October Foodie Penpals Goodies!
My Foodie Penpals box came from the "little bit of everything" blogger over at It's Sweet For Certain! And let me tell you, this box was certainly "sweet!" And I don't just mean sugar!
YumEarth Organics Sour Worms Gummies - A fun treat clearly with Z in mind! I've been too cheap to buy dye-free gummy worms along with all the other gummy shapes I've found (plus Trader Joe's doesn't make any,) so I've avoided "worms in apples" and similar food themes. Well. Not anymore! Now if they do a "Worms in Dirt" food activity at school, along with some safe pudding and crushed TJ's JoeJoes, she'll be all set! So other than letting her have one (because she saw them as I was taking pictures,) I'm hoarding the rest for wormy-themed foods!
Fish Lake Organic Berry Patches Strawberry Jam - I hear this is amazeballs good, but since I currently have no less than FIVE open jars of preserves and jam in the fridge, I was
Pirate Booty - Too bad my kid doesn't like Pirate Booty. Said no one, ever!
Larabar, Apple Pie and Peanut Butter and Jelly bars - Perfect! I "grab-and-go" a lot, so having a healthier sweet treat on hand that's easy to eat one-handed while driving is great. Err. Not that I eat while driving. That wouldn't be safe...
Equal Exchange Chocolates, Dark Chocolate and Mint Chocolate bars - I'm saving the dark chocolate bar to melt down for treats like chocolate-covered strawberries and custom-shaped chocolate treats (to fit themed bento lunches. Duh!) But the mint bar was
Because these bars are almost "single source" (meaning all the cacao beans to make the chocolate come from the same region,) they have rich undertones that are lacking in blends and "watered down" chocolates. Much like wines have various flavors based on soil and weather factors, single-source bars can have the exact same recipe, but wildly different flavors.
With fine chocolates, if you place a small piece on your tongue and let it melt and coat your mouth, you can taste it with all your taste buds. The salty/sweet receptors at the tip of the tongue, the bitter receptors at the back, and even the sour receptors at the sides. So the same piece of chocolate can have so many different flavors and nuances. Good stuff!
I am a shameless snacker. I'll wolf down my one serving of dinner, then instead of seconds or a salad or something, I snack! I think it's a sensory thing. I like to be munching or chewing on things when I do stuff. Helps me focus. But gum annoys me. I prefer REAL foods. I like the whole experience of eating; grab, bring to mouth, chew, swallow, repeat, etc.
Not only did my Foodie Penpal totally nail getting 100% safe foods for Z, but (other than the ornamental gourds. Apparently they're not for eating?) there's nothing in this box I'm worried I wouldn't like. And no pesky ingredients for me to overmix or mess up in some way! I'm not qualified to handle ingredients...
-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.
-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.
Great box! That's funny about the Pirate Booty though! All three of my kids HATE IT!
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