Oh sweet glorious gift exchanges, it’s that time again. The time when our little circle of blogging buddies send care packages to each other; just because.
The OKMH Gang (top, left to right) – Mads, Kirsten & Megan (bottom, left to right) me, Allison & Kat
And while we know who’s sending each box, we never quite know what to expect. For that reason, each exchange is like a little bit of Christmas all year round. This month my box came from Kat of Tenaciously Yours in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota. Check out all the fabulousness, including every non-perishable thing needed to make Cafe Latte’s Famous Turtle Cake. You heard me – gooey, fudgy caramel-coated Turtle Cake. {sigh; where are my fat pants?}
Dessert in a Box & all the pretties to serve it with
See that cute tea towel? If I’m not mistaken, Kat’s sweet mother has been hand-stitching these one-of-a-kind towels for all of Kat’s OKMH boxes this year. How sweet is that? Mine has purple plums framed in a cheerful yellow border. Absolutely lovely. And get a load of that silver server. I have an old dainty one that I have to use with caution. This one is fancy AND sturdy. I’m talking ‘lift a turkey from the roaster’ sturdy. I think that cut-out at the end may even double as a beer bottle opener. How’s that for an all-purpose kitchen tool?
A vintage cake server & a handmade tea towel
A vintage cookbook from 1946; heart be still
Salads from the 1940’s; how fun is that?
This bonus recipe was tucked inside. Perfect timing!
The star of the show – Cafe Latte’s Turtle Cake
Yes, it is as rich and gooey as it looks.
Next month, in celebration of the holidays, we’re rocking OKMH “Secret Santa” style. Boxes will arrive in December with no advance notice of who will be shipping it. When I say “I can’t wait!” I mean it; I’ve already been crafting cute holiday things for my secret recipient. Until then, see what I sent to Allison by clicking here, and you can follow the chain from blog to blog to see what everyone else got, as well. Now… where did I hide that last piece of cake?
Inside NanaBread's Head 
That pie server and cookbook are so awesome! But that cake about made me fall outta my chair with it’s gorgeous caramelly-chocolatiness. Those hand embroidered tea towels are the greatest, too. Mama Kat does well. Nice job, Kat!
That cake is a fudgy miracle. It was so rich and gooey and awesome I had to share half of it with a friend to prevent TCP & I from eating the whole dang thing. The sea salt caramel Kat included was beyond 11/10. More like 110/10. I could eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. Wait… I think I actually did. :)
Oh, I totally would have had to give that cake away! After inhaling a slice of three, of course. Salted caramel is a gift from God Himself–you’re supposed to eat it with a spoon.
Looks delicious and that cookbook has seen many hands! Happy Tuesday:)
The book is awesome. There are all kinds of hand-written notes in pencil throughout the book. I love that!
I have definitely eaten that caramel with a spoon, probably more times than I would like to admit in the last two weeks. It’s just the natural order of things. I’m so glad you loved the package and I can’t wait to see what you make from the cookbook!
p.s. Since I learned the hard way for all of us, Calavo Pears = Avocados.
Oh, Kat… you don’t even know what you started with that salted caramel. Did I mention Houston just got their first two Trader Joe’s stores recently? The closest is about an hour round-trip, but I can say without hesitation that when that jar you sent is gone, I WILL be road-tripping for a replacement. Thank you so much for the wonderful box. And please thank your mother for the lovely tea towel. I’ve already used it to cover bread dough. Thanks also for the tip on calavo pears. I had no idea they were talking about avocados. What a difference 60+ years makes in food lingo!
Raissedd bith handz, am mow tuyping witgh nose. hjard, but woirth itt
Hahahaha… you always make me laugh, Claudia. So good to hear from you. I feel compelled to remind you that the house across the street is still for sale. Probably a bargain per square foot over what you’re used to paying in Euros. Seriously. My final offer – Sunday Suppers at my house. Who am I kidding. That’s not my final offer. I’ll keep on bugging you until you hop the pond. You know I will. :)
I did not read this post, and I will NOT read this post until you either confirm or deny that you made this at your house without me being there. First with the slab apple pie and now this? You know I love apple pie and you know I love turtles. I don’t eat many sweet things but those two, I do and you know it. What’s next carrot cake? Red Velvet?
If you did in fact make this, we may be over, Jeanne!
Seriously though, that looks delicious and I did not read it because I didn’t want to be hurt!
Love Ya,
Bamaboy
Dear Beloved Son-In-Law,
We can’t stop eating the good stuff just because you live 3 hours away. Granted, the photos were probably tough to take, but here’s some consolation: think of those two as practice until I can make one of each for you, My Baby & the kids. I’m happy to recreate either or both ANY TIME. You just have to get here. And give me a few hours notice.
PS – I actually paid for those apples. Can you believe it? {Ha!}