Yes they are saying a warm up here in southern iowa for rats as well as us humans ,I did not see any nights in the ten day where I'll need heat,looking forward to removing the cover on my trachys( in the near future),so much more fun to see them just hangin without any help

I love spicy chai tea. I don't drink coffee at all, but in the winter, I usually have a cup of hot tea every day to warm me, as well as my hands, up. We were in Ireland in the fall and the tea was so delicious every where. I loved how it came served in a teapot every where we went. Toward the end of our trip, I found this gorgeous teapot at a small pottery shop. At that point, I'd already bought quite a few wool sweaters, an expensive painting, and a few other things at a different pottery shop. I didn't have room left in my bags, and I didn't want to spend the money on shipping this one small thing. I didn't get it. After we got home, I told dh I regretted it - this artist's style was quite unique, very colorful and abstract. He actually called and ordered me one for Christmas - that was quite a surprise! While I normally drink either Tazo, Stash or Trader Joe's tea, I decided I wanted to try using loose tea leaves like I had in Ireland. Finally, just last week, I stopped at a tea and spice shop and bought a bag of Chai and a bag of green tea leaves. I made my first cup on Friday and it was delicious! It was fun serving myself out of my new little teapot. I also really like iced tea but never make it at home. I've been meaning to, but just haven't bothered. It is my drink of choice though if I'm out at a restaurant in the summer. While I do like some sweet tea, I prefer my iced tea unsweetened, with just a touch of sugar and lemon. Daisy, I"ll have to try the Tazo zen tea. I'm still going to use bags for when I'm in a hurry, but my loose tea when I'm relaxing!

Jan, since I can't have the tipple anymore :-( I put a tiny little driblet of rum flavoring in my cuppa nog (if it's not my breakfast drink), and plenty of fresh nutmeg. We have this awesome hand-cranked nutmeg grinder so there's no grating your fingernails into your eggnog. LOL Promised Land must be a regional brand. I haven't been really jazzed by anything from Walkers the last few years - it's all seemed just the littlest bit stale-tasting. The mincemeat in jars is, for the most part, very good (Crosse & Blackwell's is too sweet IMO, but Nonesuch and Grandmother's are quite good) and I admit that I quit making my own piecrust several years ago in favor of the Pillsbury - basically when they started rolling the dough instead of folding it, so you couldn't tell it was premade! I don't want to "spend my spoons" on making piecrust! Usually if someone in the family's bagged a deer for winter food my grandmother will make venison mincemeat, which makes awfully good tarts/pies. I have these adorable little 4" tart pans (the sort with the loose bottoms); I cover the bottom with a circle of parchment so I can slide the tart off, pop the whole pan into the fridge to cool off for a few minutes, and make the next batch. But yes, usually I just use the jar stuff rather than a premade tart. Their shortbread is usually stale IMO but it is so absurdly easy to make - flour, salt, sugar, and the best butter you can get your hands on - I just can't imagine buying it. I never roll it out and cut shapes, I am far too lazy! I like to mash it into those tart pans for individual cookes, or for a gift I like to use my big removable-bottom 10" tart pan and mooch small pizza boxes from our favorite pizza joint, dividing the shortbread into wedges with fork perforations before baking.) Fruitcake Day is on the schedule for next weekend, but we haven't decided whether to go rum or brandy... I'm pondering Drambuie for a change but wondering if it'd be too sweet. I think I need to get a "nip" bottle to taste. ttodd - I wouldn't waste eggnog on the unappreciative. Put it in a pretty pitcher and have cups available for those who wish to partake, but if no one is going to drink it there's no point in putting a cup at every place setting. Natal - Yeah, the HFCS is a drag. I know there are a couple of brands that don't have it (and are probably local/regional anyway) but I admit that I pretend I don't see it on the labels of the ones we get (Hood and Oakhurst). There's always Silk Nog, which I hear is pretty good, but I haven't tried it.

@everyone: THANK YOU!!!!!!! And more Qs.. Where should a KA mixer and my warming drawer live upper left counter and under oven, yes? Also, how about staggering the oven stack to push the MW back and allow for a bit of countertop landing space in front of it? The counter space would be at a higher height than the rest of the counters. This might lessen the looming wall of fridge/oven/MW. @rhome  Bedroom aisle will be less tight but not less winding. I do want to keep the prep sink on the lower end of the island and preserve that nice long countertop, but if itÂs too close the fridge has no landing space. I must flip buehlÂs suggestion for the island. I do want coffeemaker/bev center on the upper right counter, so I think I will not bring dish storage to the counters after all. My ovenÂs manual says 30" cab too. You know, your oven saga threads were one of the first things I read when I joined GW. I am so sorry for your trouble, it must be so frustrating. I know how it is to research and plan for a big ticket item and it turns out so disappointing (see: my current car). It makes me worry too, I have the F&P dishdrawers and hesitating over a F&P/DCS rangetop at a steal. @buehl  I donÂt mind moving the sink to the right but are the 24" drawers and 42" ish uppers enough for dish storage? I wouldnÂt want to have to bleed dish storage into the island or the other side of the sink. I like the beverage center idea. I do have an 84x28" pantry closet next to the lower bedroom entry. It is technically in my to-be DR ï I donÂt have a problem with itÂs placement with my current configuration (in the hallway on the other side of the galley kitchen), so I shouldnÂt mind when it gets a little MORE convenient. How about this top to bottom: 36" Drawers, 18" Sink cab, 18" Trash/Recycle Pullout? If that is too far from the cleanup sink, I could put a Trash-only pullout underneath that. I am OK with the tradeoff that the prep sink is a little farther from the range. We entertain a lot and I would not like to have people constantly barging through the Prep/Cooking zones to toss a beer. I checked the ovenÂs installation instructions, it says a 30" cab will do. I could fit up to a 32" cab on that wall (it is 12Â8" prior to the fridge closet to be built). We are tall here, we need that 18" overhang! Probably can only fit 2 stools, but oh well. 163" room width  24" cab  3" overhangs  24" cab  18" overhang = 94" which allows for a 42" left aisle and 52" right aisle. It WILL be tighter at times in the left aisle at the rangetop but I think it is OK. Definitely an alcove for the MW and not a builtin! Then if people get in the way using it there, IÂll move it to the top right cornerÂs countertop, and make the alcove a bookshelf. @bmore: Moving the ovens to the top right and dish storage in the island would work if not for my own shortcomings. I am really quite bad at emptying the DW already, and it only goes across my teensy galley kitchen now. I would like to free up the left wall a bit but as it is would work best for me. I should clarify  we have more of a one cooker and one helper situation, rather than two people COOKING at the same time. And, if two did actually cook, I think we could work it out. Is the oven really that much of a danger in that spot? It should have insulation and if I stand on the lower end while opening, we can avoid any mishaps, no? The uppers on the top left definitely need some filler. I will leave the specifics of this to my cabmaker. I will have the moulding up before the cabs, I think. Thank you for taking the time to count my boxes.. I am not the best at that! I have however done the math more than a few times and that DOES add up (thankfully). @chicago: I have to go for a countertop MW in an alcove above the oven for budget reasons, but I can see how it would be better there, in some ways. It is always movable and I wonÂt hesitate to kick it out of the alcove and over to that upper right counter if it gets in my way! I can then have a classy cookbook shelf :)