Thursday, July 31, 2014

Who participates in Foodie Pen Pal ...

Surprise Thursday POST!

 I am posting today to tell you about the coolest food program on one of the best blogs!

http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/

This month I participated in something called Foodie Pen Pal. It was my 4th time participating, but this is the first time I get to share about it on my blog!!

So - What is Foodie Pen Pal?
It is a program that Lindsay from the blog The Lean Green Bean started back in 2011.

The general concept is that once you sign up on Lindsay's site - you get connected with a "pen pal" from anywhere across the United States and you communicate a bit over email to get to know each other and then you send each other a package that can include homemade baked goodies, local delicious food items, and/or just some of your favorite products! It is such a fun way to meet someone new and try new products from across the US! You do not have to be a blogger to participate (I did when I was not a blogger), but it also a cool way for fellow foodie bloggers to connect.

Here are some of the detailed rules taken from Lindsay's site:
  • 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 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 treatsThe spending limit is $15The 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.
So ...if you are interested in participating click on the image at the top of this blog to take you to Lindsay's site to sign up! Or click on this link - http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/

BUT, let's dive into my foodie pen pal experience this month!

I got paired with Celia Finfrock ... it is such a small world, because when you signed up you are  randomly paired with your partner, and when I got Celia's name, I briefly checked out her blog  and realized that I KNEW her! She went to my high school in St. Louis and we took French together. Crazy small world that I was randomly paired with someone I already knew!

This was Celia's first time doing Foodie Pen Pal, so I was excited to send her a great box and see what she sent me!
She had been traveling in Disney World, so I got a lot of goodies from there!
  • Mickey Mouse Pasta (how fun is that!)
  • Mexican Praline Peanuts from the Mexico pavilion at Epcot!
  • French shortbread cookies that she fell in love with when she lived in France. They were so tasty! I am actually typing this in an airport and wishing I had one right now!
  • A fancy, french recipe that would be perfect for when we have company.
I always try to send one homemade baked good - so I sent Celia banana breakfast cookies and then included: my favorite cinnamon almonds, the tastiest dried mango from Trader Joe's, and a lot of local cherry stuff to represent Michigan =)

In the past I got spices, olive oil, baked goods, dried jerky and more! One time a lady from Florida sent me this Everglade spice mix that was TO DIE FOR, and I added it to everything. We just ran out of it too, so if anyone if reading and has that locally ... let me know! 

It is such a fun a fun experience - who does not LOVE getting packages in the mail.

Thank you to Celia!

What do you think about Foodie Pen Pal?

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Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian (yet). My blog is simply a snapshot of my everyday life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. Though I am a certified fitness instructor, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.