Hey there friends and neighbors!

My first day back from the long weekend was actually a half-day, as I received a mere 3 hours of sleep on Sunday night. The combination of an early flight, puppy hair inhalation (resulting in a restless night of sneezing), and a last minute visit from the beau, along with a rather chatty early morning airplane crew and I was plum tuckered out. Zombie Jordan is not a productive employee, so I took some sick time to replenish my slumber funds.  Voila, a new woman!

And, waiting for me, was a delicious package, most of which I’ve been holding back on due to frequent trips and traveling.  Lisa from The Healthy Diaries was my lovely Foodie Penpal for this month!!  And little miss Lisa spoiled me rotten.

(In case you’re late in the game, check out my packages from Allie in September and Laura in October.)

Lisa’s package was the full Monty.

I’ll admit, I love that the majority of my packages have been savory and delicious.  While sweet treats are fun, I can’t help but follow my spicy and salty nature…. and it’s led to some AMAZING sauces, dips, and flavors in my mouth.

In my package:

• Crunchmaster Gluten-Free Sea Salt Crackers
• Peggy’s Pepper Jelly
• Frontera Guacamole Mix
• Frontera Skillet Sauce
• Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Mustard

Be still my savory-lovin’ heart!

My regular post-workout snack has been the crackers dipped in the Pepper Jelly. Or, really, my anytime-at-all snack. I’m addicted to the pepper jelly. I want it slathered on my lips like chapstick. But, in the meantime, it makes for a great base of a egg-cheddar-pepper jelly sammy!!

And for Monday night’s meal, a total treat:

Just a little sauteed onions, browned chicken, and some skillet sauce, and I had myself the makings for a totally delightful dinner.

This skillet sauce adds flavor to the most basic of ingredients, and couldn’t have been simpler.  Toss some of the mix on top of a salad base consisting of spinach, avocado, tomato, salsa, and a bit of cheese… Perfecto!

I’ll admit, I’ve got an aversion to Mustard (should’ve mentioned that in my email! woops), but I’m sure I’ll find a use for it in the future. And the next day I grab some serious avocados, you bet I’ll be getting my guac fix.

Thank you, Lisa, you palate-pensive penpal! You nailed my taste, and freshened up my kitchen in a time of need (after traveling so much, my cupboards were virtually bare!)

A penpal in need is a penpal, indeed.

If you’re curious about what I sent to Lindsay, check it out at The Lean Green Bean’s Foodie Penpal post!! (She’s the lady that organized this whole shebang, so I felt like I was writing poetry for Shakespeare or sending Bumpits to Snookie).

And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:

-On the 5th of every 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 are 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. *US Residents only please at this time- hopefully we can expand soon!*

If you’re interested in participating for December, please send  an email to Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com  by December 4th and include the following information:

-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)

Maybe you’ll get a sexy package from MOI! or be able to send me one!! And, tis the season… It’s better to give than receive, right?

I do love making holiday themed packages, too! Oooh lala.