Foodie Pen Pal - Goodies from Upstate NY

This month I had a host of tasty local treats from Crystal who hails from upstate New York.

I really enjoyed this little bundle of treats:

• Chai spice macaroons (so light and chewy)
• Cheesy crackers
• Homemade strawberry rhubarb jam (LOVE this - I added some to my oatmeal and it was delicious)
• Little chocolates
• Maple peanuts

  

I'm a big fan of getting to try locally made products (and handmade goodies), so this was a fantastic Foodie Pen Pal month!

If you're interested in finding out more about Foodie Pen Pals (a fabulous exchange of goodies both purchased and homemade for foodie bloggers and folks who just enjoy good food) click here.

My Favorite Summertime Snack

My favorite snack

It's fair to say that I'm obsessed with Cambozola cheese. It's a mixture between brie and blue cheese (Gorgonzola) and is quite addictive. I am very careful to only allow myself to eat a certain amount a day because I could easily eat the entire slice...trust me it's rich and creamy and oh so delicious.

To make me feel a bit better about myself I pair the tasty cheese with fresh fruit and it's the perfect summertime snack - dates, strawberries and apricots with Marcona almonds. Perfect isn't it?

Holy Crap! Yep, It's a Cereal

Holy Crap! is a pretty funny name for a cereal. My friend Lara gifted me with this treat made in Vancouver, and I've been meaning to post about it.

This stuff comes in a wee little bag about the size of some TJ's nut mixes. The portions are small to boot; this cereal actually expands! Upon close examination the cereal looks super healthy, and it is with all organic goodness - chia seads, hulled hemp hearts (I don't actually know what those look like, but they're listed on the ingredients), buckwheat, cranberries, raisins, apple and cinnamon. They boast that "the three main ingredients three main ingredients are some of the oldest perfect foods known to humans."

Up close and personal (from CookingwithChia.com)

Basically you mix 2 tbsp of this miracle cereal (did I mention it has 4 grams of fiber?!) in with about 4 tbsp of almond milk, you wait a few minutes and it expands. Coolest thing ever. If you're looking for something different to start your morning off right, Holy Crap is it!

Chicago Foodies

I am excited to share that I'll be doing some blogging over at ChicagoFoodies.com. I've been a longtime follower of the blog. I had the opportunity to meet the blog's creator, Josh, and after attending one of their meetings am coming on board with them to do some blogging! You can read restaurant reviews and some travel food goodies as well.

You can read my first posting about The Shanty, an adorable restaurant in Wadsworth, Illinois that is a mere hop, skip and a jump from the Wisconsin border.

Let me know what you think!