I forgot what recipes I sent in, but here's a couple for tomatoes, peppers and one for a zucchini yeast bread. Panzanella This is an Italian bread salad. The Italians make it to use up stale bread. I make it to use up cherry tomatoes (I use halved cherry tomatoes). Ingredients Salad 1 1⁄2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 3) 1 shallot, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 cup fresh basil leaves Panzanella croutons Freshly ground black pepper Panzanella Croutons ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 tablespoon minced garlic 6 cups cubed day-old bread (½-inch cubes) Salt and ground black pepper to taste 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Core the tomatoes and, if large, cut them into chunks; if small, halve or quarter them (I slice the cherry tomatoes in half). Toss them gently with the shallot, garlic, oil, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. Set aside until the tomatoes are very juicy, about 10 minutes. Add croutons and give a give toss. Tear the basil over the salad and toss gently. (The bread salad can be served now or set aside at room temperature for a couple of hours.) For the croutons, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie sheet in it. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container. Tortellini Salad with Pine nuts This recipe is from Picnic! By Edith Stovel. This serves 8. Ingredients Salad 2 lbs fresh tortellini pasta (spinach, cheese or mushroom fillings work well) 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup green onion, chopped ½ cup pine nuts ½ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ cup chopped fresh dill ¼ cup chopped grated parmesan cheese Dressing ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ teaspoon salt Ground black pepper ¾ cup olive oil Follow directions for cooking tortellini. Drain and place in a large bowl. Mix in remaining salad ingredients. For dressing, combine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until well combined. Pour dressing over tortellini and chill. Zucchini Bread This is a little more work than the quick version. In the heart of zucchini season, youll enjoy this bread fro a change. This recipe is adapted from a Taste of Home flyer. Makes 1 loaf. 1 tablespoon dry active yeast ½ cup warm water ⅓ cup warm milk ⅓ cup sugar 3 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons grated orange peel ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini ⅓ cup raisins ¾ cup whole wheat flour ¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or a blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and mace) 1 ⅔ to 2 ⅓ cups bread flour In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in the milk, sugar, butter, and orange peel. Mix well. Add the zucchini, raisins whole wheat floor, all-purpose flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Add enough bread flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface (5-10 minutes) until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 ½ hours). Punch down dough and shape into a loaf. Place into a greased 9x5x3 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Hi All, I've been so busy. I made cookies and stuff all night after work and then I answered some email. I wasn't going to write anything tonight because I'm tired. I was ready to go to bed but I realized it may be awhile until I can post again. So I want to tell the story I promised before. 11 years ago in August, Gary's brother, Joe, died helping a motorist who's car had been hit on a major highway. He got struck by a motorcycle that was speeding and then a car driven by a drunk driver. It was as you can imagine was quite an awful time. We as a family decided to donate all of Joe's organs. We felt that he died trying to help someone and it is what he would of wanted. Thanksgiving with Gary's family wasn't the best that year of course. Christmas as far as I could see wasn't going to be much better. On Christmas morning Gary and I got up. He was watching tv, and I was reading the newspaper. I started to read the letter to the editor part of the paper. There was letter from a woman from NJ writing to thank the family who made the decision to donate the organs of the man who had died on the highway. At that point, I just started to whell up with tears and Gary of course couldn't figure out why the paper would make me cry. I tried to read out loud to him, but I couldn't get it out and by that time I was bawling. The woman's brother had received Joe's heart, and surely would of died. It was a wonderful thing she did sending that letter. We were very sad, but we were also very happy to know that people were alive because of him. It made a tough Christmas bearable. So the best gift we ever got cost no more than the time it took her to write a letter and the stamp to mail it. (As a side note,Gary's parents eventually found out about all the people(info without names) he helped. And they did meet the man who got his lungs and became friends with him. They also are active members in UNYTS, the local organ donor group. Also the next year Gary's sister had a baby, the first grandchild. There's nothing like a baby to help lift people's spirits.) Ok, I've got to go to bed. Tomorrow is a long day at work, and then I've got to visit my baby brother and his family in the evening. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Remy

Hey Sue, How's the lip Balm? I've been meaning to stop back into the store I got it in, and pick up one for me. But it's the "birding store", and It's a dangerous place. LOL I picked up quite a few things while I was in there, and wanted to take home more! LOL

Thanks Maryanne, your sweet compliments really brightened up my day! I appreciate the tip regarding the Nordicware bundt pans, I'm going over to that website when I'm done here:-) I am enjoying reading through this cookbook very much, there are some very easy recipes mixed in with some that require a bit more effort, which makes it a good recipe book for a wide range of cooks. Everyone seems to like my counter stools, and I'm glad because it took me a long time to pick the right ones for my kitchen. I should have just asked my forum friends, who would have been very helpful I'm sure! Hopefully everyone is enjoying their weekend. DONNA