Travel Through Taste: Eat2Explore Makes a Perfect Holiday Gift for Families #MBPHGG25

eat2explore sent over these great cooking gifts for this post. All thoughts are my own!

Growing up, our family vacations were pretty localized or to specific places. While we had adventures, most of our travels were localized to the northeast or southeast. As I grew older and learned about the world, I had a hankering to explore far and exciting places. My grandfather would often take me out to the airport to watch planes, commenting how he hoped that one day, I would experience such adventures.

While holiday travel is often high on the lists of all; timing, health, work responsibilities, and budgets often prevent it. This holiday season, gift adventure right in your home!

Culinary adventure boxes with eat2explore will take your family on exciting adventures without having to set foot on a plane! Boxes are filled with exciting recipes, country knowledge, and fun ways to engage during dinner time!

Explore United Kingdom, Family Style- $29.95

Explore the United Kingdom's history and culture with three unique recipes that showcase the country's cuisine. The box comes information about each recipe's creation, knowledge & geography of the country, and a shopping list!

Note, while the boxes do contain recipes and seasonings, it is not a complete cooking box, so plan accordingly for each meal. Meats, veggies, and staples will be needed to complete your dinner; but I found that most is already found within our pantries! As with any explorer, substituting items for those you already have (or know that your family likes) is a plus too!

For example, on this blustery windy cold day, I decided to make Irish Stew. (For those of you who are curious, Ireland is not a part of the UK, but the connections and ties are strong there. There is a very tangled history between the two countries, along with Scotland).

Irish Stew traditionally has lamb as the protein source, but I automatically knew that I would prefer beef. One could even use chicken!

Using a crock pot, making this stew was super easy. Frozen veggies from my freezer, beef stew cutlets, and the provided Irish Stew seasoning mix created this hearty zesty soup. I sliced up some bread, toasted it in the oven, and voila, an easy quick dinner!

The Explore United Kingdom box also contains a Tikka Masala recipe along with a traditional Shepherds Pie. The entire family can help create these meals too, not just the adults! The Explore UK box came with a UK pin and Spatula along with the paperwork.

One of the best parts about cooking boxes is the time spent together as a family. One could decorate their dining space to represent the country if they really were into the entire experience. Yet, spending time together learning about the country, sharing knowledge, asking questions, and sharpening up on cooking or baking skills is a plus about these kits too!

Explore Japan for date night- $29.95

Instead of heading out into the holiday chaos for date night, stay in! Couples, besties, and individuals can experience culture and cuisine through these boxes as well. For adults, recipes are changed slightly to be more adventurous and slightly more complex with flavors.. yet, they are not complicated to make at all!

Japan's box has three recipes that Asian lovers will rejoice over. I tested out the recipe for Chicken Katsu, but I substituted my protein as I wanted to use a leftover uncooked steak.

Traditionally, chicken Katsu is known as a popular dish. The protein is breaded, then fried in panko crumbs. One doesn't normally fry steak in panko crumbs, but I did a little bit of googling and learned that Beef Katsu is actually a thing in some Japanese cities!

This recipe comes with a Japanese style potato salad that was super easy to make, along with a cabbage stir-fry. Adding soy sauce into my stir-fry's recipe, while different, gave it the flavor that I wanted, but does change the coloring from photos!

I found it super easy to make this meal at home; saving time and money! I love the cooking boxes because they provide individual packets of items one would use in recipes, versus having to head to the local Asian market for a bottle of sauce that may sit in my fridge until it's expired.

The adult Japan box still contains all the knowledge, culinary customs, and the like of all boxes, but leaves out some of the trinkets found in the family box! It also has some drink recipes available too.

Each box, with it's three recipes, can provide more than one experience and dinner too. Rather than going out once, have a three part adventure in your home over the holiday season! I also love how one can choose to break up the recipes, or mix & match, if their taste buds are feeling slightly different.

eat2explore Advent Kit- $185

In fact, if you want to experience the world ALL throughout the holidays, then consider gifting yourself or family the eat2explore Advent Kit! Advent Kits are a great way to reconnect with each other, learning about unique countries along the way. In fact, the UK family box is featured in this year's Advent Kit.

A festive bundle of six mystery country boxes, paired with a beautifully designed scratch-off Advent Calendar cards, the Advent Kit is perfect for everyone!

Attributed to eat2explore

Valued at $232, this box contains it all. Every four days, choose a family member to scratch off the card to reveal the next country!

Each scratch-off reveals a surprise country with a link to an online booklet featuring how that country celebrates Christmas - complete with holiday dinner, dessert, drinks, and crafts. Also included are an apron, knife, and map.

Check the FAQ for a sneak peek of the boxes.. or stay surprised!

Purchase eat2explore boxes either individually or begin a subscription. If you desire a specific country, pick out individual boxes for your family or as gifts. If you want to be culinary amazed and try something new, the subscription explorer box is perfect for you! Subscriptions can be paused, and the delivery frequency can be changed as well.

Love a recipe? Spice mixes are available for individual purchase as well. I love this aspect because trying to recreate some of the mixes would take several spices to recreate.

Allergy and dietary restrictions:

Recipes can be modified for gluten-free or vegan (and contain the tips and shopping lists to do so), but eat2explore cannot guarantee their spices and mixes are safe for specific food allergies. Boxes are marked accordingly regarding the 8 major allergens required by the FDA, but eat2explore does recommend proceeding accordingly. If needed, allergen friendly boxes are available and one could make their own spices and mixes as desired.

No matter whether you have a budding chef or a creative baker, the eat2explore boxes are perfect for all sorts of adventures! These boxes can be paired with unique cooking items to make a great experience this holiday season. While we all love gifting tangibles, this cooking box is a tangible gift followed by exciting and fun experiences and memories!

Consider gifting eat2explore boxes for those who love to travel, those who want to travel, and those who love food and adventure! Even if you aren't a chef, the recipes are easy enough to still have fun and create!

Get in the kitchen to cook, bake, and explore this holiday season!