I have to be honest, the last few months have been a bit frustrating with Foodie Penpals. Difficult communication, MIA very late packages, finding the time to collect items for the perfect box and schlepping it to the post office (1 mile, no car, remember?). This month marks exactly one year since I started participating. For the most part it’s been fun, but the difficulties have made me consider whether I would stick it out for a year, but if this month was again a challenge, it was time to leave my beloved foodie group. Luckily Paul over at Ish and Paul saved me from my awful fate.

Hands down best box ever!

Paul put A LOT of thought into my box. First he sent me a huge questionnaire to figure out exactly what I liked and didn’t like. He admitted to stealing it from a past Foodie Penpal (I might now be stealing it from him!). When my box came in the mail the usual giddiness and excitement came over me. It arrived at the same time as a clothing order I placed–double good mail! The box was a standard flat rate box, like many penpals use, but when I opened it, its contents kept going. Under each item was another, and another. Taking everything out of the box filled my kitchen table!

I LOVE caramel corn, though it’s not something I tell people enough. Paul nailed it!

Caramel corn. GONE. Just like that. Sazon seasonings and spices, candied kiwi, sangria, iced coffee, chocolate with roasted edamame (sooooo good). He actually apologized for not sending me homemade treats. Really…apologized?! With so many fantastic goodies, I was in no way disappointed. But, just to be safe, he included some of his favorite recipes including a pistachio cake which I need to make ASAP.

Recipes so I can make some of Paul’s favorite foods. Pigeon beans? Anyone?

Not only was the box filled with amazing treats, but each item had its own note about what it was and Paul’s favorite uses. Roasted raspberry chipotle sauce: try them on crackers with prosciutto and goat cheese as appetizers. Sazon seasoning: Paul’s go to seasoning blend. He even sent something for my husband! Paul asked how I handled spice (pretty much a requirement for where he lives in Arizona) and I said I can’t deal with much but my husband loves it. So he sent along a can of salsa that he said are a must with eggs.

A note and explanation for everything! Can’t wait to cook with some of the spices.

Honestly, I can’t thank Paul enough for sending me such a great package and reminding me how much fun Foodie Penpals really is! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Salsa for hubby

Stay tuned because we have a double dose of FPP coming up. My sendee, Christine, a reader, wrote a guest post about the stuff she got! I don’t want to overshare too much right now, but keep an eye out for it by the end of today.

Thanks as always to Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean for organizing another month of Foodie Penpals. If you want to join, here’s the details:

• 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 & European residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. 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 joining, 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!