OKMH – It’s baaaack!

One Kitchen Many Hearts – it’s a box exchange program we started last year among a small group of blogging friends. Every other month, we send a box of local, handmade and/or favorite goodies to another blogger on a rotating basis. By the end of the year, each of us has received a box of love from everyone on the list. Last year was so much fun we hated to see it end, so it won’t! With absolutely no arm twisting, we’ve decided to continue for another year.

My first OKMH box of 2013 came from Allison of Decadent Philistines Save the World. Here’s what she sent from her neck o’ the woods (AZ):

Yeehaw! That’s a big pile of fun! Let’s take a closer look. First up is the card. I almost ruined a panty liner laughing at this cutie patotootie.

Allison knows me well. If there’s two things I love in life, it’s squirrels and corn. I joke with The Complete Package that some day we’ll retire to a squirrel ranch where we’ll sit on the porch each night, sipping whiskey and watching the ‘herd’ come in over the hills for the evening. Because I’m weird like that.

Speaking of hooch, check out this Scottish style ale called Kilt Lifter.

She had me at kilt. After a few of these, you can bet I’ll want to know what’s under the kilt. I’m hanging on to it for a little while so I can pair it with a big fat toasty rueben or pastrami sandwich. Or maybe a batch of Beer Bread.

I jumped for joy when I pulled this next bottle from the box:

It’s syrup made from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. It’s sweet & tart and fabulous. Yes it would be great on pancakes or drizzled over ice cream, but my mind went straight to margaritas. Have you ever had a cocktail you can’t stop thinking about? Well, one of mine was a big frozen margarita swirled with this lovely elixir. It was probably 8 years ago at a business dinner in downtown Houston, and I still think of it fondly. For me, this stuff is liquid gold.

Remember Sweets Week? I made my retro Raspberry Divinity. Allison made Lemon Marshmallows. I’m thinking we should schedule all future theme week endeavors so that they publish just before our OKMH boxes are shipped, because I got a bag of these beauties:

Big soft fluffy lemon marshmallows. It goes without saying these are NOT the dry spongy flavorless version you find at grocery stores. These are the perfect texture with a burst of lemon zest that makes your tongue tingle, and they are lovely. One died instantly; the rest are being rationed for maximum pleasure.

Our theme this month was “Winter Essentials” and Allison outdid herself by crafting a handmade scarf in my favorite colors – blue & green.

It’s so delicate and light as a feather. I cannot imagine the number of hours spent creating it. What a treasure! We don’t really experience winter down here, but this lightweight beauty is perfect for those occasional chilly evenings. Thank you hardly seems adequate when someone puts this much time & love into a project, but THANK YOU, ALLISON!

Did you notice that snowflake in the background? All of the gift tags were made from hand-crafted paper snowflakes – the closest thing to snow we ever get on the southern coast. Not that I’m complaining (okay, I’m complaining).

I’ve saved the best surprise for last. This one really knocked my socks off because it was so unexpected. Remember the felt mouse tutorial I posted last month? Well, look who just got an A on her homework:

Oh my goodness! Isn’t she adorable? Here’s what Allison had to say about her.

“Her name is Mousidora, from the Greek that means “from the Muses.” She’s so named because I felt inspired to make her. Obviously she is a coffee drinker, and while she’ll take a splash of cream, she prefers it strong and black. That being said, she won’t say no to a wee nip of cheddar schnapps, if you know what I mean. Keeps the chill off. Her scarf is functional, but of course it’s a good look for her as well. Mousidora takes great pains to look good, even when it’s cold outside. She knows that the cranberry sets off the sparkle in her eyes. Mousidora’s hobbies include antiquing, lunching with her lady-mice friends, and betting on the ponies. She’s as sharp as a tack and likes a good nosh.”

Words cannot describe how fun it was to find this little sweetie. She and her tiny ‘cup-a-joe’ are forever perched on my kitchen coffee station so we can enjoy our morning brew together (like the bag of Sumatran coffee beans Allison included – yum). We’ll just be sipping our coffee under the Eiffel Tower, sharing our plans for the day and expressing our gratitude for great friends like Allison.

I swear, we could do this for 100 years and I would never tire of these boxes.

If you’d like to see what I sent to our newest member of the OKMH tribe, visit Beka at Kvetchin’ Kitchen. Since it was her first ever OKMH Box, I may have gone a smidge overboard. I wanted her first adventure with our group to be one she would never forget. From there, you can also visit the other ladies and peek inside their boxes by clicking on any of these links:

Kirsten @ Comfortably Domestic
Megan @ Country Cleaver
Kat @ Tenaciously Yours
Mads @ La Petite Pancake
Allison @ Decadent Philistines