Yes, I certainly understand your motivation. If it didn't work for me, I would not be writing, as I am. I am a very inexperienced baker. Are you using SAF yeast? I ask because, I don't know yeast from a television, but, an experienced, respected, inspirational baker on the kitchens forum has recently discovered that red star yeast does not always work and SAF always does. So to give me every chance of success, I got SAF yeast. I love the smell, too. I keep th e yeast in the freezer. I am so inexperienced that I researched where to keep the yeast. This baker also only uses bottled spring water. I still use tap water. The authors say kosher salt. So I use kosher salt. And I bought King Arthur flour, because bakers whom I respect use KA flour. Just trying to increase my odds of success in this goofy adventure. Linnea, these are only my thoughts. I have been lucky with abin5. Happy and excited. If you think your flour may be the culprit in not achieving what you want, then think of solutions---change brands, further research the flour brand/water ratio. Good luck.

So, in line with this thread, we had completely custom cabinets crafted as part of our kitchen remodel one year ago. We had a good many difficulties with our cabinet maker and believe that the painting was done hastily because he was late. We were told that painting was done 'in the booth'. He used a pre-catalyzed lacquer color matched to Benjamin Moore Atrium White (not BM paint,however), formulated to California requirements. Well, the doors (and cabinets) under/around our sink have been repainted twice and the doors are peeling and chipping yet again. Yes, water does drip down (we have a farmhouse sink and water drops down the front tend to be a pitfall), but we are very good about monitoring this and these doors DO need to be able to stand up to some moisture (they are flush inset doors). In any event, the paint cracks follow the joints of the doors and the peeling always starts at a seam or joint. The latest painter who's attempting to fix this says that the doors weren't primed properly in any of the previous paintings. This is not just ridiculous -- it's expensive to have these doors repainted 3 times a year. I know about the restrictions on formulations in CA. So, I'm wondering if there are cabinet companies elsewhere where we can send our doors and a paint swatch for repainting -- and appropriate baking to make the finish more water resistant. That won't help failures on the cabinets themselves, but the doors are by far the worst. Any ideas or recommendations out there?

Well, my microwave occasionally needs to be beat on to start, but when it does, it's 1200 watts of pure zappin' power, baby!! Of course, people first, then food then ambiance....but in my experience all 3 go hand in hand. People who are good cooks, serve it well....and people who aren't good cooks? Well let's not even go there....this is a cooking forum!! ;-) I remember being invited to dinner at someone's house who were obviously trying to put on the dog, with no though to guests comfort. There were what appeared to be "wedding gift" candle sticks with lit scented candles, on a miserably hot night, with no airconditioning and the windows closed, because we don't want the candles to drip on the tablecloth. And the food was awful! I have eaten a hot dog cooked on a stick over an open fire, sitting on a log, with my front baking and my backside freezing, where the host said "let me grab you another beer, it's cold when you get away from the fire"...that was better than a fancy dinner where the hostess was worried about the candles dripping. One time about this time of the year, I invited a guy I was dating over for dinner. The evening was lovely and warm, and it seemed like it would be the last night eating on the deck. The deck and table covered with leaves, had not been swept....so I dumped the leaves off the chairs and table, grabbed a picnic table cloth, put tea lights into a couple of jelly jars, poured the wine, plated the pork chops and baked potatoes and we had a wonderful dinner amid the crunchy leaves. It's all about the host or hostess being willing to go the extra mile. Not thinking "it's too much trouble...I am busy.." I can't imagine making a lovely beef stew and home made bread and serving it from anything but real dishes. You may be on the way to a show or a game and not have time to wash the dishes until the next day....but to me a stack of dirty plates in the kitchen is a small price for a nicely served meal.

Maifleur, you had me at "geology" and Scotland. If you are in Scotland, let's houseswap. For a few years I went about on a Euro -UK spelling binge. I thought that "colour" and "behaviour" looked so much nicer than the American spelling. I asked once about aluminium and was told that the Americanized word was related to some commercial product. I liked descriptive geology, paleontology, mineralogy, but the minute someone wanted to put my brain through a triple-quadriple subduction zone, later raised to 4 miles above sea level, then flooded by Tethys and bent to bits in a metamorphic vortex, I began to grow I'll. Deep vagus meta thrombin collisions. The serpentine in my spine went through a phase change and ended up as jadeite. I now walk with a limp and cannot look at a road cut anticline without stopping to photograph and measure. I had to trade a geology hammer for a Smith & Hawkin hand spade. Someone slap me. I still want to spell Brit and say, "aluminium" -- as it seems much more natural. I've not eaten haggis, but have rescued a few moggies. Quote Burns to me, someone. Lukki, you just had to go and mention China and remind me of the melamine infant formula. I have a few silicone cooking spatulas that I like. No boob implants or silicone teeth (yet). I think I saw on a craft site that one can make their very own silicone molds based on their own personal dreams or nightmares. Now that should both fun and scary. I'd start off with thyroid-shaped chocolates, then maybe a dodecahedron shortbread. A huge Giant Stairs cake for my final opus.