Secret Santa Food Exchange

This past holiday season I left my comfort zone and decided to participate in a Secret Santa Gift Exchange with a group of people I didn't know.  Let me rephrase that...although I don't know them personally, I do know they share in my passion for food, cooking and entertaining, and I mean that in a good way.   
My recipient's post:

I received the most lovely Food52 SWAP package from Mile High Lori!  Everything was from scratch and organic.  Bourbon sea salt caramels, pumpkin bread, cranberry cookies, pumpkin granola, white chocolate cookies and beautiful hand sewn napkins.   The best of all was the handmade soaps that read “just add water”!   The gift that keeps on giving!

I have been following the Food52 blog for years; a silent observer, always learning and being inspired by what I read.  After contemplating for nearly ten days whether I should/should not participate, I committed by the Thanksgiving deadline.  A week later the event coordinator emailed all the participants the name and address of their giftee, along with a few general suggestions, mostly concerning gratitude and manners.  

With the package to be mailed by December 16th, the more I thought about what to include, the more I changed my mind.  In the end, knowing nothing about the person I was crafting for, other than she lived in Decatur, Georgia, I went with items I would like to receive.  Truly, joy is in the giving.  It was so much fun to prepare a surprise package for someone, and at the same time know that one was being made for me.  I also included the recipes for everything I made.  Why, you ask?  Because I knew that I would want them.  

Noelle, both the initiator and  coordinator of the Secret Santa exchange, requested that we post a photo and a few comments upon receiving our package on a site that she created. http://food52secretswap.tumblr.com/  I don't know how many people participated in this 3rd Annual Exchange, but I do believe there were more than the four dozen or so postings.  Hopefully more people will follow through this final step next year.  
And the post I made after receiving my package:

I received a delicious looking package from my secret Santa, Maria Altyeva, with several of her local favorites and some homemade ones as well. Peach jam from her mothers summer garden and homemade brown butter hazelnut chocolate chip cookies. Goat milk caramels, Lake Champlain chocolates, Kings Country beef jerky and Askinosie hot chocolate to cap it off. Thank you Maria. Happy holidays, milehighlori

I'm already looking forward to next year's Food52 Secret Swap. 

Update:  January 9, 2014

I  just learned there were 192 participants from 7 countries on 3 continents in the Secret Santa Swap.  A package went as far as from the US to India, and for the first time there were mini-swaps in Canada, the UK and a few areas in Europe.