Not being indoor plant person I hope I am doing the right thing. I purchased some potting soil from Lowes labeled for cacti and succulents. I plan to pot it up this weekend and get it ready to come live in my sunroom for the winter. The sunroom has very bright but indirect light. It is unheated but never gets below freezing - usually in the 50s or above. I had planned to initially moisten the soil and then only water once a month. Does this sound like a workable plan?

If you have a cut piece of stem, you can stick the bottom in the ground or you can just lay it on it's side, and either way, the stem will most likely (given the right conditions like enough light) grow new rosettes and roots. In nature they'll fall over being top-heavy, and whatever is in contact with some soil will root and the plant will keep going. This is a very easy plant in Southern California. As cactusmcharris points out, it could be in its summer dormancy yet, which would make the rosette more compact. It make loosen up and look different when it starts growing again.

John: I just got an email post from John M., and he informs me that the Plectranthus forum is still up and running. Even though it is not too active, the archive and photo section are still there (Hopefully, the images were transferred) He is in a bad position to do much with Plectranthus right now because he had a foot injury a year ago, and had to drop the Plec project because of other commitments and reduced capacity. I think he wants to get back to it, but because of the freeze last year, his collection got pounded. That's probably the straw that broke the project's back.

I use it in drinks mostly - teas, smoothies, margaritas - anywhere I would use honey or sugar. For cooking I use it in place of a simple syrup or honey. It's a great addition to fruit salad, but I've also used it as a direct substitute for sugar in baking. I have a close friend whose son had all kinds of dietary issues - sugar, gluten, etc..., so it's always a fun challenge to make him treats. As a general rule, I use a little less than 3/4 cups agave for 1 cup sugar. I'll also decrease the dry ingredients by a Tablespoon or so. AM The Dinner Chronicles Here are some recipes I like - they're from Babycakes in NYC: Cinnamon-Banana Bread * healthy HEALTHY * make ahead MAKE-AHEAD TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN 65 SERVES: 8 * 1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free, all-purpose baking flour * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1 teaspoon cinnamon * 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 3 overripe bananas, mashed * 1/4 cup canola oil * 1/3 cup agave nectar * 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk * 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract directions Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil an 81/2-by-41/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom and sides of the loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the baking flour with the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt. In another bowl, whisk the bananas with the oil, agave nectar, soy milk and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the banana bread cool on a rack for 20 minutes before turning it out. Let cool completely before slicing. NOTES One Slice 198 cal, 8 gm fat, 0.6 gm sat fat, 33 gm carb, 3 gm fiber. Brownie Bites ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN MAKES 2 DOZEN 2-BITE BROWNIES * Vegetable oil spray * 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill gluten-free, all-purpose baking flour * 1/2 cup sugar * 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder * 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder * 1/8 teaspoon baking soda * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum * 1/2 cup applesauce * 1/4 cup canola oil * 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract * 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips directions Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray 2 mini muffin pans with vegetable oil spray. In a bowl, whisk the baking flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. In another bowl, whisk the applesauce, oil and vanilla; stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling them three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Let the brownies cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. NOTES One Brownie 69 cal, 4 gm fat, 0.8 gm sat fat, 10 gm carb, 0.8 gm fiber.