Drum roll please…this month’s FPP care package

It is Foodie Pen Pal time again.   I love the middle of every month!   (If you have no idea what I am talking about, keep reading and scroll to the end for information about joining up.)

Malisse from Eureka, CA sent me a fabulous box for this month’s FPP.   Although the box was a little smashed, everything arrived on one piece.

I little worse for wear but the contents were perfectly safe.

And remarkable enough, Malisse mailed this from California on a Saturday and I received it in Oklahoma that Monday!

Everything made it fine!

She knew I liked local products and sent me the following:

• Eli’s Earth Bars (which began as local Sjaak’s Chocolates)
• Mad River Farms “Sunshine Marmalade”

She also sent two packages of Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix, two Luna Bars (love them!), some Scandinavian crispbreads, and two Go Free Dark Chocolate  Trail Mix bars.

What a treasure trove!

Most interesting was the Miracle Rice, a weird looking  bag of “Shirataki guilt-free, zero calories, soy free, gluten free” rice.     Malisse wrote that this rice “is a favorite of mine, since I tend to watch my carb intake.   All you do is rinse, then mix in a saute pan w/veggies, season and serve w/your favorite meat.”    I can’t wait to try it!  Apparently Shirataki rice has been “known for its health benefits for 2000 years in China and Japan” and is “made from the root of a plant called the Konnyaku IMO. ”    Since it is only made from the “soluble fiber of the plant, as such it only contains a healthy soluble fiber known as glucomannan,” it is remarkably low in calories.

Funky rice.

Malisse also included a copy of The North Coast Journal, a local publication.

Malissa, thank you, thank you, thank you.   Thank you for the exposure to new locally made products, new organics, and healthy foods!     I loved this FPP care package.

If you want more details about joining in the fun, please read:

Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:

-On the 5th of the 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 can choose 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.