Great gifts! I'm especially looking forward to seeing that squirrel.

I can't wait to see these pics. Katie, enjoy your package!

Ms.R, sounds like you did a good job snooping around to find out info on our Katie. Great job!

The squirrel really sounds intriquing, I can't wait to see it. How neat to be able to send wines from a friend's winery - how cool is that! I bet they're delicious. The cookbook sounds interesting, too. It'll be interesting to see recipes they've served in the Whitehouse. Good job, Mrs. R.

Sally

Wow, very cool package! Wine from a friend's winery? That is awesome. Would like to see the squirrels, too, heh heh. Enjoy it, Katie!

Very nice. I like the idea of a set of wine. And how special that they are from a friends winery. I bet the White House Cookbook has lots of wonderful recipes. I hope you will share some of them with us. Looking forward to seeing the photos.

Nicely done Msrevise and all within the limits too.

A "set" of wine! LOL

Think I will go to the wine store tonight and get me a set, too!

Can't wait to see photos, I can't picture the squirrel.

Great job msrev! Katie, be sure to have a glass of wine when you curl up with that cookbook!

Linda

Looking forward to pix of the squirrel....and who wouldn't like wine?

enjoy Katie, good job msrevise.

You are cracking me up!! A SET of wine? hahahaha!!!! Way to go!

I can't wait to meet your new pets the squirrels.

Bring on the pictures!!

Wine from a friend's winery...how cool is that! Enjoy...

I'm anxious for you to look through your cook book. I might be as excited as you are. Please let me know if Dolly Madison's dinner rolls are in there? I used to have the recipe and they were very good and it got lost somewhere along the way of life. Also look forward to seeing other Presidential recipes.

Your VA squirrel sounds darling.

Look forward to your pixs.

Very good job, msrevise!

Tricia

Can't wait to see pics. I'll bet there's some great recipes in that cookbook.....with that much money, you can bet they don't serve junk at the white house!! grin.

The squirrel sounds interesting.....need photo!

I'll have to be sure to let my DH know that wine comes in 'sets'. He doesn't really drink it, but I do....I just want to make sure he understands why there's 2 bottles.

Nice package!!
Deanna

I'd also like to see the squirrel, that sounds interesting. LOL

A set of wine? Hmmm. Another swapper asked me if I thought a red and a white from the same winery was cheating and I told her I thought if they were from the same place they were a set. (grin) I don't think SHE believed me, though.

Annie

Pictures, pictures! I am a visual kind of person! Can't wait to see them. I am intrigued.

Nice package. Looking forward to the pictures. Curious about the squirrel! Sounds like a set to me :)

Enjoy!

I like squirrels..I wanna see 'im...

A set of wine..now that sounds like a "big" gift!

There's a squirrel and he is a multi-tasker? I'm intriqued!

The wine sounds fantastic.

I'm wondering about the squirrel too, and look forward to seeing a photo. The wines sound wonderful, and the from the name of the cookbook, it should present some pretty awesome recipes.

Catherine

I hope nothing bad happened to the squirrel...

{{gwi:1465938}}

I went to take a pic of the squirrel, but it was his day off, so he wouldn't pose, and he flatly refused to pull out the oven rack...

No seriously, I got pics of the other two gifts, but the squirrel was so nicely wrapped, and i'm extremely gift wrapping-impaired (I'll be embarrassed if Katie posts how i wrapped the other two!), that i just didn't want to take him out of the box. I should have time to download the other pics this afternoon, so i'll post them then.

Katie, i'm so glad you liked the package! I had to scheme to get the wine, b/c it's only sold on the Eastern Shore right now, and i wasn't going to be over there during the swap period. Luckily my friend still comes into town here occasionally, and she was willing to deliver my order! She and her husband sort of dropped out of the rat race (she's still in it, but telecommutes) and started this winery a year or so ago. The Chardonnay has already won a gold medal! Anyway, i really wanted to be able to send something from all three places, since i live so close to all of them, hence the cookbook from DC, squirrel from VA, and wine from MD.

Oh, and Katie, you're not alone on the squirrels in the attic! We had FLYING squirrels in the attic a couple years ago. We did end up doing the box trap/relocation thing. They're nocturnal, so at 2am, they'd wake us with their acrobatics! But they were cute little fellas, with really big eyes.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1465937}}

LOL at the squirrel picture, and the cookbook picture too! Can't wait to see the pix of the swap, though. The squirrel tool sounds very intriguing.

Does the cookbook have the recipe for the chocolate cake that appeared in that movie Katie Holmes was in (as the president's daughter)? That's how I always think of her (18 years old) so that whole Tom Cruise thing grossed me out!

The wine is a great homemade gift. Those would be great friends to have, for sure. I hope you don't end up having your sangria with Squirrel Flambe though!

A wine "set" - very clever MsR! I want to see that squirrel!! Enjoy, Katie!

What great gifts...and that squirrel is intriguing. I love squirrels...as long as they are in someone else's yard! :-)

We wanna see the squirrel!!

Wine should always be bought in a "set." Great package, btw!
Enjoy, Katie!
Teresa

Okay I am requesting a squirrel photo as well as my tiny little pea sized brain can not picture this gift on my own. Hmm, having trouble with the wine as well, I am going to need a taste to comment. LOL.

this package sounds very cool, it is great that all three states are reperesented.

-Robin

Another unique group of gifts -- good job MsR--

I finally downloaded my photos, so here are pics of the cookbook and the wines--i'm sorry i don't have a pic of the squirrel!

What grapes does gollywobbler come from? what a fun name! And how great that the wine comes as a set LOL! The cokbook looks great, but the squirrel has me intrigued!!

I'm curious about the cookbook - does it cover all periods of the White House, or is it more limited? Sounds interesting, from a historical point of view. I'm very much interested in the history of food/cooking.

Wine is a great local gift also - I can't say I've evey had Gollywobbler wine! That will be interesting to try.

Still hoping for the squirrel picture!

Lars

A glass of wine and a good cookbook to relax with...what's not to love!

Now that squirrel thinga ma bob....just got to see it!

Nancy

We want the squirrel! We want the squirrel!

Another classy swap package. That set of wine looks very intriguing and "gollywobbler" is a great name. Definitely Thanksgiving-related. Add me to the list who wants to see the squirrell, too!

OK Here's the squirrel. Sorry I took so long...been a hectic week.

Inside the tag it says,

"The Friendship Oven Squirrel

North Carolina folklore has it that the residents of the Pisgah Mountain range gave this squirrel to any new comer to the neighborhood as a sign of friendship. It was to be displayed in their front window to signify that they had been welcomed to the neighborhood. It also works great when you need to pull the oven rack out with his ears and push it back in with his front paws."
{{gwi:1465942}}

Here he is holding the recipe. Very cool. And he is cedar, btw.

{{gwi:1465943}}

And I thought the wrapping looked great. Hard to see the pretty fall-leaf stamping on the squirrel's box but it's very seasonal.

{{gwi:1465944}}

Thank you again, MsR...I will be enjoying the wine and the book tomorrow.

Those are wonderful gifts. The squirrel is a great kitchen companion. And a wine set sounds great (maybe even semi-legitimately one item - maybe not). I had no idea the White House had a cookbook. I'm also curious about the content. Is it from one chef - one presidency - over time?

MsR - I'm from the area too, and I wouldn't have known about any of these items. Great job.

Katie - enjoy it all.

Lynn.

Gollywobbler? Hmmm! Never heard of that! I think I've seen that cookbook...it's very nice. I love the squirrel. Great package!

Really nice job Msrevise!

Katie, I've been thinking about you. What a great package from the DC area. I love the squirrel, very cute. The wine and cookbook are fabulous also.

Nice box of goodies you put together Msrevise!

Tracey

Well that squirrel is definitely different, interesting, and practical! The craftmanship looks lovely. Hey, can you stand it on its head/front legs to support an 8.5x11 sheet of paper?

Msrevise, I am wrapping challenged too. We need to start a support group!

Dang, Amazon has the cookbook listed but its not 'searchable' so we can't peek. Next lifetime. And that wine looks wonderful!

bizzo, i queried my friend on the Gollywobbler, and guess what--it's fermented Concord grapes! Hey kids, a new treat for the lunchbox!

lars, the cookbook is pretty cool and actually an interesting historical document, in a way. It's an updated and revised edition of one that was published in 1891 during Grover Cleveland's presidency, and the new one still includes many recipes that were served at that time, especially for entertaining. There are also tips on things like how to make soap, if i recall. So in the centennial revised edition, they include healthy updated recipes alongside the original (sometimes shockingly unhealthy!) recipes. In addition, they include recipes from the current White House (well, current in the 1990s), and healthier versions of some of those, too, among them Hillary Clinton's cookies and Barbara Bush's shortbread (and i have to wonder, when was the last time either of them actually baked??).

OH! THAT squirrel! Why didnt you say so??? I happen to have a little guy like that too!
{{gwi:1465945}}

I just wanted to share all of the things you can do with him!!

He makes an awesome stamp holder
{{gwi:1465947}}

He makes a wonderful wine glass stop so the glass won't get knocked over
{{gwi:1465949}}

Mail holder
{{gwi:1465950}}

paperweight
{{gwi:1465951}}

bookstop, so cookbook won't slide off counter
{{gwi:1465952}}

book marker
{{gwi:1465953}}

eye glass holder
{{gwi:1465954}}

arm rest
{{gwi:1465955}}
A friend for the dog
{{gwi:1465956}}

A pillow warmer
{{gwi:1465958}}

A toothbrush holder
{{gwi:1465960}}

Countless ways to use him!

OMG Shaun too funny! Um I see that glass of wine is half empty...hmmm....but I'm most happy to see Ricky!

Now, that's a useful squirrel!

Cool package -- I'm off to look up "gollywobbler"!

LOLOL, Shaun, for some reason the arm rest and the bookmark really tickled me--somehow the bookmark makes it look like roadkill!

LOL Shaun! OMG I had no idea there were so many uses for a wooden squirrel (don't start Jessy). That is a great box. Let us know how you like the cookbook! Enjoy!

Hee hee - Shaun - that's funny.

I do like the story of the squirrel, though - that's very nice.

And Katie enjoy that Gollywobbler with Liana - I dare ya to try to say it after the bottle's gone. :-)

Great package, msrevise.

Stacy