November Foodie Pen Pal Reveal!

Okay, I'm a day late for the November Foodie Pen Pal Reveal post, but better late than never! 

This month, my pen pal Stefanie sent me an awesome package that I can't wait to dig into.  In addition to the snacks, Stefanie included a handwritten note card and a recipe for her grandmother's buttermilk brownies. I love the idea of passing along a family recipe and since I love baking I can't wait to try them out for myself!

So now for the goodies:

She sent TJ's dried raspberries, which are always a good snack and can be added to cereals, yogurts, trail mix, etc.  

Next, I love that Stefanie sent some local flavor with Michigan pure maple syrup.  This will be perfect for my favorite pumpkin whole wheat pancakes! :)

Also in my amazing snack pack...Kettlecorn drizzles with dark and white chocolate!  Sounds like heaven.

Last but not least, a giant bag of trail mix! Right up my alley!

Thanks so much, Stefanie! 

To learn more about Foodie Pen Pals, check out The Lean Green Bean Blog.  For December, FPP will be a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Sandy and pen pals from all over the world will be donating...so join in to help! :)

*Edited to add:  Click over to Kid-Friendly Food to see what I sent my foodie pen pal this month, and check out some of her awesome recipes! :)

Pasta Giveaway Winner & Foodie Pen Pal Reveal

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I first want to start by saying I'm feeling incredibly thankful that I am able to sit here and write this post today.  Unlike so many others in the tri-state area, I woke up this morning to an apartment that is heated, powered and free of any real damage from the nightmare that was Hurricane Sandy.  My iPhone is charged and I have complete access to Facebook and Twitter.  More importantly, I know that none of these things matter.  It is not lost on me that so many have not been as lucky as I have.  People have lost their lives, their families and their homes.  But one thing we can all count on is the resiliency and strength of our nation, our state and more particularly, our beloved New York City.  Now more than ever, I'm so thankful and proud to be a New Yorker.  My heart goes out to any and everyone affected by this disaster. 

In addition to being Halloween, today is the last day of National Pasta Month.  That doesn't mean we can't celebrate all year round with tasty & nutritious pasta recipes! Especially since we know that Pasta Fits into a healthy lifestyle!  Also it's time to announce the winner of my Pasta Prize Pack giveaway! 

Congratulations Tiffany!  I'm so excited that you'll be receiving this awesome Pasta Fits prize pack, including Dreamfields® Spaghetti, Mueller's® Whole Grain Spaghetti, Heartland® Gluten Free Wheat Free Penne, Ronzoni Healthy Harvest® Spaghetti, Ronzoni Garden Delight® Rotini and an Ultragrain Pasta® Spaghetti Spoon!

Please send me your contact information and we'll get your prize sent out to you! 

And finally...Today is the October Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day! :)

Here's what the program is all about...

-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. 

To get more info on Foodie Pen Pals or to join for October, visit The Lean Green Bean or click the icon below.  

This month my Foodie Pen Pal package came from Lauren over at Lauren Living Locally.  Thanks, Lauren! :)  I really love the concept of her blog, which follows her adventures in cooking food from local farmers markets and CSAs.  

Here's what she sent:

Kashi TLC bars

Sea's Gift Seasoned & Roasted Seaweed Snack

Lara Bar (love them)

Celestial Tea

The cutest baby Tabasco sauce! (I told her I liked spicy things)

Homemade Granola 

Once again, big thanks to Lauren for my FPP package this month!  

You can head over to The Lean Green Bean FPP link up to check out what other pen pals sent and received this month.  And if you're digging this program, sign up by November 5th to participate! 

Happy Eating, Happy Halloween and Stay Strong Everyone! :)

September Foodie Pen Pal Reveal

So this month I participated in a fantastic program hosted by Linsday (a soon-to-be RD!) over at The Lean Green Bean.  She created Foodie Pen Pals, which allows people from all over to get a taste of new, interesting, sometimes healthy, sometimes indulgent foods! This was my first time participating and I can't believe I haven't signed up before!  It's an awesome way to try new products, share recipes and get inspired in your own kitchen.

Here's what the program is all about...

-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. 

To get more info on Foodie Pen Pals or to join for October, visit The Lean Green Bean or click the icon below. 

So...since this was my first time participating in FPP, who better to get matched up with than the mastermind herself? A big thank you to Lindsay for sending me a fabulous package!!!

Inside the package, Lindsay included her super cute business card and a letter explaining the contents of the box.  She also included a Cooking Light magazine, which I think is a really smart foodie-friendly way to recycle! :)  In terms of preferences, I told Lindsay that I love both sweet & spicy things...and that's exactly what I got! 

First up: Lindsay included a sampling of her own vegan cookies! Of course I snacked on one of those as soon as I opened my package. As much as I love to bake, I've never tried a vegan recipe and after trying these I think I'll have to give it a shot!

A few items I really want to highlight...

Key Lime Avocado Salsa. I love avocados, so I was very excited to give this a try! The key lime flavor is really strong and I kept saying I felt like I was drinking a margarita! Unfortunately the avocado flavor didn't come through for me.  I also wish it had been a little chunkier like traditional salsa.  It's pretty thin but I bet it will be great to use on enchiladas or tacos!

Raspberry Habanero Preserves. Wow.  As I said, I'm a big fan of both sweet & hot and this stuff is just that.  The sweetness of the raspberry is immediate and the habanero gives a lasting spicy kick.  I put this on a piece of whole wheat toast and it was definitely a wake-up call to my tastebuds!

TJ's Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds!  One of my favorite things to do at breakfast is to mix a 1-2 Tbsp nut butter and 2 Tbsp of Roasted Flaxseeds into my oatmeal, so this product is perfect for that! :)  Unfortunately, this is one of many products on the FDA Recall List...but once I know it's Salmonella-free, I'll be snatching this up from Trader Joe's!

Also in my package: Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (yum!), Sweet & Spicy Pecans, Red Lentils, and TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute, and Chia Seeds.

Thanks again, Lindsay! :)

I'm really looking forward to using all of this stuff in all sorts of ways over the next month! Now it's time for you to head over to The Lean Green Bean to check out what other Foodie Pen Pals got this month and to sign yourself up!

Did you know I'm an RD? And I'm thankful too!

Hey friends.  First, let me apologize for skipping the last TWO weeks of Thankful Thursday.  It's not that I wasn't feeling thankful, but more that I was feeling overwhelmed with working and studying for my R.D. exam.  Now that that's over, I can get back to enjoying my life! Woo!

So let's get down to it.  This week (month?) I'm feeling thankful...

...that I passed my RD exam!!! I've been a Registered Dietitian for 5 whole days and I'm still not over it.  Although I know that I know my stuff, I finally feel like a credible professional. So listen to me darnit! :)

...for my incredible friends! They are so sneaky and surprised me last night with a Wednesday wine party to celebrate my big accomplishment! Since we already celebrated when I got my job, this was totally not necessary...but much appreciated!

...that those friends I mentioned really know how to party.  And by party, I obviously mean play Outburst and Charades.  Isn't that how everyone spends Wednesday nights?  Oh..and there was lots of wine & cheese! Yum.

...that my absolute favorite season is officially here! Fall=apples, cool weather, pumpkins and comfy sweaters.  What could be better?

Apple crisp = love.

...for my beautiful hometown.  I don't know that I appreciated the beauty of the Hudson Valley until I moved away and I love going back to visit! On Sunday, my mom and I had a really nice walk on the Walkway over the Hudson and took in some incredible views!

...for my Foodie Pen Pal package! Check back on Monday for the big reveal! In the meantime, head over to The Lean Green Bean Blog to sign up for October yourself! 

Okay. Now your turn! What are you thankful for? Do you have the best friends in the world? (Hint: you don't...I do.) Are you psyched for fall? TELL ME.