dcarch, that's fantastic...but i'm such a 'permy' i suppose that i like being out in the weather... using wood for fuel. Smoking mozzarella on the 4th will be a challenge at 80 temp, but the ice block worked last summer. mustangs, got ya beat on the temp collection...just mowed on over, then another i stuck in the smoker with the plastic sleeve still on, lol. (i should just buy the whole display rack of the cheap ones) I probably could win the 'useless-junk-kitchen-crap' contest...i just spring cleaned out the kitchen drawers and filled a box to go downstairs with all the previous years boxes... I did toy and play with the rubber lid things recently in a cooks supply...the texture is a bit creepy like my silpats and don't care for the microfiber cloths...DH wore one to work stuck on the inside back of his shirt...wiggled down to the, fortunately tucked-in, waistband like a muffin top. Find them inside folded sheets... Not many new purchases recently. Like that thermopop but i treated us to a thermopen for valentines day during their sale and bought red. It has a special spot and is not allowed outside for the grill unless with special care... So i would have to say my maple tree that nature took down over the winter... Many future cooking tools and fuel coming soon. This is just the top 1/3rd and is now safely on the ground-ish. The base 20 ft is still standing. Not at all sad as we have a large herd of them...would have cost a small fortune to have it pro cut so nature did the hard costly work. Designed a dining table a few years ago and now see it may be built finally.

Power and heat on again last night! Today I sorted through all the stuff removed from the shelves at the top of the basement steps. Everything was freshly painted last weekend and looks so much better, thanks to DH. Still need to do some organizing of the area -- drilling holes for all the computer stuff, wires and chargers, printer, etc. And more nails and hooks on the wall to hang all the stuff we use often -- vacuum cleaner, cleaning supplies, cat litter stuff. It's such a small area, but serves multiple functions. The Sunbeam Mixmaster is back in its home in the cabinet. Isn't it funny that once I seriously considered parting with it, now I'm thrilled all over again to have it! Instead, I have pulled out all the vintage crockery, pottery and casserole dishes and will make an attempt to use items in other rooms, as you suggested. I already put pens and pencils in a small pitcher (after putting a piece of cork in the bottom to protect from ink) so it's no longer hogging cabinet space, and I get to see it when I use our new mini office. I have done a small evaluation of how we cook day-today, for smaller gatherings, and for a couple of large annual parties. I think these large events are what make me think I need lots of prep and serving dishes/bowls, but the truth is I don't need everything. My main concern is that I have to have enough prep bowls so that I can just throw them in the dishwasher and not have to worry about washing them so I can serve food. Also, I'm going to get a casserole dish with a lid that's just a little larger than anything I have right now, maybe something that can go from stovetop to oven. The one thing Alton Brown's book made me realize is how little I know about the science of cooking, which is something I've always liked about his TV show. I inherited or haphazardly bought my kitchen stuff (often second-hand) without any thought to why certain types of materials or designs are efficient or ideal for certain tasks. I'm looking forward to reading more and determining the kinds of tools, pots, and small appliances that may be more helpful than my current mish mash of stuff. I think it will be fun to have things I enjoy using and will gladly part with stuff I've been hanging on to for no other reason than that I've hung on to them for this long. I'll post some pics when I get finished with my projects. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions. You've been really helpful. Tina

Okay, I've finally managed to read all this thread. I love the idea of that portable timer, but of course, a lot of timers are portable. The stove in my Tahlequah house has a timer that only beeps once, so if I don't hear the one beep, I'm out of luck. Having a timer that goes with me wherever I am would be cool. Early in this thread someone mentioned a bench scraper. I love mine. I actually ordered my Christmas present, a dough rising bucket. Since I needed to order some ingredients from KA anyway, it made sense for me to go ahead and order what DH was going to give me anyway, to save shipping. :) As for the above mentioned microplane with a tray - I learned an obvious trick from a Bobby Flay show once. I felt silly for not thinking of it myself. It's simply to turn the microplane so that the blades are at the bottom and the sides are pointing up, like a U. Then you can grate and catch the zest or whatever in the microplane. I've done it that way ever since. I lucked out at an estate sale the other day and found a 8" Henckles chef's knife for $10. I missed out on the Le Creuset they had. As I walked into the kitchen, a woman was laying claim to the entire set they had for sale. Oh, well, she saved me a bunch of money! Still on my list for Santa is one of those scraper paddles for my KA mixer. Sally

Amber's rottweiler, Baby lived with us and one day she ate a bag of chocolate and peanut butter chips. The vet had us give her a little peroxide and so I did. She did vomit. I really hated putting that in her mouth. But great funny Jas. Sue