except for the tomatoes, the ingredients you mentioned sound somewhat like white gazpacho (ajo bancho)... which is supposed to have Moorish roots. (golden raisins instead of grapes, pine nuts instead of almonds, etc.) But the tomatoes are the kicker -- maybe a case of Chef's license. did you visit this web site: http://www.spain-recipes.com/ajo-blanco.html kay

I've gotten to the point I don't grill burgers very often. I like a good fried burger, seared to get a nice crust without burning it and it's easier to keep it moist inside and still cooked reasonably. A good quality bun, toasted and a dash of garlic salt and pepper sometimes a drizzle of Ranch dressing and/or BBQ sauce. A couple paper thin slices of onion optional. No pickle or mustard allowed within a 100' radius. And I don't mix crumbs or egg in there, if I want meatloaf, I make meatloaf. Generally I try to get freshly ground (coarse ground) burger. Usually the cheaper end so it'll have a bit more fat but it needs to be fresh for a good burger. Frozen patties don't do it for me anymore. I press a little in the center of the burger, not all the way through, but so it's a finger thick that's about 1/2 the thickness of the thicker part. As the meat shrinks, it fills in, cooks evenly and is hot throughout.

Well, if you've tried "everything", and none of it is working, then it might be time for you guys (parents/steps) to put your own feeling aside, and try something that might make him successful. I am speaking from experience here. My oldest son is 21 now. He displayed some of the same behaviors you describe. I yelled and fussed at him, took away privileges, tried reward systems...everything! The teachers NEVER complained about him or his behavior. They were always just a little disappointed, because he was "so bright, but just didn't seem to want to put forth any effort". He studied and seemed to get it, but then would fail the test...no matter how much I helped him study, etc. We just decided that he was lazy, didn't want to put forth the effort and wasn't a good test-taker. He frequently forgot to hand things in, too....even though they were done. What made it difficult was that he displayed NO evidence of hyperactivity at all. Eventually, when he was in high school and struggling, he told me he thought he had ADD. Again, I told him that his laziness and lack of motivation was not going to be called ADD. Period. I didn't buy it. Then, his 2nd semester of 10th grade, everything seemed to turn around for him. His assignments were done completely, his notes from lectures were well-organized and he could use them to study, he did well on tests. I praised him profusely for all his hard work..."I told you if you just applied yourself, you could do it", I told him. About a month later, he asked me if he could be tested for ADD. "No", I said. "You finally showed a little maturity, buckled down and did your work, and had good results". You don't have ADD. At that point, he confessed to me that the entire 2nd semester, when he had done so well, he had been taking his friend's Adderall. His friend had decided he didn't want to take it anymore, so my son did. I was FURIOUS, to say the least! I am a nurse, and had significant strong feelings about the overuse of behavior meds. But still, I couldn't argue with the results. I called his pediatrician, who agreed provide the testing. Luckily, in addition to a general pediatrician, she is also a behavioral specialist. She agreed to test him, and the results were overwhelmingly positive. She wasn't surprised that it had gone unnoticed all these years, since he wasn't a behavior problem in class...didn't display any hyperactivity. Those kids are the squeaky wheels that get greased. The kids who are "good" often get overlooked. Since he had already conducted his own "clinical trial" with good results, she prescibed a low dose of Adderall for him. He continues on it now in college, and I have to admit, it really has made a big difference in his life. He manages a full load of classes, a nearly full-time job, lives on his own, pays his own bills, etc. He frequently doesn't take his meds on the weekend, or during breaks from school, when he doesn't need to "perform". So, while I certainly realize your reluctance to treat your SS, if he's been diagnosed w/ADHD, you are doing him a huge disservice by witholding treatment. Certainly, if he had diabetes, you'd allow him to take his insulin, right? Behavioral/mental health issues have such a stigma associated with them, that all-too-often, those who would benefit from fairly simple treatment, are denied. Just my $.02 worth.... And for the record, I still think that ADD/ADHD are WAY over-diagnosed & treated. But there are definitely some kids who truly benefit from an appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Those families who have "tried everything and nothing works" may find that they have to put their pre-conceive notions about diagnosis and meds aside for what could prove to be just what the kiddo needs to be succesful, not only in school, but in life.

Wendy, I love your graph paper and notebook! I saw your design on the other thread, and I love the pillar there! One thing I've learned from the gw forums is to check and recheck everybody else's work, especially the KD's! On one of the kitchen forum's "how to ask for layout help," it specifically says that overhead 2D plans are more helpful than the 3D views, so I will do that. But for me, I really need to visualize something to understand it, and the 3D views, like the IKEA planner makes, or those above that you revised from your KD's plans that had the mistakes, are way more helpful for me to understand how things will look. I also really like notebooks and/or folders! i know this is "low tech," but I'm going to print out some inspiration pics and pics of the actual appliances and things I've picked out, and make a scrapbook. It will cover all the rooms in the house, have the "before" pictures I'm shooting on Saturday, and then pictures of what I want in each room from the floor to the lighting, including walls, and pretty much everything. Then I'm going to take a lot of pictures throughout the whole process, and finally, the "reveal" pictures. I'll have it all on my computer too, but sometimes it's nice to flip through a physical hard copy folder/notebook, and it can be handy when you don't want to whip out your phone or tablet on site.