Having a box of goodies waiting for you when you get back into town is nothing short of wonderful. It makes home seem ten times more homey. It makes you feel like you did something worthy of a prize. It makes you feel missed. Signing up for Foodie Penpals guarantees all of these good feelings, all at once, at least once a month. And for that reason alone, I’m happy to have signed up.

This month my package came from Katie of Katie Without Restrictions, who assured me that she’d send me some local-to-her goods free of dairy temptation. When I opened the package, I was pleased to see that she sent me a box full of bites. And more often than not, I love bites more than meals. The Popchips lasted no longer than a minute. Next went the sesame bar.

And then I realized how boring of a post this would be if all I did was document the order in which I ate my bites. I took a break from the box and re-opened it a few days later when I was feeling less hungry and more inspired. The dried cherries and pistachios jumped out at me as a berry/nut combo that would work so well with chicken salad (recipe up tomorrow!).

A huge thank you to Katie for the big box of bites and meal inspiration!