Oh, no! Bad sentence on my part. Southern California. We had a wonderful Syrian bakery that made brilliant pita. I still miss them. My heart breaks for what has happened there, but I've never been to Syria. You haven't said why you're eschewing "enriched flour" and don't need to, but white flour products are required by law to use vitamin enriched flour, and even most home baking white flour (bleached or unbleached) is enriched and has a little malted barley flour in it as well, which has a lot of an enzyme that's needed for rising. Unless you have a specific problem with one or more of the vitamins or the barley, the enrichment shouldn't be a problem. Maybe you're just concerned that there's white flour in there. White flour is often added to whole wheat flour to make the rise spongier. Sometimes vital wheat gluten is added to strengthen the gluten (the bran in the whole wheat can weaken or cut it). Wheat gluten can be isolated by hand by washing the wheat and kneading out the starch, and has been done for centuries, so it's not a weird industrial product. Anything that's made with white flour in the U.S. uses enriched flour. There may be some places that mill and sift their own flours that do not, but that's an extremely rare exception. Therefore, I would guarantee that the Lebanese pita are made with enriched flour. The thinner thing is probably a lack of leavening. Even in the Middle East, nowadays, the pita have leavening and are a bit spongy. That's not traditional. :) I haven't seen Kontos, and I'd guess it's an East Coast brand. I don't doubt that it's good! Whole Foods might be a better place to get 100% whole wheat, however, unless you can find a Middle Eastern or halal store where people are into the "new" kind of dietary laws (no white flour, pasture raise livestock, etc.). Maybe try stores near the colleges? College kids tend to be into better eating. Turlock is from California. I know they freeze to ship it to avoid preservatives, so you might find it there, but more likely the Whole Foods have something local. Good luck on your quest.

I basically cook all the rice in the same manner: On electric stove, 1 part rice (washed or un-) to 2 parts water, pinch or 2 of salt, bring to a low boil over high heat, then cover tightly & turn heat to low/warm for 25 - 50 minutes. Shorter time for white rice, longer for brown. Remove from heat & let stand covered for 5-10 minutes then uncover & fluff w/ a fork. I often mix in some butter. Best brown or white rice is short grain for sure - lovely soft & chewy texture. Here's yummy brown rice recipe of mine that's not too sweet : Orange Coconut Rice yield: 4 cups 2 cups raw brown rice 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (12-15 oz?) 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (grated OK too) 1-2 tsp. finely grated orange rind - approx. 1/3-2/3 of 1 medium orange water salt In a medium (2 quart) saucepan w/ a tight-fitting lid, place rice, coconut & 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt. Grate rind from orange directly into pan - about 1/3-2/3 of rind. Squeeze juice from orange & add to coconut milk w/ enough water to make 4 cups, then add to pan. Bring to a low boil, stirring a few times, then cover tightly, reduce heat to very low & cook 50 minutes. Remove from heat & let stand, still covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff w/ a fork. Do not remove lid until done!

-Sprouting automatically reduces the carbohydrates - how much depends on the grain/seed/bean/nut and how long you sprout it. Don't forget to off-set the carbs by the fiber amount (for the effective carb count), as well as the actual amount consumed. Sprouting also reduces the glycemic impact - I keep both of these things in mind since we have been eating a low-glycemic diet since the late 1990's (diabetes is rampant in hubby's family, so this is how we try to avoid it), along with low-carb. What are your carbohydrate diet goals? Less than 150 g.? -Sprout pinto beans (or cannellini beans - which are white kidney beans) before using them, and 1 cup of raw pinto bean spouts has 10 g. effective net carbs, 1.5 g. fiber and 64 calories. I dehydrate sprouted pinto beans and use them for (nearly) "instant" refried beans, or adding to soup, casseroles, etc. Alfalfa sprouts are really low-carb - 1 c. = 1 g. effective net carb, but use them with caution because they can be an allergen to some people. Mung bean sprouts - 1-cup = 4 g. effective net carb. -I make sprouted bean/seed mixtures and use them for making plant-based high-protein patties using adzuki beans, lentils, mung beans and radish seeds) -Sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat is considered a high-protein food. We season them for snacking (make a spiced mixture of nuts, sprouted buckwheat, sprouted (and dehydrated) pumpkin seeds, etc.). Sprinkle some on yogurt (homemade kefir for us) for a little granola effect. -Anytime you sprout or ferment food, it is then a pre-digested food, so it is easier to digest, which also positively effects the carb load. -Acidic foods significantly lower the glycemic index of a food or a meal by 1/3 because of how your stomach and digestive system work. Acidic foods slow the emptying of your stomach, which slows down how quickly your blood sugar rises, which impacts those carbohydrates you consume. This is probably part of the secret for the old Grapefruit Diet (that and the additional fiber). My parents/grandparents always served pickled foods with a meal (pickles, olives, horseradish, marinated vegetables, pickled beets, sauerkraut, vinegar-based dressings), and that was a beneficial thing we probably should add back to our diets. Add vinegar to your salad along with a good quality oil. Add lemon and lime juice if you don't like pickled foods. -Fats also lower the effective glycemic index, as does adding Ceylon cinnamon. So it's not just about eating low-carb, but other factors can be considered as well. Editing to add: When you drastically reduce carbohydrates from your diet, and then add them back, they have an even more drastic effect on your blood glucose levels, which can increase weight gain and/or cause pre-diabetes or other blood glucose issues, so do all things in moderation should also be considered. If you are making this change for your health, you may want to consider it a lifetime change, not just a quick fix for weight control. -Grainlady

You’ve probably already sanded it too smooth to accept the stain properly. That closes the pores. The factory spray applies with an air assist airless. It’s not a wiping stain. Varathane is not a cabinet finish, and should never touch cabinet quality wood. No cabinet company uses that low quality. They use conversion varnishes. This type of controlled application finish just is not possible without a great deal of equipment, investment in specialty product, experience. The mistakes will cost you more than buying what you need from the cabinet company. Unless you just like to keep buying cherry, and buying tools, and gaining experience from those fails, you need to just contact the cabinet company and get your pieces and move on.