applicable taxes. They do promise that the value of each box will be at least $35 -$40 but to not expect that they will send a hugely underpriced box of items. You can cancel at any time or just skip a month if you wish. And if you want to purchase more of something or add to your box, they have an online market with lots of things to choose from.

The Homespun Chics received this box for review. All opinions are 100% our own.

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This is one of my faves to review! You never know what you will get but you know it will be useful, delicious or quirky! Everything says TEXAS, one of my favorite places to visit!

I was sent the February 2016 My Texas Market box to review. The February theme was “Tex-Italiano” as a tribute to the growing wine and olive industry flourishing in the Texas hill country. As usual, the presentation was beautiful! Opening a My Texas Market box is like opening a birthday present wrapped just for me! And the box smelled SO good before I even peeked inside the tissue paper! They included a handwritten note of appreciation for supporting these Texas businesses. So let’s explore what My Texas Market sent in their Tex-Italiano box!

My Texas Market always includes a well written product information card. That insert is one of the first things I look for in a subscription box. To me this shows a pride in their source businesses and the products those businesses produce.

Texas Hill Country Olive Co.  – Sola Stella (Lone Star) Olive Oil 100 ml ($5 )

This is 100% natural Extra Virgin olive oil with a wonderful aroma and taste. Premium Select, first cold press, it is everything you look for in a first quality olive oil. I understand why this olive oil won fold in the 2015 Los Angeles Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition! With all the health benefits of using olive oil daily, plus the culinary enhancements it brings, why not use the best olive oil you can find? And this olive oil comes from the only certified organic orchard in the whole state of Texas! They also offer weekly tours – we might add this into our fall Texas trip for this year!

McClure’s Family Farm – Roasted Garlic Sea Salt ($8)

No chemicals or artificial flavors here. The McClure Family Farm uses only locally sourced and farm-grown herbs and spices in their mixes. This roasted garlic sea salt is made with only sea salt and roasted garlic – and it is so yummy! We are HUGE garlic fans in my house so this tin of roasted garlic salt has been sitting on the counter in constant use since it arrived!

 

Della Casa Pasta – Campanelle Tricolor Pasta 14 oz (? price)

You cannot have a Tex-Italian box without pasta! Hand-crafted in Texas, this slow dry pasta is made from organic semolina with no preservatives or additives. The coloring is from spinach and tomato paste. “Campanelle is Italian for “Bellflowers” and has fluted, petal like edges and a hollow center that captures sauce.” 

We just had to give this pasta a try! I made a Two Onion Tricolor Pasta with Spinach and Shaved Parmesan for lunch and my husband was thrilled! See my recipe HERE.

Tailor Made Treats Artisan Chocolates – Hazelnut and Stumptown Coffee Beans 2 oz – 4 pieces ($6)

Chocolate!! I LOVE to review –eat! – chocolate and these dark chocolate confections were wonderfully creamy with a deep chocolaty taste. They are small-batch hand made daily by Chocolatier Kim Gallogly (who apparently has the job I was originally meant for!) Plus they are organic, fair trade, dairy free and gluten free! This Texas company also believes in sustainable business practices including minimal waste and green cleaning products. I am always reminding my readers that chocolate is a Health Food – but this company makes sure that their chocolates really are!

Whole Note Food Company – Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix 9.5 oz ($5.30)

What’s not to love about this all-natural & gluten-free pizza crust mix? It’s made from 7 whole grains – brown rice, buckwheat, teff, flaxseed, millet, oats and sorghum – and rises in only about 15 minutes! Even if you don’t have issues with gluten, wouldn’t you rather eat a pizza crust that is tasty as well as good for you? All you have to add is water, olive oil and a bit of sugar (to feed the yeast) and you can plan and execute the pizza of your dreams! Each box contains crust mixes for 2 pizzas.

 

Old Factory Soap Co. – Chef’s Soap 4 oz ($8)

This is an all-natural soap that gently cleanses with organic ground coffee and essential oils of red thyme, lemongrass, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, tea tree and coriander. It smells wonderful and lathers up well, leaving my hands feel soft and very clean. This is a Texas Hill Country product and they hand make all of their own packaging.

Also included in this fabulous box was a postcard with a 20% off your first purchase at The Practical Plankist. His shop is in Houston and “produces some of the finest handcrafted wooden creations around!” You can go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePracticalPlankist and enter code GODBLESSTEXAS at checkout.

Don’t you just LOVE the February 2016 My Texas Market box? The value of the contents is about equal to what you pay and you get to try high quality products that you wouldn’t find in the grocery store. The curation for this month’s theme was spot on and everything in the box was useful and/or delicious! I put a few of these ingredients together for a quick and delicious lunch! You can find the recipe here:

Two Onion Tricolor Pasta with Spinach and Shaved Parmesan

My Texas Market has provided our readers with a coupon code if you want to give their box a try!

Use HOMESPUN20 for 20% off your first box to see for yourself what a great subscription box they provide!!