BBM!

Well, it's a rainy day here...not good for much of anything other than making soup and curling up on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a good book. However, I did manage to mail my BBM package today. And, I received my BBM package, too! Great timing!

My package was from July Bug in New York. She sent all sorts of goodies:

Let's see....where do I begin? How about that HUGE cookie on the left. I am SO excited about this cookie, it's not even funny. It's a Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie from the Levain Bakery in NYC. I've been admiring these cookies ever since I first saw them. Yes, they're HUGE! As in 6-ounces huge! (Yes, I'm a dork, but I wanted to show the size of this thing! Oh, and please ignore the brightness of my hand...I don't see the sun much.)

True, I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but I did eat part of this cookie. It's got a nice blend of flavors, and the walnuts (halves!) are delicious. Moist on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Yum.

Ok, enough about the cookie. On to the rest of the goodies. Behind the cookie is a festive halloween cup since July Bug loves the holiday. Continuing to the right, we have White Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread from Peanut Butter & Co, where she & her boyfriend had their first date. Next is Nutella, which will be great in my Nutella Bundt Cake or sandwiched between two chocolate wafer cookies for Christmas gifts. On top of the Nutella is the Lemony Snicket's book Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid which she says is hilarious. The colorful card is July Bug's handwritten note explaining everything in the package. The image on the card is a double exposure of 5th Ave in Manhattan and 5th Ave in Brooklyn. The two computer printouts are a description of Levain Bakery and the secret to the perfect chocolate chip cookie (a 24-36 hour "hydration time" to allow the flour and other dry goods to absorb moisture and bake more evenly). Lastly, since she knew I like white chocolate, July Bug also included a Ghiradelli White Chocolate Baking Bar. Yum. This will be awesome for shaving down over desserts.

So, many thanks to July Bug for the awesome goodies. You definitely brightened my rainy day!

Blogging By Mail: Long Overdue Post

Wow, time does fly, doesn't it? It seems like yesterday that I received my BBM package, but then, we left for vacation, returned, got busy again, and I have neglected to post until now about the goodies that Meghan from A Craving for Perfection sent to me. So, my apologies, Meghan...without further adieu, here's the good stuff!



From left to right, clockwise: decorative Asian take-out boxes, smoked salmon, mint chocolates from the Seattle Space needle, Trader Joe's Harvest Blend mix (including Israeli couscous, chickpeas, and lots of other yummy things), a Coast Guard chocolate bar (in front of the mints & couscous mix), cookie cutters (butterfly & flower), recipe cards, a letter detailing all of the goodies, US Coast Guard magnet, blue Japanese Bento box with chopsticks and cloth cover, a pink heart-shaped onigiri maker (used to shape rice), and cupcake/muffin liners in the middle.




I had already begun to play this CD that Meghan sent and forgot to put it in the picture with everything else. I love the songs she chose...most are food-related and just plain fun to listen to. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

So, to sum up evertyhing, I loved the BBM package! Chocolates...devoured; couscous mix - haven't tried yet but very excited to be able to try some Israeli couscous; salmon will be enjoyed by my husband as I don't like fish (though I will try a small piece); will be using the cupcake liners soon; cookie cutters are perfect since I collect metal cookie cutters; take-out boxes should make great cookie-delivery-devices,; and the bento box and onigiri maker are awesome...I have seen them online, but now I have one to use for my son (when he gets a little bit bigger). Oh, and the magnet is on my fridge. :)

Thank you Meghan! Sorry it took me so long to post, but everything was great!

Blogging By Mail!

I'm delinquent in posting about my Blogging By Mail package I received from Danielle of Habeas Brulee. She included several of her favorite ingredients as well some homemade goodies for me:


Let's see...we'll start from the bottom left. The small bag contains several vanilla beans, which I plan to use in either some creme brulee or creme caramel (in honor of Danielle's blog, Habeas Brulee). The larger zip-top bag contains homemade Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies. Yum! They're delicious and crunchy! (and I love hazelnuts!)


On top of the cookies are some new-to-me ingredients: Birdseye Chili Peppers and Urfa-Biber (Smoky Turkish Pepper). The aroma of each is intruiging, and I can't wait to try them! (I'm open to suggestions, too, if you're fond of these ingredients or have a recipe I should try; I don't have any idea yet as to how I'm going to use them.)


Continuing on, we have some Herbal Masala Chai, Mustard Oil, and Pomegranate Molasses. I could sit and sniff the bag of chai for hours...it smells absolutely wonderful! I'm looking forward to making some chai soon, but since it's been over 100 degrees here, it will have to be an iced chai. I hate to admit it, but I have no idea what to use the Mustard Oil for. I've never seen it before, so again, if you have suggestions, I'm open to them! The pomegranate molasses will definitely be incorporated into some of my recipes. I've been wanting to try some for quite a while, and now I finally can!


So, to Danielle, sorry for the delay in posting about the package. I'm excited to try some new things, and Thank You, Thank You for everything!

Blogging By Mail

I finally received my BBM package in the mail yesterday! Aarika from Aarikavination enclosed a letter explaining her rather extensive run of back luck before/during the holidays. Things finally calmed down enough for her to get my package in the mail this week. Hopefully things will calm down even more for Aarika soon!

But, you're interested in the package contents, aren't you? Well, tada! All sorts of goodies!

Starting from the top left, moving clockwise: Double Apple Muffin Mix, from Aarika's local farmer's market; Milk N Honees (Milk Honey Filled Drops); Honey Pear Tea; Raspberry Ginger Tea. Next is a a mix CD entitled "Calmness: December Megamix"; after her eventful holiday season, I'm sure she could use a little calmness in her life! The CD is resting on a big bag of (homemade) White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Sticks. She said the JELLO Cheesecake Pudding intrigued her when she saw it in the grocery store, and I'm glad she sent it. It's really good with some frozen fruit when you're in a hurry to make a tasty dessert. In front are an Amish Country Postcard and an "Aspens" postcard by Ansel Adams - Excellent choice! I love Ansel Adams' work, and "Aspens" is one of my favorite scenes from his collection. Finally, we have candy canes, (in the middle) Candy Cane Hershey Kisses, and the cute tea towel everything is resting on! Since I don't like milk or dark chocolate, she definitely gave me a reason to smile with all the white chocolate. The Candy Cane Kisses are really yummy; it's hard not to eat the whole bag at once!
I can hardly wait to try the muffin mix; this Saturday morning's breakfast will be the perfect opportunity to do so. The Milk N Honees are wonderful! They remind me of a candy I used to eat when I was growing up. (Wow, was that really 18 years ago?!) I haven't tasted the tea yet, but it certainly smells great. I'll have to have some with my Double Apple Muffins!

Isn't this cute?! Aarika lamented about the tea towel being slightly out of season, but I don't mind a bit. And, like she said, we can all use another tea towel, right? I know I certainly can.

Here's one more cute item from the package, though it was on the outside. Aarika decorated the outside of the package with festive stickers, and I thought these guys were just adorable.
Thank you so much, Aarika, for the package! And, thanks also to Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness for heading up this BBM effort!

Blogging By Mail is back!

If you're interested, head on over to Dispensing Happiness and see the details. Then, email Stephanie with your info and have fun! I thoroughly enjoyed the last round of BBM, and I'm greatly looking forward to this one, too! So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

Excellent Day (including BBM!)

I had such an excellent day yesterday that I can’t even think of an apt title for this post. After complaining about my hair for nearly four months (according to my husband), I finally got it cut during lunch...10+ inches to donate to Wigs for Kids. I absolutely love the way it looks & feels now. But, that was only part of my excellent day. I arrived home after work to find my Blogging By Mail package had arrived! Brilynn from Jumbo Empanadas even included the BBM logo on the outside! Good things do come in small packages! I have never in my life seen such a well-packed box. How did she fit everything in there?! Oh, but you’re wondering what was in the box, right? Well, take a look...

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies & Lime Cookies
Handmade wooden bowl & spoon (with my initials!)
Maple & Niagara Ice Wine Tea (in the glass tubes)
Canadian Blueberry Tea (white bag)
Small Jug of Canadian Maple Syrup
Maple Candy (shaped like a maple leaf!)
Four (4!) Packages of Tim Horton’s Coffee
Five (5!!) Sour Cherry Honey Sticks
Smoked Paprika
Canadian Flag Magnet (to hold my recipes, of course)
Sixteen (16!!!) Laminated Recipe Cards (including some family recipes!)

What a perfect assortment of goodies! The bowl & spoon are wonderful and absolutely ideal as I have a very strong interest in wood turning (no lathe yet, but it’s on the list for next year...maybe even Christmas). As I’m sure many of us are, I’m a recipe collector, and these sound incredible! (I apologize for the plethora of exclamation marks, but I’m just too excited…) I mean, who wouldn’t love to try these right this minute: Caribbean Rum Shrimp, Chewy Skor Toffee Bits Cookies, Aunt Marg’s Yogurt Cake, Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette, Grilled Corn Salad, Aunt Susan’s Hash Brown Potatoes, Bri’s Mexican Chocolate Cookies, Whole Wheat Pie Crust, Mom’s Zucchini Bread, Family Cookies, and Aunt Rose’s Carrot Cake. YUM!
     
The funny thing was that I read Bri’s post about her BBM package, and when I saw the wooden bowl, I thought, “Hey, those are my initials.” Then, “What a great idea! That’s going to be a lovely gift, but I’m sure it’s for another BBM participant.” I noticed the Smoked Paprika (which I've been seeking as of late, to no avail) and thought the same thing. Little did I know the bowl and other package contents were on their way to Pam’s Pantry!

Before I turn this post into a novel, I want to say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to Jumbo Empanadas!!! And, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to Stephanie at Dispensing Happiness for coordinating everything. But, I do have a question...when is the next one & where do I sign up?

Blogging By Mail

I managed to squeeze in before the deadline for the upcoming Blogging By Mail event. Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness is the coordinator for this unique event. Food bloggers from all over the world are participating in a food care package "swap" of sorts. You are paired up with another blogger for the exchange (and, you don't have to worry about posting your "real" info online anywhere). I've already planned what I'm going to send for my first BBM package, but I haven't had a chance to make anything yet.

I'm really excited about this event. After all, who wouldn't want homemade goodies or something unique/different to try? And, who doesn't love care packages in the mail? I'll post what I send & receive in the coming weeks.