I'm pondering the same question: SxS vs FD. Despite the narrow issue, the following keeps pulling me towards the SxS. First: the FD reminds me of the chest freezer we used to have. Stuff just kind of finds it's way to the bottom, no matter how hard you try, and it gets lost. True, they have them with 2 drawers now, but the bottom one is still deep enough for this to occur. Second: my SIL bought my MIL a bottom freezer. Then she injured her back and couldn't get ANYTHING out of the freezer -- my husband has a back issue and I need him to get his own waffles for as long as possible. I've measured the widest items in our freezer and frig, and take a measuring tape with me when I look at appliances. So far the sxs seem to fit what I typically have. TYPICALLY. Brining the thanksgiving 14 lb bird could be an issue, though. I think we'll end up with a s by s with a little upright chest freezer in the garage. The thanksgiving bird may end up in the cooler with ice packs.

I've loved reading about everyone's meals and seeing all the photos. Oh yum, lobster pasta - I want that. Ann we like your sausage and rosemary sauce too I've made it several times. I didn't know hosta was edible, of course I've now Googled and there are a number of recipes. Both the hosta dishes look good to me. Joan, sorry you didn't like your sauce, it certainly looks good and pappardelle is my favorite pasta shape. David your entire dinner looks good and I can imagine how happy it made your Mom to have that birthday dinner. I went downstairs this morning thinking I would photograph my dried pasta draped over long cooking chopsticks stuck in an upper cabinet, but the pasta had really dried out and some of it had cracked at the top of the wood chopsticks and fallen to the counter I tried to adjust the rest and more fell down so I decided just to put the strands in a box and show you that. I slid the overfull box into a large soft plastic veggie bag, put a twistie on it and put it on a pantry shelf. I'm thinking of making a carbonara later this week. I also have a small bag of shorter pieces that will be fine as soup noodles. Sadly when I was cleaning the parts, I found a mangled cap that covered the end of the spring rod in the kneading paddle. Of course parts are no longer available for my vintage machine. Max may be able to save it, he has already been able to bend it into a closer shape than the picture shows and since the dough does heat up a bit as it is kneaded, and it's clear that the part was deformed when it went into the extrusion chamber and was pushed up against the large plastic screw that moves the dough he is going to try heating it in water from the Insta hot tap which is about 190°. If that doesn't work I'm going to try using it without the cap and see if I can just clean the dried dough out after using it. The space that it fills is only about 1/16" deep, I don't know what I could use to fill it. I thought of silicon caulk but the metal ring is part of the spring assembly and it needs to rotate. I will be very sad if after my success for the first time in 25 years, we can't make it work again. Lee

I cook the sausage in a very old, very seasoned cast iron skillet, using a slotted potato masher to squish it down, then scrape it with a wooden flat beveled spoon - spatula. I continue doing this while it cooks over med high heat. It breaks up nicely and you can easily get it to the size crumbles you want quickly with very little clean up. This is a recipe I have cooked for years and adapted it to our ever changing tastes. It came from a magazine that adapted it from "The New Chili Cuisine" by Nancy S. Hughes. I am cooking this for dinner tonite as the rain, chill and gloom just won't seem to leave. ~* My changes (almost the entire recipe, but I do not want to take credit for the original ~ which I have included) SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND PASTA CHILI 1 lb mild Italian sausages, casings removed ~* Hot Italian 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained ~* Del Monte Petite diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos ~* Onion - coarsely chopped 14 oz chicken broth ~*32 oz homemade chicken or turkey broth 4 oz chopped green chilis, rinsed & grained ~* 1/2 c(?) chopped sliced jalenpoes from jar I always have - amt - to taste so not to spicy 2 tsp paprika ~*omit 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ~* Chipotle red pepper (McCormicks) 2 T ground cumin ~* Chipotle Tabasco sauce to taste 15 oz can Cannellie beans, rinsed & drained 2/3 cup tiny pasta, cooked - makes 1 1/3 cups ~* omit often Cook sausage breaking it into small chunks until lightly brown. * Remove sausage and blot excess grease Saute the chopped onion and chopped jalapenos in the same skillet until tender. In a small dutch oven or heavy saucepan, add the tomatoes and their liquid, chicken broth, green chilis, and spices. Add the sausage & onion. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in beans & pasta ~ * I add the pasta to the individual bowls. Reheat & serve. ~ Top with fresh Parmesan. Serve with cornbread and or tortilla chips. This is very quick and easy. I hope all my changes don't intimate you. You can make this as spicy as you want - or not! It also freezes very well!

This thread has been very useful for me...I have a very good memory, but for some reason names are gone almost immediately after the person tells me... I truly believe that it's a "thing"....something is missing in my brain :) Also...my husband can't understand that I have a bad sense of direction. For example, when I'm leaving somewhere, I don't know whether to make a left turn or a right turn to go back the way I came... I think the two things might be related somehow... Anyway...I'll keep trying. And maybe give up hoping that paper name tags become mandatory...