I agree, Cindee... we do tend to baby our bulbs and other potted beauties! I think we spend more than we realize on medium and amendments, fertilizers, pots and saucers, support wires and little pot trellises, plant stakes... and then there are all the extras we use, like rooting powder, Superthrive, Captan, insecticides, miticides... not to mention grow lighting, shelving units and plant stands, decorative this and that... we put out a bundle to baby our favorite plant types! I can remember when I first began collecting houseplants... I would go to the local greenhouse/garden center and buy their specially mixed potting medium, and I'd pay more for it because it was so much better than what K-mart had to offer! Before the advent of Schultz and MiracleGro, there wasn't much to choose from! Now, I find it helpful to custom mix small amounts of potting medium, adjusting the ingredients depending on what type of plants I'll be using it for. I keep a small bucket with a cover just for this purpose... it holds about 2 gallons, and is the perfect size for mixing small amounts of medium. If there are leftovers, I put the cover on and save it for next time! I do really like the coco coir as a medium base, though... I'm so glad Maria told me about it! I ordered an entire bale of the stuff from a hydroponics store, and had it delivered right to my door! It cost a little bit more than regular bagged potting soil, but it's worth it! It's so much lighter and healthier for the roots of my plants, and I can add several different ingredients to change the "feel" of it to suit whatever plants I'm working with... The only thing I need to remember is that coco coir contains no nutrients, and fertilizer must be added... but that could be as simple as throwing a handful of Osmocote into the bucket when mixing up a batch of medium!

Never tried these, but someone was looking for grilled shrimp and these were shared: Grilled Garlic Cilantro Jumbo Shrimp 1 lb. jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined ý bunch of cilantro 4 cloves garlic 1/3 cup olive oil serrano chili salt and pepper skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes lime wedge 1. Grind everything but shrimp in a food processor. 2. Marinate shrimp for 30 minutes and add lemon pepper. 3. Then grill on the skewers, basting with the marinade. 4. Serve over rice. Mexican Grilled Shrimp 1 lb. large or jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined Lime Juice McCormicks Mexican Seasoning 1\. Shell and de\-vein the shrimp and place onto skewers that have soaked in water for an hour. 2\. Sprinkle the Mexican seasoning onto both sides of the shrimp. 3\. Place the skewered shrimp onto the grill and squeeze the limejuice onto the shrimp to baste while they cook to a pink color. 4\. Enjoy! Spicy Tequila Marinated Shrimp Yield: 3 servings 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined Marinade à1ý cups tequila, preferably 100% blue agave à1ý cups fresh lime juice àþ cup extra virgin olive oil àý cup fresh garlic, finely chopped àý cup Louisiana hot sauce, or the Tabasco sauce of your choice àý cup sugar à4 Tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste à5 Tablespoons white pepper Mix all ingredients very well. Marinate shrimp for 2-3 hours in mixture. Cook over charcoal barbecue grill, basting 2-3 times with marinade. Thai Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers A thin, firm stalk of lemongrass makes an aromatic skewer for shrimp. Serve these shrimp with a cucumber salad seasoned with rice vinegar and fresh cilantro. For the Thai brushing sauce: 1/4 cup lime juice 1 Tbs. Asian fish sauce 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 6 thin stalks fresh lemongrass 2 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 green onions, white portions only, trimmed to 2\-inch lengths Using a small, sharp knife, shape the root end of each lemongrass stalk into a point. Soak the stalks in water to cover for about 30 minutes. Drain. To make the brushing sauce, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, mint, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Meanwhile, prepare a medium\-hot fire for direct\-heat cooking in a covered grill. Position the rack 4 to 6 inches from the fire. Carefully thread the shrimp and green onions onto the lemongrass stalks and brush the shrimp with the sauce. Place on the grill, cover, open the vents and grill, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to individual plates and serve hot. Serves 6.

I can't directly help you, not having Alfresco (whatever they are), but I have an 11.5 year old inexpensive stainless 3 burners and grill by Charmglow via HD. It was made in Mexico. I believe I have replaced two burner tubes and 3 or 4 burner flame covers. I use it at least once a week year 'round. I'm afraid Charmglow is no longer in business but I just want to point out that stainless burners could be expected to last an extended period whether premium or not. I believe my replacement burners were in the $18 range. After the first year, the BBQ was always under a deck roof.

A couple of updated photos... first is just an idea with what I already have, I think it's better... but will need to get actual books and something else for the top if I stick with this... will need to figure out what to do with the wires still. Second idea is photoshopped... thoughts on this? Is this what you guys mean by baskets, or am I misunderstanding? Would still have to figure out what to do with the wires. The lion has a pretty wide base (just over 20 inches lengthwise), not sure where to find a pedestal for him. Could potentially find a corner in the living room or the dining room if I had a pedestal, so that's a good idea. If anyone has ideas, I'm all ears! And I do like the idea of having the baskets on either side, too- this way, the grill would be camouflaged! I'll try that, next. Do the baskets look okay, or should I bet considering something different? Thank you all so much! :)