Dear Rematched Secret Santa,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

I have to admit, I was really let down when the original ship date came and went, and I never heard anything from my original santa. However, I found myself cautiously hopeful when I found out I had been rematched. She immediately messaged me asking for more info about myself because I guess I'd been a little vague about my interests (so sorry about that btw!). I launched into a really long message allllll about what I liked and didn't like, and then waited patiently to see if I had supplied enough info this time.

And let me tell you, the wait was well worth it. The gifts she sent fit me perfectly. I was super stoked to get not one, but two packages in the mail the other day from my rematcher.

The first that arrived was a book titled "In the Sweet Kitchen." I wasn't expecting anything more than an apron, so this really excited me. I was even more excited when I cracked open the book. It has recipes, but the majority of the book is about learning about everything that goes into the baking process. It teaches you all about the different tools and utensils and ingredients. It really shows you the "how" and "why" of the baking process.

This book is great for me because I love learning and am not just content to follow a recipe. One of my favorite shows is Chopped on the Food Network, and I am constantly baffled by their creativity and knowledge of what goes well together and how it's going to cook up. This book really unravels part of the mystery, and I love it. I've immediately started reading and have learned so much already. The recipes themselves sound really fancy and look much more complex than anything I've ever tried to make. But that's part of the fun. After reading all about the different flavors and techniques, I have no doubt that this book is going to help raise my baking level, and I will be able to execute these recipes. I am so excited for the challenge.

The second package that arrived was my apron. After the excitement of the first package, I immediately tore the second one open too. Inside was an apron that says, "Stand back! I'm having a creative moment." It put such a silly grin on my face because I just couldn't believe how perfect it was. I will often have "creative moments" where I take over part of the house with my new passion that week. The kitchen is no exception. Even my husband, who has been skeptical about these gift exchanges, said, "Wow. That fits you perfectly." So there you have it, folks. Straight from the cynic's mouth.

Thank you again, fantasycook57! I really appreciate all of the thought you put into these gifts!!