so i did this foodie pen pal thing

a friend told me about this cool foodie pen pal program so i signed up. receiving a box of goodies in the mail sure sounded fun so i decided to give it a whirl.

you sign up and then the lovely lindsay of the lean green bean matches you up with someone. i got matched up with a very sweet gal from PA named theresa.

the limit is $15 and you need to have your box in the mail by the 15th of the month. homemade items are encouraged but not required and it's suggested that participants send items local to their state or town or just simply some of their own favorite treats.

here is what i sent to the keystone state.

1. some amish granola from one of my favorite little markets
2. cajun peanuts from akron's oldest and finest - the peanut shoppe!
3. spicy mixed nuts (homemade - i got a 1/4 lb. of unsalted all tree nuts from the peanut shoppe, roasted them at home, and then tossed them with olive oil, salt, brown sugar, cayenne, and fresh rosemary. mmm!)
4. honey from my favorite blueberry pickin' patch
5. homemade ginger simple syrup that i scored from my pal ginnie at the food swap i recently hosted
6. a 4oz jar of my homemade plum ginger jam
7. and 3 buckeyes (we are buckeye state after all) for the three kiddos theresa mentioned in her email

i heard back from her and her email sure sounded like she liked it. i hope so!

and lucky for me a very sweet gal named rachel got my name and sent a delightful box of her favorite healthy snacks. check it out!

how - HOW - did she know that i LOVE dates? and even better - how did she know that i had just scored a tub of riccota from my favorite cheese man at my local farmers market and would be able to stuff said dates, roll in salt, and bake till warm soft and delightful? she's telepathic! and a genius!

the goodie box also included some sun butter, cinnamon sugar popcorn, sweet potato chips, dried strawberries, oatmeal, assorted teas, and dark chocolate covered almonds (those almonds are killer!).

my friend ginnie also participated and sent one helluva goodie box (that included my homemade peach honey spread).

here is what gin received.

apple butter, mustard pretzels, store-bought dip mix, and some fall themed sprinkles. hmmm.....

she wasn't too excited but i tried to encourage her not to give up! the next time might be incredible! she agreed to give it one more shot.

me? i will definitely be participating again. what fun! and delicious to boot!