Hi Friends!
Happy Monday. A few quick announcements before we get started! If you didn’t read The Bean over the weekend, you missed out on a couple of AWESOME posts, so I thought i’d just take a second to point them out to you.
1. My hubby built me pretty much the best thing ever this weekend. It’s a stand that fits around my treadmill so that I can use my laptop while I’m walking. It’s seriously amazing. Definitely check it out…and then build one for yourself! Bonus- all the wood and paint we used was from leftover projects that have been done previously around the house so it’s totally green! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT!
Ok, moving on…Can you believe it’s already time for another Foodie Penpals reveal day?
- Freeze-dried mango, which I’d never tried before. Definitely making some tropical granola bars with that!
- Some locally made cookies. I always say I don’t like coconut but I must be coming around slightly because I don’t mind coconut milk in my curry and I actually liked these cookies. I’m trying to save them so I’ve just been having a nibble here and there. They’re like fun little shortbread cookies, except better!
- Homemade Coffee Cashew Cookie Bars! She posted the recipe on her blog (click here to see it!) and she kindly left the coconut out of mine. I was surprised how much I liked the coffee flavor in these. A delicious little treat!
- Roasted chickpeas and fava beans– another homemade treat! i LOVE roasted chickpeas and had no idea you could even roast fava beans. Very cool!
- Red lentils– my favorite kind! How did she know?
- Brown Basmati rice– we go through this stuff so fast in my house!
- Indian spices– she knows we love Indian food and it was sweet that she sent us stuff to make our own at home- which we do about once a week 🙂
Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:
-On the 5th of the 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 can choose 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 Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK 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. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!
***If you’re in Europe, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at [email protected] to get involved!
If you live in Asia or Australia and want to get involved, email me and I’ll see if we get enough interest.
–Lindsay–
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Woah, what a delicious and tropical box you got! Looks awesome
i am officially really jealous of your laptop stand. that is so awesome!
Awesome goodies! I can’t wait to see your granola bars with the freeze dried mangos. That sounds incredible. I also go through brown rice so quickly too so I buy the huge bags at Costco. And those cookie bars look amazing!
Ridiculously jealous of your treadmill setup! It makes life so much easier I bet.
Looks like some awesome goodies! I loved mine too 🙂
Thanks for hosting. Can’t wait to participate again I’m June (taking may off)
I LOVE that freeze-dried mango! I have a package in my pantry right now. At first it tasted chalky to me…and then I just kept reaching into the bag for more…
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah this always makes me wish I were a foodie.
Woo hoo — you got a great haul too this month! Thanks again for hosting this….it’s obviously become a huge job to put together but I for one love it 🙂 Happy Monday Lindsay!
Freeze dried mango?? YUM!
The treadmill gadget is INCREDIBLE!! I have a stationary bike and I’ve said for years I need something to let me do computer stuff while riding! I love it!!
First of all, I LOVE the treadmill table! Can your hubby build one for me, too? Haha. Also, I’m SO glad I became a Foodie Penpal in April–my package was AWESOME and I had so much fun creating the one I sent!
Thanks for this amazing opportunity!!! I had so much fun! Come stop by and sweet what amazing treats I received!!
That mango is my favorite snack from TJ’s!
Yum! As usual.
That grocery store looks awesome! Too bad there isn’t one near me.
I’m still totally coveting your laptop stand. The treadmill too. I was thinking about you yesterday when I was sitting on my butt and studying. I must come up with a new plan.
You got some great stuff 🙂 I participated for the first ever this month and loved it 🙂 That stand your hubby made for you is genius btw.
i always check out those mangoes at trader joe’s and then resist – let me know what you think of them – maybe i’ll actually KEEP them in my cart next time! 🙂
The roasted chickpeas look really great! I tried some for the first time yesterday at CT Veg Fest and fell in love. I bet homemade they are even better.
Those roasted chickpeas sound soooo good! I love Foodie Penpals. 🙂
See you on FRIDAY!!!! 🙂
Glad you liked it! I knew the coconut flavor wasn’t very detectable in those cookies – just present to provide some good fat! And I love them so much I just had to send them. The couple that makes them are the greatist too.
I just found your site through another blog. I just wanted to let you know that I have subscribed to your feed and can’t wait to see what your next post will be.
thanks so much! hope you enjoy the blog 🙂
Hi! I just learned about your swap and this is an awesome idea! I’m a new blog follower and on FB, twitter, and pinterest!
awesome! thanks so much for reading 🙂 hope you enjoy!
I love indian food too. Looks like you got a great package!
Surfing while jogging! That’s quiet unique I think. You’re so lucky to have such an creative hubby. I’ll urge it to my hubby too. Thanks for providing the procedure. Really loved that 😀
Great goodies! I love the combo of snacks and stuff you can use to make a meal.
Thanks again (and again) for organizing foodie penpals. 🙂
I love your blog!! I also just found your site through another blog that I follow. I just subscribed to your site and hope I can participate in your next “I am a Foodie PenPal” site
Big Hug.
Marje
2retirednewmans
thank you! if you’d like to participate in May, just fill out the participation form!
that pseudo sushi looks amazing! cheers to another great foodie penpals month. 🙂
that treadmill set up picture is going straight to my hubbs inbox!:)
thanks for the wonderful program lindsay! have a great week!.
I am having an auction fundraiser on my blog. do drop by to check it out if you have a minute!
So excited to join this fun next month!
this was so fun lindz! thank you for hosting. and I love how you called this “the bean.” LOL, love it! my daily bean reading.
That walking laptop stand is awesome – I wish we had room for something like that. I can’t believe how many extra steps you’re getting in while getting laptop stuff done at the same time. Multi-tasking queen!
wow the foodie pen pals have gotten huge, thats awesome! The pacakges always look amazing!
ooof I need to get my foodie pen pals post up!!! my half has thrown my entire blogging off this week. eeep
Wow! Am jealous of your laptop stand – but I’d have to buy a tread mill to get one of those & there’s no way I’m doing that! Am loving how many people are getting involved with Foodie Penpals. Brilliant!
Just wanted to say “Thanks” for putting together such a fun little program! This was my first month and really enjoyed it! I can’t wait to see who I get next month!
Thanks Lindsay!!! This is a great program!!!!
I got those same dried mangos in my box 🙂
For some reason your blog is cutting off every 5th submission – I don’t know if anyone else is having this problem, but I know my link isn’t visible. It looks like the middle section has been shrunk down from how it normally is(??). Is there any way to fix this?
I can’t wait for next month! And your treadmill stand is great!! You can stay productive and keep moving at the same time!!
Love the treadmill stand! So cool
Thank you so much for organizing such a fun program. I know it was definitely one of the highlights of my month 🙂
Oh & the treadmill laptop stand? Genius!
so glad to hear that!! and yes, i’m loving my laptop stand!
Coconut is definitely an acquired taste. Both my cousin and I talked about this the other day and remembered how much we used to hate it. Now we love it!
Thanks so much for this great group and all the hard work you do. I had a great time and am so happy to meet fellow foodies.
Not only am I completely jealous of the desk — but you got stuff from Kalustyan’s!!! It took every ounce of willpower I had not to raid that store when I was down in NYC this weekend. Lucky duck 🙂
Happy belated Birthday Lindsay! I love your blog! I love that your husband built that incredible laptop stand for you. What a great idea! Thank you for hosting the Foodie Penpal exchange. This was my first month participating so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was thrilled at how easy and how fun it is. I will be back again very soon! Thanks again 🙂 xo