Oh goody, I get to be the first to say what a great job you did May. That baker's assortment is fabulous, I'm busting to try Penzy's cinnamon. Those brioche pans are handy, too!

Too funny about your Texas ties, Nancy - what a tawinkydink! Whatcha going to make first, barbeque or brioche? Enjoy your goodies!!!

i just love the pans. the baker assortment is great although i don't know what about baking blend spice - is it similar to an allspice? and the only thing i know about texas cooking is from watching dallas all those years ago and the ewings giving those fancy food feasting bbq's.

enjoy your great box!

maryanne

May you really picked a good theme for Nancy. Everything is wonderful, but it is the bread baking dishes that are my favourite. Like the colour too.

Nancy, I know that we can look forward to something special being baked and photographed soon.

Ann

I tried Penzey's cinnamon for the first time recently and couldn't believe what a difference it made.

I've never seen baking dishes like those - how cool!

I love this assortment of items!

I really wish we had a Penzey's! I love the dishes too, and who can go wrong with Texas food? Great package! Adele

Those fluted dishes are really cool. I've never seen them before either. I love the color as well as the beautiful line.

Great package from May. Enjoy!

AM

Nancy, I'm so glad everything arrived ok! And I'm so glad you liked everything. I definitely enjoyed shopping for you, I was able to glean great info from your posts which made you easy and fun to shop for!

I figured the brioche pans were a sort of indulgence, not the kind of thing you'd run out and buy for yourself but the kind of thing one might buy for the baker who has everything!

On the penzey's baking blend, I've never tried it but here's what their website says about it:
Baking Spice
All-purpose blend of sweet baking spices-a mix of Ceylon softsick Cinnamon, rich Mace, Sweet Anise, and a hint of cool Cardamom. Perfect for muffins, coffee cakes, pies and banana bread; just add up the spices your recipe calls for and use the same amount of Baking Spice instead. Baking Spice is also a nice sprinkle for coffee or hot chocolate,. Hand-mixed from: Ceylon cinnamon, Spanish anise, Grenadian mace, Guatemalan cardamom
Nancy, I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.

Aside from barbecue and chili which we're famous for, Texas is chock full of ethnic foods - simply because we're chock full of ethnic origins! Deep rooted in Texas are Mexican, German, Czech, Spanish... more recent arrivals include Vietnamese, Korean. (Little known fact, Galveston was an entry point for a great many immigrants in the 1800s). Nancy, I had no idea of your Texas ties but I'm thrilled to hear it!

May

P.S. Nancy, please do NOT send any snow here. I've seen snow a few times, thank you, and that's enough for me. Funny thing is, the clerk at the post office commented on the snow-topped font too!

Excuse me while I pick up my jaw off the floor. Those fluted ceramic pieces are unbelieveable! With Nancy's new camera toy, I just know we're all in danger - we'll put on pounds just looking at what she creates in those. Aye yai yai and when she adds that baking mix to her creations....shudder....

WOW! I have only known May a short time but find that she is amazing on many fronts! The pans are stunning.

Lucky you, Nancy. May is amazing in many ways. I also just love those brioche pans, and know you will put them to good use. That's a great swap package!
Sherry

may, thanks for the information on the spice mix. i'm going to have to check that out.

maryanne

Like some of the others..those pans caught my eyes first..I missed in the first reading what they were..teach me to glean read on this forum!
The whole swap box is fabulous!

May what a FAB package you put together. I hope you didn't second guess yourself on this one because it's the perfect swap gift. I love the ceramic pieces!

Nancy dont forget to show us your creations! Enjoy your gifts.

The ceramic baking pans are just wonderful! Glass or clay is really the best material to bake it and it makes such a difference in the final product. Nancy, you will get a lot of use out of these, plus they are so attractive with the fluted ends! I WANT them!

I love regional cookbooks! Any recipes for Blue Crabs? We went to Galveston for one purpose only and it was for the Blue Crabs and worth every dime we spent too! And the spices, who wouldn't want spices from Penzey's! I'd trade out all my McCormick's any day.

May, what a super swap package you put together. I just love everything! Nancy, have fun with your new goodies.

Michelle

May that is a stunner of a package, I too think the pans are really neat. Looking forwar to see what you do with them Nancy!

Whoa! May! You hit the nail on the head with this package to Nancy! Perfect !

Nancy, I've really been enjoying your photograph's lately. I can't wait to see what you bake in your new ceramic brioche pans!

Wonderful swap items, May! Love the unique pans - it's hard to surprise this crew with something different. You will love the Penzey's spices, Nancy. Please let us know when you make something from that great looking cookbook.
Teresa

I have never seen those fluted pans either and I think you are very fortunate :)

I love those pans! I have seen them in this area but they are always made of aluminum, those are beautiful! Great job.

Those pans are way too cool! I love them, very different. Nothing wrong with anything from Penzeys, I'm sure you will put it to good use Nancy. I'll be waiting for a recipe from that cookbook too. Super package May!!

David

I LOVE those ceramic pieces! They are beautiful, in style and color. I've become a Penzy's cinnamon fan, as well. I know you're going to love using that in your recipes.

I've never seen that cookbook before. Now I'm on a mission to hunt it down for myself! Great package May. Congrats to you, Nancy!

Lori

I've never seen baking pans like that - beautyyyy!!!

Cool pans! And I've heard so many positive comments about Penzey's spices I'm sure you'll love your assortment of spices.

Catherine

What a great package! Those pans are really beautiful - and I imagine they would turn out beautifully simple loaves of sweet bread. And the baking spice sounds really intriguing!

Nice job!

Wow, I love those pans. I've seen Nancy's cookbook collection so I know she's loving a new one and you can't go wrong with Penzey's any time.

Great job, May.

Annie

I am shaking my head in amazement! Just when you think you have seen it all, a package like this comes along! That cookbook looks like a lot of fun, but it's those pans that are the "eye candy" for me! LOL

And ya just can't go wrong with anything from Penzey's! Great job, May!
Nancy girl, now you get a-bakin' and a-BBQ'in and
a-photographin' and a-postin'! (she says in her smoothest Texas drawl...)

Linda

May, those brioche pans are just gorgeous! The cookbook looks wonderful and Penzeys is the BEST! Nancy, have fun baking with this great package!

Wow, the ceramic pieces are fabulous, May. Cut it out, just beautiful. What a treat to get Penzey's. The cookbook looks fun, too. This package fits you perfectly, Nancy!

I can't see the pictures today, but everything sounds wonderful! How lucky to receive Penzey's spices. Too far from me for an in person sniff test-but anything is possible on the internet!

I would love to see what you bake in the brioche pans--please show us! The cookbook must have some hearty recipes and great BBQ, can't wait to hear about them.

Yee haw May! Hope to see your photos soon Nancy!