Foodie Penpals: Hoosier Edition.

This month of Foodie Pen pals was quite interesting. I was paired up to send to and receive from two ladies who are both from Indianapolis! It's definitely a small world as I live just 2 hours away from Indy!

Fellow Hoosier, and blog reader Emily sent me a nice package of goods.

First off we have Sea Salted Popcorn. I had just bought some salted popcorn from the store just the other day before I received my package. (I could have kicked myself) Though, I took that over to Ryan’s and have yet to see it again. So I’m happy I got this generous bag of delicious popcorn all to myself. I haven't yet tired since I haven't been home very much at all in the last couple weeks. As I'm moving out of my grandparent's place into a new one. So once I try it out I'll put in my two cents about it. Though, I'm pretty positive that it's going to be delicious. Next.. Dry Roasted Edamame. I’ve seen this in stores but I've always just walked past it since I'm usually rushing around the grocery store trying to make sure I have enough money for my "essential" items. So I was excited to have received some in my package so I could finally try it out. This was an amazing, protein-packed snack on it’s own. Also made a wonderful salad topper. Individual servings of El Pinto Medium Salsa. Ay Carumba! I’m a big salsa lover, but for some odd reason I’m always forgetting to pick up some from the grocery. So thank you Emily, you saved the day with this. I've used it only one time so far but I definitely like it. For only being "medium" it gives a very spicy hot flavor. This chick likes spicy! NuGo Organic Double Dark Chocolate Bar. When the sweet tooth hit me over at a friend’s house this came to my rescue and kept me satisfied until dinnertime.

Lastly, fruit leather strips. A strawberry, grape, and raspberry flavored one. Which, again, I haven't gotten around to try since I've been so busy in the moving process.

Thank you Emily for the goodies!

 I sent a package over to Kelsee. Click on her name to see what I sent her!

Interested in becoming a Foodie Penpal yourself? 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 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.

If you’re interested in participating for May, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You must submit your information by May 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!

Noms of the Week #4

I know, I know. I promised Key West eats that I enjoyed while down there on vocation. Unfortunately my camera died and I had mistakenly forgot to pack my charger. So I had to post-pone NOTW since I didn’t have enough pictures to make a nice food collage for you guys. So I’ll just mix and match what I enjoyed there plus some food I enjoyed at home.

1. Conch Republic Restaurant* Island Salad(Mixed Greens with Avocado Slices, Mango, Oranges, Tomato, Cucumber, Plantain Chips with Citrus Dressing.
2. Chinese takeout with Ryan. (Vegetable Lo Mein, Marinated Lettuce, Cucumber, Pepper; Rice Noodles) Wasn't impressed with the options that I had to choice from. I can feel myself slowly not liking Chinese food as much.
3. Dinner @ a friend’s: Italian Spiced Chick’n Strips, 2/3 Avocado, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade A to Z Pasta Salad that I had made.
4. Tofu Scramble; 3 1/4 oz Extra Firm Organic Tofu with 1/8 cup Onion, 3 Cherry Tomatoes, 3 Organic Mushrooms; Ezekiel 4:9* Sprouted English Muffin with Avocado; 1 cup Seedless Grapes.

1. Quaker* Old Fashioned Oats with TJ* Shredded Sweetened Coconut, Ola* Vanilla Almond Granola, TJ* Cookie Butter.
2. Organic 50/50 Blend Salad with 3 Gardein* Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Daiya* Jalapeno Garlic Havarti Style Wedge, Organic Mushrooms,  Red Bell Pepper,  Dried Cranberries, 2 TBSP Silvered Almonds with Pomegranate, Cindy’s Kitchen* Balsamic; Side of Mashed Potatoes for Ryan.
3. Lunch @ Chiptole with my grandparents. The usual vegan burrito with a side of tortilla chips and guacamole.

Snackage:

1. In Key West they rave about the coconut. I noticed while walking around that they had numerous amounts of coconut water stands to help keep you hydrated while walking around in the humid, Key West heat. I didn't get to actually grab an actual coconut and drink the water from its head but I did want to try coconut water so I just bought the next best thing. Bottled Coconut Water. Believe it or not. This was the first time trying coconut water. I really don’t know what I thought about it. It’s.. very different tasting. Drinkable but I don’t see myself willingly to drink the stuff on a daily basis.
2. Key West has an amazing, cute, little, all natural organic store called Help Yourself. I grabbed up a few items(some I didn’t have time to munch on so I just packed them up and flew them back to Indiana) like this raw granola that I ate as snack. Let me just tell you.. raw granola is 10x better than non-raw granola.
3. Orange Cranberry Flavor & Fiber Bar.
4. My Pineapple Orange Collagen Drinks.

Noms of the Week #3

This week I had the opportunity to eat out.. a lot. A lot more than usual because I'm going down to Key West with a friend Monday-Friday and Ryan wanted to treat me, food wise.

Meals:

• Chiptole* Vegan Burrito. (Brown Rice, Black Beans, Fiesta Vegetables, Medium Green Salsa, Guacamole, Lettuce.) For the record.. you can blame the boyfriend for my Chiptole addiction. Well, not much of an addiction. It’s more so a “thing” that whenever Ry and I go to Kokomo we get Chiptole. Since we’ve been going back and forth from Wabash to there to just have something to do.. one of our stops and first thoughts is Chiptole! Plus, its easy and convenient for me and Ry since he knows I’m a vegan and he knows they have delicious options for me.
• Spinach Salad with Organic Gala Apple, Green Grapes, Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, Silvered Almonds with Pomegranate, Pomegranate Vinaigrette; Taste of Italy Vegan Pocket.
• Azetecs* Vegetable Fajitas. (Cooked: Green Bell Pepper, Onion, Mushroom, Tomato. Topped with Lettuce, Pico De Gallo, Guacamole, Mexican Rice)
• Baked Sweet Potato with Avocado and Almonds on top. Green Grapes on side.

• Quaker* Old Fashioned Oats with Sweetened Coconut, Vanilla Almond Granola, and Cookie butter.
• Huge Side Salad with the boyfriend at Pizza King in Downtown Wabash. Salad had: Lettuce, Olives, Banana Peppers, Mushrooms, Tomato, Onion, Italian Dressing) As you can see.. Ry was stealing some of my olives.
• Chinese* Vegetable Lo Mein with Steamed Mixed Vegetables, White Rice with Diet Sauce. (The only sucky thing about Wabash Chinese is that they don’t have a brown rice option..)
• Black Bean/Rice Burrito with leftover Mixed Vegetables.

Snackage:

•  Orange Pineapple Collagen Drink. (I didn’t really talk to much about these on my last NOTW. Basically, these are drinks that help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, strengthen and thicken hair, improve skin elasticity, and strengthens nails. I’ve been drinking one every other day and so far I feel they work wonders. Definitely will have to re-stock up once I come back from my trip.
• As far as food snackage is considered. Pumpkin Spice Almonds were my go-to choice this week.

While I'm down in Key West, I plan to take pictures of the different landmarks, as well as some eats. So hopefully around this time next week I'll have some exciting things to share with you guys. 

Foodie Penpals: 40 Fit in the Mitt

I decided to participate in the foodie pen pal program that Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean hosts, afterall, and I’m so happy that I did. I received my package from Dena @ 40 Fit in the Mitt and wow. Just wow. This package rocked.

Actually due to personal decisions on staying in Indiana with my sick grandfather(we just found out Thursday that he has cancer) and indecisiveness on my part about what I actually want to do with my life-carrier wise. I'm going to just lay low and try and figure out everything before going back to California. So I'll probably be a participate for this swap for a few more months before having to quit due to college.

Anyway, back to what this post is all about. Food.

Dena sent me some amazing goodies, as well as some Trader Joe’s love!

Sweetened Coconut, Cookie Butter, Organic Banana Chips, and Steel Cut Oats. All from Trader Joe’s! I actually requested to Dena that she should get me some cookie butter, and she willingly did so. She made me a very happy lady. Back off Nutella. Cookie Butter is the official new crack of the spreads AND it’s vegan friendly. If you’ve seen my NOTW you’d know I’ve used the coconut in my oatmeal recently. As for the Banana Chips and Steel cut Oats I haven’t gotten around to trying just yet. I’m trying to eat up my Quaker Oats before I open up a new container(don’t worry Dena I haven’t forgotten about telling you if they are any good) and I’m waiting to get all the ingredients I need to make a new trek mix with the banana chips.

Before I go on..I gotta tell you.

Dena listened so well to my likes. Almost everything I told her I liked she got me which I appreciate so much. Anyone would be lucky to have her as their penpal. The granola rocked my taste buds. It had the perfect amount of sweetness.The trail mix clusters I ate as a snack the day after I got my package since I was on the move all that day. So it was good to have on hand when my hunger hit.

Dena, thank you so much for this awesome box of goodies!

Interested in becoming a Foodie Penpal yourself? 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 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.

If you’re interested in participating for April, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!