Who’s a Foodie Pen Pal? I am!

When I was 9 or so, I had a pen pal – something set up by my teacher to encourage us to practice letter writing. Surely a lost art nowadays, but a fun and engaging prospect in its time.It was exciting to check the mail and see an envelope from her every couple of weeks.

Sadly, I don’t remember her name or much about her. I think she lived in Maryland.  What I do remember is that she had very neat and very pretty handwriting – almost artistic. She made her lowercase ‘a’ in a way that, at the time, I’d never seen, like a typewriter ‘a’ and, now, like the ‘a’ here from my computer. (in my world back then, computers only existed in huge rooms where my dad worked!) I practiced writing them that way over and over and started using it in my own writing just to be different. (and cool, naturally).

 

 

When I found out about Foodie Pen Pals, I nearly flipped. A box of goodies from someone I’ve never met along with a handwritten note?? What a perfect combination of the old and new. I was so in and signed up for the January mailing. What’s especially cool is that you get two matches – one person to send a box to, and another to receive a box from, so you’re making two new friends and helping spread the foodie love all over the country! You fill a box with up to $15 worth of food, ingredients, or homemade stuff, along with a note, to whomever you’ve been matched to for that month. And then you wait eagerly for your booty to arrive in the mail 🙂

Today is Reveal Day, when bloggers like me all over post about what they received. At some point, I also hope to include a guest post from my new foodie friend, Kristen, to whom I sent a box of goodies this month. She is busy! A working 20-something who has just gone back to school, and is teaching herself French and training for a Couch to 5K in her spare time. KRISTEN IF YOU’RE LISTENING — GO, GO, GO! 🙂

Jude from the Midwest sent me a box of some of her fave snacks. Check out this spread!

She is a tea-lover, so there was a nice array of teas, including a Bengal Spice which I can’t wait to try. Also included was a handful of Luna bars, great for my long days at work or post workout. My kids were all over the popcorn and the sweet potato Pop Chips, which were crunchy and just a bit salty sweet. And the quinoa and couscous sides will certainly be gracing our dinner plates soon.

The best if all though, we’re the recipes she sent. Her family owned a bakery when she was young, so I am excited to make her Cowboy Cookies, as well as the other healthy recipes she sent!!

Thank you, Jude, for my first ever Foodie Pen Pal box!!!

I truly recommend this fun program if you like people and like getting food by mail 🙂 All you  have to do is go to The Lean Green Bean blog and get yourself signed up! BTW, I thought you’d be interested to know that this hugely successful program – 500+ matches this month alone — was started and is maintained by a young nutrition student, now a dietetic intern in Ohio.  I tell you, there are some seriously ambitious and hard-working nutrition folks out there! Trust me, I work with a lot of them 🙂