September Foodie Pen Pal REVEAL!!!

I love doing the Foodie Pen Pal Program. I'm not as consistent as I used to be, but every month that I partake I always meet these amazing Bloggers and healthy minded people. This month was no different! I seriously love telling my fellow Bloggers about doing this because besides it being fun, you get yummy goodies from different areas. How cool is that?!

If you are interested in learning more or signing up check out all the rules and info at yet another awesome blog I love The Lean Green Bean

Now for the good stuff.....
My Foodie Pen Pal was Rachel. Check out her blog Oh Simple Thoughts (seriously, cutest blog site I visit.). She is fairly new to the Foodie Pen Pal program and I always tend to spoil my people a bit with lots of snacks. However, Rachel gave me probably one of the top 3 boxes in the 3 years I've done FPP. She either has amazing intuition, superior stalking skills or is very much like myself. Just check out these goodies!?

Such a lovely sight after a busy day.

 Justin's Nut Butters? Be still my heart, I literally go through this stuff at a ridiculous pace. I will say I was good and only ate one straight from the box with some nut thins. Ironically enough, I sent her some as well.

We all know how I love coffee and yet, I don't drink it as much as before since I'm doing more tea and water. So when I read this I thought, Blueberry cobbler? That's a little out there. I couldn't have been more pleasantly and deliciously surprised. This tastes so good and isn't overly fruity or sweet. It's rich and smooth and a wonderful combo. LOVE. it.

Check out the website: Strange Brew Coffee House and help support local shops!

 Then there were these gems. To be honest, they did not last long, especially after the Hubs tried the dark chocolate ones. Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, Also from Strange Brew Coffee House. Holy Yum.

 Finally, there was THIS. Rachel made me some of her homemade Spice Tea Mix.

IT SMELLS LIKE CHRISTMAS.

Even the Hubs, who is NOT a tea drinker, asked me to make him a cup Saturday Morning on our first cool morning of Fall and he liked it. I add a small bit of milk and a teaspoon of agave nectar and one time even added a orange slice to it. Perfection. Citrus and sweet. So good. I learned the hard way though NOT to inhale to closely to the mix because you will inhale a little and it's no longer Christmas smelling when your choking. (Only I could pull that off, but it seriously smells so wonderful!)

Thank You Rachel! You spoiled me and introduced me to some new faves.

Sadly, with this months trip and our crazy schedules, I declined participating this month. Check back for another reveal post in November or even check out the ones from the past. :)

-Britt The HLC

JULY Foodie Pen Pal Reveal!!!

Soooo so much for updating the blog more. Last update was Junes reveal, YIKES. I'll try harder this month since life is getting slower again. :)

So what is a Foodie Pen Pal?
The oh-so amazing Lindsay  over at The Lean Green Bean created this last year.
-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.

For more information Click on Lindsays name above!


This month was pretty neat although, due to the heat and a mishap with my daughter getting into the goodies I bought as I was packing them up to go...it wasn't the best box I've sent. *NOTE* somethings are not good to send in the heat no matter where you are sending your box. I got to send my box to Sarah over at Zoes Lunch Box it was her first month to participate which is always exciting. Check out her awesome creativity with her daughters lunches!

I was sent a amazing box of snacks from Brittany . I must say, this Pregnant person was ubber happy when she opened her box! Just look....

I'm a snack addict and these were all new to me!

Dried fruit, my ultimate fave snack other than trail mix. These are bigger than most dried fruits I've tried and are super juicy! They lasted a day between Avery and I. :)

Roasted Chickpeas. I love slightly salted chickpeas but have never tried them with any other flavor. Sadly, the baby was not a fan when I tried these :( I spread the love though and passed them along to my Father-in-love who really liked them!

HANDS DOWN one of the BEST Granolas I have ever had!! Britt said in her notes that this is a locally made fave and I can easily see why, it was so tasty and I still have some stashed away to enjoy with some greek yogurt, if you can, get some of this and try it out!!

And finally, a limited edition Clif Bar that I can not/ have not found here in my town. I have been very frugal with this bar, it's so good and a mix of my favorite things. I have half a bar left. :)

June Foodie PenPal Reveal Day!!

WHOO HOO!!!

It's Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!!! I swear I still get giddy on the 5th and last weekend of every month because of this. It's just too fun to pass up!

For those of you unaware yet to what Foodie Penpal is all about, the awesome Lindsey created this last year and it has since spread to both Canada and England.  It's pretty simple.....

-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 July, please check out Linseys blog for all the information and sign up!
You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 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!


I got the pleasure of sending my box to a really amazing person who I must say is making me miss running. She is very passionate about what she blogs and I've enjoyed it this month. You can check out  Miss Mackenzie's Blog here to see what I sent her way.

Megan over at I Run For Wine SPOILED me rotten this month, I must say she is the first match I have had who actually emailed me other than getting the basics, it was refreshing getting to connect with her and I simple adore her outlook on running and wine. :) Obviously more so since I can't enjoy either at the moment. HA!

Just check out my goodies!!!

How she got everything wrapped up neatly in such a small box is beyond me. :)

See, SPOILED.

Her theme for me was fruit since she knew I was a fruit lover. I made the cute mistake of opening the box with Avery beside me and I will admit, we had ZERO self control with these goodies and about 80% was eaten within the first hour of it arriving. (Shameless, I know) The popchips lasted 5min. I also mentioned to her how I've never been to Whole Foods since the nearest one to me is 45minutes away. She sent me a cute "I <3 Veggies" reusable bag from there. I am now determined to make the drive and check it out with my bag in hand. :)

As a Texan, I love me some Salsa and my all time fave is from Fredricksburg, TX and it's peach salsa so when I unwrapped this I was giddy! My main craving with this pregnancy is mexican food so I was so happy to have a jar of salsa I knew Evan wouldn't touch. Yes it's fruity but it also has a kick to it.

Avery saw this and grabbed it from the box saying "Can I eat bunnies?!" I literally had to grab them and take a picture in the bedroom before I gave them to her, she was determined to have them and just like the popchips, they didn't last long at all. (Thanks Megan, she now wants these instead of welch's and I'm okay with that!)

                                Fruit Leathers, doesn't matter how old you are, you love em'.

Dried Strawberries, so good as a snack alone or as a added treat to greek yogurt or granola in the morning.

Besides being the cutest Tea package I have seen, I enjoyed this tea immensley! I added a touch of honey and a wedge of orange one evening. So good! I'm saving my other packet for a stressful day. :)

Not going to lie, I felt dumb when I read this package front to back and still had no idea what it really was or how to eat it. I waited a few days before opening it and they turn out to be tasty nut clusters with fruit and seaseme seeds covering them. I snacked on these in the car on the way to visit a friend and was suprised how good they were and how much they didn't dry out my mouth like most nuts. I still have a small bit left for our vacation this week, they are really good and an easy on hand snack.

And last but not least......

CHOCOLATE. I have allowed myself 4 pieces so far and Evan hasn't dared touch the bar in the fridge. Godiva is so good and I've never tried this flavor but the strawberry isn't tart, it's sweet.

Thanks again Megan for taking the time to put together such a fun and vastly new experience in a box for me. I loved it!!

Be sure to head over to these 3 blogs and be sure to join Foodie Penpal!

Happy Snacking,
Britt The HLC

Foodie Penpal Reveal Day!- May

YIKES!!!

Life has been so busy that I nearly forgot to post my favorite post of every month....

FOODIE PEN PAL REVEAL DAY!!!

Not sure what foodie Pen pal is all about? It's easy...

Lindsey created it last year.

Now, don’t you wanna join in the fun?! Here are the Foodie Penpals details:


-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.

So this month I had Julie as my match, while Emily had me as hers. I loved getting to know these inspiring women and enjoy their blogs, be sure to check them out!!!

So as usual, when the doorbell rang and our mailman handed me my package I got super giddy, I mean who doesn't like getting packages in the mail!? I was in such a rush to rip open my box that I did a poor job of taking pictures this round. (forgive me)

So many yummy things in a little box!

Emily truly spoiled me with things I can't find here in Texas and several of the items are homemade and sold at a area farmers market in Iowa, so stinking cute.

First up was the Almond & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate bar, so good and super rich. I'm not a huge dark chocolate fan and with some recent health issue I can't really eat too much of it. Enter the hubby who fell in love with it and has searched for it only to not find anything close.

Lara Bars, I must confess here and now...I've NEVER had a Lara Bar until this box arrived. My verdict; super moist and chewy and not really for me...I guess it's the texture? I loved the flavor but it just wasn't for me. I didn't let the other one go to waste though, I sent it to my match and she loved it!!

Beer Bread Mix. I LOVED this. it was so simple to make and my house smelled wonderful, just in time for a family cook out and everyone loved this bread and thought I had become this baking genius. :) Again, super easy and oh so yummy.

I also got some cute Italian pasta which I am saving for a rainy day when I have a craving for pesto sauce.

Bacon Ranch dip mix is going to be made this weekend as we head to the lake to visit with friends, I'm excited to see how it tastes.

So many unique goodies. Thanks Emily for putting so much thought and Love into my box!!

Don't forget to check out Lindseys blog and sign up for Foodie Pen Pals. It's so much fun and a great way to connect with other bloggers!

Happy Friday,
Britt The HLC

Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!!! (Belated)

I'm so sad I didn't get this post out sooner but vacation hit right in the middle of my favorite part of every month and I am just now getting to post about my yummy goodies for the month of April.



Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:
-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. 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. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!
***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!

Still have questions? Check out the creator of Foodie Pen Pals blog at http://www.theleangreenbean.com/

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This month I was paired up with 2 awesome ladies. I was matched with Kelly over at http://www.browniesandzucchini.com/ . I will admit, I got a little carried away with her box but I had so much fun filling it with my fave snacks for her to try. She recently did her first 5k too and I have loved getting to know her this month!

My box came from another awesome lady, Arielle or Elle her blog is so cute and bright just like her smile. www.collegegirlsguidetolife.blogspot.com/ I swear, she must have known that I wouldn't be able to open my box until after vacation because it sure had some of my old comfort snacks in it. Check out my loot!!!

Such a cute box. I know, I'm weird.

Jackpot!

                                        

I'm so in love with these single serving sized cereals and was already a fan of the blueberry but that hazelnut biscotti never had a chance! So delicious.

I'm so excited to try these out, I saw several other foodie pen pal post last month that got these in their boxes. Perfect when I'm at the shelter in the morning.

 

Confession: I have given these in earlier boxes but have yet to try them for myself. I dug into the peanut butter as I was looking through the box and found it more dense and thicker in texture but I liked it. I'm saving the Hazelnut Butter for a rainy day. :)

 

 

YUM! I recently found the starbucks refresher 2 weekends ago and loved the Strawberry Lemonade. Does anyone remember the Tab energy that came out a few years back that tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher? This is the closest in taste and sweetness I have found to compare to it. (I was slightly obsessed with them when I was a waitress) the other two I have yet to try and again, I never knew Target had their own brand of energy drinks!!

Thanks again Arielle for sending me so many yummy goodies. I appreciate it so much and it came at just the right time too. ;)

Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!!!! (March)

It's already that time of the month again!!!! REVEAL DAY!!!!

Are you a Foodie Pen Pal? You SHOULD be. It's super easy to do.

-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. So, I'm going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

If you’re interested in participating for April, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th!


Lindsay is such an awesome person who came up with this idea, check out her blog and sign up to do this.

Feb. was my first month to partake in the Foodie Penpal program and it was so much fun to put the box together and await the arrival of my own box. This month was no different. I was paired up with Amy from Ohio. A super sweet girl who is also an RN, her blog is Pretty Neat . I had fun packing her box FULL of some of my favorite snacks.

I was picked for Tara over at ChipChipHooray . Tara lives in NY and we both love to run and have a slight obsession with Downton Abbey :). I received her box super fast and was so excited to open it up and devour everything.

How can you not get excited about something like this coming to your door?!

First thing to open and share with Evan and Avery were the HOMEMADE Choc. Chip Cookies. It's like she knew my husband has a certain weakness for these things. I had two out of the eight and I'm sure if I hadn't mentioned that I needed to be able to tell everyone what they tasted like that I would have even gotten those! Needless to say this was the only picture of them I got before they were gone so let me assure you, they were delicious!!!

Everyone knows I love my tea as much as I love my coffee. Thanks to my K-cup attachment on my Kuerig I can have coffee grinds and not just k-cups which allows me to try flavors like these two. I was a little iffy on the Cinnamon Vanilla nut but wow! It is super good!!!!

GRANOLA, my latest find and quickly becoming a daily thing I eat. I haven't tried the Pecan Sticky Bun yet, probably tomorrow morning for breakfast. I've had the French Vanilla Almond Crunch once from my foodie pen pal last month, I had it with Greek yogurt, chia seeds and dried cherries with a drizzle of honey as a late night snack. This time around I just had it with milk and a sliced up banana and it was just as delicious!

HEATH TOFFEE!!! Tara had e-mailed me and asked for my likes/dislikes and must haves so I mentioned how lately, I am loving toffee. So when I found this HUGE bag of Heath English Toffee Bits, I wanted to be in NY to hug her neck!!!! I have stashed this bag in the freezer and I assure you when I have a free weekend, baking will happen with these being a main ingredient and a blog post to share it. (I may send Tara a thank you gift from them as well)

And of course, a new and AWESOME find....

Butternut Squash pasta!!! YUM YUM YUM! I had this as dinner one night with just a grilled chicken breast cut up in it with a little butter. The flavor is beyond good, seriously, you must try this out. It smelled so good too!!! I can't find it at my Target though which makes me sad...

Such an awesome box that kept me smiling and happily fed the last 2 weeks. Thank you so much Tara for your thoughtfulness in preparing my Foodie Box!!!

If you want to get involved with Foodie Pen Pals for the month of April, shoot Lindsay an email at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and let her know:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address (if you have one)
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
-Whether you are a U.S. or Canadian resident

Happy Eating,
Britt The HLC

Feb. Foodie Penpal Reveal!!

It's finally reveal day for my very 1st Foodie Penpal!!!

I'm so excited, I have been anxious to share this since I signed up. I'm ready for next week when March Foodie Penpal begins. The concept is simple, you sign up, get paired up, make a box, send it, get yours, enjoy it and blog it. Okay there's more to it than that in which you can read all about at Lindsays amazing blog HERE

I had so much fun putting my box together for Parita and also a little nervous about what to put in it. Evan and Avery helped me put it all together which made it extra special. In the end, I went with some of our favorite snacks to share with her.

I was paired up with Aundreia from Houston. I must say she had a bit of a hard time getting my box to me thanks to the USPS apparently trying to say I didn't live where I do. After 2 attempts it finally arrived YESTERDAY. Just in time for the reveal day. :)

Such an awesome sight on my doorstep.

I didn't get to open it until I was at work and had the girls playing in another room. Little did I know just how much this box would cheer me up and make me giddy with excitement!!

A part of the box is you have to have something written in it. Aundreia sent this neat card with a sweet message and a list of all my "Foodie Goodies". Little did she know we like a lot of the same things. :)

All my spoils.

I am currently brewing the Cup of Tranquility and it smells amazing. I love Tea and blueberry stuff too lately.

Confession: I adore Giada.

We all know how excited I was to get my Kuerig for Christmas, so when Aundreia  emailed me and asked for what my likes and dislikes were, I mentioned my kuerig and she shared some of her faves with me. The only one I've tried is the carmel drizzle which I bought this past weekend and enjoyed Saturday. Needless to say I'm extra excited about these!!! 

As much as I go to Target, I've never seen these things and will soon be on the hunt. I ate the Vanilla almond crunch tonight mixed with Chibani honey yogurt and a handful of dried cherries, it was amazing!

Trail Mix is my weakness. Where can I find these snack packs!?

Needless to say my week is going to have some major snacking going on. HUGE Thank You to Aundreia for spoiling me big time with my first Foodie Penpal box. I'm excited about trying new things .

Happy Eating,

Britt The HLC