HAPPY PART... Okay, the votes are in, and the judges have made their final decision! The winner of the picture contest is Joan, with her pictorial contribution of "LEGS"...lol!!! It was a tough decision, and all the pictures were great, but what really won it for Joan was our fear of what she was holding behind her back in the picture, and whether or not she'd use it on us! LOL!!! Joan, put the chainsaw down!!! Now all I need is Joan's address (can't find it anywhere here on this computer... Bump's been "organizing" files again!) and her prize will be on it's way! Thanks to Everyone who participated and came through with their trade! You all made this swap a great one! -Dan =========================================================== UNHAPPY PART, BUT SADLY NECESSARY We unfortunately had one person fail to follow through on her end of a trade, and yes, I'm talking about Leah/dancingrabbit. The last time she posted she said she'd be mailing out her boxes (she's in two RRs that I know of) this past week, so, I'm giving her this coming week to either post delivery confirmation numbers (so the boxes can be tracked) or for these two boxes to actually be delivered. If no proof of these boxes has surfaced at the end of this coming week, Leah will be banned from further trades within the MNF group, other groups will be alerted to her actions, and a VERY unsavory rating will be left for her in the rate and review forum, hopefully warning anyone else from including her in any trades or swaps. Leah, if you are reading this, and you wish to save your reputation, post the delivery confirmation numbers of those boxes, AND e-mail me right away.

Put some ham or turkey into a grilled cheese sandwich. Hamburger (or ground pork or sausage or a mixture) makes chili, sloppy joes, spaghetti, tater tot hotdish, tacos and a myriad of other things. Pork chops in cream soup/milk mixture makes its own gravy. Submarine sandwiches. Meatball subs using frozen meatballs & canned marinars sauce, topped with cheese, onion, green pepper or whatever you like. A plain old sandwich with good deli meats and cheeses on a good bread or bun is a treat. Canned and frozen veggies are a good assistant. How about a veggie tray? Chef's salad? Nachos can be hearty if you top it with some cut up cooked turkey, chicken, hamburger or what-have-you. Making lasagna isn't difficult. The pasta package has a good basic recipe and just add what your like. For that matter making a meatloaf isn't complicated. A good quality sausage and some rice or sauerkraut if you like it is easy. Decent hot dogs decked out how you like them. The whole point is you're not going to have YOUR cooking. Hopefully you'll enjoy a change of menu during your recuperation. BTW, putting a turkey in the roaster, or a ham or even a pot roast doesn't have to be that difficult or complicated. Bake some potatoes, salad or frozen/canned veg can be a source of pride for an accomplishment. Do you have any community cookbooks? Church, community or school fundraiser types? They usually have a lot of simple, homestyle recipes and give good detail if needed. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

FOAS' list makes a lot of sense. He gives good criteria for it. You could start there and add or modify. Once you start adding to his list, the sky's the limit. I think that if you wanted to boil his list down to the very bare essentials you could eliminate three or four items from it. Most gin drinks can be made with vodka. Gin drinkers won't be thrilled about it, but they can get by on vodka. Second, FOAS correctly distinguishes between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. But there is enough similarity between them that you could get by with one or the other. Rye seems to be out of fashion. Maybe I'm wrong but I seem never to see anyone drinking it. I wouldn't bother with it in a list of just the essentials. Scotch drinkers can be very particular about brands and types, but I would not try to please individual preferences except those of frequent guests. Put one good one on your basic list and add more if you want to please certain scotch drinking friends. White vermouth is very handy to have on hand for cooking. It keeps indefinitely and can be used in many dishes where a small amount of white wine is called for. It is made with herbs, which adds complexity of flavor to most dishes where you would use it. And it's essential for martinis. I would add cognac to FOAS's list. It is useful in many desserts and is a good after dinner drink as well. Choosing cordials open up a big can of worms because there are so many distinct flavors. There are an awful lot of people who like Bailey's and don't like other liqueurs. An orange flavor is called for in many sweet dishes so I would have triple sec or other orange liqueur on hand, but you would know if you might ever use it. I agree completely with FOAS's brand suggestions. Jim

You bet. Mix it up all you want. Makes things more interesting. Not that all glass or all china would not be interesting. I just love mixing it up. Nicethyme. I was so happy to see your mirror again. I just adore it. I SWEAR someday I am going to achieve ONE abstract piece. Chris