April Foodie Penpals Reveal!

For months now I’ve been experiencing Foodie Penpals vicariously through a few of the blogs I follow. On each reveal day I’d read keenly through posts detailing the tasty foodstuffs participants had received from their penpals, and would be itching to get in on the action. Finally I decided to quit observing from the sidelines and sign up for the program!

If you’re not already aware, basically how Food Penpals works is as follows: You’re paired up with two people. One of these people you send a package of foodie things (snacks, treats, etc.) to, and the other you receive a package from. Then on the last day of the month you publish a blog post describing the contents of the box you received. Good times, right? For a detailed description of the program, or to sign up, just click on the icon above.

Both of the people I was paired up with this month hail from Toronto. I sent a package to Katie, a teacher working her way toward an MA in Education (whoa!), and I received a package from Allie. Allie is a woman of many talents! She authors the The Crooked Apartment, an eclectic blog full of her reflections on daily life, music recommendations, and recipe and decor inspiration. She’s an avid runner and writes about that topic as well. It’s always an interesting read, so be sure to check it out! Allie is also amazing designer and has her own line of eco-concious wedding dresses. If you’re in the market for a truly elegant gown – or if you simply enjoy ogling beautiful clothes, like I do – head on over to the Little White Dress website and check out her lovely creations.

Maybe Allie is also a bit of a psychic, because her package included many of my favourite types of treats! Below is what awaited me when I opened my box…

One of the Foodie Penpal requirements is that you included something handwritten in your package, and Allie penned me this sweet note to put in mine. It gives a little information on each of the items she sent as well as recommendations for other foods she likes and thought I’d also enjoy, like Yoso coconut yogurt and Silk dark chocolate almond milk. I’m keeping an eye out for these for sure!

I love Vega products as they’re vegan and don’t contain the same creepy ingredients as other brands. I’ve never tried this flavour of smoothie but I’m down with anything containing berries so I’m sure I’ll like it. I’m hanging on to this until I’m in need of a serious pick-me-up!

I’m passionate about dark chocolate, and this Giddy Yo Yo bar is the real deal. The chocolate was rich and silky with just a hint of vanilla and sea salt. Mind-bogglingly good! I definitely want to try out some of their other flavours.

Good call on this one, Allie! I use nutmeg frequently in my cooking and baking but usually buy the pre-ground stuff. I’m sure these whole nutmeg pods taste far more fresh and flavourful. I can’t wait to try them! Cute packaging, too.

I also received these two tasty  snacks. The Oskri Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar – basically a healthier version of a Mounds bar – has a pleasantly sweet, shredded coconut centre wrapped in a rich dark chocolate coating. I ate it for dessert the other night and loved every bite. The Canadian Maple Forest Bar was also delicious… dried fruit, nuts and brown rice crisps all held together with maple syrup and agave nectar. YUM!

Aren’t these cute? Like dark chocolate I’m also passionate about coffee (and anything coffee flavoured), and obviously these latte candies fit the bill. I put these in my purse to stave off  cravings in the event that I can’t get to a coffee shop when the urge strikes.

And now for the grand finale … a package of loose leaf tea from David’s Tea! The flavour is called ‘Read My Lips’ and it tastes like chocolate and mint! Typically I stick to traditional tea flavours so my taste buds were pretty much blown away by this tea.

Now take a closer look… Amongst the black tea leaves are red lip sprinkles and mini chocolate chips! When hot water is poured over the tea the sprinkles and chocolate chips melt and impart the tea with a delicious chocolate and mint flavour! It smells fantastic and tastes even better.

That’s it for this month! Thanks again to Allie for sending me such a nicely assembled box of yummy stuff and for making my first Foodie Penpals experience a great one 🙂

To find out more about Foodie Pen Pals, or to sign up, visit the Lean Green Bean blog here.