Foodie Pen Pals July!

 Foodie Pen Pals!

Another month, another incredible goodie box sent to my door. I couldn't have asked for a more unique set of items, including a personalized post card! YEA!

This month I was lucky enough to be paired with Marcie Fort from Gambrills, MD. Her kids helped her pick out my goodies and boy oh boy, did they do a good job :-)

Let's take a look!

I got a lot of freeze dried snacks, which are totally awesome by the way! Dried fruit mixes, dried spicy chickpeas (great on salads!), delicious chocolate cookies from Lucy's, a very unique and awesome sounding spice mix and a collection of dairy free chocolate.. I. Am. In. Heaven.

The fruit is such a great snack! I've been keeping a stash in my desk at work.. perfect for when I need a little pick-me-up! The cookies, well, let me just tell you I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying cookies dipped in milk for quite some time.. but these babies did the trick! They are crunchy chocolate cookies and when dipped in non dairy milk.. oh goodness. I could eat that whole box in one sitting! The Enjoy Life chocolate bar was gone the next day.. oops ;-) The other two I'm trying to cherish for the perfect moment. I haven't yet tried the spice mix but Marcie recommended adding it to home-cooked popcorn.. uhhh yea, I'm in!

As you can see, this monthly foodie program is nothing but incredible. Picking out goodies for your foodie pal is so much fun and waiting for your own package to arrive is like waiting for Christmas!

Here is a brief recap of Foodie Pen Pals and why you should join!

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.

Thank you again Marcie, I absolutely love it all! And thanks to Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean for this fun and exciting program! 

See you next month!

Healthy Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today was a big day.

I cut off 10 inches of my hair to donate to Pantene Bautiful Lengths hair donation in which Pantene partners with the American Cancer Society to create wigs for women with breast cancer.

Yea... it's kind of a big deal. This actually is the second time I've donated. Wanna know how long it took me to grow it back to the length it was this morning? Just about 3 years. Told ya (but I'll tell you again...) - kind of a big deal!

Tonight, however, was a time to relax and fully enjoy several hours in front of the TV to watch the Olympics! But of course, I couldn't sit on the couch for all these hours while watching such athleticism and talent.

So...

I got up. Walked into the kitchen. And baked some cookies. 

(Ahhh... the life of a self-proclaimed foodie and food blogger, 'aint it grand?)

I've been meaning to make chocolate chip cookies for quite some time now but just hadn't found a recipe that really impressed me. They all seemed basically the same. Until I found these Soft Macadamia Nut Chocolate Cookies from Chocolate Covered Katie. 

I love using oat flour in baking but I wanted something a little different so I used her recipe as a starting point and came up with these babies... (thanks for the inspiration!)

Healthy Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 c white buckwheat flour*
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 c chopped macadamia nuts
4 tbsp vanilla hemp milk
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp enjoy life mini chocolate chips 

Grind buckwheat groats in a coffee/spice grinder to make 1/2c buckwheat flour. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together. Combine wet ingredients and add to the dry mix. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with canola oil or cover with parchment paper. Create 13 cookie balls (12 if you just have to have an even number but I highly recommend 13.. for tasting purposes of course!) Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for another two minutes. Move cookies to a cooling rack and there you have it, delicious, healthy chocolate chip cookies at your finger tips. 
*Grinding whole buckwheat groats provides a much softer and subtle taste. Traditional buckwheat flour will provide a different texture and an entirely different flavor. 

Like Katie, I thought I'd include the nutrition facts for these cookies to really make you see that they are in fact, healthy. 

Per serving [1 cookie]

83 calories

4g fat (healthy fats!)

11g carbohydrates

1g fiber

1g protein

4g sugar (that's the real kicker!)

 Yum. Yum. Yum. These cookies are sweet enough that one cookie will satisfy your sweet tooth (though I do advise stepping away from the kitchen, you'll be extremely tempted to "test" the remaining cookies - you want to make sure they are all this good, right?) There is a slight grittiness from the buckwheat flour but the macadmia nuts cover up that minor side point. These cookies are soft and melt in your mouth. If you prefer a crunchier cookie I'd suggest flattening out the balls before baking and also cooking a tad longer. You could also try adding a little more fat.. perhaps butter ;-)


You'll love them. You'll eat them up. I sure did.

See that sad little cookie off to the corner... the lonely #13...

Don't worry... I took care of it :)

No Nuts Chocolate Granola

I love it when things come together.

You take a chance... a blind shot in the dark if you will. And when the outcome is better than you expected, well, that's a pretty good feeling ;-)

That is exactly what happened with this granola. I had a few criteria I wanted to meet...

Chocolate. 

(I've had a serious hankering for chocolate lately... especially in the morning - weird, I know.)

Protein!

(To add [healthy] pounds, protein is a must at any meal or snack.)

Simple.

(Since my stomach has been uber sensitive lately, I've found that less ingredients are better.)

YUMMY.

(This is a requirement for any homemade good, am I right?)

With these things in mind, I based this granola recipe off of my homemade chocolate rice protein bars (recipe coming soon, I promise!). I was a little nervous because the taste of this mixture pre-baking wasn't all that special. But, what was I to do - everything was already mixed together - so I went with it hoping for the best, and the outcome? 

Chocolate-Protein-Simple-Yummy-GOODNESS. 

 Before I give you the recipe, there is one caution you should prepare yourself for... when putting your chocolatey, protein-filled, simple, yummy granola away... you may loose at least one serving from tast-testing. This stuff is addicting... no kidding.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c EnviroKidz Koala Crisp Cereal

1 c gluten free rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)

*2 scoops protein powder (I use Jarrow Formulas Optimal Plant Proteins)

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp brown rice syrup (honey or agave would also work)

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking sheet with canola oil. Combine cereal, oats, protein powder and cocoa in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 10 - 15 seconds (this helps the ingredients to mix together). Add the wet ingredients to the dry, ensuring to coat all dry ingredients (look for the protein powder and cocoa that has set on the bottom of the bowl - be sure to incorporate this!) Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Take out, spray with more canola oil and stir (you want to move the granola around, especially near the edges to avoid burning). Return to oven and cook another 4-5 minutes. Now you'll want to test for texture - I like my granola on the crunchy side so I cooked for another 2-3 minutes. Once it is to your crunchy liking, let the granola fully cool. Store in an airtight container on the counter (preferably a clear container so you can show off your baking skills!)

*The protein powder I use is vanilla flavored but this didn't seem to disturb the chocolate-flavor at all. If you have chocolate protein powder, I would suggest reducing the cocoa to 1 tbsp. Unsweetened protein powder would work great as well.

I'm pretty sure this granola won't be around too long - it is just chocolatey enough to suppress that craving, and is healthy enough that you don't feel an ounce of guilt for enjoying it. Don't believe me? Take a look...

Nutrition Facts

[per one 1/2 cup serving]

160 calories

23g carbohydrates 

3g fiber

5g protein

10g sugar

Told ya!

Enjoy this with a banana and non-dairy milk for breakfast, atop your favorite yogurt, for a mid-morning or afternoon snack, or enjoy as a healthy dessert. Anyway you eat this, I guarantee it will put a smile on your face. Hooray for chocolate and hooray for recipes that come together :) Happy eating!

Cracker Crust Pizza Flatbread

The name for this one? Yup... it's right on. This... bread-like deliciousness you are feasting your eyes on was made with crackers and a little quinoa flour.

Care to know more?

The idea came to me when I was halfway through my "adult" lunchable [don't worry, you'll hear about this soon ;-)] - you see, sometimes when I'm packing my lunch in the morning I'm even more indecisive than usual, which sometimes prompts me to bring more than one option in my lunch. Then when lunchtime rolls around I take a bite of my options and see which one is most satisfying for the time being. Not a horrible idea right?

Anyway, I had brought Crunchmaster 7 Ancient Grain Cracked Pepper & Herb crackers along with a few rice cakes. I don't eat dairy very often so knowing these crackers contain whey and milk I wasn't sure how many I should eat. So, after eating half of the amount I brought (oops..) the light bulb went off! What if I used the rest of these in my homemade pizza crust tonight?! Yup. That thought was enough to switch me over to the rice cakes and finish my lunch[able].

I got home from work and got started right away - its Friday Night Pizza Night after all! Into the mini food processor it all went... and a miracle pizza crust flatbread was born...

Cracker Crust Pizza Flatbread
6-8 crackers (any gluten free crackers will work but these already have great flavor for the crust!)
~ 1/4 cup quinoa flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
~ 3 tbsp water (as more as needed)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in mini food processor. Transfer to small bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until combined (adding water until you have a dough consistency that doesn't stick to the bowl or your hands.

Lightly flour a small piece of parchment paper. Roll out dough into a thin layer (about 1/8 inch thick, or less - mine was an oval shape about 6 inches across). Move parchment paper (with rolled out dough) to baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes (until edges start to brown). Remove from oven and add toppings of choice. Slide back into the oven on just the parchment paper (be careful!) and continue to bake for 4 minutes. Your toppings should be melted and heated through and the crust will, get this, feel like a cracker! [Yup - I had to throw that in there ;-)] Enjoy with a small side salad and a glass of red wine. Perfection.

*I topped mine with sauteed orange bell pepper and onion (cooked up by my lovely boyfriend), along with sharp cheddar cheese (FYI - hard cheeses are easier on digestion!) and chopped green onion.

Before you run off to make this beautiful little accidental crust let me give you some insight on why I'm calling it pizza crust and flatbread. It is so thin that it makes you feel like you're eating flatbread, but with how it is cooked and the type of toppings added you feel like you're eating pizza. Thus, pizza flatbread.

*Another note: feel free to use any flour with the same weight as quinoa flour - amaranth, garbanzo, soy are all good options. I'm sure an all-purpose flour mix would also work or try your favorite combo of flours and make it your own experiment!

However you make it, this is the perfect individual portion for a Friday night, especially when the rest of your night is filled with even more baking :)

Foodie Pen Pals! - Second go-round

 Foodie Pen Pals! 

Ahhh.... the last day of the month... it is quickly becoming my favorite :-) Why you ask? Well my friends, I get to post about the box full of goodies I received from this month's Foodie Pen Pals!

I know, I know... It's not June anymore... But I promise I have a good excuse as to why I'm a little late on this posting... I was in Winter Park, Colorado all weekend with family and friends having the most amazing time at the 10th annual Blues Festival, and, let's not forget that Sunday was the birthday of the most amazing woman in the world... my mom :) (told ya it was a good excuse!)

So here we are, July 2nd - but HERE (drum roll please).... is the box of goodies I received from my yet again amazing [foodie] pen pal, Tiffany of To The T^2!

She was so great in finding these items, all things so very unique that she mentioned can only be found at a little ethnic shop in Brooklyn. [Well now I feel special :)]

Let's review the goodies, shall we?
Mild green salsa from The Brooklyn Salsa Company, Hot Fireman's Pear Jam with Chipotle & Cinnamon (uh, yum!), Harissa Powder (complete with a hand drawn recipe map!), and let's not forget these babies - Dark Chocolate covered Goji Berries. What can I say? I scored, yet again.

Now seriously, how adorable is this recipe map?! I'm probably going to need to laminate this so I don't wreck it when making the recipe... this is the kind of thing that could be framed and mounted in a kitchen! Ooo... that's not a bad idea ;-)

Thank you SO MUCH Tiffany, for the truly amazing, so unique and so delicious goodies you managed to pack in this box! *Sidenote... Although it's only 7:00am I'm enjoying some of those chocolate covered goji berries on my blackberry buckwheat bake as we speak! SO delicious!*

And one last thing, for those of you who still haven't joined the wonderful group of Foodie Pen Pals - it's never too late! This is something that I truly look forward to every month - shopping for unique goodies is so much fun and hearing back from your pen pal with how much they love everything you sent is such a great feeling! Not to mention... the goodies you receive are totally out of this world!

If you forgot what exactly Foodie Pen Pals is, here's a little refresher...

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.

I'm off to start my day, and what better way than by publishing this post... a reminder of how friendly and kind people are - especially those fellow foodies!

Until next month ;-)

Update on life, food and happiness

My oh my... it has been FAR too long that I have written to you! The last few, well actually the last several months of my life have been busy, overwhelming at times, so much fun and filled with new challenges and adventures.

While today's post is a little out-of-the ordinary for me, being that it doesn't contain any recipes, I feel that you should get a little explanation as to why I've been apparently...missing!

Let's rewind a bit... scroll through your mind back to March...

Through networking (yes, people really do that) I was able to meet a wonderful woman at school who allowed me the opportunity to attend the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California.

It was phenomenal.

Never in my life have I been surrounded by so many different natural and organic products, all most of which I could actually eat! The event held over 5,000 vendors from across the U.S. - it was a short trip but one that I will never forget.

Next on the list... Well, I graduated!

I earned my Bachelors in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Marketing from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado.

How amazing it is to be able to come home and not scurry around trying to get a workout in, dinner made and homework completed all before going to bed at 10:30pm to get my 8 hours of precious sleep (I told you I wasn't a traditional college girl haa).

My boyfriend, Tony, also graduated from CU with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering -- yea, I'm a lucky gal ;-)

We spent about a week soaking up this new graduate life before heading to the British Virgin Islands for a wonderful vacation with my family. Yes I know, lucky again :) We spent one week living on a sailboat, cooking nightly meals on the water and enjoying plenty of rum punches, snorkeling, tanning and well, you guessed it... truly relaxing.

Ooops... I skipped something. The day before we left for our much-earned vacation, I paid a visit to my doctor to go over the test results of my GI Panel test. You see, the last few months of school my stomach returned to the feelings I experienced about 2 years ago when the heart of my "stomach issues" occurred. Everything I ate was upsetting my stomach, shooting pains here and there, headaches, serious fatigue, low appetite.. you get it -- not good. Anyway, back to the test results.

Turns out... I tested positive for a parasite (not exactly sure what kind, the "positive" result was enough to signal I need some treatment). The bacteria levels in my gut, the good bacteria that everyone has, well, mine are all out of whack. One is extremely low while the other is much too high. I also have some sort of colitis -- a.k.a intestinal inflammation. Oh an don't forget about this one, my body is basically rejecting the fat from foods. My doc actually said I have "malabsorption of fats" - hence, the reason I can't gain wait no matter how hard I try. Whew! What a whirlwind!

The good news is, I am being treated for all of the above with natural remedies - no antibiotics for me! Hopefully, I'll see a change in the coming months and finally get some of these issues cleared up.

Okay, now that I've brought you down a bit let me bring you back up!

I have not only one but TWO internships! I am a digital marketing intern at Rudi's Organic Bakery and am also the client services intern at a Denver marketing agency, Red Door Interactive.

It's awesome! I love the difference between the two and am certainly getting a ton of experience and really figuring out what I love to do :)

So now I've caught you up a bit on the life of Melaina. But you may be wondering.. what about food??? The recipes.. the pictures.. Well, it just so happens that I have a few pictures of successes and one or two failures regarding my time spent in the kitchen over the last few months. Take a look...

 You've heard all the rage about "mug brownies" right? 

I've been trying my hand at it and while all of my attempts have been delicious, I have yet to get it just right.

And.... failure #1: Garbanzo crackers. Not enough oil on the pan leaves for a very tough clean up. I'll let you know when this one works out...

Foodie Pen Pals!!!

It is the most fun thing I've been a part of in a while and I highly recommend that you join! Check out what I had to say about last month's goodie box and keep an eye out for my description of this month's delicious delivery...

It even came with a recipe map using the ingredients I was sent! How amazing is that!?







My boyfriend and I also recently celebrated our 4 year anniversary! I'm such a lucky girl to have such a wonderful man :) We went to a restaurant called Root Down in Denver. Such a cool place! I enjoyed the oh so creative "Beetdown" cocktail alongside house-made Lamb Sliders on gluten free buns, plus some of the best sweet potato fries I've ever laid my hands on.

Hmm what else... 

animal crackers! 

I bought the cutest animal cutouts from amazon and was finally able to make this recipe from Healthful Pursuit that I had stashed away for quite some time. They are so good! (The only change I made was subbing protein powder for the coconut flour) Now go on.. make some for yourself.. I know you want to ;-)

We also must not forget the yeast free sandwich bread from The Essential Baking Guide Part II by Brittany Angel and Iris Higgins. *Sidenote: these cookbooks are truly amazing! The price is a steal for the amount of information you get and the amazing variety of recipes that are included.* I halved the recipe and made my own version of ciabatta bread and it turned out perfectly! Crispy crust but a soft chewy center, the slightest hint of sweetness and a whole grain taste. MMMmm mmm mmm!

Since the weather has been heating up... over night oats have been my best friend. I pack these babies full whenever I make them and and up splitting it to I have two breakfasts.. the first right when I get up and then I finish my delicious creation once I'm at work. Lovely idea isn't it? You can steal it if you want :)

Last but not least... homemade dark chocolate filled mini cups. Yup, you heard that right. What are they filled with you ask? Some have sunbutter, some have fresh raspberries, a few have dried blueberries and cherries and the last few have the strawberry lavender jam that was given to me in the first foodie pen pal box. I know you're already jealous, so here's a little taste...

I know it's not very nice of me to post all of these pictures without recipes so I promise that soon my friends you will see these recipes and you can try them out on your very own. Until then, enjoy the pictures :)

The First Guest Blogger on It Really Works - Jillian McKee!

I'm thrilled to be sharing this post with you all from Jillian McKee. She is the first guest blogger to appear on It Really Works! and what she has to share will certainly get you thinking more seriously about life, food and health and how these three important things are so interrelated. Enjoy this article and feel free to pass it on to others!  

(*Disclaimer: The following article was written entirely by the author, Jillian McKee. I did not influence any of her writing nor am I advocating for everyone to move to a vegetarian diet. However, the words she has to share are profound and should be taken seriously as these health tips and facts are backed by research and science.)


Improve Your Cancer Prognosis: Go Vegetarian!

According to the British Journal of Cancer, there is a strong correlation between vegetarianism and a reduced cancer risk. When the studies were complete, the results showed a 50% decrease in incidence of blood and lymphoma cancer, a 75% decrease in bone marrow cancer and a 66% decrease in stomach cancer. Strict vegetarians are the least likely to develop cancer, but those who avoid chicken and beef also had a greater chance of survival. A vegetarian diet can have many health benefits including:

Lowers Risk of Death
Red and processed meats are more likely to increase stomach cancer risk. Avoiding them helps to keep the immune system healthy and decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease risk.

Effective in Treatment and in Prevention
Vegetables, fruits, and legumes are recommended for a healing diet. Antioxidants, phytonutrients and vegetable proteins are all effective in healing a person diagnosed with cancer. Vegetables can also prevent malnutrition and are beneficial in fighting cancer.

Helping to Restore Energy Levels
During cancer treatments, patients often lose healthy muscle mass and energy is depleted from the treatments. Vegetarian diets can restore energy levels and help patients heal faster. Leafy green vegetables will restore nutrients in diets and can help to prevent the patient from feeling lethargic. It also lessens abnormal cell growth.

Containing All Nutrients for Faster Healing
Antioxidants help to fight free radicals in the body that contribute to cancer development. The immune system becomes stronger and cells are less likely to multiply. Fiber is also present in legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Fiber provides the bulk to help move cancer-causing substances out of the body faster.

It may seem all well and good, but vegetarians diets do also have their drawbacks. Some of which include:

Not Protecting From Bowel Cancer
A vegetarian diet will not prevent bowel cancer. Vegetarians develop bowel cancer at a rate of 29% as compared to meat-eaters at a rate of 33%. Study do not result in sufficient evidence to say that vegetarian diets will prevent bowel cancer, however it does slightly decrease the risk.

Unhealthy Eating Habits May Develop
Since it is possible to follow a vegetarian diet by eating only junk food and no meat, there is danger in being a vegetarian. Vegetarians must ensure that they are eating green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, and legumes to avoid malnutrition. Since no meat is in the diet, legumes and nuts serve as dietary protein. Soy-based products are also protein substitutes that can be effective in fighting cancers. As long as there is no history of allergic reactions, soy is effective in fighting cancer.

Decrease your cancer risk and go vegetarian! Even during chemotherapy, a vegetarian diet will help the body to heal faster. There are far more benefits to going vegetarian than not. Consider how a vegetarian diet can help prevent risk of cancer and improve energy levels. Most people, even those diagnosed with mesothelioma or liver cancer, are pleased with their choice to go vegetarian. 

Bringing a wealth of personal and professional experience to the organization, Jillian McKee has worked as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009. Jillian spends most her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine when used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment.

Bringing a wealth of personal and professional experience to the organization, Jillian McKee has worked as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009. Jillian spends most her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine when used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment.

Foodie Pen Pals!

This. Is. The. Coolest. Thing. Ever.

Foodie Pen Pals!

I stumbled upon The Lean Green Bean website a little while ago and when I saw the words "foodie pen pals", I of course was immediately intrigued. Lindsay has put together this AMAZING program for anyone anywhere interested in food! Here is how it works...

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.

This was my first month participating and I already can't wait for my next pen pal assignment in June!

 

I was so lucky to have truly great pairings with who I was delivering a box to as well as the person who sent me a box! It was so much fun putting together my favorite goodies and getting such a warm response! Not to mention, the goodie box I received from Leila all the way in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was packed full of incredible and fun foods I have already fallen in love with! Let's take a look shall we?

 

I opened my box to find the sweetest handwritten note from Leila! What a doll!

In addition to her welcome note, she included sticky notes on every item with a little description of why she chose it.. so cute!

 

Drum roll please... here are the goodies!!! Raw Sweet Potato Chips, Zico Chocolate Coconut Water, Hail Merry Chocolate Mint Miracle Tart, Strawberry Lavender Jam, Organic Ginger Chunks, Dark Chocolate with Espresso Beans

(If you can't tell... I totally scored on this one!)

Everything in this box puts a smile on my face :) The sweet potato chips are awesome, especially because I've been on a serious sweet potato high for the last few weeks (they are just so good!) I haven't yet tried the chocolate coconut water but I'm SURE it will be the best replenish drink I've ever had after my next tough workout ;-) The chocolate mint tart.. well... do I even need to comment on this one? I think you can imagine how delightfully sinful it is (while still so healthy!) The ginger chunks are great - strong in flavor but great for the tummy! The dark chocolate with espresso beans.. mm mm mm, who doesn't love chocolate and coffee?! Lastly, and what I have to admit is my favorite, the strawberry lavender jam. It is the PERFECT combination of sweet and floral, the flavor is light and perfect for these hot summer days in Colorado. I'll definitely have to start the hunt now for this in my local grocery stores because I'm pretty sure this jar will be empty by the end of the week!

Leila, thanks again for the amazing box! 

Lindsay, thank you for creating this program and for doing such a wonderful job at keeping it going!

I strongly encourage all of you to join Foodie Pen Pals - it is so much fun and it's a win win! Whether you are a blog reader or blogger yourself, anyone with a passion for food will absolutely love what Foodie Pen Pals has to offer!

Now, enough talking... I'm off to enjoy some chocolate along with a spoonful of strawberry lavender jam... perhaps a mix of the two... ;-)