A Care Package from the South Carolina Low Country

One the best things about this whole food blogging thing I do has been meeting in real life and virtually some really neat people like Sara, Mary, Veronica, Jenny, Tanna, and Lisa to name a very few of the folks I now consider good friends. What makes these friends so special is that not only do they lend me support both here in comments but through emails, on the phone, and on IM; support not only for my various food based endeavors but also for the good, the bad, and the ugly of my everyday life. They are generous with their time and their care. We are all like that with each other and it is special. Heck, some Saturday evenings you'd think there was a loud party going on at Yahoo when we all get together to drink, eat and of course gossip.

Another really nice thing is we like to surprise each other from time to time with care packages of goodies. So, I was thrilled to come home from work late on Monday night to find a box sitting at my door from Helen (Tartlette)! She and I had chatted a few days earlier because I was sending a box with some bread down her way and I wanted to make sure she would be around to bring it in from the warm South Carolina sun. She mentioned she had a few "little" things to send my way as well. So, I was excited to see what was in the box. What I wasn't expecting was this



This is what Helen means by a few little things: a bag of Low Country Red Rice which she gave me a package of when she and I last visited Chez La Mia Cucina and I loved it with fish, a package Charleston Three Pea Plus One Soup which is being made next with some of the left over ham from Easter, a jar of wasabi peas, which I absolutely adore and are sitting right here next to me at my desk, some jalapeno pepper jelly for I have plans for this with a Thai salad wrap and as the filling for some savory Linzer cookies, a bar of lavender infused chocolate (I'm rationing this!), a honey bar that has found its way into my gym bag as my after workout pick-me-up, and a package of Benne Wafers, a Charleston speciality. I'd like to say the Benne Wafers lasted beyond that first night. I really would, but I would be lying...

Because, you see, after I got done oohing and ahhing over the contents of this lovely package and the sweet card Helen enclosed, I promptly sat down, ripped them open and consumed the entire package while I was reading the rest of the day's mail and catching up on a Tivoed episode of "The Real Housewives of New York City" (Who really lives like this?). When I realized I had no more Benne Wafers I looked accusingly at LB, who actually ate part of Benne Wafer, but his reaction was all cat



So, you see, I have no one to blame but myself for having no more Benne Wafers to munch on. Now, I know Helen has a great recipe for Benne Wafers, but I suspect that would be too dangerous have... (OK, I'm going to be begging for this recipe)

Benne wafers or not, I have a super friend in Helen and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for being so kind and thinking of me with this lovely box of special foods from her home in Charleston!