Caprese Bruschetta

We'll get to that yummy stuff above in just a minute but first...I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that participated in the giveaway!  You guys are truly awesome.  I loved reading about all of your summer plans and your sweet words about this blog were almost worthy of a few tears.  I hope I continue to hear from all of you because I love new bloggy friends!

Are you ready to hear who the winners are?  Of course you are!

The winner of the S'mores kit from Matchbox Kitchen, the Campfire Cuisine Cookbook, and a My Politic album is...

Courtney from The Fig Tree!  Your summer plans sound amazing!  Hopefully you'll get to do some outdoor cooking and take advantage of your new S'mores kit and cookbook while listening to My Politic of course!

{P.S.-her blog is amazing.  Go look.  NOW.}

And the winners of the new My Politic album American Will are...

Sue Roweton from Life Moves Pretty Fast, Andrea, Monica from MonMon Makes, and Richard Forrist!

If you guys can leave me a comment with your email, I'll get your address and mail out your goodies!

Once again, thank you all for participating!  I wish all of you could have won!  Maybe I'll just have to keep doing giveaways...what do you think?

Now for something to balance out the sugar rush from the S'mores cake...

Caprese Bruschetta...

Makes: 4 servings   Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: None!   Total Time: 10 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:

fresh ciabatta (mine was homemade! yummm!)

2 tomatoes

4 ounces fresh mozzarella

several sprigs of basil

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

 Gather the goods.

 Dice up your tomatoes.

 And do the same to the mozzarella.

 Next the basil.

 And then toss it all into a big bowl.

 Add the olive oil...

 Balsamic vinegar...

 Oregano and garlic powder.

 Give it a couple shakes of salt and pepper to your liking.

 Then stir it all up and it's ready to go!  Easy peasy right?

Now put it on top of some bread.  That stuff there on the right is homemade ciabatta bread.  And it was yuuuummy.  I'll share the recipe with you as soon as I make it again.

 Yum.....

Luckily I had these two jokers hanging around to help...or maybe they were just waiting to be fed?

I was right...just waiting to be fed.

Foodie PenPal Reveal

Last month my mother insisted that I sign up for this little thing called Foodie PenPals.  I was a little weary at first, but it took about 15 seconds of her explaining to get me signed up.

So, let me explain...

Every month a ton (800+) of foodies join in the exchange of local and homemade food items with other foodies across the country.  On the 5th every month, Lindsay from The Lean Green Bean, sends out a list matching all of those foodies up with one person to send a package to and one person to receive a package from.  With me still?

Then you get in contact with both of your PenPals for the month, exchange food likes/dislikes, allergies, diets and so on.  After that you start creating a $15 package of local or homemade goodies for your PenPal all the while someone is creating one for you!  Doesn't this sound amazing already?

By the 15th of the month all packages are sent and then you get to impatiently wait until your package arrives!

To get a few more details and sign yourself up, click {here}!

This month I was paired with two lovely bloggers.  Jaime from Jaime's Journeys and Lisa from Feed You With a Kiss.  And they were the best pair a new Foodie PenPal could ask for.  Both of them have incredibly adorable blogs that you need to check out.  So go click on the links.

First I received Jaime's package...

It's here!  It's here!

The anticipation...

Jaime put together such a great package stocked full of local goodies!  And the purple piece of paper explained what and where everything was from.

First up we have two of my favorite things.  Coffee and Tea.  I absolutely destroyed the coffee in a mere couple of days.  There is a no doubt in my mind why they call it dark chocolate decadence.  Yum.  I've been trying to savor the tea and keep it around for a bit longer but it's just as delicious and probably won't survive too much longer.

Oh....holy chocolate.  Jaime knew the way to my heart.  As well as all of the men in the apartment, who stood hovering over me begging to take a bite.

Delicious local honey!  I've been using it in vinaigrette dressings and various baking projects.

This stuff is awesome!  Apparently it's from two guys who live in Jaime's town and have a local grilling show on TV once a week.  So legit.  I've been using it on EVERYTHING.

I haven't made this yet and I definitely need to.  Maybe I'll do that today...I don't need to prepare for the tour right?

This might have happened before I could finish snapping pictures of the package....Mmmmmm.


Okay so not only did I receive one package this month but I received TWO.  The PenPal that I sent a package to, also sent me a package because she is just that wonderful.  I was totally shocked to see it sitting on my doorstep and was convinced that it was just a mix up and that I would have to send it back.  BUT it wasn't!  Thank you so much Lisa!  And by the way...if you want to see what I sent her click {here}!

So many delicious Seattle sweets and goodies!  And unfortunately not all of it is shown because...some of it was gone by the time I could take a picture....

I can't wait to keep in touch with these ladies as well as meet my new PenPals for June.  Thanks Lindsay for starting such a great program!

Banana Coffee Smoothies

We are officially less than a week away from the tour!  Can you believe it?

It's a little overwhelming...or maybe I've just let my to-do list get a little too long this close to takeoff.  Darn you procrastination.

Strangely enough, most of that "to-do list" revolves around food.  Since we are going to be gone a whopping three weeks, I am trying to figure out how to get by without eating out three meals a day or even two for that matter.  So, I've been playing around in the kitchen and wracking my brain for things that I can make ahead of time and store in the cooler for at least the first week.  If you have any ideas send them my way!  They would be greatly appreciated.

This morning I had a revelation.

Smoothies.

Ding Ding Ding!

Granted they won't get us through an entire three weeks but, I can imagine they will get us through a few days.  The great thing about these babies is that either I can make them the morning that we leave and keep them in the cooler OR I can pack the magic bullet and make them IN the car.  Genius.

banana coffee smoothies...

Makes: 1 large smoothie   Prep Time: 3 minutes   Cook Time: None!   Total Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups ice
1/2 cup coffee, cooled
1/2 cup milk
1 heaping tablespoon instant vanilla pudding
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 banana
1 tablespoon cocoa nibs
other optional goodies: peanut butter, cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla bean...the list could go on and on.

Directions: This is complicated so bear with me...

1. Gather your goodies.
2. Put all of them in the blender.
3. Blend until no chunks of ice remain.
4. Still with me?  Okay, good.
5. Pour in a glass, top with cocoa nibs and a chunk or two of banana.
6. Drink.  Mmmm.

Don't forget that you have a few more days to go sign up for my giveaway!  All you have to do is become a follower and leave a comment on the S'mores Cake post about your summer plans!   You can read all about it {here}. Woohoo!