A Rather Stately Discovery

The fine hard working folks from Discover Our America recently contacted the public relations department at Skipah’s Realm for my take on their recently launched business venture.  What is the grand adventure you may be asking?  How about a culinary trip around the country on a monthly basis?

Discover Our America had a phenomenal idea, a monthly subscription service offering a little sample of all the fifty states.  Here is how it works:  You click on this link, sign up for a six, nine, or 12-month gift subscription. Free shipping (free is a good thing), and you may cancel anytime.  Or you can order on a month to month basis, shipping not included.  Mr. Vermont are you sick of shoveling snow for the 26^th day in a row, maybe next December you will get home from the office to see some Florida sunshine has been delivered to your doorstep.

What’s the catch? Well, hopefully, you are getting the catch of the day delivered to you when it’s Massachusetts day to arrive at your domicile, that’s the great thing there isn’t a catch!  Hold that thought, seafood goes bad pretty quickly.  Much to my dismay, I found out that Discover Our America couldn’t get past a bunch of FDA restrictions to send me fresh seafood from all over the country in their monthly subscription boxes.  Time to start planning another vacation!

After receiving my package in the mail (major points right away to packaging/shipping personnel), I had high hopes for some authentic Texas treats or some gourmet barbecue sauce from Kansas City, Missouri.  Those states will have to wait another month because first up for me was my neighbors to the north….Meeeeechigan.  Let’s take a quick trip to the land of fresh water (let’s pretend Flint, MI is actually in Kentucky for posterity sake), phantom wolverines, and hidden/liquid culinary treasures!

My box will double as a Christmas gift box next December!

Before you dive into some belly swelling goodies and liquid treasure, you must first read the highly informative pamphlet that features the great things about the state.  Did you know that anywhere you go in Michigan you are no further than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes, and only six miles from a freshwater source?  I didn’t either until I read the literature on Michigan.  Before reading it, all I knew about Michigan was it’s cold in the winter, Michigan State University kicks Indiana University’s butt every year, and Detroit elects corrupt politicians.

Think of it as the cliff notes version of a particular state

I also learned that they’ve got some places in the state that are worth visiting if I ever make it across the state line!

Let’s eat and drink our way through Michigan!

Caramel Corn, Detroit Popcorn Company:

Popcorn is delicious, hell Orville Redenbacher is a native Hoosier, so I know a little something about popcorn.  Caramel tastes good whether coating popcorn or used tires.  Needless to say, you can’t screw up caramel popcorn, but you can make it taste better.  I don’t know if the Detroit Popcorn Company has a secret pipeline to some top shelf Cuban sugar or uses butter blessed from the gods in their caramel, but wow!

Verdict- Five stars!

Rock & Rye Pop, Faygo:

I used to buy Faygo’s at the corner store for a quarter when I was a kid, and I had no idea they were based out of Detroit.  I’m a diet beverage drinker myself (the aspartame mafia paid me to say that), so I had to defer this to one of the little people that live with me.  Definitely, kid tested and approved, parents make sure you hide this liquid crack before bed time!

Verdict-Zero stars as a parent, Kid scale “Wait I only get to rate it five stars?”

Wild Cherry Tea, Cherry Republic:

My girlfriend slapped my hand before I put it in the box to investigate this hot water quaff.  Granted I’m not a tea drinker and she is.  By the end of the week, she was trying to see what it takes to become a platinum member at the Cherry Republic and even had her mom joining in on their own liquid Cherry Jubilee!

Verdict-Not my cup of tea…insert laugh, however, my girlfriend drank it daily until it was gone.  She is also a little ticked I only let her rank it five stars’ max.

Salt Water Taffy, Martha’s Original Mackinac Island Fudge:

Michigan has no viable source of saltwater near them, nor do most places that sell “saltwater” taffy.  I don’t care if it is lab constructed salt water or they import it daily, this stuff is awesome!  When I make it to Mackinaw Island one of these days to bungee jump off the famous bridge or actually vacation there, I’m finding this store and buying this concocted sugar nirvana in gross!

Verdict-Dang it, I’ve already set the bar at five stars!

Sea Salt Caramels, Sanders:

I’ve got, to be honest, didn’t like this near as much as I thought I would.  I’m a chocolate contrarian at times and this just didn’t hit the Skipah taste bud nerves quite right.  Dark chocolate and I got into a massive fistfight when I was a kid (I won, but it kicked me in the privates) and my taste for dark chocolate probably skewed this.

Verdict-One star, but like I said I don’t like dark chocolate.

Zzang!, What the Fudge? Bar, Zingerman’s Candy:

Major props to creative at this company based out of Ann Arbor.  Thankfully I don’t live near Ann Arbor or there would be a fresh supply of these stockpiled in my fridge.  The chocolate coating was a little “different” for my taste (blended dark chocolate), but the double layered confectionary jackpot in the middle had me forgetting about the time I whooped dark chocolate’s butt!

Verdict-Four stars, dark chocolate and I have a mutual truce to agree to disagree.

Woodward Avenue Blend, Detroit Bold Coffee Company:

I don’t drink coffee, wouldn’t drink it on a dare even, so I had to enlist some coffee drinking savants.  Being a complete neophyte to the underground coffee world, I had no idea what they were talking about when they harped about the unique smoky flavor.  Evidently, Detroit does more than make automobiles well.

Verdict-I appreciates caffeine in other ways, my personal coffee caffeine zombies loved it and also were ticked my review scale was set at five stars!

Verdict-Discover Our America is on to something good!

Discover Our America offers these boxes of goodies via the following gift subscription packages (free shipping):

6 months ($228.00)

9 months ($324.00)

12 months ($408.00)

Or you can subscribe on a month to month basis for $39.95 and opt out any time (shipping not included)

You don’t have to be a math scholar to figure out that a year’s worth of these magic boxes is your best deal.  Even better tell them Skipah sent you when you enter promotional code SKIPAH15 and receive 15% of your first shipment.

 

You can follow Discover Our America on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & Pinterest.

Skipah’s Realm was offered a complimentary box to review, the thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.