Foodie Pen Pals - April 2012 Edition

I got my first Foodie Pen Pal package this month and it was so awesome! A big, big shout out to my foodie pen pal Marcia!!

The rules for participating are pretty simple; you get a foodie pen pal find about a little about them and put together an awesome package for $15 to send them. Staying true to the pen pal concept it is required to include a handwritten note in the package. I have to admit there is something so nice about a handwritten note, it's so personal and well, fun. 

I got the package after a loooong day of running around so I have to say, it was quite the welcome surprise! Marcia had been traveling a bit so I actually got treats from the Florida Keys and from Boston from two of her recent trips. How fun is that?! The photo above shows all the goodies, but honestly pictures just don't do it all justice.

Let's start off with this beautiful handmade card custom made by her daughter! I got a lot of compliments on the card from people I showed this too. It really went above and beyond the request for "including something handwritten" in the package.

First up were some pastries from Mike's Pastry. The green piece you see pictured was a yummy pistachio creation, I'm not exactly sure what it was but the hubby and I can attest to the fact that it was delicious! I also got two pieces of marzipan shaped like a banana and strawberry. I love marzipan and these were especially good. 

Next was some raw peanuts with instructions on how to boil them and add creole seasoning to the mix for some yummy creole peanuts. It was fun and I got to learn a few new tricks for making a different kind of peanut at home. This even gave me the inspiration to perhaps make a creole peanut butter....who knows? It could be fun! Marcia also included a packet of her favorite tea, a sweet and spicy blend. I love tea and just love trying out new flavors and types so this was right up my ally.

I also received a key lime chocolate bar from the Florida Keys which I haven't gotten around to trying yet but I anticipate to be delicious. And if you look closely behind the chocolate bar you can see a block of cheese...but not just any cheese truffle cheese and man was it ever good. 

The potato chips were probably my husband's favorite part of the package, no sooner did I finish snapping photos did he request I toss the bag over to him as he was watching some hockey. Admittedly I'm not a huge potato chip fan but these were so good that I'd make an exception for them anytime.

Last but not least was a healthy chocolate truffle from JoJo's Raw Kitchen. I was a little hesitant but the truffle was quite good. You can find out more about JoJo's truffles here. 

And that's a wrap! If you're interested in participating in Foodie Pen Pals you can provide your information here on Lindsay's blog. You can be a blogger, a reader or just a food lover in general. It really was a blast and I can't wait to participate again! Many thanks to Lindsay for creating and organizing this!