Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Foodie Penpals: July

* We interrupt your regularly scheduled Christmas in July programming for this special report. *


July was actually my third month doing Foodie Penpal, but because I'm a slacker, this is only my first month posting. Foodie Penpal is an awesome program started by Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean. It's mostly super health nut runner girls, so I'm not quite sure where I fit into the mix, but it's been so much fun! Well, I just love food and I like trying new things - that's where I fit in! :) Foodie Penpal is pretty much what it sounds like - every month you get assigned a different partner and you send them a box of food. And someone else is assigned to send you food! If you want more info - or if you want to join! - check out the info page on The Lean Green Bean blog.

This month my box came from Jaren over at Kiwi Fit. She sent me some super awesome stuff! Check it out...


I told her I was trying to lose weight, so she sent me some of her secret weapon must-haves including granola and a selection of awesome protein bars. (I loved that Think Thin brownie bar, and even though it was a little bit of a splurge at 6 points, it totally kept me full all morning!) Can you say Hello DIY Starbucks with that Passion tea? :) Oh yeah, and she threw in some of her dad's secret recipe Texas cowboy steak rub. Can't wait to get that on the grill!

Now, I have to say that this was a pretty special month for me in terms of Foodie Penpal. Last month I was paired with Sara DeLeeuw (I don't think she's a blogger). Towards the end of June, she emailed me saying the box had been returned to her totally crushed! She wanted to make sure she had my address correct so she could send it again. Well, a couple weeks went by and I didn't get anything, but I didn't mind because she'd already put a bunch of her money into it and I didn't want her to feel obligated to pay for shipping again. I figured she'd just let it go and I didn't blame her. Then the day after I received the box from Jaren, I got Sara's box! One of the conditions of Foodie Penpal is that you have to include something written. Sara's note mentioned that the first box she sent was crushed and returned, then said that she never heard anything from me about the second box, so she sent it a third time!! I am completely blown away by the generous and thoughtful spirit of this woman! Thank you Sara! :) Here's what she sent me...




Super yummy pumpkin seed granola bite thingies - the flavor totally reminds me of something but I can't figure out what. Lemonaise - This sounds totes delish! Will be trying it in tuna for sure. Possibly some sort of crabcake item. And I want to try it in macaroni salad with marinated artichokes. Mmm Mmm! A package of soba noodles that you can't really see in the pic - my hubby was uber excited about this! Garam masala... intriguing. A to-go pack of almond butter; awesome since I don't usually stray beyond peanut butter. And my favorite: Donald Duck hot cocoa mix that is actually from Disneyland! So awesome! :) Oh, and she used coordinating dishcloths and towels as padding in the box - clever!

So, a super big hug and thanks to Jaren and Sara! Can't wait for next month!

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