This month I participated in Paleo Pen Pals. I had participated in a foodie pen pal group before, but I was looking for something a little more low carb/paleo friendly. Luckily, Tarah from What I Gather and Brittanie from Three Diets One Dinner had the great idea of forming a Paleo Pen Pals exchange. Basically each month you are paired up with another Paleo blogger or someone that follows the Paleo diet (you don’t have to have a blog to participate, just a love of cooking healthy, delicious food) and you exchange a unique, paleo-friendly ingredient/local item that your partner can use to create a delicious Paleo recipe. If you are interested in joining the fun, you can sign up at the Paleo Pen Pals Facebook Page or by sending them an email at paleopenpals[at]gmail[dot]com.
My Pen Pal this month was Lisa over at Cook Eat Paleo and she sent me some Java Rub (French Countryside) and some Garlic Mustard. As soon as I opened the package I was excited about the Garlic Mustard. That is right up my alley and I couldn’t wait to use it. I have to admit I was a little hesitant to try the Java Rub because I am not a fan of anything that tastes like coffee. One of the good things about Paleo Pen Pals is that you get to try new things that you wouldn’t normally try so I tore open the Java Rub and smelled all the wonderful spices (like lavender, basil, summer savory, and thyme)…..GREAT….no overpowering coffee smell! That made me excited to give it a try so I decided to use it as a rub for pork chops and use the Garlic Mustard to make a sauce to go with. Perfect!
