February 2016 Foodie Penpal reveal

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Early on this month, I received an email from Faye.  She informed me that she was my Foodie Penpal this month.  It was her first assignment since joining the gang, so we exchanged a few notes, and off she went.  I started thinking about the first parcel I sent out several years ago when I first joined, and I am almost ashamed of what I sent in comparison to what I received from Faye this month.

My parcel arrived this week, wrapped safely in a green plastic coat with decorative, dotty sticky tape.

Dottily adorned plastic.

Dottily adorned plastic.

I couldn’t wait to get it open!

And like a great ‘pass the parcel’ game, I had another layer to get through.

Bee kitties

Bumblebee kitties

 

This layer revealed a box wrapped in these cool cats that I first thought looked like giant bumble bees. However on closer inspection, I decided they were more like inmates . They were very cute though!

Faye sent me a card to ‘introduce’ the box.

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She writes to explain a few things, but importantly, she tells me that her son helped in the shopping task, and even gave me a little puzzle to get me to figure out which item her son chose.  I have to admit now that I cheated and read the answer before I looked at the rest of the box.  I’m so ashamed . . . (not really).

So the first thing I pulled out of the box was a box of chai tea.  Ironically, I had been introduced to chai tea last weekend, and really, really liked it.

3

So of course I was delighted to get my own stash.  It is a very warming drink, gently spiced, so a really nice change from my usual mug of builder’s tea.

And this went perfectly with the next thing I pulled out.

What's better than butter?

What’s better than butter?

These cookies . . . er . . . biscuits literally melt in your mouth.  Such a great pairing with a nice cup of chai.

Next came the interesting part.  I’ve never seen this, and I can’t wait to try it.

All that glitters . . .

All that glitters . . .

In my mind, you can never go wrong with a bit of glitter, be it on your clothes, in your hair, on your nails.  So why not in your jelly?  Glitter jelly and ice cream has to be a winner.

I then pulled out these two cocktail napkins which made me giggle all afternoon.

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My BFF from was visiting me from Chicago on the day this package arrived, and we especially loved the one about the ‘friends’.

Next to come out of the magic box was a smaller box.

Pumpkin risotto

Pumpkin risotto

Pumpkin in ANYTHING is a great, great thing.  This looks fantastic.

Tucked in behind the pumpkin risotto (do you say ‘riz-oh-to’ or ‘riz-ah-to’???) was this little gem.

Pork Rib BBQ rub

Pork Rib BBQ rub

I like any kind of rub or marinade, so this was a great find.  It says it’s for pork ribs, but I think it could also be used on chicken or beef.  But pork ribs will do just fine for me, thank you very much.

The next thing I pulled out set me up nicely for the next morning.

Bursting oats

Bursting oats

Whoever invented the one-cup of instant oats gets my blessing.  No weighing.  No measuring.  Just add boiling water.

And finally came the item that Faye’s son, Ben, chose for me (or possibly his mother wrenched it from his hands).

Nutella to go!

Nutella to go!

Anything that allows you to eat this while walking out the door, riding on the train, sitting on a bus, etc, must get the thumbs-up from everyone.  So thank you, Ben, for your contribution.  I know you’re going to make someone a very good foodie penpal later on in life!

So a fabulous, fantastic and wonderful first attempt at the Foodie Penpal, Faye.  Well done, you.  I just hope your package was just as special.  Thank you for a GREAT February parcel.

If you are reading this and would like to find out more about the Foodie Penpal set-up, you can find what you want to know here.

October 2015 Foodie Penpal reveal

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This month, I sent my parcel off to Alice in London, and in turn, I got my parcel from Rachel in Liverpool.  It’s probably one of my first all-British swaps in a long time.

Rachel was assigned to me as her very first foodie penpal experience.  I started thinking back to a couple of years ago when it was my first time.  I remember it being very nerve-racking, and in hindsight, knowing what I know now, I’d love to do the first couple of people again.  However Rachel seems to have skirted the ‘nerves’ issue, and she produced a most wonderful box of goodies for her first time out of the gate.

In honour of Halloween, I received a pumpkin orange parcel.

Square pumpkin?

Square pumpkin?

Of course it was just a Sainsbury’s plastic carrier bag (other supermarket bags are available) protecting the box, and I did ask if she wanted me to refund her 5p for the bag, but she declined my offer.  But I thought how appropriate it was to have a Halloween orange box this week.

So after carefully peeling the pumpkin box, I reached layer number two.

Pink polka dots

Pink polka dots

This was looking interestinger and interestinger.  And like the most exciting game of ‘Pass the Parcel’, I peeled off this pink film to find . . .

Blue polka dots

Blue polka dots

I finally got to the prize!  But it was so fun to have layers to get through first.

The box revealed

The box revealed

And this is what greeted me when I took the polka-lid off.  My heart started racing immediately.  See that magical looking red ‘f’ there in the middle of the box?  I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT!  And if I had a heart condition, it I would have been in trouble as I also spotted some familiar cookies in the box, too.  But more on that later.

Marshmallow fluff

Marshmallow fluff

Of course my hands went straight for the fluff.  For those of you who have never experienced a fluffernutter, you don’t know what you’re missing.   I’ve already decided to make fudge with this.  Marshmallow fluff makes the most delicious fudge. I seriously encourage you to explore this opportunity (after you make a fluffernutter, of course).

And because the human mind always goes to the familiar first, I reached for these next.

Oreos

Oreos

I so rarely buy these here, so I was delighted to have them provided to me without any effort.  Before I open these though, I need to buy more milk.  You just can’t have Oreo cookies without a lot of very cold milk.  It’s the best.

I next reached for this large box of tea.

Chocolate tea

Chocolate tea

So I have this theory in my head that trendy ‘green tea’ that is sooooooo good for you, will taste awful, as most things that are ‘good for you’ do.  But how on earth can a tea named “Fudge Melts” taste bad, I ask you?  I am really looking forward to brewing this up.  I am picturing it enveloping the entire house in a blanket of chocolate scent.  What could be better?

I next spied a familiar logo.  Rachel had included a package of Guinness mini caramels, wrapped in chocolate, and they taste like Guinness.

Guinness caramels

Guinness caramels

Now’s the time that I confess that even after living in this country for almost 30 years, I have never tasted Guinness.  I love the way it looks.  But I really want it to taste like a root beer float.  And I suspect it’s not going to.  So as not to dispel my imagery, I have avoided tasting it.  However, I feel mixing it with chocolate and caramel would be fine.  It would be like tasting it, without having to compare it to a root beer float.  Those will be open tonight after dinner, I think.

Ahhh . .  and finally something I can claim has a ‘healthy’ label . . .

Perkier bar

Perk!er bar

I have had Perk!er bars, but haven’t tried this one.  However, I love quinoa AND goji berries and cranberries.  So it’s a winner all ’round, right?  This looks packed full of goodness.

Next, I found these two packages.

Garlic seasoning

Garlic seasoning

and

Chilli seasoning

Chilli seasoning

I cook with fresh chilli and fresh garlic ALL the time, so I was very excited to see these.  What a great way to always have these things on hand, especially if you’ve just run out of the fresh stuff.

And finally, the last pouch I pulled out was one of my favourite flavours of all time.    I love Nandos chicken, and now I can do it at home without having to put up with having to go up to the counter to order my food.  I even have (pretty much) unlimited soft drinks here, too!

 

Nandos sauce

Nandos sauce

So Rachel – your first parcel was outstanding.  I hope yours was as spectacular as this one was.  You really couldn’t have picked out better things for me, and I thank you for that.  Well done, Rachel.  A gold star for your first time!

If this has piqued your interest in foodie penpals, please, please RUN – do not walk – to this website below to sign up for Foodie Penpals. Go to http://thisisrocksalt.com/foodie-penpals

September 2015 Foodie Penpal reveal

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September brought me a ‘newbie’ penpal.  My name was given to Jana in Germany, and I pretty much gave her free rein to send what she wanted to.  She jumped straight on it, and within a week, she emailed to say her parcel was on its way, which really put me to shame as I only had to send mine to Birmingham, and I still hadn’t been shopping.

A few days later, this HUGE box appeared on my doorstep.

Huge Box

Huge Box

I put a small, 10 ml bottle of essential oils on the box so you’d get perspective.  This is definitely the largest parcel I’ve received yet! I suspect Jana had to take out a second mortgage just to post it here.

You will also get bonus points for guessing the shadow puppet on the box above.

The start of the reveal!

The start of the reveal!

It was absolutely stuffed full of things – I couldn’t wait to get everything unwrapped.

Contents unwrapped

Contents unwrapped

So this is a snapshot of what I got. What a fabulous array.

Clearly the bottle is what I reached for first.  I love getting bottles.

Dry white wine

Dry white wine

Before going any deeper into the box, this bottle went straight to the fridge where, like good pastry, it rested until consumed not long after.  It was delicious and was the perfect accompaniment to the next item that caught my eye.

Chili and Lime Nuts

Chili and Lime Nut

These peanuts were fantastic. You got the subtle hint of citrus first, and then a hit of heat.   They were extremely more-ish, and we couldn’t stop eating them until they were gone.  Good choice, Jana!

Next I pulled out this container of Muesli.

Honey and Coconut Muesli

Honey and Coconut Muesli

The brilliant thing about this is it’s a single serving, and it leaves room for you to add your favourite yogurt.  I added my favourite greek yogurt, and the bottom of the container came much too soon.   Just a touch of sweetness from the honey and coconut, but not that you actually tasted either.  It was delicious.

Then, something else caught my eye.  Something homemade.

Homemade pear pineapple jam

Homemade pear pineapple jam

I think there is something very special in sending something homemade.  It shows a lot of class and thoughtfulness.  It suggests that someone thought enough about you to actually make something for you.  I tried this first as a marinade for a couple of pork chops.  I just rubbed a bit on both sides, and melted a bit in the juices for a lovely  sauce.  It was delicious.  Jana – this was such an inspired item to send.  I really liked it.

And it didn’t take much persuading to get this bag of chocolates out.

Mini chocolates

Mini chocolates

Such a variety of types of chocolates here filled with things like nougat, marzipan, hazel nuts, etc.  There’s something here for every chocolate lover.  And each one is a nice bite-size, so you can try them all without feeling guilty.

And what do you have with chocolates?

Apple Fig Tea

Apple Fig Tea

Well, TEA, of course!  I drink a lot of tea, but have never tasted apple and fig before.  It is delightfully refreshing, and it makes the kitchen smell absolutely divine.  This really goes with everything.

And this jar came out next.

Vanilla Tomato

Vanilla Tomato

This is really interesting.  It’s a vanilla tomato chutney, and we’ve had it with cheese and biscuits.  It was a surprisingly good combination, and something we’ve never tried before.  This is definitely worth investigating, if you have the chance.

This was followed by a grinder.

Lemon Pepper

Lemon Pepper

This is a brilliant season tool for so many things.  It’s fresh ground pepper, but it has the addition of lemon zest as well.  It really gives things added zing.  I started using this sparingly, but now it’s the first thing I reach for. It seasons everything from eggs to steaks.  I love the freshness of freshly ground anything.  Another good choice.

And finally, spaetzle.  I just discovered a recipe for meatballs in a cream sauce, and I think this will go beautifully on top of these egg noodles.

Spaetzle

Spaetzle

A bit of boiling salt water and the contents of this bag, and I’ve got a great meal.  I can’t wait to try these.

So – as you can see, this was truly a fabulous parcel from Jana in Germany.  I have tasted so many unusual things, got some homemade things, and was able to have a drink at the same time.  Well done, Jana.  You’ve made your first venture into the Foodie penpal club a memorable one.  I hope your parcel was as good as the one you sent me.

 

 

 

 

August (2015) Foodie Penpal Reveal (albeit late!)

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Another post – another excuse for being late.  What haven’t I used yet?  Escaped Puma from Chessington Zoo?  Ball took a bad bounce?  The sun got in my eyes?  I’ll come up with something creative . . . maybe . . .

My August penpal, Margaud, sent me the most beautiful box, all the way from France.  When it first arrived, I thought someone had sent me a hat.

A new hat!

A new hat!

I immediately started to figure out where I could go that would warrant wearing a hat.  Wedding?  The races? Shopping at Sainsburys?  Options starting wizzing through my brain while I was prying the top off.  What colour will be be?  Will it fit?  Who could have sent this to me?  And still – all the time in the back of my head, I was thinking, “Who in the world would send me a hat?  I NEVER wear hats.”

So you can imagine my delight when I managed to break through the tough security measures and find it was my food parcel from Margaud.  I was first relieved that I didn’t have to lie to someone and tell them I really liked the hat they sent me (even though I probably wouldn’t have), but then delighted to realise what it actually was.

Phew! Not a new hat!

Phew! Not a new hat!

And it was full of wonderful, wonderful treats.

Full of treats

Full of treats

Firstly, I always like a gift that contains a bottle of alcohol.

A good brown ale

A good brown ale

You really can’t go wrong with that, and this month, I got a bottle of dark brown Ale, which I can’t wait to use.  I will probably use it in a recipe rather than drink it, but I’m still uncertain about this.  As the weather is starting to cool down a bit, I think a cassoulet might be in order.

At this point, I’d also like to point out that most, if not all, of my items are from the area that Marguad or her husband are from, which makes it all the more special.

The next thing my eyes went for was the package of Speculoos.

A French delicacy! Speculoos!

A French delicacy! Speculoos!

I LOVE THESE.  You will often find them on the side of your morning coffee in the local café in France. They are a gingerbread cookie that go perfectly with coffee.  Or tea.  Or milk.  Or just on their own  Those won’t last long here.

Next I pulled out some pate, also made with beer from the north of France.

Pate made with beer - yum!

Pate made with beer – yum!

I can’t wait to try this.  I will toast some French bread and make a nice lunch out of this.

I next saw a package of Palet Bretons, which I have had before.

Buttery goodness

Buttery goodness

They are wonderfully buttery and delicious.  These also won’t last long here!

You can't go wrong with pretzels

You can’t go wrong with pretzels

Margaud then sent me a bag of pretzels from her husband’s neck of the woods, and we go through pretzels here like wildfire, so they were really welcome.  I was going to use them in a recipe that I make every couple of weeks, but I opened the bag – just for quality testing, of course – and decided they were too good, and they needed to be eaten in their purest form.

The perfect marriage of chicken and garlic

The perfect marriage of chicken and garlic

And lastly, she sent me a cooking bag, seasoned with spices and garlic for seasoning and cooking chicken in. (yes – I realise the error of that sentence structure, but it’s what I wanted to say).  This will make for a quick and easy dinner sometime very soon.

Margaud – you chose so well, and packaged everything up so beautifully.  Thank you so much for my parcel.  I absolutely loved it.  C‘était chouette!

January 2015 Foodie Penpal

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Okay, okay – I know it’s almost mid February, and a bit late to be posting about January, but my January penpal Hayley (and Clive) put together a box that is too special to miss out.

My box, last month, came from Yorkshire. Yorkshire’s a place I’ve visited a couple of times, but never really invested in my surroundings while I was there. So Hayley (and Clive) decided I needed a taste of their home. Hayley did a great job. On the top, and really the first to be consumed almost immediately, were two bags of crisps.

Crisps

Great flavours!

The Chardonnay Wine Vinegar flavour was really good, but I think edging it slightly was the Henderson’s Yorkshire Sauce flavour. These didn’t last long at all.

Next out of the box was some Yorkshire tea. I always associated Yorkshire tea with real ‘builder’s tea’ kind of fayre. But I’ve been proved wrong on that count.

Tea

Yorkshire Rose Tea

This tea is really delicately flavoured. I never would have thought to try this, so I’m so grateful I ‘forced’ into it. You won’t have to ask me twice. I’m rationing this one as I really look forward to my tea break with this tea.

Next, from Sheffield, came honey. Honey doesn’t last long in this household – especially the spreading kind.

Honey

Sheffield Honey

This is smooth and sweet, and perfect on my morning toast. It also really compliments the rose tea I mentioned earlier. With so many benefits for eating honey, you can’t go wrong with this.

After we polished off the crisps so quickly, I was pleased to pull out the next item from the box. Hayley sent a box of Roquefort Cheese Melts.

Cheese Melts

Roquefort Cheese Melts

These are absolutely delicious. A little, powerful, crunchy, bite-size treat, which goes really well with a glass of wine before dinner.

The next thing I pulled out were a bag of Hayley’s local chocolates.

Chocolates

Now this is what I call a plate full of goodness!

Chocolates are always the perfect thing to send anyone at any time. And these were a beautiful blend of all different combinations. You did a great job picking them out, Hayley – well done!

And finally, perhaps the most local of the lot, was a bottle of Henderson’s Relish.

Sauce

Henderson’s Relish

This looks like ordinary Worcester sauce, but it’s SO not. It’s got a real different slant than the popular brand we always pick up off the shelf. I have already added it to many things, and it’s got a much richer flavour. I really like this. But I knew I’d like it, if the aforementioned crisps were anything to go on!

So thank you, Hayley, for all your contributions. You did yourself (and your home) proud. You put together a true representation of your surroundings, and each item was carefully and thoughtfully put together. Well done to my January Foodie Penpal.