Chocolate mint sounds heavenly! I'm a sucker for chocolate, have a huge sweet tooth, and that's what makes dieting so difficult for me! I just love bakery and chocolate... preferably chocolate bakery! I usually grow some regular mint and also spearmint in the garden, along with oregano, basil, thyme, sage, cilantro, parsley and chives. The herbs are mixed in with the perennials, and the mint usually takes over and requires a drastic cutting back in summer! This spring, I have to dig out some of the oregano... it's overtaking the dianthus and coreopsis, and starting to get in the way of the garage door! Some herbs are just a tad bit invasive! Good zucchini bread is a great trade off for tolerating a few plants and bulbs! You have lucky roommates! They not only get to enjoy your baking... they also get to enjoy your flowers! I've heard that species tulips are fabulous for forcing... I may try some next year. I also want to try forcing Lily-Of-The-Valley... now, that would be a wonderful mid-winter pick-me-up with that heavenly scent! This is my first year forcing any bulb, and I've got a nice pot of hyacinths getting bigger every day, just begging to bloom and spread that lovely perfume! Without my indoor garden, I'd go winter wacky!

A couple of notes because the rest is going to be rather long and involved: Lynda, I have the Vitex marked for you and in your baggie! And thank you for the marigolds! They will be very interesting with my others! Dessie I would be more than happy to receive your little helper's seed packets! I think it's great! Wendy Try some Chai Spice tea, it works wonders in helping clear up colds and flu. I always add a dollop of honey to help sooth the throat. It's a staple in our house and really does help. Alright, here is my take on this.. I can understand how many were hoping that the two swaps would not coincide, but, we all knew there was a fair chance of that happening. For myself, I know that I continued to update my list, even well after Patty's swap's mailing deadline. I did my updates using the same method we did for Patty's swap- using an updated date. Even had I not, I knew there was a good chance the two swaps would overlap. I joined this one knowing full well- according to the guidelines posted for it- that I may NOT receive as many as I sent in. That I would receive as many as were sent in FOR me, up to five packets of the SAME item. I recall there being some issue with this and a member who became very rude in their comments about this fact. Yes, my package from the What's Left swap is in the second batch to go out. No, I did not keep strict record of what I sent to those who were in the What's Left swap. I did keep better records of what I'm sending for this swap. I also know that a lot of people will be sending in baggies of seeds marked as extras- not dedicated for anyone, but to add in when it's seen those items are on someone's list. No, these may not be some of the rarer or more exclusively wanted items on someone's list. But if someone has some of those rarer or more specific items to share, I'm sure they would have put them into your baggie before they mailed. So, I don't see that anyone would be missing out on anything. The only way I could see having updated one's list further as complicating Patty's swap would be if someone had removed things from their list. Updating and adding items would not have conflicted. Because if there were any extras of what you were wanting, Patty would have included them. So, I guess I'm not really understanding how there is such a need to update the lists just because one is in both swaps. If I receive duplicates, wonderful! Because the things on my list are things I want! If I don't receive something on my list, then no one had it to share. If I receive so many of something that I can't plant it all, then I can bless someone else by offering it up for a trade. So, perhaps I'm being dense here, but how would one not receive something sent in specifically for them (up to FIVE packets of the same item!) that was on their wants list in this swap? Everyone has the chance to see your wants as posted and you have had the option to add to that list, as many including myself have this whole time. The only thing I could really see the two swaps happening almost simultaneously possibly affecting would be one's have's list. I'm sorry, I don't mean to upset or offend anyone. I'm just honestly trying to understand why this is such an issue. So please don't take this as meaning to offend or as pointed to anyone in particular. This is just me trying to understand why so many are upset about this. If you prefer to email me privately and help me understand it, I would be pleased with that and please do! Perhaps there are aspects and issues with this that I'm not readily seeing and should consider. I don't want to keep the thread off track by my question becoming a debate here. Perhaps there can be some adjustments of dates if this swap happens in the late summer or again next winter, but for this year it is as it is and personally, I'm really enjoying it! Nancy, I hope you don't decide to drop out, because I know that I should have at least a couple of things from your list, perhaps more. But I'll respect your choice and be your Garden Buddy either way :) Fran, you have a real job ahead of you and I don't know how those like you and Patty do it! Leave me hosting my "pair em up and let em go" or true RR type swaps! I think those of you that host this kind of swap are awesome! Angela, you have been a wonderful help to Fran and all of us in this swap! I know the time it can take to code pages like that, though updates are easier once the initial work is done, and I want to say THANK YOU for the time and work you are putting in on this swap for everyone's benefit! Kathy~ heading off to stuff more little baggies and envelopes.

Important tips people always forget (and they make your guests life hell when you do forget them). RELAX! If dinner was supposed to be served at 2 and it makes the table by 3:30 let it go. Drink a glass or bottle of wine if that's what it takes to relax you, but let it go. Your guests won't starve. If your pies don't set, serve them as a topping over icecream. Laugh about it :) It's funny really and not as important as you are trying to make it. Pumpkin custard is lovely :oP Serve what your guests bring, even if it's crap (you know, the tomatoe aspic that your 2nd cousin always brings and everyone hates?) That aspic will be a story teller for years...let it go and accept it with a smile. Don't freak out about the dishes. They'll wash eventually. Don't try to leave the kitchen clean. The holiday is about family and friends gathering to be thankful for what they have or had during the year. Do you remember seeing one account of the pilgrims in the kitchen washing up the dishes? NO because that's not the important part of the holiday and not the memorable part. We bar family and friends from the dish sink at all times. They're dishes, no one will know if they're still there on Friday morning :) RELAX :o) My ex SIL used to always host the holidays. The stress of getting the meal on the table was hell on her and worse for her guests. If you are like her...give in and give up...let someone else do it. Drink and be merry :) Even if your guests don't (mom did you read that LOL) Ok practicle stuff...I make the sweet potatoes the day before as they taste better after the flavors have melded. Mashed potatoes are easy day aheads as is the gravy. Cook up some extra parts (DH is roasting wings and legs now) for gravy. Make pie or pumpkin cheesecake a day ahead. It's much much better that way. I can't let go of seeing a beautiful turkey and wouldn't cook ahead. Reheated wouldn't cut it in my family...but if you do, go ahead and do it and smile :) I don't remember the food of one thanksgiving with my ex SIL...just the stress :(

Here are some of the chocolate desserts I made for the holidays: Biscotti - chocolate on one full side Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (very easy to make and very tasty) My version of English toffee - no salt whatsoever in this recipe Chocolate Turtles, made in a silicon Madeleine mold - these are the most labor-intensive, but still easy. I make the caramel using cream and no milk and also no salt whatsoever. For me, candy tastes sweeter and purer when it has no salt. Cookies and biscotti have small amounts of salt in them because they also have flour. I also frequently make chocolate hazelnut Bavarian cream pie and lime pie when I have limes on my tree, which I normally do in the winter. Right now I have more oranges than limes.