Stacy, I love the surreal gourmet, he makes food fun, he's not afraid of spice, and overall I find him very creative! (Love the Bar-B page of the cookbook! LOL!)

And that bowl is very unique with pretty colours! I'm sure you'll enjoy the wine too!

Nice job, May!

Catherine

That dish really is exquisite, if you do post more photos of it Stacy will you please post one with something in/on it? I cannot tell if it is bowl shaped or just flat. That cookbook is also very cool, and what is there not to love about wine. Great box.

-Robin

Oh what a stunning piece that bowl is !!

And that cookbook sounds like it's just perfect-- not just for you Stacy,but for that budding chef you're raising .

Enjoy the wine .

Nice swap May !

That cookbook is a hoot. Very entertaining. The bowl is a real eye popper. Wowee. And wine to enjoy while you sit back and take it all in. Lovely package, May. Enjoy, Stacy.

Very cool cookbook! That dish is stunning! Enjoy them all with the wine!

Great job May!!

The photo of the "bed" of polenta really tickled me for some reason!

The bowl is really unique. Pink coral! Very cool package!

Stacy, I'm so glad you like everything!! I really lucked out on the cookbook - I never heard of the surreal gourmet, but I check out cookbooks from the library all the time, and I just happened to hit on this one recently. When I read you get most of your recipes on the net I figured this one would be perfect simply because it's so much fun!

The wine -- It does look like it's signed which I'm not sure about but all the bottles were that way. This winery changes their labels every year. They hold a contest for art and put that art on that year's labels. I've never seen them signed like that before so this was new to me but I thought that made it even more perfect.

And the wooden bowl, well that was also luck I admit. I just happened to have seen this artist at a monthly art/craft fair in the Heights, a kind of artsy part of town, just before this swap. Well when you said you liked wood things, this just seemed perfect!!

As Stacy said, my theme was one for you and one for me. I got the cookbook, a similar bowl and of course Messina Hof wine is a staple in my house!!

Here are the pix I took before sending. I'll also post a picture of my bowl in a bit.
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Here's a couple of pix of the bowl I bought for myself, second picture has wine corks in it to show the depth.

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OH! And I forgot to say, I didn't even NOTICE the bowl was signed and numbered till Stacy pointed that out!! I got the one with red in it for her because she mentioned red as one of her kitchen colors.

Oh-my-goodness! That bowl is fabulous! Wow!

May, Great job! I know that Stacy will enjoy every item you got for her.

Wow, that bowl is stunning! And shrimp on the Barbie! Too funny!! That sounds like a great cookbook.

Another example of outstanding choices to send to a fellow cook! I really love seeing all the local handcrafted items that swappers have found.

Great package, May! Enjoy, Stacy!

These packages just keep getting better and better! That cookbook is a riot, and the bowl is fabulous. May, I'm glad that you got one of each for yourself. You did such a good job picking things for Stacy, you "deserve" them!!

That's an awesome package!I just love the book and the personal stories that accompany the bowl and the wine!

That bowl.....holy moly it is so gorgeous. I like to watch Bob Blumer, he is a bit of a charachter, and most of his recipes do not look too daunting, more fun. Enjoy it all Stacy, good job May!

I love Bob Blumer. I don't have any cookbooks though. I'm definitely looking forward to recipes.

That bowl is fantastic. Nice going May!! That is really a special piece.

Enjoy Stacy!!

Tracey

That is the coolest looking bowl! What a great swap package, May! Lucky you, Stacy! I love the bowl and Bob Blumer, what a fun cookbook!

Carol

I took the cookbook to bed with me last night - it really is wonderful. In addition to being very entertaining, it has some really helpful - for me - advice.

The beginning of it is "winner dinners" and gives instructions on preparing several complete dinners. This is very helpful to me as it is very detailed - lol! It tells you what to do in advance - how far in advance, what to do and in what order when the guests arrive, recommends wine and even music!

I took some more photos of the bowl (Yours is pretty, too May!) And yes, the colors are perfect for my kitchen - nice and warm with a hint of the perfect shade of red...BUT the current home for this beautiful piece is the living room. (Sammy prefers it in there, where she can see it...)

The bottom is as pretty as the top...

And you can see how it sets on those little feet...

Thanks again...and again...
Stacy

WOW that is a gorgeous bowl and it looks perfect in the living room Stacy! I really can picture you and WIll having some great fun with that cookbook, it's a hoot.

Wow, that bowl is to die for! And I am laughing out loud at "Shrimp on the Barbie" and "Bed of Polenta"! LOL
Is the wine red or white? How fun that May has stomped grapes at the winery! Great package!

Linda

That bowl is gorgeous! Mae does super swap packages: I know firsthand. That cookbook looks just like something that I would love. Awesome! Enjoy your bootie, stacy. Great job, Mae.

Ooooooooooooooooooh, beautiful!!!

Thank you both so much for the additional photos, now I can better picture the bowls shape. It really is an amazing and stunning piece. It looks great in the living room, so does Sammy.

-Robin

I've never heard of Bob Blumer........but that cookbook looks like I'll need to do some homework.
Gorgeous, gorgeous bowl!
And wine is always good in my book.
Deanna

Wow that bowl is amazing!

The cookbook looks like alot of fun!

I think it is a thrilling assortment also..
Everything is fun and unique..like Bob:)

That looks like the perfect book for you, Stacy. You and Will should have fun with that since he's turning out to be such a little cook. Fantastic package, Lowspark.

The bowl is stunning, the book looks like a lot of fun, and the wine, well it looks like a lot of fun, too. Great job, May. I'm sure you're enjoying everything, Stacy.

Sally

Stacy, what an awesome package. Good selections, May.

OMG, the bowl is stunning! Please tell us more about it...you mentioned "coral" & I can see the color but can't wrap my mind around how someone could have melded the coral & wood together? It's just fantastic! A real centerpiece, for sure...there are some wonderful artists in the country!

The cookbook is a hoot. It's going to be a fun read, for sure, but I'm betting the recipes are as great as the pictures. Anxious for a post for those shrimp...they look yum. The "Diced" fish are just great!

I'd keep that wine bottle. Love the label.

No need to tell you to enjoy, Stacy. I'm sure you will.

What a wonderful package...fun, creative, entertaining, and stunning with that bowl. Very good job, May!

Tricia

I haven't heard of Bob Blumer either but the book looks perfect for you to have a lot fun in the kitchen. I'll bet Will is having a lot of laughs too at the recipe names. The bowl will look great whereever you put it. Let us know what you have with the merlot.

I love Texas, and what a nice package youo have from there.

Lee

Stacy awesome package! I've been lucky to have received items from May before in past swaps. Lucky you - enjoy!

Wow! I LOVE the bowl! And the cookbook is so creative, the pictures are really fun!! Stacy, I know you'll enjoy it! Great job, May!!

I love wood and that bowl is amazing, and it goes very well with your living room. Perfect choice, May.

The cookbook is pretty cute too, I think it would be as much fun to read as it would be to use for cooking.

Annie

I RAN to my library's website and put a request in for that book from another branch. That 'bed of polenta' is priceless. Stacy, I think you will have to post LOTS from that book.

Amazing bowl!

I'm going to have to get that book also - it looks hilarious!

I've been to Bryan many times (DB used to live there), but I never knew about a winery there, or else I would have visited it. Let us know how it tastes!

I love mesquite, but I usually use it for burning - I was unaware that one could make bowls from it. DF is always trying to get rid of mesquite on his property. The bowl is beautiful.

Great package!!

Lars

I my goodness that bowl is perfect, as is the whole swap. Great job. Adele

What a fun cookbook! And the bowl is beautiful, May...I can't wait to show it to DH. We just bought a lathe and he wants to start turning natural edge bowls. And wine...you can't go wrong there. Enjoy your treasures, Stacy!

Stacy, I guy I used to work with turned me onto Messina Hof wines quite some time ago. It really is a wonderful wine. Their merlot is one of my favorites.

The cookbook is hilarious! The pictures are great - I'm particularly interested in the shrimp recipe from the first picture, though "Shrimp on the Barbie" still has me giggling!!

That bowl is gorgeous. I'm in awe of people who can create things like that. What a lovely package, May!

Lori

When I think it can't get any better, it does.

May, I love everything, the bowl, the cookbook and the wine. Just a perfect package.

Lars, we have mesquite on our land and DH does the same as your Dad. I have seen some beautiful furniture made from mesquite. There is a place in Austin that makes mesquite dining furniture and I wanted it until I found out what it cost. Well, I still want it!

The bowl is beautiful. May, you shop good.

Have fun, Stacy.

ROFL @ the Shrimp on the Barbie pic!! I'll be looking for a recipe from that book Stacy. That bowl is very cool, I love it! Great package May!!

David