tishtoshnm - Congratulations!!! You can make corn bread with the cornmeal milled in the Nutrimill on the coarse setting. I just normally used a coarser grind than that, but it makes a nice light corn bread and I use freshly-milled wheat flour in the recipe. Golden Cornbread (source: Bob's Red Mill) 1 c. cornmeal 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I use hard white wheat and get great results - just don't do anymore mixing than it takes to mix the batter together) 1/2 t. salt 4 t. baking powder 1 T. sugar (optional - I use agave nectar) 1 egg 1 c. milk (I usually use 1 c. homemade kefir - homemade or commercial buttermilk would also work) 1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened SIFT together dry ingredients into bowl (I never sift, just make sure the dry ingre. are well mixed). ADD eggs, milk and butter. BEAT until smooth, about 1 minute. DO NOT OVERBEAT. BAKE in a greased 8-inch square pan for 20-25 minutes at 425°F. SERVE warm with butter and a beaming smile. ------------------------ WOW! That's a lot of oats. I'd suggest if you don't have one, beg/buy/borrow a FoodSaver and a roll of bags to store you oat groats in. There's a lot of fat in oats and they can go rancid if they aren't kept in a dark/cool storage area. You'll get longer storage if you vacuum-seal them and/or freeze them. I try to only purchase enough oat groats for about 2-years worth at a time. I have a Marga Mulino Flaker Mill that works for making flakes or a coarse grind, similar to steel-cut oats. The freshly-milled oat flakes cook a little quicker than whole oat groats. Here are some recipes that might help you out without investing in more "toys". SLOW COOKER CREAMY WHOLE OAT PORRIDGE (source: The Splendid Grain - by Rebecca Wood) 1 c. oat groats 1 piece (3-inches) cinnamon stick Pinch of salt 4 c. water Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Set on high heat, cover, and simmer overnight. ------------------------------------ OAT GROAT PANCAKES (source: The Splendid Grain) 2/3 c. oat groats 1/3 c. buckwheat groats, toasted 1-1/4 c. milk or soy milk 3 large eggs 2 T. unsalted butter, melted 1/4 t. sea salt 2 T. Sucanat or light brown sugar 1 t. baking powder 1/2 t. grated nutmeg Combine the oats, buckwheat and milk in a blender container. Cover and let soak refrigerated overnight or for 8 hours. [The next morning...] Blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process to combine. Preheat a griddle. Drop the batter by the lableful onto the griddle and bake for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Serve hot with the usual pancake accompaniments. [Grainlady note: It's important to soak oats before preparation (according to Nourishing Traditions - by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.). I add 2 T. whey from my kefir or drained yogurt, or you can add kefir, buttermilk, or yogurt to aid in breaking down the hard-to-digest phytates.] --------------------------------- IRISH OATMEAL (source: The Nourishing Traditions) 1 c. whole oats 2 c. warm filter water 4 T. whey, yogurt, kefir or buttermilk 1 t. sea salt 2 c. filtered water Place oats on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until they turn light brown. Process roasted oats to a medium grind in a home grinder (blender). (The resultant meal should be part flour, part small bits.) Soak from 7-24 hours in a warm place in 2 c. warm water plus whey, yogurt, kefir or buttermilk. (Note: Those with severe milk allergies can use lemon juice or vinegar in place of whey, yogurt, kefir or buttermilk.) The fine flour particles will rise to the top and may be lifted off carefully with a spoon. Bring additional 2 cups of water and sea salt to a boil, add soaked oatmeal and cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. [Grainlady note: I'd sift the flour out of the mixture rather than skim it off the top.] -------------------- Oat flour: 2/3 c. oat groats = 1 c. oat flour. BANANA CRUNCH CAKE (uses oat flour AND oatmeal) Crunch topping: 3/4 c. oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked) 1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar 2 T. butter or margarine, melted 2 T. chopped nuts (I use a LOT more ;-) 1/2 t. cinnamon Combine all ingredients; mix well. Cake: 1/2 c. butter or margarine 2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar 1 c. mashed banana 2 eggs 1 t. vanilla 1 c. oat flour 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (I use soft white wheat or spelt OR hard wheat and rye in a 3:1 ratio) 1 t. salt 1 t. soda 1/2 c. chopped nuts, if desired (I only put them in the topping) (I also add 3 T. flaxmeal, but that's optional.) Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; blend in banana, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add combined dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased 9-inch square pan; sprinkle crunch topping evenly over batter. Bake in preheated moderate oven (350°F) 40-45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. ---------------------------- OATMEAL SCONES 2 c. oat flour 1-1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 2 T. sugar 1/4 c. butter or margarine 3/4 c. buttermilk 1 egg Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. beat together buttermilk and egg. Add to dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until a stiff dough is formed. Knead lightly on board dusted with oat flour. Flatten into a round 1" thick and 5" in diameter; smooth out edges. Mark into 12 wedges with a knife. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Serve hot with butter and jelly. (source: Allergy Recipes, American Dietetic Association) Hope that helps you out a bit! ;-) -Grainlady

I definitely believe that the purpose of this forum is to point out possible downsides and offer alternatives for you to consider, then allow you decide which will work for you. We only want you happy with your kitchen in the end without having to ask, "Why didn't someone tell me?" That said, I feel I have to throw in one more post, because it would be such a major problem for me to have the cleanup and cooking zones overlap and criss-cross. I do like your original plan best, except for that issue. You said the kids don't usually clear the dishwasher while you cook, but I wonder why you'd want to limit that option if you can avoid it, and also wonder if they don't set the table while you cook. It seems so easy to me to swap the dish storage and fridge, and have the dw on the table end, which would separate your zones. You are trying to keep the fridge by the table, but that makes 3 cooling units in easy reach from the table. After working in zones for 10 months now, I can tell you that it's SO wonderful...So I had to give it one more push. ;-) I hate regrets and 2nd guessing, so work to help others avoid them, too. Best wishes. These are to show potential work paths. The first one has X's where people will stand or take up space. In the 2nd I moved the frig once more to give a more open corner by the stove.

I’m no good at identifying hawks either, Digit! Don’t have any idea what the one I saw last week was! About the only one I’m ever really certain of is a Red Tail—in flite, when I see the glint of red in the sun! But here are a couple pages that “might” help—some! This is about the best “hawk ID” page I’ve found! http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/hawks.html And this is the “main page” with links to other birds of prey too! http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/Birds_of_Prey.html I can’t use this on my Dumb Phone, but possibly it could help you—and others! Just got it in an email today! http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/merlinphotoid/?utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=ac5ca3fdac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-ac5ca3fdac-302450646 And this is another “bird email” I got today with three “bird cam shorts!” I noticed it because Zach brought up ravens above, and the first short video has a VERY “vocal” young raven in it! Enjoy! http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406&id=de8a57e0bb&e=cb6f4a5944 My feeders—and birdbath—have been mobbed for the last couple days! Wonder why!!! Just a little bit chilly out there! Haven’t seen a flicker back at the suet again, but I do believe the house sparrows have decided to look for Friendlier Yards, so I think I’m probably safe in putting the second suet cage back out near the little branches—where the house finches and juncos can reach it! Looks like more “weather” coming in in the next week—or two! Feed the birds! Skybird

Kristin, foundation design for a ranch house is not different from a foundation for a 2 story house. If additional support required for an existing beam, i.e shorten the span, etc you talking about adding additional support to break up a beam span, which is not a big deal. Also, keep in mind the older homes foundations carried allot more weight in the old days in comparison to modern construction. You had plaster walls, you had exterior wall cavities filled with brick, you had a slate roof's, cast iron tubs, etc. So foundation shouldn't be an issue. Speaking of foundation, I was vacationing in Spain and we visited Sagrada Família built by a famous Architect Antoni Gaudi, lots of it was still under construction (I was there 4 years ago) the construction started in 1882, so I was walking around the old part of the Church and I checked out the new part of the Church and being a builder first thing you look at structural components and the old foundation didn't have a single crack in it in comparison to the new foundation and columns on top of it which already had noticeable cracks in it. So don't think that if this is an old house the foundation cannot carry another story, 100's of additions going up on top of existing homes and 98% of the time foundation is never an issue. P.S As Architects go I don't know what you mean by "architect pricing is in line with our market" if you mean if houses sell the Architectural fee goes up, everyone is trying to do that around here also, I can get an Architect to do the plan for a $1 PSF and get one who will charge $10 SF for the same plan... Nothing new in that, as a matter a fact I was looking at the plans for an addition where people spent a bundle, and not only the addition was over-designed the layout made no sense. I re-drew the layout and they got another Architect to sign off on all the changes, not only they saved on construction, they end up with a much better layout. In many cases, guys who charge $1 per SF will come up with a better design and will draw the plan with a Homeowner in mind, of course, if it's a complicated structure involving engineering, huge spans, etc the cost will go up. But when you dealing with a simple addition going over existing walls, etc you shouldn't be faced with huge costs and anyone in business know that... Just look in here, how many screw-up plan layouts we see on Houzz every day and people pay a good penny for some of them and still look for someone else to make the changes.