As you can clearly tell, my blogging is still in its infancy. But I learn new things with every article I post, so I WILL get there – I promise.

This site wasn’t up and running in time for the last round of Foodie Penpal reveals, but I think we’re really good to go this month. This particular posting is about the package I gathered to send to lovely Lisa in Craigavon.

I have historically used all kinds of shopping sources to fulfil the penpal requirements. I would really like to use our Farmers’ Market that comes to Epsom every month, as more and more unusual vendors are selling their wares. And it’s all local stuff – which is kind of the point, right? But our once-a-month market shows up on the first Sunday of the month. And our new Penpal matches aren’t sent out until the 5th of the month, so unless that first Sunday falls on the 6th or 7th, I’m stuffed. So sorry Lisa – no local-to-Epsom products in your parcel this month.

I was lucky enough to visit the Lake District earlier this month, however, and I tend to picture all of the Lake District like a Beatrix Potter sketch. So with countryside that cute, I knew I could probably find at least a couple of items there . . . and I wasn’t disappointed. A combination of traipsing through Grange-over-Sands and Cartmel really provided me with a variety of things that I just wouldn’t find here in Surrey. So I did pick up a few things for the parcel.

But I knew I needed more items once I got back home, so I did the ‘farm shop’ google and found several within an acceptable radius. I chose one and went for it. Boy, did I strike gold! I found a place called The Larder, and it is a magical shop with local grocery items – and some very unusual things. It’s a quite petite shop, but it still took me about 20 minutes to walk around and see the whole thing. And this is where I did the rest of my shopping. Note to my future recipients: be watching for more items from here!

So here are a few things that went into this month’s parcel –

Ready for the goodies!

The first big decision, of course, is what box to use. I now tend to keep all the boxes that I get stuff in, just for the foodie penpal, so we might need to move house to incorporate the extra cardboard I’ve accumulated.

Chocolate handbag

In Grange-over-Sands, there is the most delightful chocolate shop (I kind of feel like it’s more of a “ye olde shoppe”), and one of the things Lisa said she liked was chocolate. And what girl doesn’t like a handbag, so a combination of the two seemed appropriate.

Pretty pasta

Lisa also told me she likes pasta, and this was so pretty that I had to get this – also from Grange-over-Sands. I think it must have other flavours in it, but I just liked the colours.

Smoked garlic

The rest of the stuff came from The Larder in Cobham. This freshly smoked bulb of garlic was just so aromatic, and nice and light to post! So that went in – although I did double wrap it in two zip-lock baggies to try to contain the aroma.

Snacking Salami

Battered broad beans

I had send the snacking salami as it looked really nice, and then I happened upon the battered broad beans. I have to say that I glanced at it and thought the flavour said “Mojito”, which has to be great on anything, right? It wasn’t until I got home and was wrapping everything up that I realised they weren’t actually mojito-flavoured. Sorry, Lisa . . .

Ladybug!

Lemon & Black Pepper chocolate

And finally – a few more sweet things, because you never can have too many – some lemon and black pepper chocolate and a lucky ladybug!

What a fun package this was to put together. I wonder what the next one will bring?