So in the months that I have done Foodie Pen Pals, I have received many wonderful items. I don’t mean to disparage them in any way, shape or form with this blog entry, but this time, I was blown away!

It all started on January 5th when I received my email from Mary. I don’t really remember what all she said in the email, because my brain was focused on one sentence…” I work in a Chocolate Shoppe!” Well, that was all I needed to hear. I told Mary that I had no allergies to chocolate. Chocolate was my friend, and I would leave it to her good judgement what to include in her package to me.

As you can see from above, it was a chocolate cornucopia, a bountifulness of cocoa… A horn of plenty if you will!

I started off with a taste of the cookies

These are actually Salted Caramel Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. And yes, they taste as good as they sound… I had to share some with my wife! (Yes, I can actually share!) The best part about these cookies is not only the taste, but the fact that Mary also included the recipe! If you would like it, leave a comment below!

She also included:

The actual cocoa that she uses from a specialty spice company called Penzey’s Spices. Mary stated that this was the only cocoa that she uses in her baking. This was a nice addition as she knew that once I had tasted the cookies, I would want to make more… And I did!

Next were the truffles.

Being from the land of Green and Gold, Mary included a couple of delicious dark chocolate truffles. The coloring makes it look like little Packers Helmets!

A sample pack from Mary’s shop:

The name of her shop is Allo Chocolat! She develops and teaches classes there. As far as I am concerned, she has her Masters, PhD. and Jedi Master of chocolate making down.

Now one would think that with such a delicious package that this would be a perfect thing to share with others… I didn’t.. Now readers of this blog know that I a trying to lose some weight. These were perfect to put a single one in my lunchbox and have a delightful end to my lunch.

I have not tried this yet, but with cooler temperatures hitting the Gulf Coast of Florida, it will be soon! Mary says in her note that this is a favorite “after-dinner” beverage and that it has been compared to drinking a liquid truffle! Come to think of it, maybe I will try this right now!

Along with these delectable items, Mary also included a Charleston Chew since her shop sells vintage candy as well. With a moment or two in the freezer and a crack on the counter, this was a fine way to travel back to childhood.

As if all of this wasn’t enough, Mary included recipes to try… Everything from Turkish Hummus to Fox Point Chicken Bites.

 

As you can see, this Foodie Pen Pal package was one for the record books and one that all future boxes will be measured! A big thank you to Mary and the crew at Allo Chocolat! The next time I am in Waukesha, Wisconsin, I will be sure to stop in…

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And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of 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 & 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 from the US or Canada and are in participating for November, please CLICK HERE (www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/) to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by February 4th as pairings will be emailed on February 5th!

*If you’re from Europe, please CLICK HERE (www.thisisrocksalt.com/foodie-penpals/) to signup.
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