Foodie Penpals - May Reveal

My Foodie Penpal for the month of May was Cassie from Boston (she recently moved from FL to MA). The small package arrived on my doorstep and of course I waited until Aaron got home so he could join in on the reveal. Inside was a sweet note from Cassie along with...

TJ's Savory Thin Edamame crackers, Anastasia's key lime coconut patties, TJ's PB&J milk chocolate bar, Fadden & Son's pure maple syrup, Apple Hill Farm cinnamon apple jelly, and Zoe's Kitchen spice of life seasoning.

I added some cinnamon apple jelly on half of my English muffin for breakfast. It was very tasty and a nice change from my regular Smucker's strawberry jam.

Aaron and I tried the maple syrup last "Waffle Wednesday" and it was very sweet and reminded me of maple candy. We usually buy the low sugar Stop & Shop syrup.

The coconut patties were delicious and chocolatey and the PB&J bar was interesting because the jelly was actually soft. It was a tasty treat. We've been snacking on the edamame crackers as well, which are very light.

Last but not least, I finally tried the Zoe's spices and it paired very nicely with my home-made chicken salad. Tomorrow for lunch I'm having a chicken salad sandwich.

Thanks for the awesome healthy foods this month Cassie! ;-)

The Lost Check

A couple of days ago Aaron and I were out for one of our after-dinner walks. I suggested we take shorts walks (between 30-45 minutes) after dinner to help our food digest and also gain a little more cardio throughout the week. Since both of our jobs require us to sit most of the day, it’s nice to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

Anyway, on the way home we turned the corner onto our street and laying on the sidewalk was a filled out check. We both hesitated and I bent down and picked it up, reading it as we walked to our apartment a few houses away. I decided I would call the person whose name was written on the check and ask if he waned it returned to him. The check was only for $20.00 and dated a week ago.

I called and the phone went straight to voicemail so I left a brief message saying that I had found the check on the ground and I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to return it. I also mentioned that if I didn’t hear from him, I would just tear it up. I haven’t heard from him in the past couple of days so I'll shred the check. I would want someone to do the same for me.

Foodie Penpals - April Reveal

Last month I signed up for Foodie Penpals again since the first time was so much fun! I received a snack-filled package from Shera in Hoover, AL and couldn't wait to dig in...

Aaron was just a little excited to see what was in the box for April!

The chips are amazing and we've made nachos twice. The combination of black bean, garlic, and melty cheese satisfied our stomachs. :-)

Snapea crisps are a favorite of mine and the pretzel crisps are yummy too!

Aaron was a little skeptical about the banana chips at first, but then he wouldn't stop eating them. I'll have to buy more from Trader Joe's soon!

The bars were new for me to try and there definitely weren't enough almonds in that small package!

The oatmeal and tea were just the right touch for the cold April days we had.

Thank you for all of the goodies Shera!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

My Foodie Penpal from March, Irene, sent me a family sugar cookie recipe as a bonus to my box of goodies. I was more than thrilled and couldn't wait any longer to make them!

Yesterday was a beautiful Spring day, and I decided to bake them instead of going outside after work! But walking seven miles today around town definitely made up for staying inside baking yesterday.

Anyway, I whipped up the recipe in no time and was a bit hesitant since the dough turned out to be like cake batter. I used a spoon to scoop the messy dough onto cookie sheets and popped them in the oven. The apartment smelled amazing while they were baking! 

Cookie dough and the silicone spatula from Irene's FPP box

Soft, cake-like sugar cookies with a hint of vanilla and lemon

(Is your mouth watering yet?)

Filling is optional, but I decided to top one with strawberry jam...yum!

I gave some cookies to my neighbors since the recipe made a lot! I will bring some to my mother when I visit tomorrow as well. Recipes are a wonderful way to share a part of one's family history, and I am very grateful that Irene sent this to me! 

Foodie Penpals - March Reveal

My friend explained the concept of Foodie Penpals to me back in January. Needless to say, I was excited to try something new, especially since it had to do with food! I signed up and the rest is history... (Google "foodie penpals" or go to Lindsay Livingston's blog: www.theleangreenbean.com if you're interested.)

I arrived home from work two Wednesdays ago and on my doorstep was a small box from my foodie penpal Irene in California. I couldn't get into the apartment and take my coat off fast enough! I opened the box and inside was a card and a neatly packed assortment of goodies.

The contents included:

- A beautiful card drawn by a local artist

- 2 purple spatulas (one plastic, one silicone)

- Oregon Chai tea (sugar free)

- Maisie Jane's Truffle Almonds (from a local grower)

- Nature Valley trail mix fruit & nut bar

- Barbara's Snackimals - chocolate chip

My boyfriend and I were excited to try out the new plastic spatula for our weekend fried eggs. It works like a charm, and has now replaced the other spatula we had been using. And the silicone spatula deemed very useful for cooking/baking.

I usually drink my chai tea hot (except when I order one from Panera), but the weather is warming up so I added half milk and half chai mixture in a cup over ice. Mmmm, was it refreshing!

I opened the truffle almonds first, and I even let my my mom, boyfriend, and friends try some. I wish there were more in the package because they were delicious -- crunchy and chocolatey at the same time!

The granola bar and chocolate chip snacks were nice additions to my work lunches.

Irene was also nice enough to send me a family recipe for sugar cookies that I can't wait to try!

I have already signed up for April FPP and I think I'm hooked!

Foodie Penpals

Last month, a good friend of mine told me about Foodie Penpals. What is Foodie Penpals you might ask? Click the link to find out!

I joined for the month of March and was contacted the next day by my foodie penpal in California. She welcomed me to the program and asked about my food likes/dislikes and dietary needs. It was exciting to talk to a friendly stranger on the other side of the country, so I e-mailed my other foodie penpal shortly after. She lives in Minnesota and I asked her similar questions in order to get a better idea of what to send her. I think I'm hooked!

This weekend I will be putting together a food package and sending it out before Friday, March 15th. I already have most of the items planned out. I enjoy baking and making homemade foods, so that's what I'll be sending out. I also can't wait to receive my package from California so I can chow down on some goodies!

(I will follow-up after April 1st showing what food items I sent/received.)

The Petite Pea is Born

Welcome to The Petite Pea! This will be a place for me to express myself and share stories about my life. Enjoy!