February Foodie Pen Pals

A couple of months ago, through my daily Twitter stalking of foodie and fitness bloggers that I love, I stumbled upon a program called "Foodie Pen Pals." The name itself intrigued me, and the more I read about it the more I wanted to get involved.

Essentially, Lindsay from the Lean Green Bean Blog is nice enough to organize this shindig and connect people to form a network of Foodie Pen Pals. You send, and receive, a package of foodie goodies to and from different individuals each month. To read more about the program and how it works, you can visit the Foodie Pen Pal page of Lindsay's blog here.

Brown paper packages tied up with strings really are one of my favorite things. AIM, text messages, emails, Snapchat and the like all pale in comparison to the feeling of opening a letter or a package, never mind one filled with delicious treats.

I was lucky enough to be paired with Erin of Divatastic Gladiator. I checked out Erin's blog and immediately knew I would like whatever she sent my way. She had shared a recipe for a Brie Salad that I cannot wait to try, and since then has added a few more drool worthy ideas. (Umm... hi Quadruple Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes and Salty Caramel Panna Cotta, nice to meet you.)

After attempting to fend off a cold last week only to have it attack full-force after running the Hyannis Half Marathon in the cold and rain on Sunday, I was anything but excited for this week. I received Erin's package Monday morning at the office and it was the perfect pick-me-up.

Erin had read one of my first blog posts, a recipe for Slutty Brownies, and had included the dry ingredients to make them in her package. She had also written a sweet note wishing me luck with my race, adding that the Slutty Brownie recipe looked like "the perfect naughty indulgence" after such a big event. I couldn't agree more!

I'm particularly excited about the mysterious looking jar in the upper right-hand corner of the photo - homemade pickled jalapenos. Erin included a few ideas for using them in her note, and also included a great recipe for a Hot Pepper Sauce that sounds amazing. I can't wait to try them.

Erin did a great job with this package, and I loved the combination of sweet chocolate indulgence and a spicy bite. I'm definitely looking forward to digging in!

I sent a package of goodies to Mattie down in North Carolina and received a sweet thank you email from her Tuesday afternoon. I was happy to know that it put a smile on her face. 

February was my first month as a part of Foodie Pen Pals and I will definitely be participating in March. It's such a fun program, and a great way to connect with others who share the same love of delicious treats. Thank you to Lindsay for organizing!