Foodie Penpals: May Reveal

I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the April Foodie Penpals session, so I decided to participate again! As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the thought of receiving my May Foodie Penpals package helped get me through a tough week.  And Haley did not disappoint!

Before I dive into the details of my May package, here's a quick recap of the Foodie Penpals program: you receive a penpal match on the 5th of each month, send out a box filled with foodie treats to your penpal by the 15th, and reveal what treats you received on the last day of the month.  The penpal matches change monthly so you're always sending to and receiving from someone new.  It's set up to be a fun way to meet new food-loving friends while trying new foods.

I was paired with Jennifer over at LiveLearnLoveRun.  Like me, she's a relatively new blogger, so head over to her site, get details about the package I sent her for May FPP, and then add her to your Google Reader (or whatever you've decided to use as a replacement feed reader)!

Now, back to the good stuff! Haley sent me a "Mexican hot" themed box from Arizona.  Here's the scoop on what I received:

Arizona Hot Sauce: We'll have to see how this compares to Sriracha Sauce and Frank's Red Hot.  

Handmade Black Bean & Corn Salsa: Three of KK's favorite things combined in one jar.  What's not to love!?

Pure Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly: A sweet treat hidden within the Mexican hot snacks! With a little Google research, I learned that cactus jelly makes an excellent chicken glaze, but it can also be served on toast or over fresh fruit.

Chili Arbol: Complete a homemade salsa recipe (below), and a warning to wear gloves and avoid touching my eyes when handling the arbol chili peppers.  Yikes!

Mexican Oregano: According to Penzys Spices, Mexican oregano is stronger and less sweet than traditional Mediterranean oregano.  It's flavors go best with dishes that are spicy, hot, and cumin-flavored.

Ass Kickin' Chipotle Popcorn: Cannot wait to try this!!!

Chocolate Bar From Hell: I ripped into this as soon as I finished unpacking the box, and I immediately felt my sinuses open up.  Maybe I should start eating chocolate instead of taking DayQuil!



Hayley also gave me not one, but three recipes:

Haley's Shredded Beef: Awesome slow cooker recipe excellent for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

Mexican Rice: Direct from Allrecipes.com with spice upgrades to boring white rice that add flavor and turn up the heat! This will make a perfect side dish with Chicken Enchilada Skillet or even rolled into Chicken and Cheese Taquitos.

Arbol Hot Salsa: This will happen.  Soon.  I really can't wait to try cooking with the chili arbol!

Thank you so much for the fabulous package, Haley! If you're interested in participating in the FPP program, blogger or not, head over to The Lean Green Bean to sign up for the next edition of Foodie Penpals.