G'Day! - i found the data on heat, and it seems the matterial is less important than the colour. i know martins really prefer their houses white, but will use other colours too. (Maybe i can get away with a thin wash of green-brown (acrylic?) paint? Just so they're not so obnoxious a glaring white.) - Most songbirds can access a house with no persh just fine; they alight on the rim of the hole. "Robber birds," such as crows, are more likely to raid if there is a perch. - Drainage holes at the bottom. Yes indeed. Ventilation holes at the top, on the other hand, may do more harm than good IF they might let rain drip in. Very bad. But from what i'm reading in birdhouse building instructions, overheating doesn't seem to be a problem. - Still looking for a good list of "who prefers what size openings." i can't wait to see soem bug-eating birds using these gourds and faux-gourds! - Happy gardening, -vlad

Have you looked at the shelf stable almond milk not in the refrigerated section of the grocery store? At my local publix, and I think at Walmart, they have the small (8 oz I think) cartons of both regular and almond milk. Usually for about a $1.00. I really like the chocolate almond milk in that size carton as I don't drink much chocolate milk. I buy the half gallon size almond milk from the refrigerated section and it keeps a really long time. Use it almost exclusively for cereal. I have found that Horizon Organic milk in the "cardboard" type container keeps much longer than milk in the plastic cartons. The expiration date on it is much longer too. And it usually is good beyond the expiration date.

Silk soy is the best!! i am addicted to it... i actually have it in place of a snack most of the time. and every morning for breakfast I also buy the Vanilla and the Plain. I actually have been telling my friends about it... and i dont usually get excited over such a small thing, but the Carbs are relatively low, and the protein is higher than regular milk and the non-lactose milks.... I use Silk soy with everything that calls for milk.

Do they sell Lactaid or other lactase-treated milk where you live? It's a lifesaver. If you drink some of that milk, then you can have other dairy that would normally bother you. In your recipe, if you used a lactase-treated milk and real cream, which is naturally low in lactose, then you should be okay. But some people are more intolerant than others and your mileage may vary. You can also buy the lactaid pills.