snowangel

Linda K raises a very good point about the extra sink. At some point before you fall in love with any of these ideas, you're going to have to think about money. Having gas and plumbing lines run. I'd take a look at how much these things would cost before you come up with any absolute plans. I remember having a gas line at our old house moved before we finished the basement. The estimate left me on my back, in a dark room, with a cold compress on my forehead gasping.

I have a close friend with a child with diabetes. I can remember well a couple of things she said to me. She put a laminated sheet on a keychain on her daugther's backpack (or inside her backpack) with info. A lot of kids like Heidi (epilepsy in her case) have a med id bracelet; in Heidi's case, the tag is not worn on her wrist, but rather on her tennies in the first (bottom) set of holes. The other piece of advice is that whenever she is going to be with a friend, make sure the parents/caregivers understand exactly what her needs are, which is why my friend went ahead and printed up some simple instructions and had them laminated. Finally, it might be good for you to visit the classroom (perhaps accompanied by the school nurse) and talk to the classroom about the diabetes. One of the things I did this past fall when Heidi was mainstreamed was to go into the class. I talked a bit about her disability, but stressed to the class that even though she has Angelman Syndrome, she is more like the other kids than not. Talk to the teacher and see if this would be an OK thing to do. In Heidi's case, she is not able to speak for herself, but my friend said that her daughter was somewhat self conscious about talking about it and was relieved that her classmates knew what was up. Finally, as you get together with other families, seek support from the other parents who have and are walking in your shoes.

I don't know if this really counts as pizza, but I think it does. Inspired by a recipe I got from Gourmet many years ago, that I have long since lost or given away. Phyllo. Between every few layers, a sprinkle of grated parm. Topped with mozz, very thinly sliced onions and tomatoes. I added the basil close to the end and popped it into the oven for a few more minutes (it was quite a bit browner when it finally came out, but I was too busy getting the corn out of the water and kids to the table to take another photo). This is a real winner in August, when the homegrown tomatoes are finally in and at their best. This is not a candidate for supermarket or canned tomatoes. .

This may have been covered upthread, but trust you are planning on running the cupboards all the way to the ceiling? I have empty sofits above mine, and could just about cry looking at all of that wasted space.

The other night, we had Salad Nicoise Several comments: Chris, somewhere upthread, you mentioned an "unbalance" with the dressing. I use a dressing with lemon juice, not vinegar, on this particular salad, and dress the beans and potatoes while warm. Perhaps you should try this. The salad was plated with the assistance of two boys, one 4 and one 9 years of ages. I used olive oil packed tuna. I had one can and one packet that was one of those vaccuum packed packets. The vaccuum packed stuff was crap. But, we enjoyed this salad. Eaten on the deck. Accompanied by cold beer and lemonade.

I'm late in reporting about our recent trip, but have had camera trouble. Expectactions. Realizations. That's what it is all about. We picked Peter (9) up from camp on the way up. Expectation and realization: He bathed once. He swam daily. He brought home more clean than dirty clothes. He had a wonderful time. This was only the second weekend we have been up at the cabin -- just the five of us -- all summer. Expectation. When we are not going to arrive at the cabin until mid afternoon, I am not going to want to cook a big meal. So, in anticipation, I fried a mess of Chicken. Expectation. When we arrived, open windows, get the fridge going, get bathing suit on and go for a swim. Objective achieved, we had dinner. A simple shucking of corn picked that morning, as well as some tomatoes and the fried chicken were all we needed. Minimal work. We decided the dishes could wait until the next morning. Late evening called for yet more swimming, this time under faint glimmers of northern lights, and a star display that was beyond belief. My kids can identify constellations that most don't even know exist. We saw a few lone fireflies. Saturday morning expectations. Breakfast. Time for sausages and waffles. Link sausages from the Miltona Meat Market (they win awards at the Minnesota State Fair) and waffles on my nifty Nordicware stove top waffle maker (scroll up a few pages for a pic). More expectations. Kids helping to do the dishes and make the beds. Make the beds so if people want naps, we don't end up with sand on the sheets. Further expectactions are even more swims. The day is quite windy, so getting the Sunfish out is appropriate (scroll to the last post on the previous page for a pick of a Sunfish). It is windy enough that there is enough sand stirred up in the water that we can't see the other sort of sunfish -- the baby ones that will be meals in a couple of years. But, we can feel them nipping gently at our ankles. Expectation. Another great music day on KAXE (KAXE.org). When I am rich, I'm moving to grand rapids, after I amass even more CD's, so that I, too can have a radio show based on an eclectic mix of music. There was over an hour of liquor songs (somewhere, there is a song that states that "vodka makes you stupid"). A day worthy of a little mowing, and a little lunch. Since I've been working hard at home, we decided on lunch on the dock. In swim suits. Some dabbled feet into the lake, some (like me) chose to lay on their back and be fed. Marinated green beans. Salami. Eichtens Chipotle cheese. If I tipped my head to the left, while eating, this is what I saw If I looked directly above, this is what I saw An occasional bald eagle or osprey broke the vivid blue. It was a tough day. So tough that we decided not to cook dinner, but just eat leftover chicken, green beans, tomatoes, and boil some more corn. Lots of energy shucking, filling a pot, and pulling that butter out. We had to save energy for call ins to the radio and playing some games. We played Scrabble as it was getting dark. Peter, Diana and I. The challenge was to only use food or food-related words. Did you know that if you get squid on the right square, it is worth a whole bunch of points? We did revert, with this food caveat, to "unorthodox" scrabble. Begging letters. Sunday dawned clear and still. There was a faint breeze over the lake. Hot, with just enough of that breeze to make one feel like not sweating, but still jumping into the lake. The surface of the lake, without much wind, warms to warmer than bathtub warm. Early breakfast, early cleanup, because there is only one thing on my mind. Water. Heidi has the same idea. Somewhere in the mix of this, we mowed, and Paul and I chiseled out 40-year old grout from a couple of cracked pains (typo intentional if you've ever chiseled out 40-year old grout that is still tight), replaced the panes, and re-glazed (another pain when it is really hot). So, we worked, and we played. We enjoyed the quiet and peace of just it being the 5 of us. But, most of all, we noticed how the light has changed in the week and a half since we were at the Cabin. The deck is shady in different places at different times. The days are noticably shorter, the evenings noticably cooler. The green of the trees is a different hue than that "blush of green" of May/early June, or the brilliant of mid-July. Yes, it is August. The only sad part was realizing that I probably won't be up until 5 or 6 days before Labor Day. Which reminded me that I should have just said to hell with it many more weeks this summer and just gone -- even if just with a couple of kids. This weekend also reminded me that a big part of food is not just the food, but where and with whom. I chose very well.

Last Thursday, in prep for our trip to The Cabin I fried some chicken. Although we weren't going until Friday, I knew we would get there too late for me to feel like any more cooking than boiling some corn and slicing some tomatoes. That buttermilk soaked chicken breaded in salted/peppered flour is really great the next day, especially if not wrapped until it is chilled.

Melissa, I did two kitchen remodels (one almost a total gut, one cosmetic) within 18 months of each other. There is good advice above. My biggest piece of advice. Seriously think everything through. I knew when I moved into this new house, that great counters were paramount. I had lived with laminate, and the chips, etc. long enough. The "leatherette" textured countertops (read clean with a toothbrush) counters that were chipped and cigarette burns were actually a selling point. I opted for granite because I love the look, and the cool, clean feeling. After looking high and low at counters, I approached a monument company about making countertops, which is a biz they were getting into, and they were only 30% more than laminate. Think long and hard about having a nice long countertop. I went from limitless counters (we downsized in kitchen, upsized in number of bathrooms and bedrooms, which is imporant in our case). The longest span I have is 35.5", which just sucks. Look at the whole pik. We looked at all sorts of alternatives for this new house, which has a tiny kitchen, but a big dining room. For us, the big dining room was a plus, because at least twice a week, we have at least 8 at the table. So, giving up the Special Family Table and the space was not an option, but storing stuff that doesn't fit into the laundry room cupboards did. I'm lucky in that we had no alternative but to replace all of our appliances when we moved in. The dishwasher leaked (from the top, no less), the oven wouldn't go over 350, and the freezer was missing part of the gasket. I opted not for a pro 36" range because I wanted to preserve what counter space I had, and because I wanted to save money for the counters and the HVAC system we need. When it comes to looking at cooktops/ranges, nothing wrong with taking some of your pans to the store and pretend cooking. They will know you are serious. Floor. I've had ceramic, hardwood, and pergo. I'm going CVT next time. That second oven. It reminds me of our former house. We had a second oven. It died. We sat back and thought about actually how often we'd used it. Made a real list. Then realized that since we were in the middle of finishing an un-finished basement, we could use that power down in the basement, and save a big bill (we actually do our own elec and plumbing). Think long and hard. Don't rush into anything. Sure, in this house, I will redo the kitchen at some point, with a new layout and new cabinets and cupboards. But, I know I waited a long time to redo it in our former house, and it was worth the wait.

Peter returned from Camp on Friday. He said, with pride that he had discovered a great new food: "bananas dipped in ranch." Whatever floats your boat, I figure. And, to echo what Jaymes said: if it is brutally cold, lots of fat in the diet does keep you warmer. I know.

What kind of ribs? If baby back, that's way too long. If spare ribs, make sure and get the fattest rack around. And, mop, if it looks like you need to. I just pour on some oil and wipe it around with a paper towel (I'm high tech!). And, brine them before hand. And, keep your heat below 225. Pull 'em off not by time, but by when you can easily pull a bone out. Start them on the grill/smoker as cold as they can be.

Oh, Brooks. More than saying "I pulled my butt at 180," I like saying "hon, my butts are stalled." Good woman that I am, I always do two butts at a time. A woman can never have too many. Do tell more about your sauce. Perhaps you need to stop in these here Twin Cities on your way to Canada for a butt Cook Off? I've smoked many a thing in my day. I find Butt the most satisfying, although I dare say I prefer mine nekked.

Wish I had a dollar for every copy of Barbara Tropp's Blue Moon Cafe cookbook I've seen at half price books or garage sales. What's so sad is that her Modern Art of Chinese Cookinb is such a great book; a wonder of wonderful information. What I want to know is how many church cookbooks have been published over the years? How many of them have been sold at garage sales?

Deviled Eggs. Two words of heaven. Anyone ever had any leftover deviled eggs?

Is the game wild or farmed?

Bill, please talk more about the turkey and the process. And, which sandwich will be the one you remember most?

I think the question for me is, "Seriously, where do some of you put your partners, children, pets, and furniture?" ← We bought a bigger house. Lots of wall space for future acquisitions.

Wish I had a picture. On the sign at the gas station (also a deli and grocery store) in Orr earlier this year: "eat pizza, get gas." We didn't eat pizza, but we did get gas (@ $1.89/gallon!).

I must confess. When we are going up to our cabin at a time of year when fresh greens are not readily available, I do buy the bagged greens. The idea of hauling up several different kinds of greens, just to haul them home and toss them because they don't make two 5 hour trips and a few days in the cabin fridge is beyond me. But, I don't trust the pre-washed thing, and wash them myself, up there (yes, there is a salad spinner up there). However, some of those meal in a bag things just floor me. A bazillion bucks for some cut up veg and some "packet o gunk" in a package in the freezer section that you add to some cut up meat to stuff it all in a crockpot are beyond me. I can take the 5 minutes to cut up the stuff, with a kid standing nearby telling me all about her/his day, learning how to clean and cut an onion or a green pepper, or bone a chicken thigh, whatever. As a side note. I bought hamburger helper (or was it tuna helper?) once, at the insistance of a kid. Said kid took one taste and spat it out, with the pronouncement "nasty stuff, mom."

Know anything about the knives the fish guys were using?

Begging pardon, but this Minnesotan will be up at The Cabin. It is tradition, as we have spent every Labor Day weekend up there since we graduated from college in 1980. Tradition, you know. Pick another weekend next time, and it's time for this family to make a Road Trip. But Labor Day weekend, I've got an annual that has been going on for 15 people. It's our 25th annual.

Dinner pics at my house would reveal only plates of sweet corn, tomatoes and green beans. There is soon to be a mutiny against the mother if there isn't some meat on the table soon. The corn has been beyond divine, and the tomatoes are getting better by the day.

I hate it when people don't put in their recipes. There should be some kind of law. I always do what Marlene tells me to. Dave, well, he's got alot to learn. ← A certain Angel will come to the rescue, yet again. Ahem.

I have not a clue as to why you start at the bottom. Perhaps it is like saving the top of a wedding cake and freezing it to eat on the first anniversary (side note: my MIL found ours in her freezer after our 20th anniversary; we gave it a Monty Python send off from a 2nd floor window). Perhaps it is like that old wives take from my grandmother -- eat the point of the piece of pie or cake last and make a wish on it. Yes, lift and eat the bottom, all the way up.

I just received Heidi's progress reports from school, and have several very positive comments. Sometime mid-school year (this past year), we made the decision to mainstream her for a good portion of the year. This has proven to be a wonderful decision. Helped trememdously that I went in an talked to the class about Heidi and that the class was a great group of 5th graders, more than willing to embrace her. Introducing Heidi to new foods has always been a problem. Early on in the mainstreaming, I asked the teacher if most of the 5th graders were brown-bagging it or getting school lunch. School lunch was the answer, so we decided that Heidi, too, would eat school lunch. No more waking up pre-dawn to make her a cheese sandwich on squishy white bread with mayo, cutting it up in little pieces and hoping that I had an appropriate tupperware container and a banana that was not a fruit fly attractant. All of a sudden, she was forced to make choice. And, she did, and appropriately, avoiding the things we know she doesn't like, but also making a wider range of choices. Vegetables. Crunchy things. (I will add that the school lunches in our district are very good). She has actually chosen salad a few times. And, she has modeled her behavior around that of the other children. She is a neater eater. She is using a fork more regularly. She is carrying her own tray (with only a carton of milk; someone else carries the tray with the stuff that would require a mop or broom), and is choosing her own seat, and knows that the milk carton with brown has chocolate milk. I've learned just how huge peers are for a child -- even one who is profoundly MR. The desire to please and be part of the gang is a powerful motivator, and one that is not necessarily bad.

Anchovies. I buy salt-packed, rinse them, and give them a short time in some olive oil. On a pizza, with tomatoes, cheese, pesto, whatever, they are not at all like a bite of plain anchovy. I can't say the dissolve, but they are great in a pizza, IMHO. I also like a nice sprinkle of red peppers (not bell, but the dried hot variety on my pizza. Nice foil. I've had good luck with frozen dough for about 3 months, but I have a deep freeze, not one that is opened several times per day, so it probably runs at a more constant colder temp.