April Foodie Pen Pal REVEAL

In an effort to further expand my horizons, I came across Lindsay's great blog: The Lean Green Bean. Lindsay has created a program called Foodie Pen Pals where she matches people up randomly.

You get assigned someone to send a package of food to and someone else is assigned to send a package to you.  I'm terrible at the post office, but if I have a deadline, maybe I can do it.  Guess what... April 13, I was able to get my Foodie Pen Pals package in the mail.  To read all about what I sent Katie, check out her awesome blog: GooberNutsLife! I really enjoyed reading Katie's blog and to see how similar we are despite a big age difference and an entire country between us.
On April 16, the day after the deadline, I got back to my apartment building and I had a handwrapped package sent to me!  I have to say, it was really fun getting something from an actual person. It was kind of like being 12 again at summer camp and your parents send you the greatest stuff ever because you're a three hour drive away.
Kelly Anne from Texas sent me a great package!

The package had several packages of chia seeds, Texas salsa, Texas pecan coffee, Clif SHOT BLOKS, and some yummy granola.
Chia Seeds: I knew very little about chia seeds.  I've read a couple of random articles about them, but basically chia seeds are this fantastic source of all things healthy.  And you can incorporate them into anything.  Kelly's letter suggested adding them to banana bread, which I would like to do... but I keep eating bananas before they are ready for the bread!  We tried them in pizza dough and also in a smoothie.  It's great because they really don't add any taste, but they pack a punch in terms of nutrients - Protien, Omega-3, antioxidants etc.  I have a couple of packets left, so I'm excited to use them in other meals too.
Texas Salsa: I LOVE salsa!  I think Cameron and I ate the salsa within hours.
Texas Pecan Coffee: OK, so Kelly Anne doesn't know this, but I actually never drink coffee.  I very rarely drink anything with caffeine in it actually - maybe a soda here and there or a cup of tea, but I'm not a coffee drinker.  Fortunately, I am marrying a coffee drinker who enjoyed the coffee very much.
Clif SHOT BLOKS: These are really great for me when I'm hungry right before I exercise.  Sometimes I stay at work later than I should and I get hungry again before I am going to the gym.  This is a great solution to hunger without bringing extra running cramps or delaying my run.
Granola: The granola was very yummy!  I normally add granola to yogurt (although not as much as I used to because yogurt costs a lot in NYC) but I just ate this.  YUM!

Thanks so much Kelly Anne - I loved the package and your detailed note to me.  I hope you enjoy the package you got from your Foodie Pen Pal.

I've already signed up for May and I'm excited to go buy and put together another package!

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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 May, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by May 4th as pairings will be emailed on May 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!
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