Green Forest is the only familiar one for me. It's my favourite cos! The heads are beautiful, not too big and it holds (slow to bolt or even get bitter) in heat longer than any others I've tried with the exception of loose oakleaf types. (Even though my zone is super cold in winter, we can still get 40ËC temps in the summertime!) Best wishes for your fall garden... I'm totally jealous that you get more than one season to garden!

Try asking over at the paint forum~ Not much traffic here. Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/paint/

Doh! I just realized that my U-galley takes a 30" drawer base after corner cab to make a 42" wide aisle (not a 6" pull-out). Total brain-fart! That being said, I actually like Buehl's layout #2. I would DEFINITELY wrap around the corner, whether you close it off or leave it with an island open on both ends. There just is not enough counter / storage / specific prep areas for what you do with the galley. The "L" with island will be MUCH more useful and efficient. But, if you do have enough space for bulk storage in the storage room behind the kitchen, I'd still consider shifting the fridge 12" into the pantry area. That way you can create a a longer (48" to corner sink) prep area between the range and corner sink dedicated to your activities that require water and heat (cheesemaking, canning, meat prep); that stuff takes up a lot of space and is MESSY! I would REALLY try to keep these activities totally separate from the dry grain / baking area. Based on Buehl's layout #2: Shifting fridge 12" into pantry space = Fridge, 33" drawer base (groceries, hot pots), range, 18" drawer base, 30" drawer base (meal prep, cheesemaking, canning etc). Corner sink base separates wet / dry prep. Along the end wall I'd run a 54" counter with two 27" drawer bases (instead of 48" run). This is because you loose at least 4-5" of actual drawer interior, so two 24" cabs = approx 19" wide drawers, whereas 27" cabs = approx 22" wide drawer interior. The end will then line up with the back of the island. This would be the baking zone. On the island I would use a 36" sink base, not 30". This will make the short aisle between the island and baking center 36" wide, which is fine since it's not the primary work zone and there are no major appliances there. -- You said that you like to bake "A LOT." I'm wondering if maybe you want an extra oven? If so, in the baking zone you can put a 30" wall oven installed under the counter after the sink base and then a 30" drawer base. This will extend the "L" to 60", so 6" beyond the back of the island, but it doesn't appear this would interfere with your dining room. The oven door will open into the main work aisle, not into the island side. Honestly, it sounds like you live on a farm and are really into the Homesteading lifestyle. That is pretty much my DREAM, and my "Dream House" and kitchen is designed for just such a life (no meat though, I'm a vegetarian ;) Unfortunately I live in the burbs, and I am still making sure to eek out every inch for separate zones with as much storage and counterspace as possible. My pantry will actually be outside the kitchen in order to do this, and since you have that storage room, you can afford to lose 12" to gain a larger canning / cheesemaking area. 3 ft. just isn't long enough for that, especially if someone else is making a meal at the range at the same time. Also, I really think you will want one really big sink, 33"-36". Great...

I am confused about your concern regarding allergies with epoxy grout. Is this DIY? Does someone in your family have a known allergy to epoxy? What is the source of the concern? I used epoxy grout, and am glad I did. So far it is bulletproof, and am very happy to know that it will never need sealer and to believe that it won't darken over time. Nonetheless, the tiling expert Bill Vincent has expressed the opinion that cementitious grout is perfectly adequate. He acknowledges that epoxy grout performs great, but it seemed to me that his main objection to epoxy grout is the cost. To me, that wasn't a huge factor: it cost me about $250 for epoxy grout, and it would have cost only about $40 for cementitious grout. A big difference, sure, but in the context of the whole ~$3000 floor job, not such a big chunk.