This past May I was introduced to the Foodie Pen Pals program through a follower of mine on Twitter.  What is Foodie Pen Pals, you ask?  Most of us had some kind of a pen pal as a kid, right?  You sent letters back and forth, sometimes photos.  Maybe if you were lucky enough you even met your pen pal somewhere down the line in real life? (Please note, I am talking about those of us who remember what it was like to communicate with someone in another state or another country before the advent of the World Wide Web, email, Facebook, and Twitter.)

 

Well, Foodie Pen Pals is along this line of thought, but think food instead of letters and photos. Each month Lindsay from The Lean Green Bean matches up hundreds of foodies across the country.  Unlike the old-fashioned pen pals some of us once had, each foodie pen pal is not matched with the same person who will be sending them a package.  So, you essentially get to “meet” and make friends with two new foodies each month, not just one.  By the way, I have only been participating in this program for two months now and have already found some great new Twitter accounts and blogs to follow. 

 

The Foodie Pen Pals program is a fabulous way to share some of our local goodies across state lines.  Last month I was matched with a fellow foodie in the Tennessee.   I had so much fun putting together a box of Mountain State yumminess for her.  What did I include in my box?  I purchased most of the contents of my box from the Bridgeport Farmer’s Market- Dandelion Jelly from Hawthorne Valley Farm, Spicemint Blend Tea from Appalachian Herbs, and dried pears from Shipley’s Forest Hill Farm.  I also picked up a jar of Oliverio’s pizza sauce, and baked my own coconut almond granola to share with her.

 

I was the recipient of a Foodie Pen Pal box from a terrific lady who lives near Virginia wine country.  I received homemade jams and jellies, coconut curry cashews, strawberry loose leaf tea, and peach balsamic vinegar.  It is so much fun to open your box each month!  Almost like having a little bit of foodie Christmas twelve times a year.  I am really looking forward to receiving my July package any day now.   

 

 

I have been putting together my July Foodie Pen Pal box this past week.  I have to keep mum about what I am sending to her until the big Reveal Day at the end of the month, but I will hint that I went a little more regional with my box this month.  What would you send from our area in a Foodie Pen Pal box?

 

Lindsay is already signing up Pen Pals for August!  P.S.  You do not have to be a blogger to be a Foodie Pen Pal, so please sign up if you love trying new things and love sharing your passion of all of things local with others.  And you are not required to commit to the program every month. Lindsay sends out an email near the end of the month to all foodies who are registered to check to see if you are in for the next month. 

 

If the Foodie Pen Pals program sound like your cup of tea (and if you would like to assist me in spreading some Mountaineer foodie love across the country!), then visit The Lean Green Bean’s blog at this link- http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/.  There you can find all the details about the program, how to get signed up, and what to do once you are signed up.