Another one that has one of those cool boards. I know you will love it Adele. I have a set of those cards too and just can't bring myself to use them either....I'm thinking framing and hanging in the kitchen. Enjoy it all! I'll be awaiting a recipe from the books too. Great package Ann! David

I've been making bread since I was 7 years old, and I always kneaded it by hand. when carpal tunnel syndrome became so intense that it hurt to knead bread, I stopped baking bread and relied on the store bought stuff. Enter Deb (Momto4kids) who had an unused bread machine, like many others here do. She sent it to me and I've made all my bread, buns, rolls, pizza dough for the kids, bagels, you name it. I love the darned thing and use it at least a couple of times a week. It's a Zojirushi and it's been a workhorse, I haven't encountered a dough that it can't knead, even the whole grain types that tend to be substantial. I never bake in it though, I don't mind the holes but I don't like the crust, it seems more like it's steamed than baked. I also always check the dough for hydration, sometimes it needs more flour, sometimes more liquid, depending on a lot of factors. I still check to make sure it "feels right", that's the only way I can manage to make bread. I also make any recipe that suits me, I don't use recipes made just for bread machines. You just have to know how much flour your particular machine can handle and make that much dough. Elery's 9 year old grandson was here from California and stayed with us for 2 days. I let him use the bread machine to make pizza dough and he loved it, said it was the best pizza he'd ever eaten. I didn't tell him about my pizza preferences, just ate his pepperoni and italian sausage pizza and told him it was the best I'd ever had. So I vote yes, drag out the machine and make some dough. Make bagels or pretzel buns or dinner rolls or pizza dough, it doesn't even have to be traditional bread, and it's all better than the stuff you get from the store! Annie

Nowadays, promotional tote bags can be seen everywhere. Do you have an assortment of eco-friendly totes at your house? These tote bags aren't just eco-friendly, they're also excellent advertising for your business, as people take them everywhere for shopping and use them for a variety of purposes at home. Your logo will be constantly on display. It's a reality that if your company doesn't have an eco-friendly promotional tote, chances are your competitors do. Consider the reasons for giving your customers free green totes. First, it's important to let your customers know that your company is environmentally aware. Not only that, customers feel like they're doing their part for the environment when they do business with a company that is clearly eco-friendly. It may be that your customers aren't all that environmentally conscious; nevertheless, they'll feel like they're making an important contribution when they know about your company's green involvement. Second, a tote can provide you with unprecedented attention. Whenever your customer uses the tote, your logo will be there to remind them of you. Wherever your customer takes the bag, there will be another group of people who will see your name. And don't forget how many members of the general public will see your logo, slogan, and other information about your company every time your client carries the bag to and around the market. It's just about impossible to count exactly how many people will see and be made aware of your company through your green promo bag. It's like having an ad campaign that travels wherever your customers go. Where else can you get exposure this broad for less than the cost of a bagel and a latte from Starbucks? Finally, you'll be able to improve your company's image by demonstrating that you are a company that fosters an environmentally responsible culture. By giving away tote bags, you're prompting people to give up those plastic bags that the stores use. You can take it one step further and encourage your customers to bring they're old tote bags in for recycling when they're no longer useful. There are endless benefits to using eco-friendly tote bags as a promotional tool for your business. These simple little totes are a wonderful way to spread the word about your concern for the environment and to advertise your company. Your customers will appreciate your willingness to make a difference and will be glad they do business with you. Here is a link that might be useful: Ecotrendbags

It was a lovely evening. The engaged couple showed up an hour earlier than planned which left B & I scrabling so the pics are of everthing half done. The ring pic is the bride to be, cracking the first bottle of bubbly. We don't usually wear coats in the house, but it wa a chilly day and they had been on an hour and a half walk before coming over. Future son-in-law did not want any pictues taken at the acutal moment, but has plans to have some photos taken tomorro at the place where the engaament took place