By Emily McLaughlin

I signed up for Foodie Pen Pals with The Lean Green Bean this month! I’ve wanted to do this for some time, but decieded to wait until I was all settled into a new apartment before I got started. The concept is pretty simple: Sharing good-for-you food with people in other parts of the country, and receive a box of food in return.

When you receive your match at the beginning of the month, you email them to see if they have any preferences, allergies, or foods they want to try from your neck-of-the-woods. The next step is putting together a box of goodies, spending no more than $15. Then, send you package out (shipping is a little pricey) by the 15th of the month and blog about what you received on the 30th of the month.

It’s a great little program… now… LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY BOX!

I got my FPP package a couple of weekends back and what a magical weekend it was… full of friends, family and wedding bliss. One of my beautiful cousins got married that weekend at the Chatham Bars Inn on the Cape–the ceremony was touching and beautiful, and the reception was a blast. My brother and I each had a +1, so I of course dragged Ryo along and Mike took our good friend Jamie. I’d say we looked rather dashing.

Ryo & myself

Jamie & Mike

But… none of us top the beautiful bride. *Photo compliments of my lovely cousin, Nicole.

When returned to Boston after a lovely night on the Cape, there was a package waiting for me. I was so excited that I totally forgot that I was going to try to take a nap. I picked it up, felt it’s weight, and got even more excited. I couldn’t open it fast enough. Here ya’ go(!):

Inside my box from OREGON: black tea, berry jam, oats, canned cherries, a little bottle of wine, chocolates, Chai tea and a lovely hand-written note.

The only thing that I haven’t used in my box are the oats — but only because I already had some open in the cupboard. All of the tea was delicious and the jam… oh my… that berry jam is just divine. This morning, I put a dollop on my oatmeal, and oh muh gosh. My pen pal, Renee, lives right outside Portland, OR. Because I had no real dietary requests, likes or dislikes, she put together a box of some of her favorite things.

Here is what I did with some of my other FPP goodies:

The cherries made GREAT mini cherry pies on Thanksgiving. This is before they went in the oven.

The Chai went perfectly with my Trader Joe’s Vanilla Soy Milk. Making my own Chai beverage with soy has been great, not to mention, easy, delicious and cheap. ;)

If you have the time, and a little extra cash once per month, I highly suggest signing up for FPP. The Lean Green Bean is very organized and everyone who participates seems to love it.  I didn’t think to take a picture of what I sent along to my “send-to” Foodie Pen Pal, Megan (you don’t send to the same person you receive from), but there was some tea, homemade granola, my favorite TJ’s black bean dip, some chocolate and a couple other goodies. She had no allergies or specific dislikes… so I went wild. :)

CHECK OUT MEGAN’S POST ON HER BLOG LITTLE HOUSE, BIG LOVE!

Until next month.