Maybe It Was The Full Moon--Or Just My Lucky Stars

Mouth-Watering Mail Call!

All I know is that it was an absolutely wonderful day. It did start with an unusual discovery in the wee-morning hours, but that had a happy ending and even turned into a good story. Then I posted my Daily Farm Photo in minutes--as oppposed to the several hours it took the day before (computers!). Outside, there were no critter crises or other farm-related catastrophes to greet me. During a quick morning trip to Blogland, I hopped over to visit Kristi at Interrupted Wanderlust and was surprised (and utterly flattered) to find that her latest post was all about me! And then I called the post office.

"Do you have a package for me?" I asked Ruth, our Postmistress.
"Yes, I do!" she said in her sing-songy voice.
"Did it come today?"
"Yes, it did!"
"I'll be right there!"

Back in June, Nic at Bakingsheet came up with the idea of "Blogging By Mail." Each person who signed up would send some goodies to one of the other participants and then receive a surprise package from somebody else. Twenty-two people joined in, and tasty treats began zipping around the world. Two days earlier, Ruth and I (after 20 complicated--yet educational for both of us--minutes) had mailed off a box to Clare at Eat Stuff in Australia. Today my package had arrived.

I peered over the tiny post office counter while Ruth fiddled with the paperwork. "Is that my box?"
"Yep."
"It sure is big."
"Yep."
"They sent it Express Mail?"
"Yep."
"Wow."

I looked at the label and couldn't believe it. It was from Sam at Becks & Posh--one of my favorite food bloggers. "Oh my god!" I cried. And for the next hour and a half, I said nothing but those three words over and over and over.

Sam, who is British but lives in San Francisco, knows that I am originally from the Bay Area and decided to send me a gourmet taste of home. Oh my god. Every single thing about her package was perfect--right down to the postmark from my hometown and the funky chartreuse masking tape all over each carefully bubble-wrapped item. This is what she sent me:

• A marvelous finocchiona salami from The Fatted Calf Charcuterie.
• A split of wine that she (and now I) love, Etude Pinot Noir, to go with the salami.
• Two heavenly chocolates from Michael Recchiuti Confections.
• A jar of the most amazing Pluot Lavender Conserve from June Taylor Jams (which I spread on slices of Oatmeal Toasting Bread I baked just for the occasion).
• A package of scrumptious homemade Gingernut Biscuits along with the recipe.
• An adorable miniature jar of marmite because it is her favorite English sustenance (and because somebody must keep that company in business).
• A beautiful chartreuse leather notebook that contained (in her lovely handwriting) a sweet note, a list explaining everything she had sent (including that this notebook was "happy to be my food blog diary"), and a bread recipe she remembered I had asked for several weeks earlier on Becks & Posh.

Like I said, Oh my god.

And as if that wasn't enough, Nic sent "thank you" packages to every one of the 22 Blogging By Mail participants. I received a container filled with delicious homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and Spiced Up Ginger Cookies, as well as a packet of addicting ginger candies and an exquisite little tin of pink grapefruit green tea.

If you'd like to read about what the other blogging by mailers received, head over to Bakingsheet on August 1st as Nic will be posting a round-up. And if you are wishing a yummy package would appear in your mailbox, you'll be happy to know that Nic and Samantha are already working on another round of Blogging By Mail. In the meantime, I think it's time for a little snack. Gingernut Biscuit, anyone?