Code Word: OKMHHOU

Last month, after more than a year of dreaming and planning, we finally had a live, in person One Kitchen Many Hearts meet up. 

And it was more than I could have imagined.

PIE!

The seven of us had met in parts in the past - I obviously knew Megan in college, I met Mads last fall when I was visiting my grandparents, and I met Allison on our Alton Brown Tour De Force last October. That left the other half of the group - Kat, Kirsten, and Jeanne - to be new people. I have to admit - there was a lot that could go wrong here. Jeanne welcomed a bunch of people into her home (bless her husband). You would hope that any "crazy" would have come out over the years as we chatted, except that psychopaths are pretty smart. Did she really know what she was welcoming into her home?? We have gone more than a year, as a group, with ZERO inter-group drama. I mean seriously - when was the last time a group of seven women could be friends for so long without any drama? And my real fear? What if, when we finally got together, we discovered that the internet was a great cover and we actually didn't like each other?

We met a special guest while antiquing... She was kind enough to help us out with a selfie.

That turned out to be a stupid fear.

In fact, the weekend went so fantastically, that we came home to realize that we'd forgotten to take more pictures. Instead of a weekend when seven bloggers got together, this transformed us quite simply to seven friends. It added some realism to our friendship, or at least ended any doubt there was about what kept us together. 

The only van with enough personality to haul us around

To be honest, the weekend was such a blur of friends and laughs, that I don't have much else to say about it (I mean, what would you say about your girl's weekend?). So here are a few more pictures.

One of the bomb-diggity breakfasts

We went antiquing, and happened across a scrap metal shop. Well, they had a series of flying pigs and I fell IN LOVE. Jeanne went all the way back after we left, just to make sure Al Porcino could make it home. Confession: I'm ordering a second one. Herd of flying pigs? YUP.

VAN SELFIE!

One of the best surprises of the weekend was a pinata donkey, who became our mascot. We even took him to meet his real-life baby donkey counterparts.

Seriously - daily pinata selfies. He was our 8th muskateer.

MY PEOPLE!!

Are you my mama?

Hi.

Even Donkey Pinata likes beer...

Belly rubs!

I cannot wait to see any one of these ladies again. Love you all so much!!

Check out with the other gals have said, too:
Allison from Decadent Philistines
Jeanne (our beautiful host) from Inside NanaBread's Head
Kirsten from Comfortably Domestic
Kat from Tenaciously Yours
Megan from Wanna Be a Country Cleaver
Mads from La Petite Pancake

OKMH 2013 - December!

The last OKMH of the year!

This month I received from Kat. I feel a special soul connection with Kat - like I do with each of the Kitchen Gals. Early this year, we both (separately) went to Israel to experience the wonders of The Place. We both enjoyed it immensely, and felt special connections to the food (duh). Between Israel and our cruise last year, I am in love with Mediterranean food!

When I first got back, I went out and purchased Jerusalem - I even recognized some of the places that I had just been to. It fit right into my cookbook hoard collection. 

And in our enabling helping group, Kat sent me another beautiful regional cookbook for my box this month: Balaboosta. This book is just absolutely stunning. I was hoping to cook something from it to feature in this reveal, but I had work and my sister-in-law's baby shower that got in the way. But I am looking forward to sharing many things out of it. It is beautifully written, with some touching stories around some of the recipes, which is really what makes some of these meals all the more special. I absolutely love the book, and cannot wait to cook just about everything in it! 
Cookbook soul sisters!

Be sure to check out what Jeanne thought of what I sent her!
And check out the other girls, too!
Kat
Allison
Megan
Kirsten
Mads

OKMH October

Oh hai, gurl!
It's time for another edition of One Kitchen Many Hearts!!

This was a fun month for me because together with August, this was the second time that I happened to be traveling to my exchange partner to deliver my package in person - which was SO much fun for me (selfishly). Be sure to check out Allison's post here. There wasn't much of a theme this month, making the package contents all over the place!

On the flip side, Megan sent to me this month, which also meant that I got to see her. While it wasn't quite traveling (we're lucky like that), it is getting harder and harder for us to get together. When we were in college, I really never would have imagined that by living 30 minutes apart, and each either full time jobs, and husbands, and blogs that getting together would be any trouble at all. Turns out it's SUPER DIFFICULT. Luckily, when we do get together, it's like no time has passed. It's so wonderful to have a go-to BFF like that.

So let's check out what she dished me...

 First off is a chalkboard thought bubble. I've been feeling extra sassy because of LOADS of extra stress from work. And this is just the thing to warn off any coworkers... or use in sassy photobooth shoot to add obvious commentary.

Next is notes! Not quite Beyonce, but it'll do. Us gals at OKMH are big fans of hand-written notes, and I am earning quite the stash... but I also dig the sentiment on these.

I mean obviously. Mitts are almost mandatory in these shipments, now...

"Hunting" Face

And maybe the most fun for both me and our kitty boys... A remote control mouse. As you can see, Mittens is a big fan. To be honest, so am I. I was afraid that he would be a little terrified (he is the more timid of the two cats), but he was genuinely into it and (as you can see) eventually picked it up and tried to destroy it.

His "WTH Is This?" Face

His "I'm Still Trying To Figure You Out" Face

His "Murder Shake".

That escalated quickly. As you can also see, he uses his extra cat-thumb to pick things up as if he had tiny cat-hands. It's kind of freak until you get used to it... please don't be alarmed. It's not like he's using his opposable thumb to stab You in Your sleep.

Be sure to check out our other leading ladies in this month's exchange!
I sent to Allison at Decadent Philistines
Allison sent to Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic
Kirsten sent to Kat at Tenaciously Yours
Kat sent to Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head
Jeanne sent to Mads at La Petite Pancake
Mads sent to Megan at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver

OKMH - August Edition! Office Supplies

I have been waiting for this month...
It's OKMH August. The theme?

The Kitchen Girls

OFFICE SUPPLIES!

Truth time: I love office supplies. When I was little, my favorite night was the day after coming home with school supplies when I got to rip open packages and pack up my binder and backpack for the one clean, organized day of my school year: the FIRST DAY. Best day. I love sticky notes. I love different colors of pens. Colored Tabs? Want. Highlights? Love. Sharpie rainbows? NEED. 

Now that I'm an adult and actually need to use mountains of sticky notes and rivers of ink just to keep my cool, the allure of new supplies has not decreased. 
Did I finally run out of plain yellow sticky notes? Hurray! That means I finally have a good excuse to break into this neon orange pack. Ooo! 
Do I have to read a journal article and take notes? I have three highlighters that each mean something different - time to sit back and absorb (and highlight in perfectly neat boxes).
Do I need to organize study files? Pass over the binders and dividers. I have collating to do!!

Okay, while some of those office tasks are slightly exhagerated (I DO love a good hyperbole), I really do love office supplies. So obviously I was excitd by this month's theme. Hey, let's be honest - if I can find anything that keeps me excited about my office job, I should run at it full-speed, right?

This month I received from Kirsten - and it was a sa-WEET haul!

Desk Fluff

Includes: coloring book and new crayons (seriously), sassy napkins and mitt supplies, note pad and binder clips, and (my favorite) a huge pile of rainbow pens and sharpies, and some AWESOME sticky notes!!

Seriously and genuinely excited about these crayons. To use in THIS COLORING BOOK. I love coloring books. Shush - this will be great stress relief!

These sticky notes will come in very handy. I shall write seriously mustache'd notes with my serious and business-like stick-note tools. 

These desk fluffers (except for the crayons and coloring book) have already made it into my daily work. The sticky-notes stay safely in my desk drawer so I can look at them longingly but never use because then I might run out (*coughCLOSETHOARDERcough*).

Don't forget to check out the other "Kitchen Gals" (because my hubs can't be bothered to remember the whole group name ;-))
I sent to Mads at La Petite Pancake.
Mads sent to Kat at Tenaciously Yours
Kat  sent to Allison at Decadent Philistines Save the World
Allison sent to Megan at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver
Megan sent to Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head
Jeanne sent to Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic

 
What's your favorite part of a new school year? Or of your office?

OKMH Reveal: June 2013

It's my new favorite holiday: OKMH Box Reveal!

The Women

The huge hearts and open kitchens of these seven women come together to give gifts of wonder and delight every other month. And this month's theme is oh-so-summer appropriate: Picnics!

This month I received from Mads and I am (as always) so thrilled and giddy with the contents.
Here's the haul:

Contents include the bare essentials (except for the cheese) that you would need for basically the best picnic ever: Wine. Oh, and plates, napkins, tablecloth, and some food and witty tea towels. But let's focus on the essentials: WINE. Travel size wine. If there's two things I love, it's wine. Let me start over... If there's two things I love, it's wine and travel-sized things.

Classy wine, classy meat, and classy crackers

There's not a lot of sun in Seattle, so planning for picnics is difficult when you also need a blue tarp, rain coat, and the flexibility to eat soggy sandwiches when your sunny picnic falls on one of the 300 rainy days we get in a year. But with just a few essentials, I can basically keep an "Emergency Picnic" kit in my car, set for those rare sunny days (let alone on a weekend!).

Now, as I write this, we are mid-way through a sunny, warm streak and Seattle is actually seeing some summer weather that so-often eludes us. So you might think that I'm exaggerating when I say that picnics (or any other activity) often get rained out here. That's fine. I don't mind when you sit there being wrong in your wrongness. But since we can't relate and are now fighting, I'm going to share my wine with someone else. Like... my other hand.

*UPDATE: Mads also included some out-of-this-world chocolate chip cookies. They're not pictured because I had to eat them immediately.

Don't mind me... I'm just delusional and belligerent from a weekend of more sun than I've had the rest of the year and my skin is now a sassy shade of pink (a side effect of impromptu picnics... pack sunscreen, too!)
And without further ado... check out what the other gals sent/received for picnic month!
I sent to Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic.
Kirsten sent to Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head.
Jeanne sent to Megan at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver.
Megan sent to Allison at Decadent Philistines Save the World.
Allison sent to Kat at Tenaciously Yours.
Kat sent to Mads at La Petite Pancake.


What are your picnic essentials?

April OKMH

It's that time again!

It was a very happy month! Mostly because Allison really embraced my nerdom and spent so much lovely time on mine! I don't have much to say on it because there was so very much squeeling and screaming during the opening process. Megan helped with many of the photos, so there's a lot of my face squeeling, as well.

For starters there was a hilarious cat card. Who doesn't love static cats?

Then I had a little jamming karaoke time with a highly realistic microphone that was HAND CRAFTED just for me by a certain lovely 4 year old.

And then, squeeling of all squeels... where... here's the video.

 

I was excited. For those who can't understand the video... she made me a scarf. Which is an EXACT. REPLICA. Of the 4th Doctor Who's scarf!!! And if you don't watch The Doctor, we can't even be friends anymore. Okay, fine, we can be friends, but I'm going to talk about it a lot and try to get you to watch it ALL. THE. TIME. So buckle up.

I also got some of these (also hand crafted just for ME) - TARDIS coasters. The drink is bigger on the inside.

And to keep in theme with our shared interest in #catsarejerk (Because... obviously.) So Allison also sent an adorable, hand-made Jewish kitty that I can vent to about my jerky cats (who have most recently eaten a foam roller for my running stretches...).

Finally, this woman knows her audience. She handmade a whole mess of class mustached disguises to warm my upper lip on my chilly runs. Believe me, my clever disguises might confuse you, but that's actually me in every snap below!! (gasp)

And not pictured because I eated it all... a homemade assortment of lemon and raspberry marshmallow and some prickly pear jammy jam (GET IN MAI BELLY).

Thank you SO MUCH to my friend Allison for sending me so many incredible treats. 

Check out my "box" to Megan here.
Check out Mads' reveal from Megan here.
Check out Jeanne's reveal from Mads here.
Check out Kat's reveal from Jeanne here.
Check out Kirsten's reveal from Kat here.
And check out Allison's reveal from Kirsten here!

OKMH February 2013 Reveal

MY FIRST OKMH!! This is a big deal. To me, at least.

How beautiful are these women??

The out-pour of love and support from this group (really before I was "one of them") has been earth altering to me. I know people say that. And most people mean it. I don't mean it in a "I wasn't loved enough as a child so now I have internet friends" (because I was loved plenty, still am). But I feel like this is more than a group of just "internet friends". They baked for me before I really knew them. And the friendship has grown from there. Just a couple of strangers. Tweeting each other, reading a few blogs, then last year the first OKMH started and it was the first event of "more than just internet friends". I had a whole year of reading up on what the lovelies sent each other - so let me tell you that the pressure was ON! And then Jeanne sent me a box that was more "me" than even what I could have told someone to pack for me. The theme was Winter Essentials and she went above and beyond! Wanna see??

This is the first face I saw when I picked the box up. The lid was COVERED in mustaches. I knew it would get better inside. Also - how maniacal is that baby?? I practically couldn't drive back to our apartment what with being so giddy.

My first peek inside!

This screams Texas winter to me.

Mustaches. EVERYWHERE!! I started making weird yipping/squeely noises at everything. Hubs kept came over a few times to check on me, before just leaving the room altogether.

Front...

With notes on the back!! I die.

Y'all? The mustaches are tags! With notes!! They explained everything! I saved them. Because who knows when you'll need a large scrapbook mustache tag? You don't know that!!

Awesome shirt and cutie-patootie socks

I changed my outfit immediately to accommodate.

For the record, I was not creeped out that she would creep around on my Pinterest. Frankly, isn't that we even have Pinterest?? She made the shirt, guys. Okay, she put the letters on it. I have been obsessed with this shirt. I don't care that I'm cutting back on coffee - it will always have a weird obsessive corner of my heart. /Tangent: my boss wandered past my cube with a cup of fresh coffee yesterday and I interrupted her mid-sentence to talk about her coffee. Woops. Single focus. /End tangent. I immediately put the shirt on (and the socks, honestly) before I unwrapped the rest of the box. It's really long (like a night shirt!!) so I was just playing with scrunching - don't worry, Jeanne!

Homemade matching neck wrap and infinity scarf

Wearing both. Also immediately.

Next up? Hand stitched neck-rice warmer in fleece. And because she was concerned about my office wardrobe, she even included a matching infinity scarf to go over it (I'm wearing both in the photo!). First of all, I love it. Second of all - awesome, right?!? Also - super warm. And, it's like a Northwest requirement that you wear flannel. It's like they send it to you with your "Welcome to WA" package. So obviously perfect.

I am Godzilla.

Meet Tea-Rex. TEA-REX - GET IT?? I have laughed about this at least a dozen times. Practically every time I see the thing. It is a tea infuser! His little head pops off and the loose leaf goes in his body. There are holes along his back and head to steep. His arms are perfectly short. And a fully-intact Houston Starbucks mug (have you heard I'm obsessed?). There was also tea. For with to brew in the miniature dinosaur (*giggle*). The tea (pictured below) is a super tasty basic black tea. Each tea bag comes individually wrapped in a sealed pouch for maximum freshness. I have been trying to find it locally - because I will be adding it to my permanent tea rotation.

Someone sent this to from the interwebs. It is perfect in every way.

As far as winter essentials, this is as basic and utterly practical as they come. Basically my mitts have been impeccable since I got this box. Guys, if you need a good winter hands cream, the Carmax lotion is AMAZING stuff. I'm picky with my lotion because I have terribly dry skin and hate the greasy feeling... this absorbs quickly and lasts all day! I need to buy in bulk. I love this Burts Bees cuticle cream - I've been using it for years! And I'm a nail polish hoarder, so this is just perfect (have I said "perfect" enough yet?).

All the loot!

Also (as if that all weren't enough?) there were black and white prep bowls (in the back there) which I have used DAILY, and hidden at the bottom was a huge tub of sugary treats. Despite promising the Hubs that he would lose limbs should he touch anything, I have shared the treats with him. I've had most of them - but it was a huge box!! A huge, delicious box...

I know I've said it to her a few times over, but let it be written here in internet history - thank you SO much, Jeanne!!

For other Winter Essentials from the group, check out the other ladies:
Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head
Allison at Decadent Philistines Save the World
Mads at La Petite Pancake
Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic
Megan at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver
And Finally! See what I sent to Kat over at Tenaciously Yours