It’s the last day of the month, so it’s time for the great Foodie Pen Pal Reveal!
The Foodie Pen Pal program began in September 2011 with only 30 bloggers. Since then, it’s grown to more than 1,300 bloggers in the U.S. and Canada and 200 in the U.K.
My August Foodie Pen Pal was Talia from Bite Size Wellness. Soon after she received her assignment, Talia contacted me to ask about my likes and dislikes. I told her I prefer savory over sweet snacks. Talia definitely listened and sent me a box of yummy, healthy and savory snacks. Thank you so much, Talia!
My haul from my Aug. Foodie Pen Pal, Talia: (L-R) Utz Natural Gourmet Kettle Chips, Arrowhead Mills Organic Red Lentils, Anna’s Almond Thins, Stonehill Kitchen’s Roasted Garlic Mustard.
First up was a bag of Utz Natural Gourmet Medley Kettle Chips. Anyone who considers potato chips a healthy snack is awesome in my book. Made from regular, dark russet, blue and sweet potatoes, these chips are extra crispy from kettle cooking. They’re lightly salted, which is a nice change from a standard grocery store potato chip, and allows the flavors to really shine. I’ve been munching (in moderation) on these tasty chips ever since I received my package.
Next up was a bag of Organic Red Lentils from Arrowhead Mills. Lentils are a superfood, high in fiber and protein, and low in calories. I love to use red lentils in soups and stews. I substituted these lentils in place of more traditional brown lentils in a batch of Isa Chandra’s Eggplant and Lentil Chile Mole. The lentils melted together with the eggplant, spices and cocoa powder to create a hearty, warming vegan stew.
Talia also tucked a not-too-sweet snack in the box: Anna’s Almond Thins. These thin Swedish cookies have a delicate almond flavor that’s awesome just by itself. I think these would also taste great paired with coffee or tea in the afternoon.
But the pièce de résistance was a jar of Stonewall Kitchen’s Roasted Garlic Mustard. Maybe it’s my German heritage or my addiction to salty, savory foods, but I love mustard. The tangy flavor is enhanced with chunks of sweet roasted garlic. Immediately after I opened my package of goodies, I popped open the jar and tried some on a plain water cracker. It was delicious. This versatile mustard is excellent on its own, on a sandwich or as the basis of vinaigrette. Talia was especially excited about this one—and I can see why. You need to rush out to the store and grab a jar of this ASAP.
Thank you to Talia for making my first Foodie Pen Pal experience so much fun. Read more about the program and sign up to participate at The Lean Green Bean.
Your turn to bite: Are you a sweet or savory snacker?
Tagged: cookies, Foodie Pen Pal, healthy, legumes, snacks
I’ve made this soup three times so far, with rave reviews from my huasnbd (who normally doesn’t like soup) and everyone else who’s tried it. I use bacon (preferably thick-sliced applewood) instead of pancetta and regular paprika, although I want to try it with smoked sometime I just haven’t gotten around to buying some. I also leave the onion and garlic out and use powdered instead because I don’t care for the texture.