When I was twelve years old, I had a binder full of letters from penpals across the world, from New Zealand, to New Mexico, to Lithuania. So when I heard about Foodie Penpals, I thought 'That sounds like my kind of thing!'. It's open to blog readers and bloggers, and since it started last year in September, has grown to include over 1000 participants! This was my first month participating, and I had so much fun compiling a box of foodie treats for my pen pal Alana, I couldn't wait to receive my box from Kat. Lucky for me, we're both California girls, so my package arrived on the 17th (they have to be mailed by the 15th)! It was a heavy little box, which made me curious about what was inside. Here's what I found:
On the top of the package, there was a note card, where Kat explained that the box was compiled with a 'summer picnic' theme in mind - which couldn't be more perfect! I love summer picnics, had planned on taking one to Shakespeare by the Sea (a favorite LA summertime event) the weekend before I received this very box, but had my plans derailed by my scary tire skid on a slick road - that's where the stale baguette came from! But I digress... Anyway, I love, love, LOVE summer picnics, and my box was the perfect thing for me! It included homemade dill pickles, pickled carrots and green beans, and figs in orange syrup, salami, a package of dried mango (which I've been eyeing at Trader Joe's for a while now, and hadn't gotten around to trying yet!), a bag of tea (to go with Kat's very own sweet tea recipe - she's from the South, y'all!), and two cloth napkins... It is PERFECT for me! All I need is a baguette, and I'm all set for a summer picnic with the treats that Kat sent me. Can't wait to see what next month's foodie penpals box will bring. It's like Secret Santa in July!! :)