Lars, I am so happy, thrilled and not-so-secretly relieved that you like all the items I sent. A lot of thought went into each item and I read TONS of posts you've written in the past so you were fairly easy to buy for. LOL, yes I cheated but I thought it was all perfect for what I knew of Lars and I wanted him to have everything. I guess I misread the rules and by the time I was set right, I already had most of the items I wanted to send in hand and the others were on "order". I just had to wait for my sister to get back to send the package :) BTW Lars, that board that was made by a local artist... Did you catch in the letter that it was an artist whom I know intimately? Yes, the wording was deliberate. My HUSBAND made that board especially for you!!! It is end-grain wood, the lighter color is Ash and the accents are Cherry and Walnut. I didn't want to give it away so avoided posting on the cutting board thread that was on the front page at the time. End grain boards are the BEST boards you can own. They do not dull your knives and they are very, very hard to mark with your knives. They do require some care though and I realized I left the care instructions out of the package so here they are: Using and Caring for your end Grain Bar/Cutting Board Use your end grain cutting board for all of your slicing, dicing and chopping needs in the kitchen. To sanitize the board after use wash it with mild soapy water. Never submerge in water or place it in the dishwasher. If you're concerned about bacteria especially after cutting meats use a mister to spray the surface of the board with white vinegar and wipe dry with a paper towel. Proper surface treatment is important to guard against germs and/or mold growth. Cutting boards should be finished regularly (once a month is optimal) with a mineral oil to maintain their beauty and keep the wood from warping and cracking. Never use any vegetable or cooking oils to treat or finish the cutting board, as in time the wood will reek of a rancid spoiled oil odor. Wipe the mineral oil on with a clean cloth, let stand for 10 minutes or so and thoroughly wipe dry with a fresh clean dry cloth or paper towels. To further protect and beautify the finish apply a bees wax top coat. Apply the beeswax in much the same manner as the mineral oil. Rub the wax on with a clean soft cloth, allow to dry. Then buff to a lustrous shine using a fresh dry clean cloth. I hope you have many years of enjoyment from all the items.

Okay, DS is down the street mowing lawns. My phone rings--it's him calling from his cell phone. DS: "Mom? Don't get excited, but the UPS truck is down the street." Me: "Really? Where is he?" DS: "4 houses down, delivering a package." Me: "Oh, I hope I won't have to answer the door, I'm still in my robe!" (frantically runs to bedroom to throw on sweats) DS: "Wait! Here comes FedEx! And another UPS truck!" Me: "Nuh-Uh!" DS: "No, just kidding! Wait, now he's getting back in the truck." (Sound of truck rumbling to life) DS: "He's driving, he's driving.... Oh, sorry Mom, he's going on past." Me: "Rats!" (chants to self: Good things come to those who wait, good things come to those who wait..) :) ~finally

Hey everyone! Yes, Lisa did so very right by me. I spent about two hours on Sunday with Google translator going through the recipe book. I quite enjoyed trying to read the recipes on my own and then plugging them into the translator to see what was what. Some great recipes in this book most definitely. Lisa thank you for the translation for the text on the bag. I love my swap goodies:) Again the timing on when I received it was no problem. Ann kindly emailed me to let me know I would probably receive my package last and gave me a rough time frame. Worked out perfectly. Lars on the candies I have not yet made it through the wonderful pile to Happy Cola yet. I've tried the lemon ones that kind of taffy like and really scrumptious and yesterday had the little licorice bear guys. My husband has been helping himself to the gummy bears. All good. Riverrat I'm excited about using the condiments also. Such beautiful little bottles, I'm sure the contents are just as great. Thank you bizzo on the photos. I wanted to really show how wonderful my swap loot was. Lars if you want me to take pictures of a few more of the recipes I would be glad to. There are some wonderful ones in this book. Excellent pictures and a nice diverse selection of types of salad. Just to give you a hint about my salad addiction I grow my own lettuce and all summer long that's what I have for lunch every day. Since we had friends over this weekend yesterday I had leftover spinach salad with chevre, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, craisins and a light balsamic dressing with leftoever Meditteranean Quinoa Salad and whole wheat toast. What's not to like right?:) Thanks all. Kate

oh diana, i'm so glad you got a camera. i certainly learned for next time to always take pictures. barnomom...more than three? the cruets are one piece, the pitcher and glasses a REAL set and the napkins are the third item. the mag certainly does not count as a swap item. funny that you mention "more than three" is to this swap box and not a comment to some of the others. i must be missing something. diana, enjoy it all. i absolutely loved each item i sent to you and certainly hope you will for quite some time to come. maryanne p.s. michelle, nice dog outfit. you are obsessed with those skeletons LOLOL