Foodie Pen Pals: February

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Itz Linz

Snow is beautiful and all, but I’m totally ready for summer. Wishful thinking on the last day of February, I suppose. What the last day of February does bring is Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day! This month, Haley at The Saucy Apple sent me a package.

Whole Foods Organic Dark Chocolate Pretzels: Such a delicious treat that did not last long at all! Jonny and I kept going back for more.
Food Should Taste Good Jalapeno with Cheddar Chips: Mmm! We love spicy and we love cheese, so this was a winning combination.
Sea Salted Peanut Butter Croutons from Sweet Lola Yogurt Bar: Holy cow. I may or may not have basically eaten these for dinner one night. Seriously ridiculous. They are like miniature peanut butter cookies and the hint of sea salt was perfect. I want more.
Whole Foods Cherry & Berry Mix: Haven’t opened these yet, but I have plans to add them to my oatmeal, trail mix, and granola.

All four foodie items were awesome – thanks, Haley! See what I sent my foodie pen pal Ashley by checking out her blog Sweetpea Lifestyle. Another successful FPP month!

There’s still time for YOU to sign up for next month’s Foodie Pen Pals!

How’s the weather where you live? Best package you’ve received lately?

Foodie Pen Pals: January

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Itz Linz

You know how much I love receiving packages in the mail, right? Well, I do, especially when it involves food. This month I received a lovely box from Leigh-Ann. She emailed me asking for my food choices, and I left it pretty open, but indicated that I do, in general, prefer healthy snacks and foods. Everything she sent was new-to-me items or flavors which is precisely why I love participating in Foodie Pen Pals. First up:

Kashi Dark Mocha Almond Chewy Granola Bars: While I don’t typically tend to buy mocha flavored foods, I was pleasantly impressed with the flavor of these. It could be the fact that Kashi makes great products or that you can’t really ever go wrong with dark chocolate! These snacks have come in handy when I’ve been hungry on the go.

Ryvita is a brand that I’m unfamiliar with. The rye crackers were a bit dry, but I did like the mild hint of sweetness that the fruit provided.

I very rarely buy pancake or waffles mix, but this Pioneer Brand Oatmeal Pancake & Waffle mix will be nice when I’m in a pinch or don’t feel like making breakfast from scratch. They have four grams each of fiber and protein per serving which certainly isn’t terrible for a pancake/waffle mix.

Blue Diamond - now this is a company I’m familiar with who always makes incredible products. While I’ve tasted some of their flavored almonds before, I’ve never had their Bold Jalapeno Smokehouse almonds. Jonny and I both love spicy foods, so we finished this small can in no time!

The Vitamin Water Zero Mega-C with grape and raspberry flavors was especially tasty on a morning where I felt a tad dehydrated. I don’t drink these types of drinks all too often, but every once in awhile they definitely quench my thirst.

Thank you, Leigh-Ann, for a great package! I sent a box of goodies to Carissa at Lillies and Silk so check out her blog if you’d like to see what I packed. As always, a big thank you goes to The Lean Green Bean for hosting Foodie Pen Pals. Remember, anyone can participate in FPP! (Both readers and bloggers!) You get matched up with someone, and spend $15 on putting together goodies based on their preferences. If you’d like to participate next month (you should) CLICK HERE to sign up and for additional details.

Favorite flavor of almonds? Are you a fan of pancake and waffle mixes?

Foodie Pen Pals: November

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Itz Linz

Itz the last day in November, so you know what that means, right? Come on, y’all! Itz Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day!!! This month I sent a package to Rene who blogs at Adventures in Running. Click on over to her place to see what I sent. Laura, from Laura’s Plate, put together my box this month. She’s from Ohio, and most of the items she sent were from a local company called A Bushel & A Peck. From what I’ve tasted, they have many tasty treats! Like these:

The whole wheat raspberry bars taste like raspberry fig newtons, only better. I really like anything raspberry, and these did not disappoint. Ginger snaps are not a food I would typically buy. However, after opening the bag, I was pleasantly surprised. Jonny’s a fan, too! More of the goods:

I haven’t had a chance to open the sesame sticks or the honey mustard pretzel pieces yet, but I’m quite certain the pretzel pieces won’t last long. Obviously, I opened the chocolate peanut butter right when I saw it. Itz amazing. You know the chocolatey-peanut-buttery taste of a Reese’s? Yeah, that’s what this tastes like. I’ll most likely eat the majority of the contents with a spoon.

The jar of salsa has already been consumed. Laura sent a recipe for super easy crockpot chicken that uses the salsa, and I based my dinner last night from that. Into the crockpot I threw chicken, pinto beans, quinoa, the jar of salsa, tons of veggies, and chicken broth. It came out great (as my Instagram followers saw), and I’ll be enjoying it for lunch today, too. Thanks, Laura!

Lindsay from The Lean Green Bean gets a huge shout out today. She’s the mastermind behind Foodie Pen Pals, and has come up with a genius plan for December. Instead of running the regular Foodie Pen Pal program, she is asking people to donate money they normally would have spent on FPP to a fund she’s setting up to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. Here’s Lindsay’s logic behind this:

“You guys, we have the power to make a huge difference here. Think about it. On average, there are about 1,000 participants per month. If we all donate the $15 we would have spent, that’s $15,000 right there. That’s HUGE. Let’s make a difference!”

AMAZING! You know I’m already signed up as I would have signed up for FPP anyway. May as well put that money towards a good cause! CLICK HERE to learn more, sign up, and make a difference! Use the hashtag #FPP4Sandy to spread the word on Twitter.

Being Friday, today is also High Five Friday with A Dash of Meg.

Lindsay gets the high-five today. She constantly wants to help people, whether itz her readers, other bloggers, victims of Hurricane Sandy, or people she helps during her dietetic internship as she becomes an RD. On top of it all, Lindsay created the Elf for Health Challenge. What is #Elf4Health?

“This is a six week challenge that will run from the Monday after Thanksgiving through the first week in January. There are daily tasks, daily winners, prizes, weekly newsletters, and a Facebook group for support.
Dates: Monday, November 26th – January 6th All participants will receive an elf. In return, all participants will be that person’s elf in return! If you missed the initial sign up deadline: You can still enter for Rounds 2 and 3. See the details & sign up form below! Anyone can participate. It doesn’t matter no matter where you’re located! All you need is access to the internet and an email address. It also doesn’t cost anything. (We know you have plenty of gifts to buy this holiday season!)” source

Guess who I’m paired with for the first round of #elf4health? Lindsay! As a Twitter follower commented, “That’s like getting a present directly from Santa and not his elf!” Haha, right? Lindsay’s been amazing, and I’ve gotten to know her better through our daily e-mails! No worries though, there’s still time to sign up for rounds 2 and 3. And the prizes just keep getting better and better… Sign up here!

Do you participate in Foodie Pen Pals? How about Elf for Health?

FPP and WIAW

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Itz Linz

Happy Halloween!

Today’s post is jam-packed with Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day and What I Ate Wednesday and some cute puppy pumpkin pictures thrown in the mix! Let’s start with FPP courtesy of Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean.

This month, I sent a package to Elena at The Jittery Pen. Check out her blog to see what kind of goodness I shipped! Stephanie, a reader from New York, put together an awesome package for me. She themed it “chips” with some other goodies, too.

Steph’s Homemade Apple Chips were the best ever! Plus, she included the recipe on the back. I devoured these super fast (Jonny didn’t even get to try them!), but they seem pretty simple to make, so I’ll definitely give them a shot. I haven’t tried the Sourdough Crisps yet; Jonny and I ate the Health Crisps with Trader Joe’s hummus and it was an excellent combination. A couple other items:

Candy apple – perfect for fall! Smoked paprika mayonnaise is not something I normally would have bought myself; however, this is one of the many reasons I love foodie pen pals! It introduces and allows me to try new items. This will spruce up any sandwich, I’m sure! Stephanie continued the awesomeness…

…with treats for Zoey! Unfortunately, Zoey has a long list of allergies and can only eat her special food from the veterinarian and homemade treats of baked sweet potatoes. I found some other mutts to enjoy these though, and Zorro and Paris were very happy! Thanks, Stephanie for a great package! Now itz your turn: go sign up for the foodie pen pal fun! CLICK HERE to learn more and get started!

Itz hard to believe this is the last ~~Wednesday~~ DAY in October! Where oh where does the time go? Well, let me share some of my eats as of late for today’s WIAW with Jenn at Peas and Crayons.

Confession: My breakfasts recently have been pretty boring and standard: eggs and spinach or oatmeal (depending on my mood), and I haven’t snapped any photos. So instead of recycling breakfast pix, I’ll show you my dinners from the last two nights. I know, I know, hold your excitement, please! Let’s just start with lunch:

On Sunday, I dumped a package of broccoli slaw in a big bowl and added corn, tomatoes, onion, carrots, and tuna. Then, I made my own dressing by mashing an avocado, and adding cottage cheese (I was out of greek yogurt), apple cider vinegar, and lime juice. It came out great, just as these random rainbow salads always do! Success for Linz.

Now for the double dinner duty:

Monday’s dinner: spaghetti squash and spinach topped with ground turkey meat, onion, corn, and tomatoes. Simple, but tasty. Normally would have added some greek yogurt, but as aforementioned, we are out.

Tuesday’s dinner: I came home from coaching soccer practice and was chilled from standing outside. I had a box of Thai Sweet Potato soup in the pantry (actually leftover from my March Foodie Pen Pal!), and it sounded very appetizing. I heated it over the stove, and threw in some kale for my greens and added nutrients. Another win for me.

So I’ve been on a ~~minor~~ major pumpkin kick lately. Really, who hasn’t? I’ve been baking with pumpkin and then topping and dipping everything in pumpkin butter from Trader Joe’s. Have you tried that stuff? Itz really addicting.

Top left: I tried to make a peanut flour mug cake, but it came out a little dry which is why I’m not sharing the recipe. Anyway, I topped it with almond butter and pumpkin butter which totally made up in taste for the dryness.

Bottom left: I had a Sticky Fingers scones mix in my pantry (actually leftover from my April Foodie Pen Pal). The directions said to just add water to the mix, so I did and also dumped in a can of pumpkin with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Unsure of how it would come out, I threw it in a baking dish and popped it in the oven. The verdict? Amazing!! Soft and gooey and pumpkiny! Obviously, I topped it with more pumpkin butter to add to the goodness. Triple win for the Linz!

Right side: Honey wheat pretzels dipped in almond butter and pumpkin butter. Holy moly I should probably stop eating so much pumpkin butter. Jonny looked at the jar and wanted to know what kind of nutritional value it provided. Errr…. does deliciousness count?

What pumpkin goodness have you been enjoying lately? Plans for this evening? Happy Halloween!

Foodie Pen Pals: September

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Itz Linz

Today is awesome. Just plain awesome. First of all, itz October 1st (where is the time going?). Second of all, itz Marvelous Monday with Healthy Diva Katie. Third of all, itz Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day with Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean. I could go on and on, but let’s just stick with those three things for today.

My weekend was totally marvelous as I did 7-miles of speed work, celebrated my niece’s first birthday, and ran a Warrior Dash - all on Saturday! More details of each will come in-depth later this week. Yesterday was marvelous, as well, as Jonny and I tailgated with my parents and his parents before watching the St. Louis Rams beat the Seahawks. Woot woot. #STLpride

Our tailgate included the biggest turkey sandwiches ever and Bloody Mary’s. The turkey sandwich was literally bigger than my head, and I’ll continue to enjoy it during today’s lunch. And dinner. They call it “New York style;” I call it holy humongous turkey sandwich. It was a marvelous morning/afternoon, indeed.

Now for Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day. For those of you who aren’t familiar: Foodie Pen Pals is a program that Lindsay, a fellow blogger, set up in September of 2011. It allows readers and bloggers to be matched up, put together a box of goodies for $15, and sent away to their partner. Itz fun because there are participants all across the United States; ya never know who you’ll get it!

This month I sent a package to Andrea - check out her blog, A Doctor In The House, to see the goods! Jessica, a reader, sent me a truly marvelous package this month.

Marjoram Grow Kit – how fun! I’ve never grown my own herbs before, and I’m excited to try! Stoneground Xxpress Mustard – this would have been tasty on the massive turkey sandwich! Jonny and I are both mustard lovers; this came from a local farmer’s market, which you know I’m a sucker for! And Fig Butter? A Trader Joe’s delight that won’t last long. More goodies:

White Bean Rosemary Mix – includes white beans, onion, carrot, rosemary, garlic, salt, & bay – sounds perfect for the fall and wintertime! The granola bar is also from a farmer’s market. More TJ goodies: dark chocolate covered ginger (very different, but verygood!), and red split lentils. As you can see, we’ve already gotten into the ginger candies (so tasty! I keep eating one here, and one there…), and the lentils are another food perfect for the cooler months when soups will be made. Even more goodies:

A fresh loaf of sourdough and a bag full of treats for Zoey - both from Andrea’s local farmer’s market. She wrote me a note explaining some of the items, as well as included two recipes for a couple of the foods she sent. Andrea even thought of Zoey - how sweet! This was seriously a marvelous foodie pen pals package. Thank you so much, Andrea!

YOU should definitely join foodie pen pals next month. Itz fun for all – bloggers, readers, foodies, everyone! If you are new to the program CLICK HERE to sign up. If you participated this month and wish to continue in November, CLICK HERE. I really can’t say enough good things about this program, but join now! CLICK HERE for all the details about foodie pen pals.

What’s marvelous about your day? How was your weekend? Have you signed up for FPP yet? What are you waiting for?!

Foodie Penpals: August

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Itz Linz

The last day of my birthday month is already upon us! Where oh where has the time gone? The last day of the month means itz Foodie Penpals Reveal Day over at The Lean Green Bean!

Make sure you click on the button to take a looksie at all the goodies that were sent and received across the country (and Canada! and the UK!). This month I sent a box to Di at The Life of Di, so head on over to her blog to find out about her loot! Kristina, a reader who lives near Boston and is training for the NYC marathon (!!!) sent me a wonderful box. I told her I loved receiving local foods, and I’m not real picky as I like to try it all. Well, she picked out some local fare and it certainly did not disappoint!

I can’t wait to use the Wild Maine Blueberry spread (the jar claims to be “wicked good!”) and have so many ideas for it already. Pancakes, oatmeal, sandwiches, oh the possibilities are endless! The applesauce is made from New England McIntosh Apples which has a wonderful taste. The honey is absolutely perfect because I have been in need of more honey, but haven’t gotten any yet. Now I have a whole pound!

Kettle Corn? Pretty sure Jonny and I had no problem polishing this off in way less time than we should have! It was good and we enjoyed the sweet treat. Thanks, Kristina! Best of luck in the NYC Marathon!

All the details for Foodie Penpals can be found HERE. Itz open to readers and bloggers alike, and I would highly encourage you to get involved. Itz super simple – you get paired up with someone random (from your country), have a $15 spending limit, send them goodies, and receive an awesome box from someone else! CLICK HERE to fill out a brief form to sign up. And now because itz Friday, let’s do some High Five Friday action with A Dash of Meg!

High Five Friday with A Dash of Meg

There is one person and one person only who most definitely deserves today’s high-five. This person is not only a dear friend to me, but an unbelievable athlete, and an inspiring blogger, fitness instructor, and woman.

Annette of Enjoy Your Healthy Life just completed her first HALF IRONMAN! Not only that, she did it all (70.3 miles!) in less than seven hours! Read her full recap HERE. Annette, you never cease to amaze me, and this is no different. You are [in your own words] thebombdotcom. xoxo Now move back to St. Louis? ;) #wishfulthinking

Do you know anyone who has ever done an Ironman – half or full? What’s the longest distance you’ve swam/biked/run? Mine is 13.1 miles during the seven half-marathons I’ve run – I can’t imagine running a half after swimming and biking crazy distances, too!

Foodie Pen Pals: July

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Itz Linz

Even though today is my last day of vacation, I know I have some treats to go back to in St. Louis. How? Why? From my foodie pen pal, of course! Today is Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day, so make sure you head over to The Lean Green Bean and check out all the lovely foodie items that were sent and how they’re being enjoyed.

This month I sent a box full of goodies to Robyn. Robyn actually just recently created her own blog – My Healthy Nest - so go to her ~~nest~~ blog to find out what I sent and leave some love. A reader named Carolyn sent me a package, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect; it arrived the day before I left, so I was able to tear into it and check out my goods! And good is just what I found:

No Pudge! Fudge Brownie Mix – just the name cracks me up, and the fact that all you need to do is add yogurt in order to make an instant brownie… pretty cool! What really stole my heart was Peanut Butter & Co.’s White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter. I’ve had some other flavors from PB & Co., but surprisingly never the white chocolate. This is the one thing that I opened immediately because I just had to taste it! Itz everything the name suggests. That won’t last long.

Carolyn also sent a can of organic garbanzo beans which is a great pantry staple to have. I think I’m due to make another batch of roasted chickpea snacks.

Check out these cute jars that also arrived on my doorstep:

Four different jars filled with homemade goodness! When I showed Jonny, he said, “Wow, your pen pal really did good this month, huh?” Yes, yes she did. We absolutely cannot wait to try each and every one of these jars. I have a feeling I’ll be begging Carolyn for some recipes… (Carolyn, consider yourself warned!)

To get involved in the foodie pen pal fun, click here and fill out a short form. Itz really easy and totally makes your day when a package arrives!

Do you make your own spreads, jams, or syrups? I’ve just made different fruity chia jams – I’d like to start doing more!

Foodie Pen Pals: June

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Itz Linz

Today I am honored to stand next to one of my very best friends while she says “I do” to the man of her dreams. I’ve known Barbie since preschool. She was nicknamed Barbie back then, and the name stuck… Until she went to college, but since it’s been 20-plus years of Barbie, she’s Barbie to me! We went through our entire elementary, middle, and high school years together. While we parted ways for college, our friendship remained as strong as ever. Most recently, Barbie graduated from Stanford Law – talk about an accomplishment!

Barbie is the one, actually, who got me started with running. I was incredibly homesick throughout the beginning years of college, and during one of our phone conversations, Barbie suggested we sign up to run a half-marathon together. We’d train separately, keep each other up to date on our progress, and meet back in St. Louis for the race. I had never run a race at that point. I remember calling Barbie after I did my first two miles, and she was so encouraging that I kept going. During our race, I tuckered out after mile 6 and needed to walk/run the remainder of the race, but instead of judging, being disappointed, or leaving me, Barbie stuck by my side until we crossed the finish line. Since then, the St. Louis half-marathon has become a tradition for the two of us, and one that I hope will continue as long as possible.

Me & Barbie at my bachelorette party – July 2010

This weekend has been filled with all the typical pre-wedding bridal party fun: girl talk, manicures, pedicures, hair, and make-up. I’ll give you a full update after the excitement is over. For now, I’m off to enjoy this amazing weekend. But first, let’s talk Foodie Pen Pals.

This month, I sent a package full of goodies to JayMOO to JayME. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because you may remember her from this High Five Friday post when I gave Jaimi a high-five for reaching the 100 pound mark in her weight loss journey! Check out Jaimi’s blog to see what I sent her. Maren from Maren’s Morsels sent me my goodie box this month. The first portion was from Lake Tahoe.

Ultimate Malted Milk Balls – dug into those immediately, so good! A Lake Tahoe bottle of water, post card, and sticker of Cali. The homemade croutons look really good, especially since they contain only a few ingredients. Maren also sent me a bunch of snacks.

Chocolate Agave Slow-Burn Energy sounds really good, and I’m excited to try! Maybe I’ll just have to go on a longer run in order to put this to good use. The crispy rice bar is thrown in my purse to use as an emergency snack. The Clif bar Cool Mint Chocolate sounds tasty; it contains caffeine which I’ve never had a bar with caffeine, but it seems like it will be a nice little pick me up. Larabar - can’t ever go wrong there! A couple packs of Annie’s organic bunny fruit snacks, too. Yum! All in all, I made out pretty well! Thanks, Maren!

If YOU want to get involved in Foodie Pen Pals (and you should), click over to Lindsay’s blog The Lean Green Bean and fill out the short, simple form here.

Happy weekend! What’s your favorite bar or snack to throw in your purse?

Foodie PenPals: May

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Itz Linz

Last day of May = Foodie PenPal Reveal day! Major props go to Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean for hosting this ever increasingly amazing project.

Be sure to pop on over to her and click around for more goodies that were sent and received. This month I received my package from Jennifer at Peanut Butter and Peppers. Anyone who has peanut butter in their name is fine by me! Jennifer always posts beautiful pictures of new creations she’s come up with, so I was certain my package would not disappoint.

And it didn’t. First up, barbeque sauce. I featured this pulled chicken sandwich in a WIAW post, but had to wait til today to reveal the sauce. The sauce is what makes the sandwich! After shredding the chicken, I mixed the barbeque sauce all over and the added some more on top. Very delicious. Next up is M & M cookies that Jennifer said she received her husband’s permission to share.

Now I know why she needed permission. Very good and unfortunately for Jonny, I did not share with my husband. I’ve declared my love for Trader Joe’s before, but I especially like how each store features different items. Well, actually I love and hate that fact because if I get something especially yummy, it’s usually the case that my TJ’s doesn’t carry it! Anyway, Jennifer sent me some dark chocolate nutty bites.

I looooved the combination of nuts and dark chocolate in these. I never really feel you can go wrong with nuts and chocolate, but these bite size nuggets were very yummy. The last of the package I received were more bite size treats.

Both of these goodies were picked up at a local Farmer’s Market which made me love them more. The granola was so delicious and I used it to top oatmeal, mix with milk, and just straight out of ~~the bag~~ my hand! The natural orange honey almonds had a good flavor, too. They made me want to recreate them myself which I think should be pretty doable. Be on the lookout, folks. Thank you, Jennifer, for all my treats!

If you’re curious about what I sent my foodie penpal, then go visit Jen at Just a Mom Giving it a “TRI.” And if you want to sign up for foodie penpals, click here and fill out a short form. Itz really easy to do and really fun to put together and receive a package! Also, Foodie PenPals is open to bloggers and readers alike. But sign up soon because the next set of pairings go out on June 5th! (June 4th is the deadline to sign up.)

What’s your favorite flavor of almonds? Orange honey was new to me!

PS: Tomorrow is the last day to enter my giveaway! Enter now and good luck!

Foodie PenPals: April

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Itz Linz

April showers bring… Foodie PenPals! Today is reveal day: I get to share with you what my foodie penpal sent me and you get to find out what I sent my foodie penpal. Contain your excitement, please!

Click on the button above to get involved. And you really should. It’s so fun and so easy. Seriously. Have I sold you yet? If not yet, check out what my foodie penpal sent me and what I sent mine and maybe you’ll be convinced. This month Darlynn at Little Blog Dress sent me my package. Her goodies were dead on with foods and drinks I love. Like tea.

When I took the glass teapot out I kept saying, “Cool! Cool! This is so cool!” Jonny confirmed what a dork I am. I don’t even care though because I was SO stoked to get this teapot. I do love drinking tea, but can’t commit to buying a teapot that you can use loose tea leaves in. So this is absolutely perfect! And Darlynn sent me a few samples of loose tea to try. Perfecto! Check out my other goods:

More tea love with the tea honey! Some mango flavored coconut water which I’m super excited about. Coconut water is great for replenishing electrolytes after a tough workout (and it helps with curing hangovers, too!). The scone mix looks very simple which I’m obviously a huge fan of. All you have to do is add water. I may and try to add some flavored NuNatural goodness. And that purple thing? A homemade drink sleeve! Darlynn said it was so I didn’t have to use those ugly brown ones most places hand out. How stylish of me! Hehe. Thank you so much for my goodies!

Now onto what I sent my foodie penpal. I got to create a package for Olivia, a reader. Olivia was kind enough to write a guest post for me! Here it is:

Some people may say that I am “obsessed” with food, but I prefer to say that I just really, really love it. I am an avid health/fitness blog reader so when I happened across The Lean Green Bean, I was very excited to say the least. This was my first time being a part of Foodie Pen Pals so I didn’t really know what to expect. What I did know was that I checked my mail everyday religiously because just the thought of being sent yummy food from someone who knows good food made me happy and anxious. The day I received my package I could hardly wait to open it up and see what goodies were inside. Here is what Linz sent me.

I do eat a gluten-free diet because of allergies, but Linz still was able to send me some awesome stuff. Starting from the left:

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut = delicious. I love to put this on top of my oatmeal in the morning and sprinkle some into my fruit smoothies. I’m thinking about roasting some in the oven to add some flavor to it.

TJ’s Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snacks – I love seaweed and I love spicy things. I like to tear them up and sprinkle them on top of salads. The more ingredients in a salad the better (or at least I think so!!)

TJ’s Salsa Verde- Since I live in Charlottesville, VA we do not have a Trader Joes in town and the closest one is over an hour away in Richmond…it’s almost like Linz knew to get me TJ things Even though I worked at Trader Joe’s for 4 years I never had tried the Salsa Verde. I dipped it in some chips, but I can see this being really good in Mexican dishes.

Zico Coconut Water- I am obsessed with anything coconut and Zico is my favorite coconut water brand that is not fresh from the coconut. I think it tastes the closest to the real deal. I enjoyed drinking this yesterday after a long night out on the town! Note: the bottle is actually empty in this picture…I couldn’t wait! (Great for after workouts, too.)

TJ’s Dark Chocolate Bar Caramel With Black Sea Salt- SO unbelievably good. Caution: Before opening, make sure people are there to share with, otherwise you may eat the entire thing.

Honey Sticks- I can’t wait to put these in iced tea and use as syrup on pancakes. The strawberry sounds especially yummy.

Walnut & Date Kind Bar- I have tried many KIND bars, but never this flavor. I actually thought I didn’t like walnuts, but after this bar I have been converted. So.good.

Ginger Chews- I can’t really explain these candies except they have a lot going on. I brought some with me to my 3.5 hr long Spanish class. They were great to snack on/ distract me.

TJ’s Boysenberry Fruit Bar- This boysenberry flavor sounds really good and I am looking forward to having it with a lunch this week.

All of the food I received will be gone in the very near future and I am so glad that I am now a part of Foodie Pen Pals!

Thanks, Olivia, for that great post! Now it’s YOUR turn! If you want to sign up for next month’s foodie penpals, be sure to e-mail Lindsay by May 4th. She will send out the matches with all the details and your package will be on it’s way before you know it. Click here for more details on this fun exchange.

Out of the above packages, what would you like to try? If you do participate in foodie penpals, what was your favorite goodie?

Itz Linz

itz the life of linz

Tag Archives: foodie pen pals