Blogging by Mail: Tea & Cookies & Pups from Portugal

My lovely BBM package from the Lovely Rita of Clumbsy Cookie, in Portugal, arrived yesterday morning!




Rita took some time to read my various blogs, to get a sense of 'me', and I'm happy to say she captured my likes perfectly!

We already share a love of cookie baking; do check out her blog. It's filled with incredible cookie recipes! In fact, not three days ago, Alex asked if I could make banana chocolate chip cookies, and I told him I could certainly try, provided I found a recipe. Well, what did I see just yesterday? Rita has a recipe for Banana Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies!!




One of the first things I pulled from Rita's box was a pretty bag filled with tea. If you know me at all, you know I'm a tea lover. I don't drink coffee, but I do have an entire cupboard dedicated to tea!
They all look and smell wonderful, but it's the center one I'm most anxious to try. It smells like a summer fruit salad! Large pieces of lemon and strawberries, flakes of coconut...I'm intrigued.




Girls know that other girls need chocolate. A common BBM item, indeed. But this ain't Hersheys!



Like me, Rita would rather bake her own cookies than buy, but there's always one or two brands that make you break that rule. I will now happily grab up every carton of Tim Tams when I see them. For Rita, it's these caramel rings that do her in. Hmmm...I'm thinking tea & cookies after dinner...



Speaking of cookies! How adorable are these cookie buttons?!

Actually, they're Cookie Chips, but by any name, they're delicious. All three of us tried one this morning, before the guys left. Yummy. And best of all, they survived the trip here.



As I told Matt this morning, fifteen years ago I couldn't have imagined getting excited about salt. But these days, I will happily taste varieties of it, and have opinions, and stuff! This Fleur de sel from Portugal is very nice.




Hot sauce! I'm a 'mild' myself, but I know Matt's eager to try this out. Must make an omelette for him this weekend.



Such pretty napkins! Perfect for the aforementioned tea & cookies tonight. So cute.



Among my 'likes', I listed puppies. Of course. I have five, after all. And the happy kitchen towel & pot holder happen to sport a pup that looks not unlike one of my pack, Wicklow!



Belive it or not, I told him NOT to look resentlfully at the camera...



Um...I was still half-asleep when I took these pictures; didn't realize it was upside-down till I got them here!

Rita says to use this to cover your tea mug, to help it steep, and warm a cookie on top while waiting!

Such a wonderful assortment of goodies!! Thank you, Rita, for such a thoughtful and accurate box!

And don't forget: Your boxes are due to ship out this week, too...email me to let me know!