iTunes library question

For one of the podcasts I`m subscribed to, I deleted some of the downloaded files from my iTunes library. It was my second day using both a Mac and iTunes (only a week or so ago) and I was just playing around.

So I deleted the files from the library but not from my hard drive. For obvious reasons, I now want to add the podcasts back into my iTunes library. Actually, they show up correctly in the podcast tab of iTunes, but not in the general music playlist. I wouldn`t care, but iTunes automatically adds newly downloaded podcasts into the music playlist: so for the sake of completeness, I want them all there.

I clicked File > Add to Library..., selected the appropriate folder, and nothing happened. I tried selecting individual mp3s within that folder but still nothing. I then tried moving the files out of the iTunes folder onto my desktop, thinking the program was maybe fooled by the file location into thinking that the mp3s must already be in the library. That worked no better.

There must be a simple way to put the mp3s on my hard drive back into my iTunes library/music playlist.

Sorry to bump this thread: just giving it one more chance for a reply.

I'm having similar problem. I subscribed to a podcast but iTunes is only seeing 8 of the 18 episodes available. So I went to podcast site and downloaded each individually. THOSE went to 'Music' until I highlighted all and on one of the option tabs for them specified them as 'podcast' rather than 'music'. OK. BUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTT, it created an entirely new folder with same name in iTunes>Podcasts. No matter what I do, by moving the mp3s to one folder, by making sure all the 'author', 'album' settings are exactly the same, etc. it WON'T all show up on one folder!!!!!!

I want to find out if:
A) There's a setting I'm missing. I have set to download all available podcasts. I contacted the podcaster and she said they are being accessed and downloaded by others, so it must be me.
B) How the heck to put them all on ONE folder in iTunes/iPod?