It’s hard to believe it’s the first of October already, and fall is officially here. Today is also reveal day for Foodie Pen Pal, and this is my first month participating. If you aren’t familiar with the foodie pen pal, it’s a fun foodie thing (for lack of better words) that was started by Lindsey at the Lean Green Bean. Each month that you want to participate, you sign up on the Lean Green Bean, and shortly after you are assigned a person to send a package of goodies to. In turn you will receive a package from another foodie pen pal. I received a box from Danielle in Baltimore, Maryland. Since I didn’t have any specific requests, Danielle surprised me with a box of healthy snacks. There is a wide variety of these types of snacks, but Danielle seemed to know what I like because just about every item was something I will definitely try again. On September 14th I received a nicely wrapped package of goodies on my front steps, and spent the next several days trying them out.
In the box were the following items:
Dr. Cracker Seeded Spelt Crisp Breads – I’ve had this brand before but not these crackers. Danielle suggested that they would be good with guacamole or hummus, but they were also quite good plain. Of course, adding some hummus only made them better. These just might end up being a regular in my pantry.
Packet of Artisana Raw Cacao Bliss – there was a little note attached to this one that said “Interesting little packet of goodness, huh?” I have nothing else to add to that, except for it surely was! This little packet contained a spread of raw chocolate coconut butter that was consistency of peanut butter, but it was dark chocolate – really rich in chocolate flavor, yum!
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Mint – This fair trade Chocolate bar has a true chocolate taste with a little hint of mint – one or two squares of this at a time does the trick for a chocolate craving for a few days!
Greek Yogurt Bar Toasted Coconut Bar – I’ve never heard these before, but I eat Greek Yogurt a lot so of course, I had no problem devouring this one.
Lara Bar — I’ve never had a Lara bar before, Danielle said this was her favorite flavor which was chocolate mint – and I can see why. Biting into this reminded me of sipping hot coco with a candy cane dipped in it.
Teras Whey Fair Trade Dark Chocolate made with organic whey protein –. This was one of the best protein powders I’ve had. I don’t usually care for protein powders because some taste too sweet and/or artificial to me. This was pleasantly sweetened with Stevia, just enough to calm the bite of the dark chocolate. I will be looking to purchase this in the near future!
Oatmeal (Better oats Organic Raw Pure and Simple multi grain hot cereal) – Danielle’s note on the oatmeal said “Who doesn’t like oatmeal for breakfast” and she was right! The oatmeal is actually a mix of oatmeal, flax seeds, barley and quinoa. I liked it because It can be made in the microwave and you can even measure the water in the pouch that the oatmeal comes in. Perfect for brining to work for a quick breakfast!
Pro Bar – this I didn’t have a chance to try, my daughter took it to school for a snack, and she loved it and was very filling.
And Last — not a food item. . .
Burt’s Bees lip balm and hand salve – once the weather really starts to get cold, my hands get really dry – so I am saving the hand salve to soothe my dry hands this winter!
I enjoyed each and every goodie in the package, except for the pro bar, and that’s only because my daughter took it before I could try it! Thank you Danielle for sending the box of goodies, I really enjoyed them!!
And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.
In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:
-On the 5th of every 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 the last 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 are 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 Penplas is open to US & Canadian 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.
If you’re interested in participating for October, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.
You must submit your information by October 4th as pairings will be emailed on October 5th!
*If you’re from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send me an email and I’ll see if we get enough interest this month!
