Sherrie, I had good results with a combination of hawthorne and motherwort. I believe it's sold by Solaray, although others probably make the same thing. Hawthorne regulates heartbeat, and should be taken regularly over a long period to be most effective. I took this combo for a couple of years at least. Before, my heart symptoms were a real problem. I also gave up caffeine and sugar, and once I identified foods that I reacted badly to (dairy products and eggplant, of all things), I ceased having PVCs ("skipped" heartbeats). Another thing that helped with the chest pains was Dr. Andrew Weil's breathing exercise for anxiety. It's described on his website. Relaxation CDs helped, too. I still use both of these techniques on occasion. Hope this helps. Susan

"I sure hope you like black. There are some of us who would not even consider it." I take no personal offense at that statement, but it's very narrow. Isn't that what makes the world more interesting...diversity? My previous kitchen was beautiful with matte black painted maple lower cabinets. I had no uppers...just art hanging in that space. the cabinets weren't heavy looking, nor did they make the room too dark. It was a beautiful space.....and understated...quite like the proverbial black cocktail dress, a classic. I had tons of natural light...one solid wall of windows and my wood floors were oak with no stain so they weren't dark. I would agree it depends on the kitchen, style of house, countertop, lighting, etc. Decora cabinets used to send potential clients over to see my kitchen anytime someone was considering black. I wish I could post photos, but I only have the real estate tour and you can't snag stills from it. The house sold in 45 days during the worst of the housing crunch. The buyers specifically said they loved the kitchen at the act of sale. So there are also those of us who would and have chosen black. Like everything else...it depends on the big picture.

Have you considered antiqued Nordic Black granite? If you really like the look of soapstone, I think NB is the best substitute looks-wise. Below, I've linked a thread to jen4268's gorgeous kitchen, which displays antiqued Nordic Black with cream shaker cabinets and oak floors. Although Virginia Mist is very pretty in its own right, I can't understand why it has earned the reputation that it "looks just like soapstone" (which I've heard from several granite people). The two installations I've seen in person look nothing like any soapstone I've ever seen. Again, beautiful on its own, but soapstone-like at all. Here is a link that might be useful: Update Pics of cream traditional kitchen

It worked beautifully! In addition to using the tartaric acid instead of lemon juice, I heated the cream/milk very very slowly, in a new larger double boiler (it is very hard to find a double boiler that will hold 2 quarts This one is marked 8 cups but that would be to the brim. I used 4 cups cream and 3 cups whole milk. ). It took almost 45 minutes to come up to 190 F. I did it while doing other work in the kitchen, so I was not standing over it. I might have done that too slowly, but I was playing it safe. I stirred very gently. In addition, I heated the water the tartaric acid was dissolved in. I dribbled that in while stirring. The cream/milk did not make the rapid break into whey and “shreds” like last year. Instead, it slowly formed soft, fluffy curds. Visually like very small curd cottage cheese. But fluffier. Most recipes call for immediate draining. If I had done that, I would have lost most of my volume. A few called for refrigeration over night, or 10-12 hours first. I did that. Much more of the cream/milk solution were solids by then. In the morning of the next day, I poured it into my cloth lined colander, set over a bowl, and put back in the refrigerator. Mid afternoon (~ 7 hours later), I had a couple of cups of whey. Regardless of what any of the recipes say, I have always found these to produce a lot of whey. I hung the bag then (outside the refrigerator) to continue dripping with more pressure. Overnight in the frig again. I think it has exuded all the whey it will. It is hung now. Squeezing produces nothing, though it might a bit when it warms up. Total whey is about 3 ½ cups, guesstimating, out of 7 cups cream/milk to start with.(BTW, the whey is delicious to drink. It’s hard to describe the taste. It’s got a slight sour cream tang) My daughter and I will be making the tiramisu tonight.