Ilima--Nature and beauty will always win in the long run. I'll be rooting for you and your garden. How can people muck up such a bit of paradise as Maui with such a thing as the plastic house?

Thanks Teresa, Grainlady and Annie for your help. Mad about Mickey, what a coincidence. The first one was certainly not my best either. Teresa- You answered one of the questions I didn't ask... I wondered if I was supposed to use the paddle then switch to the hook. Do you switch after all ingredients are in I'm guessing? I use my mixer a lot, but for the same few things... cookies, an occasional cake, whipped cream and dog treats. I should probably read the instructions again. Grainlady - here is the recipe... 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water 1 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) water 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey, molasses, or maple syrup 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour 1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dried milk 1 1/4 teaspoons salt Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. I think when I made it by hand, I basically did what you were saying. When I tried to strictly follow directions, the dough was too sticky to work with, so I added the flour until I could work with it. I finished kneading with the oil. I didn't punch the dough, but I don't think that hurt much of anything, I only have one spot with a bigger air bubble, so I must have smushed it enough when I shaped it. I have never tried the sponge, in fact, I had never heard of it before last year when I was thinking about learning to make some different types of bread. I will try that sometime. I was taught how to bake bread by my great aunt when I was in elementary school (early 80's??) I make some here and there, but years go by without making any, so I have to regain the "feel" of it. That's why I posted, I the dough didn't feel right when I followed the directions, and I was second guessing myself. I have also discovered you can learn A LOT from these forums, so I thought it might be educational to ask! I think I need to re-acquaint myself with bread baking the way I was taught, and then I should try out some other methods. There seems to be a ton of variety out there, and I should learn some of it. Thank you, and BTW, this loaf did turn out much better than the first one.

If you have room and the lighting is a separate piece then I personally would only add a 2 prong plug to them. And put a 2 prong socket on the power to them. If the lights have 3 wires then , of course, use a 3 prong plug with ground on both sides. My idea was that if you pull on them when removing the shelf you'll have a chance to disconnect them and thus allow them to be removed for cleaning or replacement. IF they are low voltage then the problem becomes a big sticky due to non standard connectors used in low voltage connections. But the idea is the same. Leave enough wire rolled up so it will unroll if someone should pull out the shelf and want to move it. When you reply with clarification your answers will be better I'm sure.

I remember reading that...but it's still just as funny.... I am completely surprised that I didn't find a post from me on there...My DH has done a few things during our 42 years that I tell on him every now and then. patti