For cooking, I use EVOO or organic canola - these are the healthiest vegetable oils. There is no way I am going to use cups at a time (except for making salad dressing) - they are much too expensive. When pan-frying I just dump the leftover oil on the compost or even in the woods. Or sop it up with used napkins or paper towels, or even brown paper shopping bags, and put in the compost bucket. I don't see any problem with composting cooking oils on a reasonable scale - obviously you wouldn't put a gallon of oil in a small compost bin. It doesn't go down the drain - even small amounts are terrible for drains and septic - and it doesn't go into the waste stream either.

Hey there babs. Wood with marble ....YUM! Go for it! We did Bianco Antico perimeter (chickened out on marble) and Mahogany top for our island and yes, made by a local small town custom wood worker. I paid $710 for our top. I have no idea how many sq ft it is but guessing around 30-35.... we quoted me for maple (or was it oak...can't remember now, which ever is the hardest!) and then he realized I wanted a darker top then that wood could provide, so he gave me the mahogany at the same price because he had it on hand. Lucky me! I chose to have it finished with a sealer vs oil....whatever sealer he uses, not sure what its called. He did tell me mahogany was about a 6 on the hardness scale of wood (10 being hardest). I wanted walnut based on all the beauties I have seen on GW, but it would have cost me more and I felt like I was already getting a deal by getting mahogany for the price of maple / oak. Truthfully, I an really happy with what we have. I get a lot of compliments on it. But then again, while its often seen on here, NO ONE in our area has anything like it. I did have him tint it/stain it so it would be less red than what mahogany is. Durability....it has only been in since the first week of December, so early to say. NO dings of any sort, but fine hairline scratches. I use this all the time, I do all my prep work on it, when I should be doing it on the granite. I suppose had we chose the oiled option they would be less noticeable, but they aren't noticeable from a distance, just up close or from the right angle. If you are considering marble, I would venture to say these wouldn't bother you. You can't feel them with your hand, just see them, they are that hairline fine. I did call to get a quote from a place in Michigan that ships anywhere. He was a bit more reasonable in price, but it seemed more sensible to have a local guy do it in case we had any problems. Here is a link that might be useful: Block Top in Michigan

We redid our master bathroom 2.5 years ago so I feel qualified to weigh in and ditto some of what other people have already said. We did something kind of like a pony wall but shower - it is just a bench seat in the shower that the glass then sits on top of. See photos below. In general here are some of my other tidbits of advice: 1. Do radiant heat flooring. We live in Atlanta and it doesn't even get all the cold here but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it in the winter time. And it really isn't all that expensive. We did small 2x2'' tiles on the shower floor and I like the variation it gives. Haven't had a problem with cleaning those - however, I also did 4x4 on the side of the bench and the grout between those can get grimy. 3. Along the same lines - do NOT do tile on top of the pony wall or the ledge where the shower glass will sit. We did and this is the one of only two things I would change about our remodel. The grout lines under the shower glass door get slimy. Do one solid piece of granite, corian, or cultured marble. We did the top of our bench seat in the shower cultured granite and it works great. Cheaper than other options but still looks nice. A remant piece of granite would have done the trick too. (On a side note, the other change I wish I had done was 4 rectangular pieces of cultured granite around the drop in tub instead of tile for the same reason more or less. I priced it out for one giant piece but you pay for the part that is cut out for the tub and it was ridiculous. I just didn't even think through doing it with 4 small pieces.) 3. If you are doing two shower heads, which I'd recommend, put both controllers on the same side, near the door. This way, you don't get wet when you turn on the "far" controller. 4. We did a small 28'' glass door which is slightly smaller than what most people do but it is perfect. 4. Lastly, ditto on the two shampoo niches. We have "his and hers" which means I can have 5 bottles of shampoo in my niche without annoying my husband. Hope that helps. Apparently I need to go check out the bathroom forum side and give my advice via expertise over there.

Thank you.. Not too nosy, since I mention it plenty of times, here and there.. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, the former Soviet Union.. as much as I felt I've moved on-we left when I was 18..this Maidan revolution in 2014 and everything that's followed was hard on me..you see, my childhood home overlooked Maidan( that was of course called differently, and I must say looked much much nicer then..it's like these urban planners compete how to make it uglier, really)..anyway when you see the place you were born, saw from your window, walked every day.. place that was your home..burning..you suddenly understand that you didn't move too far.. and no, you can't predict, until something like this happens. I really thought it's part of me, of my past, integral part, but not a home anymore. Israel is my home. we moved to Israel.. I spent there many years..then my ex got transferred here..I was hysterical and didn't want to go yet I went..very young kids, family..you know.. then they transferred us back I was so happy still wasn't a walk in the rose garden..as much as my previous employers loved me-they didn't hold space for me..:) so looking for new job and all that..you do start again, even if you left for some time and went back you still adjust. even when everything around you spells home. And Israel has this thing about it..you change, it changes, yet it's the only place on Earth that gives meaning to me being there, besides just being with the people I love anywhere else I won't say it's a Garden of Eden, yes? it can be downright scary..the bombings and all-I wasn't there(actually came to take care of my Mom, also in 2014- but they didn't get to Haifa then..was too far for their missiles..)..but I lived in Jerusalem through two intifadas..you understand that every day is a dying day(c)..yet you know..you continue..because -where else? and you have to stay human. there are two sorts of death, right? This is a very strange, magical place. People go crazy there. We even have "The Jerusalem Syndrome"..:) that some tourists get..need to be send to a hospital for some time, take meds you know..they start thinking they are Messiahs.. It's too old and seen it all. Jerusalem I mean. It doesn't care about you. And the sky is amazingly high there. But you can't stop caring about it. When I'm in Israel and it so happens I didn't go to Jerusalem-I feel I didn't fully go.. so.. sorry about the big lyrical off top..when my ex's bosses decided to send us here again I was very sad but less panicky..I thought "ok they're going to send us back again, as they did the first time" and then everything unfolded differently so..as they say in Russian fairy tales "for longer for shorter"..for now I'm here, and listen, I love it too. It's been many years already..I lived on two coasts..I think 7 years(altogether) on the East, and probably 7 on the West? goodness..time really flies I love West Coast much more first, it reminds me of Israel. The sky is high here too..:) and other things second, I'm plainly happier. on some important accounts but I will always want to go back If somebody translated Joseph Brodsky's poem(no.. he never been to Israel and never wanted to, and didn't feel any connection as per his interviews.. but since he was a genius poet he just knew certain things I guess...that's a poem about a desert)..in short if I find a good translation-I'll post it..the link I mean ok..that was really long..:)