OK, here's a quick and easy dessert that's still a good old fashioned comfort food and relative nutritious as desserts go. (grin) Blueberry Crisp-GrandmaÂs ================ 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, unsweetened 2 tbls lemon juice 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup quick oats 1/3 cup butter, softened 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt . Heat oven to 375. Arrange berries in ungreased square baking dish (8 inch) and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine remaining ingredients until crumbly. (I use a pastry blender, grandma used two knives). Crumble topping over berries and bake until topping is lightly browned and berries are hot, about 30 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings. I double this and it still comes out good. Plus blueberries are low in calories, have lots of fiber and no fat, contain antioxidants C, E and beta carotene and have been found to be as helpful in urinary tract health as cranberries. That's why I need ice cream with them, they are just too darned healthy. LOL Blueenough, it's clear that your daughter was a wonderful person and well loved by her family and community. It's always too soon to lose a child, a mother, a wife, and so I'm sending my prayers for strenth and healing to you all. And some blueberry crisp, compliments of my own beloved late Grandmother, Delphia Powell, who left me with my love of cooking and a lot of great recipes. Thanks, Grandma. Annie

Is your original color espresso? It is hard to get the espresso shade with using a wood other than cherry or a few others. With maple and like woods they do not always take a dark stain well. I think it likely someone tried to fix a blotchy stain with a dark glaze except they used too much. Doing a glaze over a dark stain on maple and like woods is fairly common in order to get the dark stain to look uniform. The cabinets you put in look like espresso with a heavy handed sable glaze. If it were me and really wanted the original I would try to make a deal for cherry in the color of stain you want. Cherry does darken over time though.

Most publications and on-line information say to use 25% less agave nectar than sugar called for (3/4 c. agave nectar for each 1 c. sugar), but I've found I can use much less than that in most cases. It depends on other ingredients and what part (food science) the sweetener plays in the type of food. If there are sweet ingredients or spices, you can often use less agave nectar than 25%. In this wholegrain banana bread recipe - I use 1/4 c. agave nectar. BANANA-POPPY SEED BREAD 1 c. mashed banana 1/4 c. agave nectar (OR 1/2 c. sugar) 1/2 c. milk (I use homemade kefir) 3 T. vegetable oil 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 c. all-purpose flour (I use wholegrain spelt flour) 1 c. whole wheat flour 2 t. baking powder 2 T. poppy seeds (I substitute whole amaranth for an additional whole grain that is high in protein. They look like golden poppy seeds in the bread.) 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. cinnamon vegetable cooking spray Combine the bananas and agave nectar (or sugar) in a small bowl; stir well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk, oil, and egg; set the mixture aside. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Make a well in center of mixture; add banana mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened. Spoon into 8-1/2x4-1/2x3-inch loaf pan (NOT a 9x5-inch pan usually used for quick breads) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack. Grainlady Note: I like to bake quick breads in a Danish Loaf pan (aka Tea Loaf Pan - see link below). It's longer and more narrow (12" x 4" x 2 1/2" pan holds the equivalent of a 9" x 5" loaf pan) with playing-card sized servings. It's easier to slice very thin slices from this type pan - important when control portion sizes. Plus, it bakes 25% faster than a 9x5 pan. -------------------- WACKY CAKE (a frosting-free snack cake) 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour (soft wheat, or whole wheat pastry flour OR 1-1/2 c. + 2 T. spelt flour) 1 t. soda 1/2 t. salt 3 T. cocoa powder (can eliminate) 1 T. vinegar 2 t. vanilla 5 T. butter, melted 2/3 c. agave nectar 1/3 c. cold water Mix ingredients in an 8-inch square pan in this order: -Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. -Make 3 holes evenly spaced apart in dry ingredients. -In first hole, put vinegar. In second hole, the vanilla. In third hole, melted butter. Mix water and agave nectar together and pour over all the cake ingredients. Stir well, using a dinner fork or spatula (be sure no dry ingredients remain in corners). Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes. One serving - 1/16 of cake (cut the cake into 16 pieces). For spice cake: Omit the cocoa and add 1/2 t. Penzeys Cake Spice (www.penzeys.com). A mixture of: China cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves. -------------------------------- Other agave nectar goodies (my original recipes): COCONUT ALMOND CANDY Melt: 2 T. butter in a frying pan Add: 1/2 c. long-shred UNsweetened coconut 1/2 c. chopped raw almonds Over medium heat, cook until the ingredients begin to brown. CAUTION - this will burn easily. Remove from heat. Add: 2-3 T. agave nectar 1 t. almond flavoring Stir well. Place in small paper candy cups. (I use a 100 size portion scoop for this - approx. 1 teaspoon.) Cool in a refrigerator at least 1/2 hour to set. Yield: approx. 20 pieces. PROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER BALLS 1/2 c. whey powder (vanilla flavor) 1/2 c. peanut butter 2 T. agave nectar 1 t. vanilla or almond flavoring Mix thoroughly with a dinner fork. *If desired, add 1/2 to 3/4 c. crisp wholegrain rice cereal to the dough. Roll into small (3/4 to 1-inch) balls. *Toppings - Melt 1/2 c. chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. You can also dip the balls in a little agave nectar and then dip in chopped roasted almonds or toasted unsweetened coconut. ---------------------- VANILLA ICE CREAM 4 oz. EGG BEATERS (DO NOT substitute raw eggs) 1/4 c. agave nectar 1 c. Half & Half 2 c. cream 1-1/2 t. vanilla In a 4-cup measuring cup or equal-sized bowl, combine Egg Beaters, agave nectar and vanilla and stir to mix. Add cream and half and half. Chill thoroughly in the freezer (just until ice crystals start to form on the edge. Process in an ice cream maker of choice AGAVE NECTAR CHOCOLATE SYRUP 1/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa Powder 1/2 c. agave nectar 1/2 c. cold water Mix, with a whisk (it takes a bit of mixing to get it smooth). Store in refrigerator. Serving: 1/2 c. ice cream and 1 T. cocolate syrup -Grainlady

Lemon chiffon pudding Categories: Desserts Yield: 6 Servings 1 cup Sugar 3 tablespoon Butter 4 tablespoon Flour ¼ teaspoon Salt ¼ cup Lemon juice ½ Lemon grated rind of 1 cup Milk 3 Eggs, separated Servings: 6 DIRECTIONS: Combine sugar, flour, salt and butter. Add lemon juice and rind and beaten egg yolks. Beat until ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add milk and blend into mixture. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into a greased baking dish and set in a pan of hot water. Bake at 350-F for 45 minutes. Serve warm. Mrs. C. D. Kauffman, Hesston, Ks. Source: Mennonite Community Cookbook, by Mary Emma Showalter, 1957. Recipes from old Mennonite cookbooks, brought up to date with standard measures and directions