Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes on Thursday! Because one day of celebration isn’t enough, I was able to extend the festivities throughout the weekend.
After a half day of work and a trip to the doctor’s (I finally have my diagnosis – more on that later!), I got together with my family for dinner and fro-yo in my hometown. Only in Westfield, New Jersey would it be appropriate to have two self-serve fro-yo establishments within blocks of one another. We decided on Yapple Yogurt for two reasons: the inside of the store is cute, and they have salted caramel pretzel flavored yogurt. I didn’t even need to question my decision.
Each year on the Friday after my birthday, I know I have plans. Ever since my teammate and friend was tragically killed back in 2006, we all get together for a golf outing to support causes that were near and dear to his heart. It’s great to see familiar faces that I spent so much time with in college, and it’s also an excuse for everyone to go out in Philly afterwards. Since it’s close to my birthday, I always get suckered into birthday shots (not that I’m complaining), and no matter how old we get, our old college selves come out to play for a bit. This year we headed to City Tap House in University City, and thanks to their rooftop lounge we got to watch the awesome thunderstorm from a cool location (we tried to sit outside, and the 97 degrees at 11pm thing wasn’t happening).
After a quick 4-mile run on Saturday morning through University City, it was off to The Pop Shop in Collingswood. If you are ever in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area, you NEED to go here. Aside from their soda shop throwback look, they have tons of different grilled cheese sandwiches and fries available for you to devour (and don’t forget about the flavored soda or milkshakes). They also have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options, which I think is pretty neat. Being the bad food blogger that I am, there are zero pictures from The Pop Shop. Assume it’s because I spent the entire time shoveling food into my mouth. The rest of Saturday was spent trying to get things together for our Eurotrip, and an early bed-time for Sunday’s long run.
The weather has been nice and toasty the past few days, so getting up early to run on Sunday was a must. Because I’m going on vacation and I won’t be able to get in a super-long run while I’m away, I figured I’d split the difference between this past Sunday’s scheduled run and next Sunday’s, which left me with 11 miles. I luckily ran the majority of the miles on a shade-covered path, but that didn’t stop me from looking like I jumped in a pool when all was said and done. Thankfully, I was able to literally jump in the pool when I got home.
The weekend wrapped up with a seriously delicious dinner – Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl with Mango Salsa, courtesy of A Pinch of Yum. This was so easy and flavorful, and I had enough leftover to justify bringing it for lunch the next day.
While the weekend was jam-packed, the next few days are going to be even more-so. I’ve got a lot to do in the next two days before heading to my parents to run the annual Firecracker 4-miler, and then jet off to Europe! I have plans to blog while across the pond, but I’d say the odds are forever not in my favor (like what I did there?).
Another month come and gone – I can’t believe it’s officially summer and I just had my birthday! But, the close of another month means another Foodie Pen Pal recap! This month I received my box-o-goodies from Maria over at Lil Mys Ninja, who is also into food and fitness. After checking out her blog, I knew I’d be receiving some awesome treats!
The box came as they always do, waiting for me on my doorstep after a long day of work. When I opened the box, I was greeted with a sweet little note – how cute!
When Maria first e-mailed me to get my information, she asked if I preferred salty or sweet, healthy, etc. I felt silly responding that I like it all, but it’s true! SOmehow she was able to give me just the right amount of everything, and it was all new to me except for the Justin’s Nut Butter, which I love. I joke that their chocolate hazelnut butter is magical. I always buy the packets because I have no self control, and they prevent me from eating the entire thing. I also got a new-to-me larabar flavor, blueberry pie, which was awesome. I’m yet to meet a larabar I don’t like!
There were also some completely new treats, including some Back to Nature crackers, fruit leather, a granola Powerbar, a Zone Perfect bar , and a Power Crunch bar. I think the Zone Perfect and Power Crunch bars were my favorite, probably because they tasted like dessert! I’m always weary of “health” food bars, usually because the ones that taste good are high in calories, and the rest really aren’t that good flavor wise. So I was pleasantly surprised that these bars actually taste like they say they do. There was also a bar of dark chocolate, which is always a favorite of mine. I was bummed when they were gone, but that just means I’ll have to go get some for myself!
I couldn’t be happier with the goodies I received this month, which is evident by the fact that I barely have anything left! I’m bummed I won’t be able to participate in July, but hopefully I’ll find my own yummy treats while on vacation. Thanks again for the goodies, Maria !
If you’re interested in joining, here’s what you need to know to get started:
-On the 5th of every 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 are 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. -Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.
If you’re interested in participating for July, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.
You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 5th!
I remember turning 21 like it was yesterday (well, it was only 5 years ago). I woke up early, excited at the prospect of legal drinking awaiting me and joined my dad on a walk with our black lab Kennedy. We discussed how it felt to be 21, and he jokingly said “well, it’s all down hill from here!” which is something my uncle firmly believed in and would tell anyone approaching the age. For me, it was a milestone that only meant I was beginning my transition to the real world. But, being a young 21 year old, I didn’t think much of it at the time. Not to go into details, but I certainly enjoyed myself that weekend!
To be 21 again… with my two co-captains!
Anyway, it’s crazy to look back and think I turned 21 FIVE YEARS AGO, today! That’s right, I’m officially 26 as of this morning. There was definitely a point at about 23 where I started to stop wishing my birthdays away. Growing up you’re so concerned with what’s coming next – when you’ll be old enough to drive, to drink, etc., that you miss all the milestones in between, until they’ve already passed. I guess you can say I’m at a point now where I want to stop and smell the roses. I’m thankful for every moment – good and bad, and look forward to all of them (the good just a bit more than the bad, though!).
My sister and I… about 15 years ago.
My twenty-fifth year was my most memorable yet. Sure, I didn’t get my license, become a legal drinker, or graduate from college. But, I ran my very first (and second!) marathon, I spent the year working on my fitness and joined a fabulous group of likeminded people at FitFluential, my blog has started to find it’s grove, I finally finished my teacher certification, and I’ve enjoyed my time with friends and family, celebrating their milestones and each other’s company.
So, how could I top 25, you ask? Especially now that I’m over a quarter century old, and officially on the wrong side of that quarter? Well, I have big plans, people! Aside from trying to figure out just what it is I want to be when I grow up, I’ve got plans for my third and fourth (and possibly fifth) marathon this year, as well as celebrating a lot of marriages of close friends. I’m sure there will be much more in-between, and I’m looking forward to it. But first on my list is to devour some ice cream cake!
How do you celebrate your birthday? Did you ever reach a point where you became thankful for each birthday, rather than expectant?
On both of my runs this past weekend, I couldn’t help but think about my pace and how that should translate to race day. I usually find myself sneaking a peak at my watch and being concerned with not going fast enough. When it comes to marathon training, though, I need to have a different outlook on my training runs than I did when I was training for my last half marathon… slow and steady.
Most of the training plans I’ve come across suggest running your long runs about a minute or so slower per mile than your goal marathon pace. So far, this has been a big struggle for me. I finished my first marathon in November in 4:37, which was about a 10:30 pace. Since then, I think I can very easily run a 9:30 pace, bringing me to just over 4 hours. My husband, on the other hand, thinks I can easily run a sub 4-hour marathon considering my easy 1:47 half in April, which of course would be fantastic. Either way, that means I should be running my long runs at about a 9:30 to 10:30 per mile pace, depending on what I ultimately decide my race day goal to be. Well, I ran 10 miles last weekend with an average 8:20 pace, and today’s 8 as slow as I possibly could in 8:50. I realize that once I get to the higher mileage long runs I’ll slow down, but I’m wondering if I need to readjust my goals, or somehow figure out how to run slower. I suppose I’ll have to experiment over the next few weeks.
Even though most of my weekend revolved around running, I did make time for cupcakes and a BBQ. Some friends were celebrating their engagement with a relaxed backyard party, so I knew I had to bring cupcakes. I’ve become known for bringing cupcakes to parties, and when I show up with anything else everyone seems to be disappointed. Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest, I found a recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with a Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Frosting from Gimme Some Oven. They were a hit, and I had plenty of leftover frosting that is currently taunting me from the fridge. I’m thinking of turning into truffles (just shaping it into little balls and coating it in chocolate), but that’s if I can keep my spoon away.
Pinterest has really become a source for my meals and workouts in the past few weeks, and I’m really loving what I’ve found so far. It is a little dangerous at times (links to adorable clothes, and a serious time-waster), but I like to think the helpful things I’ve found outweigh the negatives of spending so much time on one website. I mean, I did find those cupcakes. Now if only I could find an answer to my marathon pace dilemma.
What did you do this weekend?
Any suggestions or words of advice for my marathon training pace dilemma?
There was quite a surprise waiting for me when I got home from work on Wednesday evening – protein powder! The awesome folks at GNC sent me a bunch of protein powders to try out, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m just getting into trying out supplements to aid in my healthy eating and working out, and now that I’m on a mission to get ripped arms, I have just the right tools to do it!
Whey, Casein, Egg, Soy, and Plant protein powders!
As a swimmer I dabbled (I use the term lightly) with protein powders in high school. I remember going to Trader Joe’s with my parents one summer afternoon after long course practice and staring at the options in the supplement asile. After some label analysis we left with vanilla whey, and I drank it here and there, but never really committed to anything. By the time college rolled around I didn’t have the funds to really buy anything, so I only drank the watered down Gatorade supplied by the school at practice. Don’t get me wrong – the Gatorade was great for during the workout, but I wasn’t doing anything to help myself pre or post practice. But, now that I’m determined to have more defined arms, I’ve been on the hunt for new protein powder(s), so this is perfect timing!
I’ve set myself up with a pretty good routine in terms of the different powders, and I’m really loving it so far. Of course, it’s going to take some time to really see any results, so I will absolutely share my progress! I’ll also share my routine of what I drink when, after I perfect it (there’s always room for improvement!). But, here’s what I’m starting with, in terms of my arms goal. These shoulders have seen some serious work over the years (hello, swimming), and I’m looking forward to getting them more toned than ever. I guess you could say it’s my summer goal.
Welcome to the guns show… maybe?
Of course I’m not content just mixing the powder into water or milk, so I decided to get a little creative. Enter the Chocolate Cherry Protein Bites! I’ve had some dates and dried tart cherries hanging around in my pantry, so I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to use them. I decided to use the soy protein as it’s best used twice a day, and I figured this would be an easy way to enjoy a mid-morning and afternoon snack. Of course, you can use any (preferably chocolate) protein powder you see fit.
Here’s a little info about thePro-Performance Soy Protein 95 powder: soy is the only completely plant-based protein; it contains all of the essential amino acids including BCAA – leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Soy protein 95 is cholesterol-free. Pro Performance Soy Protein 95 features Supro brand soy protein, made from certified non-genetically modified (non-GMO) soybeans that are produced while being tightly monitored and controlled from planting through processing.
So stay tuned for more protein fun! But in the meantime, I want to know: do you guys have any tips or recipes for me to enjoy my protein other ways? AND, what flavor do you prefer – chocolate or vanilla? (I think I like them both equally!)
Cherry Chocolate Protein Bites – makes 18 teaspoon sized balls –
Ingredients: 10 pitted dates, chopped in half 1/4 cup dried cherries 1/4 cup mixed nuts (or your favorite kind) 1 Tbsp dark cocoa powder 1 Tbsp protein powder of choice 1 Tbsp+ chocolate chips (however much you like, really)
Directions: 1. Place everything into a food processor, and process for about 2-3 minutes. Everything should be combined, without any chunks. 2. Using a tsp, form the balls and place them staggered about a 1/2 inch apart on parchment paper. You can then roll them in the parchment paper, and put them in a container for easy storage in the fridge. *They are best kept in the fridge so they maintain their form and don’t “sweat”.
DISCLAIMER:These products were sent to me for review purposes, and all opinions are my own.
I haven’t done one of these posts in awhile, but figured it was worth bringing back. There weren’t any tests this week for the first time in a month (though I’m getting ready for a HIDA scan right now – fingers crossed I get a superpower as a result of the radiation!), so my schedule was pretty normal.
Of course the most interesting meal of the week is going to go undocumented, but I still think that you need to make them. I found the recipe on Pinterest (of course), and it ruled. I mean, how could pizza cupcakes not rule?! I made a few adjustments (used veggie sausage and no pepperoni, and added some red pepper flakes and oregano), and was pleasantly surprised. These were baked in a regular cupcake tin, but I could see them being a really great finger food at a party if you use a mini cupcake tin instead. Check out the recipe over at Make Ahead Meals.
I mustered up enough self-restraint to snap a picture of everything else I made for the week, and first up was salmon. While there isn’t anything special about the salmon when you look at it, what matters is the cooking method. I’ve had a jar of coconut oil in my pantry forever (that stuff really lasts!), and I’ve used it numerous times in baking. However, I never thought to use it as an oil replacement in savory dishes. I was afraid the fish would be a little too sweet with the light coconut flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised. Served alongside some sautéed zucchini with red onion and some brown rice, this was a great (and filling!) meal. I’m definitely going to try cooking with coconut oil more.
Mac ‘n cheese was the next (easy) adventure in the kitchen. I stumbled upon Budget Bytes a few months ago, and have made a ton of stuff from it. Everything is so quick and easy, and obviously budget friendly. All you need for this is milk, cheese, noodles, and then any type of spices you want to add. I also threw in some nutritional yeast to pump up the cheese factor (since I don’t think you can ever have too much cheese), and it was delicious. I could definitely see adding some vegetables into it, especially for kids that typically don’t eat their vegetables. While I didn’t wind up eating it until almost 9pm (hello marathon training), it was well worth the wait. I like when pasta dishes come together in about 15 minutes!
My last creation was far from creative – a Dr. Praeger’s California veggie burger with a fried egg on top. It was so simple, but so good! I love veggie burgers that taste like veggies, and Dr. Praeger’s is just that – the California burger has whole peas and pieces of carrots – so good. Sometimes (ok, a lot for me) you need something quick and easy on hand just in case you don’t feel like cooking. Having options in the freezer is always a good thing. Plus, you can dress them up when you are feeling a little creative.
I already have my meal plan for next week, and things are looking good again. So, if all goes well hopefully I’ll have another yummy week to report back on!
But, I want to know: did you have anything delicious this week? Do you have a go-to “no-brainer” meal? Do share!
Marathon training. It technically started last week, so I figured I should share my plan.
Since I’ve been so injury prone over the tenure of my running career, choosing the right plan has proved to be difficult. I don’t want to run too much and hurt myself, but I also don’t want to run too little and be ill prepared. My Philly Marathon training was less than stellar and I topped off at an 18 mile long run, and I know I can do better. I’ve been slowly and steadily keeping running as a part of my routine, and while I still have some shin pain here and there, I’m confident for this go-around.
Running both the Chicago Marathon and the NYC Marathon are two dreams of mine – unfortunately I’m running them both in the same year, 4 weeks apart. Because of this close time frame, I’m focusing on Chicago as my “race” and NYC as more of a “fun” run. My plan is to do an additional long run after Chicago, but to really just keep running whatever I can between the two.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about training, it’s that having the plan on paper can only take you so far. There are bound to be situations where you can’t get in your planned run the day it’s scheduled, or you have to skip it completely. With everything that’s been going on with my GI lately and a planned trip to Europe in July, I’ve had to adjust my plans to make it as flexible as possible.
So, I’m looking to do 4 miles 4x a week with a long run for the first five weeks, and then from there one of the runs during the week will bump up to 5, and eventually 6. With the way I’ve scheduled it out, if I don’t miss any long runs, I’ll be able to get in three 20 milers (if I actually do accomplish that, I’ll try for a 21 or 22 in there). I’m going to do my best to cross-train as well, with some yoga, weight lifting, HIIT and tabata workouts, and whatever else I can get my hands on.
Fingers crossed for an injury free training cycle that can hopefully bring me a PR!
By default, when it comes to thinking about grilling, I gravitate towards your more typical fare – hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc. But as I find myself eating meat less frequently, I’ve had the opportunity to experiment a bit with what I throw on the grill. We all know I’ve complained in the past about my inability to make non-fall apart veggie burgers, which I’m happy to report is improving. Since that was never much of a success (the one time I “grilled” homemade veggie burgers, they never cooked), I was weary about grilling things like tofu, and tempeh. Alternatively, if you are interested in grilled meats, check out the best turkey injection recipe, for you and your family.
Over the last few months I’ve learned just how versatile tofu and tempeh are, and finally decided to bite the bullet and grill some. While I haven’t grilled tofu yet (it’s on my to-try list, I promise) I did make the easiest BBQ grilled tempeh sandwiches. There is really little to no thinking involved, and for those hot summer nights post work-out where you really don’t feel like turning on the oven or even thinking about dinner, this can be yours in no time.
I’m really looking forward to trying out some new things on the grill this summer, so if you have any suggestions, send them my way! But in the meantime, go make this.
BBQ Grilled Tempeh and Veggie Sandwiches – Serves 2 –
Ingredients: 1 package of tempeh (I used Trader Joe’s) 1 medium green pepper, sliced into rings 1 large red onion, sliced into rings 4 Tbsp your favorite BBQ sauce, plus more for dipping and dunking 2 hamburger buns
Directions: 1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 2. Slice the tempeh in half as evenly as possible (they should be somewhat square shaped). 3. Coat each side of the “patty” with a Tbsp of BBQ sauce. Feel free to add more or less depending on your flavor preference. 4. Spray a grill basket with cooking spray, and fill with the onion and pepper. 5. Bring everything out to the grill, and cook the onion and pepper on the top rack while the tempeh is on the bottom rack, all for 10 minutes, flipping everything halfway through. 6. Assemble your sandwich with the tempeh patty, and onion and pepper rings. Add more sauce if you’d like, and keep some nearby for dunking!
With a lot going on in my life recently, I’ve come to realize that I haven’t been the most pleasant to be around (heck, sometimes I haven’t even wanted to be around myself). Let’s be honest, no one likes a crabby person, and I’ve definitely been one over the last few weeks. I’ve had a few procedures in the past few weeks with still no answers, so that combined with a screwed up schedule from all the tests, and my inability to eat and exercise normally has resulted in a crabby Danielle.
Look at that crabby patty!
I’ve spent most of the last week and a half in what I like to refer to as “a ball of mean.” Thankfully, I’ve been aware of my mood, so I’ve just kept to myself. My mood has improved now that I’m back to a more normal routine, including cooking! Spending time in the kitchen can be hit or miss for me – it’s either really great and helps relieve stress, or it just adds to it. For awhile it’s been more of a burden than a pleasure, but that seems to thankfully be turning around. So, on one of the “better” nights I decided to throw together a polenta bake.
Despite not getting the official “ok” from my doctor, after consulting with nurse mom, we decided I could reintroduce some dairy, as not having it has made no change over the last few weeks. So I’m still limiting myself, but not completely avoiding it. After next week’s final test, we should have a pretty good idea of what’s going on down below. But until then I’m going to make things like this delicious vegan bake that can easily be turned vegetarian or even enjoyed by a meat lover. Make sure to choose your hot pepper wisely, though – this can get spicy quickly!
Vegan Southwestern Polenta Bake – Serves 4 –
Ingredients: 4 Tbsp oil for cooking 1 package of soy crumbles, about 1 1/2 cups of TVP, or 1 lb of ground turkey/beef 4 oz. cream cheese or cream cheese substitute (I love Trader Joe’s “Not Cream Cheese”) 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 hot pepper of your choice, diced (I used a dried habanero and it was HOT!) 1 (150z) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 package/tube of pre-cooked polenta (again, a big fan of TJ’s) 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 2 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp Adobo 1 cup of salsa Avocado for garnish
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2. In a small pan, sauté onion in 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat until translucent, 5-10 minutes. Set aside. 3. In large skillet, cook your meat/meat substitute about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add in cream cheese until melted, as well as spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add in cooked onion, beans, and hot pepper. Cook till heated through and combined, about another 2 minutes. Stir in nutritional yeast. 4. Slice the polenta into 1/2 inch rounds, and layer in a 9×11 sprayed baking dish. 5. Top the polenta with the meat/bean mixture, and top with salsa 6. Bake 20 minutes or until salsa is bubbling. Serve with sliced or mashed avocado.
This month I was paired up with fellow FitFluential Abassador, Annica for Foodie Pen Pals. I know I say it every month, but coming home to these goodies at my doorstep is such a treat. I order a lot of stuff online (oops), but this is always my favorite package! If you haven’t joined yet and are thinking about it – do it! There are details of how to join below.
I received my package just after finding out my gastroenterologist wanted me to temporarily cut out dairy. Naturally, I cursed myself for mentioning how much I love chocolate, because of course Annica included a delicious looking chocolate bar! Thankfully, I was able to enjoy everything else in the package, and had all the crackers as my go-to snacks over the past two weeks, as the only crackers we had in the house were Cheese It’s. I was so excited about the rice crackers, I wound up devouring the entire bag before snapping a picture! They were an interesting twist on a typical chip, and reminded me a lot of a tortilla chip since it was on the grainy side.
There were also some tomato & basil crackers which were so flavorful – they were a lot like a pita chip (with that fluffy crunch, if that makes any sense), rasberry chipotle salsa, and blueberry granola. I’ve never had jarred fruit salsa, but this one is good! I love chipotle, so I knew it was right up my alley. It’s a great smoky/sweet combo, and most of the jar is already gone. I’m also a huge fan of the blueberry granola – it tastes like a blueberry muffin, and has been so delicious with some vanilla almond milk!
SO delicious
While I haven’t been able to try the mint chocolate bar, FiberOne bar (one of my favorites!), or the tortellini, I’m anxiously awaiting the go-ahead from my doctor to have dairy again. When I get the OK, you better believe I’ll be sampling each of these goodies! I’ve also been saving the Gevalia coffee because I know how yummy it is, but I think I’ll be giving in soon.
Everything was so delicious, and Annica did a great job picking out some really fun treats for me to try – I love getting to sample new things!
I had the privilege of sending some goodies to Heather, and since she doesn’t have a blog, I offered for her to do a review here!
This month I decided to try something new, Ive really been trying to eat healthier and make better choices and try new things. I ran accross this awesome blog http://www.theleangreenbean.com and on this blog found something called FOODIE PEN PALS turns out it’s this amazing program to exchange food with others – If you haven’t heard of it you definitely need to check it out! It’s a great way to meet new poeple and find new blogs to follow with amazing recipes and ideas!
Now onto the FUN part……my box i received……I never thought i would be so excited to get something in the mail. I patiently waited for my box of goodies and when it arrived it was even better than i imagined! This month i received goodies from Danielle with Foodosaurus Rex turns out after reading her blog we have a couple things in common – Running and Cupcakes – 2 of my favorite things!! My box was filled the perfect assortment of goodies to satisfy my sweet tooth! Unfortunately i didn’t take any pics as im new to this and it didn’t cross my mind. 😦
First i found a bag of Trade Joe’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bites, we are in the process of remodeling our house so i thought i would put these away for a day when i needed a little snack in the middle of painting. Well turns out that day wasn’t too far down the road and i made the mistake of opening the bag while my family was over helping us work on the house. The bag was gone in no time, they were AMAZING!!! These were a huge hit with help and like Danielle said “dangerously addictive” possibly it’s a good thing I dont live near a Trader Joe’s! 🙂 Well after that chocolate kick we decided to go ahead and try the chocolate and almond bar – AGAIN AMAZING!!! I was glad there were lots of other people there to help me eat it otherwise I’m sure i would have had no problem devouring it all to myself!!!
Next was Perky Jerky my husband and I tried this on one of our many late nights of painting and was without a doubt the freshest, tastiest jerky i have ever had! YUMMO –
Also included in my box was a fiber one bar – I took this with me to eat after one of my 5k races – loved it, I have since bought a box and keep them on hand at the house. I also found a bag of Trader Joe’s Nut and Berry mix it included Almonds, Cranberries, Raisins, Cashews, Blueberries, Walnuts and Raspberries. I would never have thought of snagging this up on my own but beings that i got it i thought what the heck and tried it and sure enough LOVED it. This bag went with me to work for my mid-day snacks on several days! On one day i picked a few of the dried fruit out and put them on top my chocolate rice cake covered with pb2 mix – FABULOUS!!!! Could not believe how good this mix was loved it all!
And to top it off i also received some altoids, a little fresh breath after all my yummy goodies!!
Thank you Danielle for the AWESOME box of goodies can’t wait til i receive my next box next month!
If you are interested in joining the Foodie Pen Pals, check out the details below!
______________________________________________________________________________
Big thanks to Annica for the awesome goodies, and to Heather for the wonderful words about what I sent her!
If this hasn’t convinced you to join yet, I don’t know what will! Here are the details if you’re interested in joining:
-On the 5th of every 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 are 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. -Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.
If you’re interested in participating for June, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.
You must submit your information by June 4th as pairings will be emailed on June 5th!
*If you’re from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send Lindsay an email and she’ll see if we get enough interest this month!
Foodosaurus Rex 