I really need to start coming up with better titles for some of my blog posts but today’s is just what it says. First off, I really enjoyed putting together the box I sent to Sarah at Picky Runner. I was a little nervous to send her something because, as her blog indicates, she is a bit picky but from what she has written, she likes it! Yeah!! On top of that, my January match still had not received the box sent to her in Guam so I sent Savannah a second, somewhat smaller, box.

 

Now, onto the fun, my Foodie Pen Pal goodies.

 

I am really in awe that Miranda didn’t flake this month. I would have probably – not really sure as I have never been in this situation – begged off somehow. No. She managed to take the cruise from hell – yes, my Foodie Pen Pal was on the Triumph and floating aimlessly in the Gulf of Mexico – and get me a great box of goodies.

 

I am still looking for Justin’s anything in my area. The box arrived on a day that I had a fairly decent length run. I came home to my 18 year old and his 22 year old brother wondering if they should open Mom’s mail. I had to wrestle the box away from them. Once I did, I opened it and my post-run snack were the Justin’s peanut butter cups. These were perfect with a little protein drink to help replenish my body.

In this box was a package of coffee, Lola Savannah Coffee which is roasted in Houston. Believe it or not, the box came on a day when I had used the last of my coffee on hand. I was so excited I didn’t need to go to the grocery to purchase more coffee for the next morning. I make my coffee in a French press and this container of Cozy Winter’s Night made two days worth of coffee for me. Cozy Winter’s Night reminded me a lot of a local roast here that is called Jamaican Me Crazy. I loved the butterscotch flavor, which was really prominent. My 26 year old daughter is heading to San Antonio at the end of March and I am going to have her look for more of this to bring home to me.

I have a huge bag of frozen edamame in the freezer. I have always wondered why I bought it and what I am going to do with it. The Berry Blend Edamame that Miranda picked out is absolutely delicious. I am trying very hard to ration out this goodie so I have some left. I think this has led me to look for recipes to use for roasted edamame for snacks.

Not only did Miranda pick the coffee from her hometown but she picked up a few items while on her trip. The two big round items are Mexican hot chocolate. I have not yet used them but I am thinking they will be great with my latest Jane Green novel this weekend. You put 4 cups of milk in a pot and then melt one round of chocolate into it. Maybe I will throw a little alcohol into the mix but I doubt it. It sounds delicious just the way it is.

Also, from her trip was a delicious praline from New Orleans. I savored this item one evening as I was craving chocolate. I am also keeping that wrapper so I can get more of these delicious items. Aunt Sally’s Creamy Original Praline hit the spot that night as the cravings were great.

Finally, I am telling my kids to steer clear of my Pretzel Crisps. I love Pretzel Crisps but have never seen “everything” ones. I usually get either original or chipolte cheddar. These were like having an everything bagel without all the bagel. I am rationing these along with the edamame.

Find all this intriguing? Want to join us?

Here are some details:

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On thelast day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

– Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!

 

Special thanks to Miranda – who, in my mind, went above and beyond the call of duty getting this box out – and to Lindsay for her idea!!