Foodie Pen Pal Reveal: June

This month' was a little hectic, as I moved at the beginning of June and had a busy few weeks in which I was moving boxes, picking stuff up from the old place, buying things and getting used to the new place. So having a foodie pen pal box come from "out of the blue" was awesome. I didn't have to think too much about what to buy, food-wise!

This month, my foodie pen pal / snack angel was Melissa from Treats With a Twist. I think she and I would be great friends in real life, since she likes to take her favorite treats and give them a healthy twist, which I like to do as well. She is also very friendly and positive and she picks great snacks!

 Food included: Maple Vanilla Coffee, Justin's Nut Butter, Dried Tropical Fruit Mix, Clif Bar Gary's Panforte, Dinstuhl's Assorted Truffles, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Square and Blueberry Covered Pretzels

My favorite? The dried tropical fruit and nut mix.

Kiwi, Mango, Papaya, Coconut, Pineapple, Macadamia nuts and Cashews. 

It is SO GOOD. Much better than candy!

I had a good time trying all the snacks. The coffee was just flavored enough without being overpowering. The Gary's Panforte was a new Clif flavor for me, even though they are made only a few miles away from my house. The blueberry pretzels were surprisingly great. Mr. Lovely tried to eat them all so I had to hide them from him (yes, I do that sometimes). 

Thanks to Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean for hosting. If anyone wants to do it, and it's a great way to discover new treats, go and check out her blog! 

Have you ever done a food swap? Have you ever tried the dried tropical fruit and nut mix?

Foodie Reveal: May

This month I thought it would be fun to participate in Lindsay's Foodie Pen Pal program. It's pretty easy; you just sign up. On the 5th of the month you find out who you are buying for and who is buying for you! You have 10 days to get to know them and figure out if they have any food restrictions or preferences before you have to send your box! It's a great way to try new things and to meet new friends!

The person who picked me was Andria. She is my kind of girl: a runner, a user of strange pantry items and a lover of red wine and dark chocolate. She did a great job picking out items for my box! You can tell she put a lot of thought into it and paid attention to what I said I liked and disliked!

The Loot

1. Dark Chocolate Bar: I used this to make the Garbanzo Brownies and I think that it had a huge (positive) influence in the way they taste! Of course I tried some beforehand and it was delicious! 80% cacao! Yum. Andria did such a good job of picking not only things I love, but this chocolate is also fair traded and organic, which is an added bonus.

2. Homemade Maple Oat Muffins: These were so good I ate them all in about two days. Well I didn't want them to go bad!

3. Lara Bars: She didn't even know it, but these are my favorite (or maybe she snooped on my blog)! I love trying new ones, so the Blueberry was a nice treat!

4. Spicy mix: This was gone after the first day, since I took it with me to my parent's house and together we pretty much demolished it!

5. Coffee: YUM. French Roast? Even better! Another local treasure!

6. Justins Nut Butters: I have never tried these, as they tend to be a bit expensive, but have always wanted to! I love peanut and almond butters and since I travel/move around a lot, this size is perfect!

7. Spicy Curry Mix: I am saving this for a curried tofu dish I want to make! I love curries and trying new things when cooking, so I am excited to try it out! 

Thanks again Andria! You can also go over to Amber's to see what I sent to MY foodie pen pal! 

Have you ever tried any of these items? What is your favorite Nutrition bar? Have you ever had a pen pal, foodie or otherwise?