Drats! I feel like an addict! I want...CRAVE details!! Waiting. Not very patiently, I might add! :)

Deb, I am an addict!

Hurry hurry!

OKfine, but first I want to say that I haven't been commenting on each post (I seldom do...don't get much fun time on the computer), but you guys are all awesome swappers. Ain't this fun?

SOMEbody needs to 'splain how this works out to four items, lol.

{{gwi:1459886}}

Here's the list. I think I got everything. Kathy did a Florida-Theme-Meets-Tourist theme and she really did some homework:

-Two bright Florida postcards, one with a nice note from Kathy (these will go to my late March reading program...we're having a beach party)
-Homemade Orange Cinnamon, Honey Lemon Spice, and KathyÂs Key Lime jellies (YUM...for obvious reasons, I don't do citrus jellies [have you ever tried to get a decent orange in Idaho?]. I stopped and got some English muffins)
-Paso Chile Margarita Mix (with key limes and Meyer lemons...ohhhmmmyyyy)
-San Sebastian Blanc du Bois wine (I like white, but I bet she knew that)
-Orange Blossom Pilsner (DH does NOT get both bottles)
-Key lime Mustard Sauce
-Gator Hammock Gator Sauce
-Florida Honey Sampler
-Vidalia Onion Honey Mustard Dressing
-Key lime cookies
-Orange chocolate coffee (I suppose I'll have to take this to work and share)
-Citrus candy
-Coconut toast spred (thatÂs how they spelled it.)
-Mango coconut cookies (Had to promise Liana that i'd wait'til she was home to open these...dang)
-Best of the Best of Florida cookbook (I love these books and my goal is to have a cookbook from every state...didn't have FL!)
-A fuzzy orange (very cute)
-Cool Florida bottle opener with a fishy swimming in it (The kid will abscond with this I bet)
-Gorgeous rusty-colored platter that will go well with the touches of terra cotta in our kitchen
-And, last but not least, a ferocious crocodile (He and the fuzzy orange will also attend our beach party)

Thank you, Kathy...you outdid yourself, you are baaaad! But a bit of Florida really hits the spot about now...it's dumping snow here.

Yes, I'm embarrassed I went waaaaayyyyy overboard...I had a brain fart between themes and items. Ummm...this is my first swap (excuses). O.k., fifty lashes with a wet noodle for me!

(kicks dirt)...Well I get credit for keeping it to ONE theme don't I? (LOL) I'm so glad you liked everything Katie. I would have sent you the whole six pack of beer, but I didn't know if you liked it. It's pretty good.

Oh, the company that makes the Key Lime Mustard Sauce has a wonderful website with recipes for their products. They're in Sarasota/Bradenton...my hometown!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Floribbean Recipes

ROTF Katie...I didn't notice the "Coconut Toast Spred" till now. Tooo funny! I know you're a librarian and get a kick out of things like this.

A Florida gift package..that is larger than life! Very neat! that must have been so much fun to open..

Holy Cow! LOL

*clearing throat*

I see two item groupings: solids and liquids. Nice job with the groupings, Kathy. ;)

Enjoy, Katie!

Ha ha, funny, Lori. That is some package. I see citrus and honey... then everything else. Wow. Have a nice time with it all, Katie! And really, Kathy... cool it, you're making the rest of us look bad!

WOW, I think that's the record breaker haul!

Being baaaad can be a good thing. Have fun with all your goodies Katie!!

David

Wow that's quite a haul! I love that there are edibles and souvenirs to keep. Kathy, I'll be you didn't even realize that Katie could use some of these things at work!

Enjoy!

Katie, wow, what an awesome fun package!

Kathy, just a little overboard... :-)! (I used to work in Sarasota.)

Jayne

A lot of bad boys and girls hang out here - spankings all around!

I love all athe citrus items. I hope you'll describe the coconut "spred" after you try it. I'd be eating a lot of English muffins to test all that out.

This is indeed a box full of fun and Florida sunshine, perfect for Katie who still has some winter ahead.

Lee

We can justify anything around here. I see this as one big item too. :)

Katie, you'll be enjoying these goodies for a long time. One of them cookies would be good about now.

Kathy - great choices. I love the ferocious crocodile, he's just the right choice.

Bet ya'll didn't know Florida is the only place in the world you can see both alligators and crocodiles in the same place (everglades)? Actually Katie, being a librarian you probably did know that. . . .

Here is a link that might be useful: Gators!

Wow! Gotta tell ya, any time anybody gets anything "key lime" I get jealous! Love them. You did a great job Kathy! And Katie, how does it feel to "be" in Florida in March?

wow! Katie - you're a lucky girl! What a fun package of stuff.

Gardengirl - you picked out some wonderfully unique items and it looks like a piece of Florida - definitely. Great job - but what is gator sauce?

Stacy

Holy Smoke....thats one awesome box of treats!!!

Cheers!
Susie

That's a big, fat burst of sunshine! I love it! Great stuff!

Some info about the goodies...

- The gator sauce is a reeaaally good hot sauce. Great for chicken wings! Buffalo Chicken Dip anyone?

- The wine was made at Lakeridge Winery in Clermont, Florida. The San Sabastian Winery is in St. Augustine, Fl (the oldest city in the U.S.) and receives all their wine from Lakeridge. We love to go up to St. Augustine for a day trip.

- Proceeds from the coffee purchase go to the "Preserve the Florida Manatee" foundation.

- The Florida honey is made from pollen gathered in statewide citrus orchards. It's wonderful! Did you know that Florida is the 3rd highest honey producing state in the U.S.?

- The lemon jelly was made from lemons off the Meyor lemon tree in my backyard! The orange jelly was made from oranges picked in a friend's yard, and the key lime jelly was made from key limes picked in a friend's yard next to the Indian River (near Melbourne).

- I almost got you a real gator head (yes, they sell those things down here), but decided on a rubber one instead. :-)

I tried to keep every item something "Made in Florida," as I'm a big supporter of small, family owned businesses. It was actually hard to find some of this stuff without going into the hell known as the "Disney Attraction Area." I hate all those touristy places!

wow that is one big honkin' swap package! very good treats to enjoy!
nice Florida theme

janet

Tha tis a great package!! I think it is especially great that kathy found canned goodies that Katie does not make anything even close to. That must have been fun to open, or maybe tiring.

-Robin

Actually Katie, that's just one item, "Florida", so Kathy owes you three more! LOL

What a fabulous collection of sunshine!

What a great Florida package! I love the ferocious gator, and Kathy I am sure Katie is terribly glad you chose the plastic over the real thing! LOL

Those citrus jellies sound scrumptious!
Enjoy, Katie!

Linda

Yahoo! I hope you get MY name for the regular swap!!!! hahahaha!!!! That's some mini swap girlfriend! I also loved the Florida theme. Very cute.

Katie, you're gonna have a ball with all that stuff!

Ooo, I would like the recipe for the Meyer lemon and Key Lime jelly please. My Meyer lemon and Key Lime trees have blooms on them now.

What a wonderful package, that margarita mix sounds good, everything does.

Kathy, I think that is four items; food, paper, kitchen and gator and orange! I grouped the gator and orange together.

Great package!

WOW!!Great gifts. Katie is one lucky lady.

Kathy, Credit given for sticking to one theme LOL.

Tracey

Wow, great swap box! Enjoy your mini Florida vacation!

Good job Kathy. I was in Sarasota last summer visiting another forum member and remember seeing the citrus jelly everywhere we shopped. Yum!

Great job Kathy!! I love putting together Florida themed packages, there is so much to choose from.

As mentioned, RiverRat and I did go shopping at a nice Florida store last year for a package to send to Annie. We came across so great things. Although we passed on the coconut bra.

I had forgotten about the coconut bra! heh heh

But can you live without a coconut bra?!

What a great package! I love the regional boxes; it's so interesting to see what regional specialties people want to share.

And if this was a mini-swap, what does Kathy send on regular swaps? Actual real estate?

Swapee, I'm glad you got such a baaaaad package. You certainly put a lot of special touches in the one you sent me. Enjoy!