I have to say that I also thought that she sent sushi!! The Japanese market here sells fake sushi (they might be candles), and so that really threw me off!! The bowl is stunning, and it's really fantastic to have a one-of-a-kind item like that. The tea towel is stunning also, and I would be tempted to use it as part of a table top decoration. I never thought to put stickers on the tops of jars - I guess might have to start doing that! Lars

The house was painted top to bottom, recarpeted, and floors topcoated for resale. Actually a new kitchen had been put in a few years earlier and never used (packing materials still inside the oven and DW). It was terrible, the cabinets were shimmed with pieces of cardboard. A bathroom was converted from a powder room, it was also terrible, one of the walls was a sheet of drywall attached top and bottom with no framing behind it, and they nearly cut all the way through a floor joist to add a drain. I pretty much knew the house was in bad shape. Consequently, I met one of the other people who had bid on the house who said it had really been at the very top of their budget. He really would have been in trouble, because after owning the house for two years it needed two new roofs and a complete replacement of the plumbing.

I have always loved peanut butter and still do. It is a staple in my pantry and in our diet. But, only the kind without shortening and sugar added to it. Peanut butter has culinary uses that go beyond just with bread. A spoonful of it can add a nice touch to something like a gumbo,, and it is a pretty good stand in for tahini. I love it just as it is, as long as it is just peanut butter with nothing added. Matter of fact, I just had a piece of toasty bread with natural peanut butter for breakfast minutes ago. I make nice whole grain waffles and I prefer peanut butter over butter with some old fashion black strap molasses on it. I grew up with having peanut butter on pancakes and waffles. Dont do pancakes anymore and my waffles are full of substance and nutrition. When we travel we almost always bring a peanut butter sandwich because it is so good, needs no special care and is so easy to pack. Hubs likes sliced habenaros on his. Peanut butter is a valuable staple in my house and I never get tired of it. I pour off the oil on top of the jar and put that aside for some other use. You have to be careful, though, peanut butter is high in calories and it can fool you. But, about jelly... can take it or leave it. One small jar may last a couple of years for us. So, when I do buy it I look for something of quality and buy only a small bit. Mostly it delivers sweet with a touch of fruity something.

Thanks!