July Bakin’ Friends + Foodie Penpals

It’s the last day in July (already?!) and that means it’s time to reveal some amazing goodies! I decided to go completely overboard and participate in not one, but two food-related penpal programs.

The first program, Bakin’ Friends, comes to you courtesy the fabulous Stephanie of Steph’s Bite by Bite. She came up with this amazing idea, which involves baking up a special treat for your assigned Bakin’ Friend, and receiving one in return (not necessarily from the same person). Each month has a secret ingredient that you must include in your baked good (assuming no allergies or dietary restrictions). I was so lucky to be paired up with Stephanie, the creator of this fantastic program! You cannot even begin to imagine how excited I was knowing she was my partner this month. Just check out all her amazing baked goods, like this red wine chocolate cake or these blueberry breakfast fritters! Can you say YUM?? Given that it’s bacon week here on Studio Cuisine (and I’m obviously obsessed with the stuff), I could not be more thrilled to share this BACON-filled treat that Stephanie so generously prepared for me!

My only regret is that a giant storm rolled through right as I was about to photograph the awesome kitchen sink bread that Stephanie made for me. These photos just don’t do this bread justice. It was filled with so many amazing things: peanut butter, chocolate chips, banana, butterscotch chips, oatmeal (which makes this healthy, in my mind anyway!), and of course, bacon! It was so delicious I ended up having a giant slice for dinner, slathered with even more peanut butter and some raspberry jam. I cannot thank Stephanie enough for the work she put into making this amazing treat for me! It was deeee-lish!

To get all the information you need to join in on the fun next month, hop on over to Steph’s Bite by Bite by clicking on the image below. You don’t want to miss out!

The second program I participated in was the ever-popular Foodie Penpals! Brought to you by Lindsay of The Lean Green Bean, it essentially works the same way as Bakin’ Friends. You’re assigned a penpal, and after speaking with them about their foodie preferences, you gather up a selection of treats to send their way, spending no more than $15. In return, you get a selection of goodies from a different foodie penpal. This month, I received some great stuff from the amazing Ashley!

I let her know that while I’m far from perfect in my dietary habits, I try to make it my philosophy to eat as cleanly as possible, sticking to foods that have ingredients I can pronounce. It was so nice to see Ashley pick out things that fit right into that category. She also included lots of sweet treats, taking into account what a massive sweet tooth I have! In the box, there Asian pear crisps (dug into these the second I opened the box, they were delish and only 40 calories for the package!), 3 kinds of Barbara’s Organic cookies, Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola, and some amazing organic peanut butter! Ashley, I cannot thank you enough. You were an amazing first-time foodie penpal!

To participate in next month’s go around of Foodie Penpals, visit The Lean Green Bean to get all the necessary details by clicking on the image below.

So, I have to admit that I outdid myself in agreeing to participate in two food-related penpal programs this month. Despite the fact that it took a major chunk out of my paycheck, it was SO fun! I loved preparing packages for two amazing people and taking into consideration what they might like, and receiving some amazing goodies in return! I can’t say that I’ll be able to continue to participate in both every month, but be sure to stay tuned in August for another Bakin’ Friends or Foodie Penpals post!