I consider them to be more the consistency of sweet potatoes, Highalt, with a flavor thats closer to sweet potatoes than white potatoes. Sometimes the flavor is described as a cross between a sweet potato and a turnip, but I cant testify to that because its been so long since Ive had a turnip that I dont actually know what they taste like anymore. I just really like the sweetness of them. Ive mostly only ever had them along with the carrots and tomatoes and potatoes with a pot roast, and I really like them baked that way too, but now that Im growing them and have them a little more often, and since I dont make pot roast that often, I was looking for some way to cook them except steaming or boiling. Back around the same time as Alices post other people were recommending baking themalong with other veggies, and thats what I was gonna do if the "butter steaming" didnt work well, but cooking them on top of the stove is nice since I cook so little at a time, and it really isnt worth heating up the whole oven just to cook a couple parsnips. If you decide to grow a few, they really dont take up much space. With mine, if the leaves start flopping around too much I just pull off some of the biggest leaves. I do that with the carrots and beets too. Do try some of your carrots that way when you can get to them. Im sure youll love them. Since I dont have an actual skillet with a tight fitting lid, I just do them in a heavy saucepanand its working really well. Id try some beets that way too, but then Id have to peel them raw firstand get my hands all red! Ill stick to doing them in the pressure cooker and "slipping" the skins off under running water! MUCH neater! I dont do hash browns but I do make potato pancakes sometimes (German here!)with apple sauceand thats the whole meal! Love em! Havent had THEM for a long time either, so maybe Ill need to put them on my list right under the Anasazi baked beans! Every time I read one of your posts I picture you up in your little "crows nest"without the crows, of course. Bedtime, Skybird

Lizzie, thanks so much for your help. This rose was found among the "modern" rows so I'm thinking it might be from the 80's or more recent. They have many of their varieties marked but this one isn't. It is huge, bushy, and the display of flowers is so impressive. I have about 10 pictures of this baby and would like to note it's proper name--instead of 'unknown pink". I appreciate your effort, Lizzie!

Usually the 7 is less money but the U of 7U means unions which add $. Having unions is not a bad thing. Ah ... makes sense. I was just going by what I can find via a quick search ... having a search term of "7" really doesn't do much to narrow down the results! Is there any benefit of the 7 over the 9 or vice-versa? It does look like the 7 has a lower minimum pressure rating (10 vs 25 psi). If you got the SJ10 for under $125, you did well It wasn't that good, but close ... just under $140 for new, unopened shipped to the house practically from the factory with full warranty (date code shows that it couldn't have been more than two weeks old).

Yay! A lot of Bay Area people here. Firsthouse, I saw your slab at DaVinci. Just beautiful! I, too, have been to so many slab places in the Bay Area (same ones as you, I'm sure, plus all the San Leandro places) and was very frustrated that I couldn't find anything. Your advice was very good... "keep looking! Don't give up and ask if there is new stuff coming in, even at slabyards you have already visited." And I would add...if they have new stuff coming in, ask if there's a wait list. I found what I wanted (at DaVinci, actually), but all the slabs were sold and the next shipment was in a month. I was on my way to IRG (Brisbane) last week to buy my 2nd choice granite (very distant 2nd choice) and I got a call from a slab place (All Natural Stone) in San Jose that said they had a new shipment in and I was off the wait list for my 1st choice (Typhoon Bordeaux). They put my name on 2 slabs. Immediate U turn on 101 to go see it! I NEVER thought the wait list thing would work out. What a relief (demo's in a couple of weeks)! So congratulations, firsthouse mp, and hang in there everyone else! Your countertop is out there! Julie (Woodside, CA)