March Foodie PenPal

Welcome Foodie PenPal buddies!

Today is reveal day, so feast your eyes on this awesome box that Lena sent me!

Lena's handwritten item was awesome, because it detailed everything she put in the box and why she liked it!  Here's what she said about her items....



"I'm passing this on to you as a lesson learned from my #foodiepenpal box last month.  The mug I got from Emily is still one of my favorites for my morning coffee." Along side the mug are some homemade sea salt caramels, which turned out great!

"The coffee is a treat from my favorite old world spice shop and bulk coffee supply store - Polcari's.  A tiny little shop in the North End I can always count on finding something new to inspire me in the kitchen."  The coffee was one of my top two favorite items in the box (first would be the scones below)! I love coffee!! I haven't even gotten to the Q's Nuts, I keep thinking they are packaged so perfectly for a on-the-go snack and I haven't really needed to grab anything quickly on my way out the door lately.  Maybe I'll take them on my road trip this weekend (more about that later in the weekend).  Anyhow, I know I'll love them because they are my favorite nuts.

She didn't write much about the scones... I don't know why because they were the highlight of the package! She gave me a very generous portion of caramel chip scone and chocolate caramel scones, both awesome and both loved by my boyfriend, mom and co-workers...yes I did share, it was hard to do though.  I didn't see the recipe on her recipe page, but maybe if I beg her she'll share it with me :-D

"I'm not really a candy fan, but I make an exception for Pastilles from a neighborhood cafe/Australian meat pie shop.  They are gummy, not too sweet, and just a touch of tartness."  I think she hit the nail right on the head with her description, I can't be too sure though because my boyfriend loved them so much that I didn't see much of them haha! As far as I'm aware I there are no little shop around here that have these, but I'll forever be on the prowl for some.

And just in time for St. Patty's day, Mardi Gras beads with a mug on it....shot glass size, perfect ;)

Dried fruit snack bags...mangoes (my absolute fav dried fruit!) and pineapple.



"Paleo Crunch- I won a batch of this from my friend Elizabeth (@ElizabethEv) in an online bake auction, benefiting another friend and blogger who is running the Boston marathon. A great snack by itself or mixed with Greek yogurt." It tastes yummy, slightly sweet and natural.  I wasn't entirely sure what all was in it, but I'm not allergic to anything so I wasn't too worried.



Thank you so much for the awesome box Lena!  I loved all the homemade goods in the package, I've been trying to eat more homemade snacks rather than processed snacks lately so these were great!

Be sure to head over to Carissa and Kyle's blog @ Fit2Flex and see what I put together for them!

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If you are interested in being a part of Foodie PenPal because you think it is the coolest thing ever head over to Lindsay's blog and fill out a contact form to sign up!  You do not need to have a blog to be a part of this program.  If you are wondering a little bit more about the program read below for more 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 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 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. 


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On another note, I just found out last night that my aunt has suddenly lost feeling in her arms for the last three days and is being tested for MS and other things at Mayo Clinic... keep her in your prayers please! 

On that note....

Today's Tip: "Everyday you have running shoes on it is a good day" - Sean Astin (daily running quote from Runner's World).   When you really think about that, it is true, if you are physically able to workout it is a great day!  If you've been mentally struggling for motivation lately, give you attitude a make over by counting your blessings.