Easy Snack Ideas

In case you haven't figured it out already, I'm a planner. I don't do surprises well, and my day is just peachy when everything goes according to plan. I'm also a snacker. I'm hungry ALL. THE. TIME. Especially when I'm running a lot. Or even when I'm not. What can I say, I love food. 

I'm not a big fan of running around in the morning trying to piece together breakfast, snack and/or lunch options. Rushing usually leads me toward poor decisions. Sure, that roll of thin mints counts as breakfast, why not? As a result, I try to plan ahead and make it easy to make the healthiest choices possible when it comes to things to munch on during the work day. 

We all know that convenience is huge when it comes to snacking (and meal planning/eating in general). Pre-made munchies are easier to grab-and-go, and if those pre-made munchies are healthy? Winning all around.

1. Snack size baggies - great for portion control!
2. Restaurant cups and covers. I buy these in bulk at iParty and use them for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Dips, salad dressing, you name it. So convenient.

3. Trail mix with chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit. Make your own or buy in bulk.
4. Grapes
5. Strawberries (with fruit you can even use your little cups for some Greek yogurt for dipping!)
6. Kettlecorn
7. Cookies. There's nothing wrong with a little indulgence, but pre-portion them and leave the sleeve at home!

8. Crackers and cheese
9. Baby carrots and hummus
10. Celery sticks and ranch
11. Smartfood or lightly salted popcorn
12. Almonds or other nuts

Set aside some time on Sunday evenings and prep several snack bags for the week - you'll thank yourself later.

Happy snacking!

What are your favorite go-to snacks during the week?

Thursday Thoughts

Yes, guilty. Published Friday AM again.
 
It feels like another gorgeous fall-like day in Boston and even though it's still August, I'm totally OK with it. If you could combine the long days of summer with the crisper temperatures of fall, I'd be one happy camper.

1. I'm thankful for: spending time with girlfriends. Between birthdays, concerts, dinner and froyo dates, and even early morning workouts, I've spent a lot of time with my girlfriends in the past week or two. Things have been busy lately, and though plans with them are still plans, I've really enjoyed them.

2. I'm frustrated with: running. This is not a new one. Coming back from an injury after having taken several months off of running is... surprise... not fun. Trying to come back in the middle of the busiest part of summer? Crazy. My mileage has plateaued around 3.5 mile runs, and though I have had a couple of strong ones, for the most part my workouts have left me tired and feeling really out of shape. I'm focusing on keeping things in perspective (I really have only been easing back to running for a few weeks), staying positive and continuing to make it a priority.

3. I'm loving: This perspective...

4. I'm listening to: Parachute. All day, every day. They're a band I fell in love with awhile back when they popped up on my Matt Nathanson Pandora station. Since then, I've downloaded a few songs here and there. When I discovered they'd be playing in Boston at a small venue in Cambridge, I jumped at the opportunity to grab my girlfriends, some tickets and go. The concert was Wednesday night and it was one of the best I've been to. Seeing them, and seeing them in a smaller, much more intimate venue was just awesome. If you like Maroon 5, Matt Nathanson, Mat Kearney, John Mayer or any similar sounding alternative-meets-rock-meets-pop-meets-R&B type music, check them out. Or just do it because I told you to.

5. I'm craving: All things fall. This weather has me all kinds of confused. I see pumpkin spice lattes, baked apples with cinnamon, crockpot meals and casseroles, and I can almost taste them. In my defense my Twitter and Pinterest feeds seem to be confirming that I'm not alone in these cravings. I won't wish away the freshness and simplicity of summer veggies and meals on the grill or tossed together in a salad, but sometimes a girl just needs gourds and comfort food in her life.

Enjoy your weekend!

Birthdays, Concerts and Cupcakes... Oh my!

What a weekend.

As I bleerily type this, I've basically just woken up from a much-needed, two hour nap. Between Friday and Saturday night I'm running on limited sleep and it has definitely caught up to me. I'm not complaining, though, since this weekend was jam-packed with some awesome memories with some awesome people.

Friday happened to be the birthday of one of my fabulous girlfriends and also happened to be the night of the Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson concert. We tied both of those events up with a cute little bow and ventured down to Mansfield for the first show of the weekend.

Two and a half hours of traffic later (ew, it should take about 45 minutes), we made it in to see the tail-end of Kelly's set, but thankfully caught Since You've Been Gone which, clearly, was all I really cared about. She is seriously such a bombshell. I adore her cute and bubbly personality and think she's such a badass.

Finally, Maroon 5 rocked the house, per usual. I fell in love with this band when I was fourteen years old and never looked back. They're one of my favorites to see live, probably because I know the lyrics to every song and, let's face it, it doesn't suck to stare at Adam Levine for a couple of hours.

We had a blast and ended the night with birthday cupcakes from Treat Cupcake Bar and possibly me downloading and using the Dominos app for the first time when we got home. Oops? Not ashamed.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to welcome my Mom to Boston for her belated 50th birthday celebration. We ventured into the city and spent the morning walking around and taking a Duck Tour. I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life, been to Boston countless times, and called this city home for the past eight years (if we're technical and counting college) and yet have never taken a Duck Tour. It was an awesome experience and I'd recommend it to anyone - resident or visiting for the weekend.

We followed up our tour with lunch at Flour Bakery, which came highly recommended by multiple friends of mine. I completely devoured my grilled chicken panini with brie, caramelized onion, and roasted red pepper as well as a homemade raspberry seltzer. So delicious. We then walked around a bit more and picked up cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake on Newbury street to bring with us for the night. I can't say no to cupcakes.

We headed back to my apartment to relax for a bit before heading down to the Comcast Center for the second night in a row to to tailgate and see my main man, Keith Urban.

My Mom got me hooked on Keith a few years back and since I first saw him during the summer of 2010, I fell in love. Not only am I a huge fan of his music but I could gush about his concerts all day long. He is, by far, the best concert I have ever been to and I have seen my fair share of shows. He is such a talented vocalist and guitarist and has this incredible stage presence and energy that you can't get enough of. You can that tell he genuinely loves his fans and performing and has so much fun with it. OK, I'm done gushing.

We had a blast with my best and her Mom and capped off our second night of festivities with another round of birthday cupcakes!

This morning my Mom and I ventured to my favorite breakfast spot (I've mentioned In a Pickle before) to spend a bit more time together before she left to head back home. We had a great time this weekend and I loved having her here.

Now that I'm finally feeling a bit more awake, I'm going to grab an iced coffee and venture over to see the boy and relax, grill and enjoy what's left of my weekend. I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

Do you feel like you've thoroughly explored the city where you live (or closest to you)?
I feel like there's so much about Boston I don't know or haven't seen, and I always enjoy when I get the chance to explore it further.

Cake or frosting?
Cake!

BBQ Veggie & Kielbasa Skewers

Has anyone else noticed that food tends to be that much more popular when presented on a stick? I'm not entirely sure if it's because it's easier to eat, it makes food cute, or what. Regardless, I've been on this bandwagon since I was little. Flinstones push-up pops, anyone?

To give our gluten-free tailgate (yes, that one, from June) a little oomph we decided on some kielbasa and veggie skewers. Since we weren't bringing a grill with us this time we decided these would be good even when prepped ahead of time and still give us a little BBQ feel.

One of my favorite things about skewers, or kebabs as you may call them, is that you can pretty much use whatever you want in assembly. I've used chicken, steak, pineapple, brussels sprouts... you name it. For these, we kept to the basics.

Buckle up folks, I'm about to tell you how to assemble food on a stick. Take notes.

Gluten-Free Tailgating Recipe (3/6)

BBQ Veggie & Kielbasa Skewers
1 red bell pepper 
1 green bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
1 small zucchini
1 package kielbasa
1/2 C BBQ sauce (personal preference: Sweet Baby Rays)
Wood or metal skewers

Cube bell peppers, onion and zucchini into about 1" x 1" pieces. Cut kielbasa into 1" slices.

Assemble onto skewers. I cut our wood skewers in half to make them a bit more manageable and snack-like. Place 1-2 cooling racks on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray before placing assembled skewers side by side.

Brush skewers with BBQ sauce until thoroughly coated. 

Bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Brush with additional BBQ sauce if desired and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until veggies and kielbasa have cooked through.

You could also pop these babies on a grill and they'd taste just as yummy, if not more so.

Favorite skewer ingredients?
I'm asking you because I need new ideas, duh.

Do you call them kebabs or skewers?
I've used both and tend to mix and match. Major points for consistency, Sarah. 

Chocolate Salted Caramel Popcorn

One of my favorite Christmas traditions with my family is that my Mom always gives me dark chocolate Moose Munch in my stocking. Yes, I'm 24 and my Mom still gives me a stocking, and let's face it - I'm not letting go of that goodness anytime soon.

What's not to love about combining delicious, crunchy, salty, sweet, caramel covered popcorn and drizzling it in smooth dark chocolate? Yeah, nothing.

I've been craving chocolate all week long (clearly nothing new, hence the name of this blog), and have been torturing myself perusing the Food and Drink section of Pinterest for new ideas and stumbled across this recipe.

One of my girlfriends and I were headed to an engagement party this past weekend and I had the brilliant idea of adding something delicious and homemade to our simple wine gift. Yes, Sarah, complicate things, please. You know what? I'm glad I did, because I'm so pumped about how this came out I can't even be mad about the time spent making it.

For someone who has never in her life attempted homemade, stovetop popcorn and has an irrational fear of sudden loud noises - this process was a bit intimidating.

Oh did I mention I've also never made caramel before, and have been warned by a number of people how easy it is to screw up? Great, just great.

Guess what? I did both and lived to tell you about it. Lucky for you, neither were nearly as scary as I thought. I know, you're secretly shaking your head at me thinking this chick is out of her tree.

DISCLAIMER: I dare you to try and make this and not snack throughout the process. Honestly, I'm surprised there was anything left to package up for the party. It's so poppable and yummy.

Ingredients
Caramel Popcorn
I used this recipe for stove top popcorn, but doubled it. Yes, I needed a recipe for that, and yes, I actually counted out loud. Then used the caramel sauce from this recipe.
~15 cups popped popcorn
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Other
1 Tbs sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Prepare popcorn as directed, set aside in a large bowl
3. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt
4. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally
5. When bubbles begin to appear, cook for 5 more minutes without stirring
6. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda
7. Pour over popcorn and mix until coated
8. Spread mixture evenly onto two greased baking sheets
10. Sprinkle sea salt over caramel corn - use more or less as desired
9. Cook for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes
10. Let caramel corn cool, and break apart
11. Using a double boiler or carefully microwaving in spurts, melt chocolate, stirring in vegetable oil when nearly completely melted
12. Drizzle melted chocolate over caramel corn, let cool until the chocolate has hardened

You could get creative with this - mix in additional toppings like M&Ms, nuts, pretzels, sprinkles - you name it!

Enjoy!

I like to consider myself slightly challenged when it comes to efficiently drizzling chocolate, so I use this method nearly every time. Place a sandwich sized plastic bag in a cup and fill with melted chocolate. Seal the bag and cut a small hole in the corner, gently squeezing the chocolate out as you go. Just be careful - the melted chocolate is hot! 

The Perks of Heading Home

Hello friends! Happy Sunday! I have such a love/hate relationship with Sundays. On the one hand, it can be a nice wind-down from weekend festivities, on the other - it means the weekend is almost over and Monday is just around the corner.

Sunset at home Friday night

I spent this weekend back in western MA to celebrate my fabulous Momma's 50th birthday. We celebrated with pedicures, the best pizza in town, visiting family and eventually cocktails and a yummy dinner out. I won daughter of the year for tagging along (and driving) as 11th wheel for dinner with lots of their friends since the bf wasn't able to make it home with me. Shhh... in reality I didn't mind at all and had a great time.

How cute is she? Doesn't look 50 at all!

Per usual, it was wonderful to spend time with lots of people I love. It also seriously doesn't hurt to be sent back to Boston with yummy treats nearly every time. Summertime is my favorite since between my Dad's and grandfather's gardens, I get lots of fresh produce. The harvest for this year has only just begun. Yum!

Basil, zucchini, summer squash, peppers, broccoli and Grandma's cookies!

I stayed off the knee and took a few days off from running after irritating it a bit last week with overuse, but took a couple nice long walks and stretched/foam rolled. Crossing fingers I can get in a couple of good runs this week with no pain.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday evening with some dinner, wine and maybe a couple of episodes of Friday Night Lights with the best. Perhaps I'll toss some food prep in there as well since I have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies for the week!

Favorite summer fruit and/or veggie?
Toss up between blueberries and strawberries for fruit - probably summer squash and zucchini for veggies. Love them all!

Thursday Thoughts

Happy almost Friday, all! Onto our Thursday Thoughts for this week.

1. If anyone wants to get me a minion as an early birthday present, I wouldn't hate it. Also, If you haven't yet gone to see Despicable Me 2, please do yourself a favor and go.

[Source]

2. I've been on a Greek salad kick lately. OK, so more for like the past 3 months. I love them, and can't seem to get enough. When I was younger I was strictly an iceberg lettuce, carrots, cucumber with Italian dressing kind of girl. Now? I tend to use the mindset of "the more the merrier" when it comes to toppings.

Lunch: Pasta salad and Greek salad with black olives carrots, cukes & feta.

3. I've had three solid workouts this week:

Monday: 4 miles (5 min WU, intervals of 8 min run/1 min walk x 4, 3 min CD)

Wednesday: 4 miles (5 min WU, intervals of 9 min run/1 min walk x 3, 6 min run, 3 min CD)

Thursday: .7 mi run, stair repeats, arms/core, .7 mi walk

Don't let the trees fool you - these go on f o r e v e r.

I would say I couldn't be happier, but I would be lying. I could feel the twinge in my knee toward the end of my run last night (hence the 6 min final interval vs. 9) and while I should have taken that as a sign to rest today I didn't want to break my workout date. The knee held up for most of the stairs but again, could feel it toward the end and walked instead of ran home. Lots of foam rolling and stretching, and will probably take the next couple of days off from running to be safe. I'm not so good at this "ease back into things" mindset.

4. Texting with my Dad this morning and this made me smile:

My family lives on-campus at a New England prep school out in Western Massachusetts so the roads and trails out there are prime real estate for some gorgeous (and often hilly) runs. My Dad had gotten into the sport awhile back, and at the time running was not on my radar aside from field hockey and basketball. 

I remember hearing him talk about running often - with friends, early mornings by himself, and being so proud and a little envious. It made him happy and it was something he was visibly passionate about. Life got in the way a little bit, as did some injuries, but I'm so happy to see he's starting up again - even if it's just once in awhile!

5. Finally, I've been thinking a lot lately about making the switch from Blogger to self-hosted Wordpress. When I started C&P I wasn't sure where it would go, but ultimately I've enjoyed blogging and would like more flexibility and freedom to grow. From some of the blog posts and articles I've read, there are plenty of other bloggers out there who have debated the same and made the switch successfully, and I'd like to explore my options. As a result, I'd like to know:

What were some helpful resources you used to help make the switch?

What's the best piece of advice you have to offer someone looking to make the switch?

I'd greatly appreciate any insights you can share - articles, links to your own blog posts on the topic, preferred design/theme source, preferred host, you name it.

Closing Out June

It's July?! How is that even possible? I'm loving that this will be a short week and a long weekend.

This past weekend was a great one - though slightly expensive - and I enjoyed spending time with lots of favorites.

Friday I skipped down to the Seaport after work to meet up with the boy and some friends for some post-work beers. It's been grossly humid in Boston for the past week with constant thunderstorm warnings, but it was nice to be on the water and enjoy the breeze and atmosphere.

Saturday was spent having breakfast with one of my college roommates for her birthday at In a Pickle in Waltham. This was one of our favorite spots while we were at Bentley and they just recently moved to a new location on Moody St. I'm totally in love with their breakfasts so we both thoroughly enjoyed celebrating her 25th over eggs, bacon, home fries and chocolate chip pancakes! If you're ever in the Boston area, I highly recommend you stop by. There always seems to be a line but I can assure you that it's worth the wait.

Post-indulgent breakfast I lounged around for a bit and headed to the gym to complete my PT "homework." I have to admit that I've become a much bigger fan of said homework since it's started to include running intervals along with the strength training exercises. After a 5 minute warm-up I finished 4 rounds of 1 min walk/5 min run intervals and a quick cool-down. I was thrilled that I felt good the whole time - no knee pain and strong strides. It has been so long since I could say that, and it's such a blessing. Here's to hoping the progress continues!

Saturday night was spent at the Comcast Center with Love and Theft, Brantley Gilbert and Tim McGraw with my best, her mom and her mom's best (so fun!). This was the third time I've seen Tim live and it was a great show. He definitely started the hot country hunk phenomenon.

Sunday was fairly low key - running some errands, baking, relaxing and foam rolling. We topped the weekend off by heading back into the Seaport to meet some girlfriends for a surprise birthday dinner for previously-mentioned college roommate. It was a perfect summer evening.

Favorite breakfast food?

I don't know that I'm capable of choosing... It's all good!

The Calorie Guilt Trip

I posted an article on Twitter this morning about Starbucks' plan to post calorie counts of their items on the menu boards of all locations beginning June 25. Since, I've seen a number of opinions shared on the announcement, ranging from applause to criticism.

Am I surprised at the number or nature of the opinions voiced? Abso-freaking-lutely not. Are you kidding? We're talking about Starbucks here. Not only are you affecting people's daily caffeine intake (no joking matter), but you're affecting their lifestyle. While yes, I consider myself to be a Starbucks fan, my love of that green mermaid pales in comparison to the gold-card status loyalty of others.

In a world where "healthy living" is being increasingly advocated for, something that is amplified ten times over in the blog world, most opinions I've read are in strong support of Starbucks move toward transparency. Hooray for calorie counting! (There's an app for that, BTW.) Hooray for Starbucks being held accountable for the nutrition of products!

On the other end of the spectrum, however, you have a number of grumbling customers who are not pleased that when they order a grande white chocolate mocha the world around them knows that, gasp, she's about to consume 400 calories! Ahhh, blissful ignorance.

 
So who then, exactly, are we trying to hold accountable here with this transparency? Is it really Starbucks? Or are we just mad because now we're forced to acknowledge that while, yes, it's been a rough afternoon and I simply need my Starbs to get through it - those 16 oz. of Caramel Frapuccino comfort are costing me 410 calories and 15 grams of fat.

I guess it all comes down to your lifestyle and your drink of choice. Personally, I don't venture to Starbucks all that often - primarily because I would go broke pretty darn quickly if it became a daily staple. That being said, when I do go, I tend to order a simple iced coffee or black tea lemonade (unsweetened)

Do I indulge? Duh. I'd be lying if I said I didn't treat myself to a peppermint mocha latte or five during the cold winter months, or a sweet and creamy iced caramel macchiato paired perfectly with a warm, sunny day. I'm not oblivious. I know very well that the perfection I'm sipping isn't without calorie-filled repercussions. I accept that... and know that I may need to tack on a few extra miles or crunches later as a result.

What do you think - yay or nay for listing calories?

Favorite indulgent treat from Starbucks?

Simple Guac

The bf had me read an article off of Barstool sports once entitled, "The Definitive List of Weird Sh*t that Chicks Like." Yes, I censored the title. No, the actual article is not censored in any way, shape or form. Don't say I didn't warn you. I could not stop laughing. As much as I hate to admit it, they were totally on par with a number of things, and guacamole most definitely made this list.

I've had my fair share of guac in my lifetime and I would most definitely consider myself an avocado fanatic. As the old lady in the Frank's Red Hot Sauce commercials would say, "I put that sh*t on everything." (Side note: I love hot sauce and do, in fact, also put that on almost everything too.)

Now, as much as I love guac, I don't always have all of the ingredients to pull together an authentic batch of it. So, I've learned to make the best of what's around and created a simple recipe that still makes me swoon.

Gluten-Free Tailgating Recipe (2/5)

Simple Guac
Makes about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups
 
2 Hass avocados
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 lime - juiced
1/3 C salsa
salt and pepper to taste

...Mash together and enjoy with tortilla chips, on sandwiches or with a spoon.

Mmmm, guac.

P.S. It's tequila Tuesday and I'm posting a recipe for guac. I'm pretty sure that's fate. Go find yourself a lime, some avocado and have a little fiesta.

Be honest - cilantro or no cilantro?
Definitely not a cilantro girl. Blah.

Asparagus & Wasabi Mayo

You know those family recipes that are just so delicious and unique that you almost don't want to share their secrets with anyone else? 

No? I'm the only selfish one? Oh well.

Several years ago now my best friend's momma made this appetizer to bring to a holiday gathering. I was a slightly pickier eater at the time than I am now, and turned my nose up when she told me the sauce was "wasabi mayo." Thankfully I'm polite and tried it anyways.

My oh my this has become one of my favorite appetizers. It's so simple, yet so ridiculously yummy, and it's different. You'll never have to worry about wearing the same dress to prom bringing the same dish to the party as someone else. Plus, technically the healthy factor of the asparagus cancels out the sauce... right?

Gluten-Free Tailgating Recipe (1/5)

Asparagus and Wasabi Mayo
3 lbs. asparagus, trimmed
1 C mayonnaise
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. wasabi powder

Blanch asparagus in boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry.

Whisk together the rest of the ingredients for the dip.

Enjoy!

What's your favorite family appetizer to share? 

Easy Confetti Mac and Cheese

I have a serious weakness for Mac and Cheese. Ask anyone I know and they will vouch for that fact. Unfortunately, it's not the healthiest weakness, but what comfort food really is?

You should also know that I am not a Kraft fan. Even in college, when Easy Mac was a pretty standard choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the majority of Bentley's student population, I just couldn't do it. I guess when you grow up with parents and grandparents who only feed you the good, homemade stuff, the cheap alternative just doesn't cut it.

My roommate pinned a recipe for Confetti Mac and Cheese a while back and whipped it up one day for a quick weekend lunch. I'll admit in hindsight that I was a little hesitant, but the girl knew what she was doing. I mean, Annie's is still from a box, but it exceeded my expectations and makes for a great, quick and somewhat healthier choice for a classic comfort food.

Ingredients:
1 Box Annie's Organic Shells & White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
3 Tbs lowfat milk
2 Tbs butter or margerine
Chopped veggies as desired*
*I used carrots, onion, broccoli and a handful of fresh spinach

Prepare Mac and Cheese as directed on the box. While the pasta is cooking, chop desired veggies and saute them with butter, adding salt and pepper seasoning as desired.

Mix veggies in with your Mac and Cheese and enjoy!

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!

Life Lately

Clearly things have been a little hectic since I haven't posted in ten days. Such is life, and it has been busy in the best ways - filled with snow, love, birthdays and, of course, chocolate and pavement.

So here's a quick photo update of life during the past week or so.

Here's to a productive week, a good taper and getting excited for the Hyannis half next Sunday!