Ciao Nicky- I received my parcel on American Thanksgiving, so that was extra super because Duane was home and got to share in the surprises! You really outdid yourself this year with the care and consideration you gave to the inventory list and the quality of the seeds. This is a smaller swap than some of the others that I participate in, but you managed to fill 11 wishes off of my edibles list! That's VERY impressive! The quality of the flowers was also better than ever before, so thank you very much and consider yourself hugged by me!

Hi all! DeeMarie, hang in there!! Do you weigh in front of everyone? I think I would DIE!! : ) Pam, Wildchild... where are you? Hope that you both are feeling better. BarnMom!!! "weigh" to go!! we are so proud of you, you skinny thing. What are you going to do with your "big" clothes? Kathy, you had me ROFL!! Here is our favorite recipe for Tortilla Soup...( I took the tortillas out of mine...) 12 med. tomotillos 1 large onion 5 cloves garlic, 2 tomatoes, chopped 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped 2 tsp. chile powder 8 Ortega canned chiles OR 7 fresh anaheim chiles OR (my favorite), 5-6 chile pasillas roasted and peeled. 4c. chicken broth 1 c. shredded chicken breast 3 small flour tortillas cut into 1/4" strips Vegetable oil or (preferably) cooking spray. 1/4 c. cheddar or jack. ( enough to sprinle on top of soup) salt and pepper to taste. Place tortilla strips on an ungreased baking pan and spray with cooking oil spray (lightly). Bake @ 350 degrees till light brown and crisp. Combine broth, tomotillos, garlic, onion, chili powder and chiles in a lg. pot and simer till veggies are tender (about 20 minutes) strain and puree veggies . return to pot with broth and add tomatoes, cilantro and chicken. Cook x 15 min. more then... ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips and sprinkle with cheese. Low cal, "good carb" and very tasty! If tomotillos are out of season they can be bitter. Adding a pinch of sugar / splenda will fix it. I had mine with a green salad w/lite dresing. My kid ate his with 2 quesadillas, 1 cup of beans, 1 cup of rice and a huge salad smothered with bleu cheese. (I REALLY resent that beanpole!! 6' and 123 lbs!!) Tikanas

hi! Checking in. I'm taking my DD out for her first driving lesson this morning at dawn's early light. Wish me luck. I've been practicing "calm" all night long! DeeMarie: Vegas? I love Vegas! When are you going? LUCKY wishes for you! Tikanas: Glad to hear SB (South Beach) is relatively easy. I have found I'm not having any trouble yet, nor is DD, but DH is asking for Bugles and OJ! He is REALLY having a hard time (carboholic) and has had terrible nightmares every night since cutting out the carbs---I wonder why? Really! If anyone knows anyone else who has experienced this, please let me know what happened after they cleaned their system out---will it get better for him? Only the shadow knows.... I hope you get your appetite back, T. We are all pulling for you. Starting my figurative scupture class at the local college today. I am really challenged in that area, so this ought to be an exercise in teaching for my teacher---lol. Jen: Did you get my email w/ Maddie's addy? I want the roasted cauliflower soup recipe, Raeanne! While I was flying home, I read a good recipe for clam soup - no cream - and we tried it the other night. DH and I liked it a lot. I made a small batch, but tomorrow, I'll make a larger one, then post the recipe. NHSuzanne, once again, the end of the month and I'm thinking heavily about you and your deadlines. Hope they went okay. I bet you are going to ride your heart out and breathe in the great outdoors this weekend! We'll wait to hear of your adventures! Hi to everyone else. Hope Magic Kitty and Patti and Dave are doing okay in FL! Be good to yourself and your bod! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) *** beginning 4th day of South Beach - I'll add a star tomorrow if I get through this BBQ party tonight!

I was just taking a moment to catch up on all the posts. Susan, I am glad they found your car in good condition too. That must have been an awful ordeal. Shirley, I am so sorry about your day lilies. The deer came over my fence and ate the top two feet off my roma tomato plants and helped themselves to zucchini and other squash plants as well. They also ate my my oriental and Asiatic lilies down to the stubs. I told my husband he is going to have to create an 8 ft tall fence inside our fenced back yard. I was so heart broken. I have been spraying to keep them out and everything but it is difficult to keep them out when they are hungry. My neighbor down the street built a 7 ft tall cyclone fence structure and added his raised garden beds all around the perimeter of his garden "room".. He said it has worked really well for him and I am going to have to resort to the same thing if I want to have a vegetable garden I guess. Tammy, many thanks again for hosting. I was so glad to participate and learned a lot too. I have posted August's OBF Be Well Swap this morning.