You are underinformed, kimmsr. Most mushroom growers DO use pesticides. Many are making concerted efforts to practice IPM strategies in the culture of mushrooms, but there is a long way to go before chemical-free growing is the norm for most growers, if ever. The mushroom 'industry' has come under criticism, in the past, for environmental issues. The chemical residues on the mulch and in the water is one reason. Changing such issues takes time. A lot of research continues to supply alternative measures for the many insect and disease problems that plague this industry. But chemicals are likely to be part of the program as long as we continue to love our mushrooms. The insect (and pathogen) problems can be highly problematic, drastically reducing the quality and quantity of the crop. A type of sciarid fly is one of the most common pests, and is typically treated with a larvacide AND assorted adulticides, as well as the usual battery of alternative IPM techniques. My comment about visiting a mushroom house was simply meant to imply that the presence of a wide variety of chemicals can sometimes be very apparent. I used to take groups to a mushroom house but stopped the practice because of that. Attached is a really interesting (but lengthy) handguide to mushroom culture. It focuses on IPM, of course. It's really informative, for those of you who are interested. An easy read. The only question is whether or not pesticide residues remain on the mushroom compost that we purchase for use in our gardens. I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I (for one) will not use this material. Here is a link that might be useful: Click here!

I asked my mother-in-law for her mushroom soup recipe that she makes for Christmas. It is delicious. However, it uses a variety of wild mushrooms and makes a lot. I wonder if I could make with my cremimis. I will cut it in half. Taste would be different. But how bad could it be? Even though it's summer, I still like soup.8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature2 cups sliced celery1 cup sliced shallots1 chopped leek or small onion3 garlic cloves, minced3 cups sliced stemmed fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 6 ounces) 3 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (about 6 ounces) 3 cups sliced oyster mushrooms (about 4½ ounces) 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 2 cup boiling water½ cup dry white wine1 cup dry Sherry ½ cup all purpose flour8 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth½ cup whipping cream Melt 6 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, shallots, onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Strain the porcini mushroom using a fine sieve. Reserve the liquid. Chop porcini mushroom and add all mushrooms and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add white wine and Sherry. Boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with 1/4 cup flour stir until mixture coats vegetables. Cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Gradually mix in stock and porcini liquid. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mushrooms are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender or processor until smooth. Return soup to pot (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.) add cream and simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Adjusting seasoning and ladle soup into bowls and serve

This is how I would approach the challenge: 1. Turn the shred chicken (1/2 lb) into finely chopped chicken. 2. Scoop the black gills to give more room for the stuffing, and mix the black gills with the chicken to give it flavor. 3. Proportion-wise, chicken is 1/2. 4. The other 1/2: a. 1/4 chopped bacon. b. 1/4 finely crushed "Stove Top" stuffing. c. 1/4 chopped sweet Vidalia onion. d. 1/4 chopped celery. To the above, mix two tablespoons of vegetable oil, two tablespoons of sherry, one teaspoon of tapioca starch, one tablespoon of light soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and stuff the mushrooms and bake. dcarch .

First, my usual disclaimer -- I'm not a designer, just a not-all-that-fussy-about-looks homeowner. You're not going to make this into a cottage, nor do I think you can make it cute. Its basic style just doesn't fall into either category. I'm not a fan of a dark roof for practical reasons -- it increases heat load in the summer (raising your air conditioning costs and/or indoor temperatures), and the roof level heat shortens the life of the roof. In this case, however, it makes the house look MUCH better. So in your place, I'd break my own rule. I think that the problem with the dormers is that they aren't dormers, they're just windows. That's what you get with mansard. I don't see any way to change it either. . The garage is hideous. It looks tacked on, and might well be. It wrecks the line of the house. Ideally you'd somehow move it into the back yard (move or demo and rebuild). You could also extend the mansard roof over the existing garage. But any way you go with it, it's going to be expensive, and you won't get the cost back when you sell. I think if I were in your place, I'd pass on this one.