Culinary Adventures with Camilla

It's that time of the month: the time when the Foodie PenPals from around the country singlehandedly keep the US Postal Service in business. As much as I love the immediacy of email, I love getting mail. And I especially love getting packages! Click here to see what goodies went flying around the country with the PenPals this month. Cherie of Cherie Runs This , my penpal for the month, emailed: I just checked out your blog and see that you're quite the foodie! Do you have any special dietary needs/preferences? Any particular likes or dislikes? Would you prefer healthy snacks or treats? I replied that I am allergic to fava beans and oysters, prefer savory to sweet, and gravitate towards healthy snacks versus treats. That was all I wrote. And when I opened my box, I was delighted...and got quite a chuckle. All the way from Mebane, North Carolina... Besides a lovely note, the first thing I saw was oysters. Well, it was a reusable bag with the word 'oysters...

Last month was my first month as a Foodie PenPal. I sent a package to a gal in Titusville, Florida; I received a package from Cincincatti, Ohio. Here's the goodie box I received . Food PenPals is coordinated by Lindsay of the Lean Green Bean . Click to read more about Foodie PenPals - it's grown to over one thousand foodies in less than a year. The basics: each month we are paired with another foodie and send a package of goodies. It can be fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. I can't wait to start gathering items for my box. I contacted my penpal and asked her a few simple questions: any food allergies? sweet or savory? favorite color? And this month I added an adventure question: on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most adventurous - think eating insects in the rainforest or drinking cow's blood in Africa - how adventurous an eater are you? I think I'm a ...

As much as I love the immediacy of email, I love getting mail. And I especially love getting packages! When Lindsay first contacted me, she wrote that "Cincinnati itself is a pretty exciting town to live in...and there are a lot of great local products I am hoping to send you." She was successful. To see what the other foodie penpals got in their goodie boxes, click here . I received my box on an otherwise gloomy day on the central coast of California. Her package made everyone in the family giddy with anticipation. But I, lone female resident, trumped them all: "The tissue paper is pink. What does that mean? It means that this is for Mommy! But I promise that I'll share." Here's my Cincinnati Foodie PenPal adventure... The first thing in the box was a note and a recipe for baked oatmeal. I have never had baked oatmeal. We love oatmeal - rolled oats, steel cut oats. It's the perfect breakfast for an autumn morning. So, I will defin...

I joined Foodie PenPals because it's a fantastic idea and it marries two of my favorite things: food and writing. Sort of writing. There is a requirement that you write something in the package of goodies you send to your penpal! I just heard from the gal who is assigned to me and I wanted to share her email. If Foodie PenPals is a way to make connections in the blogosphere, it's working.  I now know something about her and she knows several things about me, too. The internet can be a faceless, impersonal place. This is a great way to bridge those gaps. Do you have any dietary restrictions, allergies, or food preferences? I cannot eat fava beans or oysters. Weird, I know. Are there any foods you really like or dislike? Nope. I eat everything...except for the aforementioned fava bean and oyster duo. But I am more of a savory gal than a sweet one. Do you have a favorite color or scent? Favorite colors = red, purple, pink, and green (I'm easy there) Favorite scen...

I am very excited to be taking part in my first month as a foodie penpal. Food PenPals is coordinated by Lindsay of the Lean Green Bean . Click to read more about Foodie PenPals  - it's grown to over one thousand foodies in less than a year. The basics: each month we are paired with another foodie and send a package of goodies. It can be fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. I can't wait to start gathering items for my box. I contacted my penpal and asked her a few simple questions: any food allergies? sweet or savory? favorite color? If you have any suggestions of what screams "Monterey!", or the central coast of California, and is easily shippable to Florida, I'm all ears.