Yes I do dry strawberries. I have about 5 kerr jars worth. I dehydrate them the same way I do all the other fruit. Just slice and put on dehydrator. Make sure that there is skin on the sides but not covering the top or the bottom. The strawberries are really good.

I would go for the white or black. "They" say that food looks most appetizing on a blue plate... My long time favorite dishes are an English red transfer ware....steak looks great but a plate of spaghetti looks awful! Over the years I have bought Le Cruset when I have found a deal...so I have and have had most colors but the newer green ones. Hands down....the food looks better in the white. However, most Le C pans now have a white interior...so unless you are taking pictures of your spaghetti and meat balls....who cares? Boy am I a messy cook!! Linda C

I have some word signs. Hand made on reclaimed wood with a bible verse that is important to me and another with a saying that means something to me. I have noticed that word art is everywhere. I am not a fan of most of what I see in stores because I like that I made my art myself with words that I thought about before using and hanging on my walls. I do have one "store bought" sign (it's just the word FAMILY) but I bought it bc it is the perfect shade of red in a room that needed one more red item. When and if I find something else to take its place in the future I won't feel bad about replacing it because it didn't cost much. I bought it at Homegoods. I didn't think my signs were pedestrian. But this isn't the first time that reading a thread has made me realise my decor choices aren't cool, original, or in vogue at Gardenweb. Regardless, I love what I put on my walls and it is me and my family that has to read them every day...so they stay. If a friend chose not to visit because of the way that I decorate...well that's a friend I don't mind losing.

This is my 3rd attempt at sauerkraut. First time was too scary, and I abandoned it. Second time around, I was more adventurous, and scraped the "spooge" off the edges and then tasted the 'kraut. It was SOUR, since I'd let it ferment for a long time (6 weeks or so), but good. Other people's sauerkraut tasted bland in comparison. I'm going to check this new batch at 5 days, and keep checking it every little bit after that til I find "just right". I know it takes me a while to get used to new favors, so hopefully the more you drink your lemonade, sample the cheese, etc., the more you'll like it. Have you tried store bought Kombucha? I'd love to get that kind of flavor and fizziness in our home brew. That's great you have space for a back pantry kitchen, Building for the CATS. I think this is an ideal setup, really. AK Tillery's kitchen comes to mind. Our pantry is only about 4x4ish, and has no room for a back counter. I'm thankful for what it holds, but its use is somewhat limited. The Amish around here often have a second kitchen in the basement. This is their canning area, and is nice for when they host large groups for church and fellowship. One friend used her second kitchen for juicing as part of Gerson therapy for her husband's Lyme disease (He's doing GREAT!) She was really thankful that all that prep and cleanup could happen separate from her everyday kitchen. Your rolling carts and extended counter sound super helpful, loonlakelaborcamp. I hear you on nowhere to clamp things down, we had issues with that in our old house when we'd go to use the squeezo or the apple peeler. I love the idea of the canning jars at the backsplash. I think Mamagoose has this too, right? I have my spices under my cooktop, which is pretty handy too. I just need to break down and order storage tins to contain them more neatly. It's a mess under there right now. I don't think I mind the "working kitchen look" so much as I mind A.The lack of counter space. B.When there is clutter on the counters, the kids don't clean up as well (and neither does mom, frankly ; )) It's like the stuff all blends together, and it gets more full and disorganized by the minute, like Scoby's left too long in their dark swampy tea. : )