Ok, I think I can do the nuts. I bought 2 bags of frozen raspberries today. I'll probably do both bags. I don't have anything but a tea strainer, unless a wire mesh collander will work. Looks like a screen on a wire basket frame. Will that do? I'm making Glenda's Alaskan Cole slaw with the almonds. The raspberry sauce is for cream cheese pound cake. First time I went to Alaska I went on a fish cookout and this slaw was served and I absolutely loved it. So I named it AK cole slaw. Alaska cole slaw 5 cups shredded cabbage **I buy the preshredded plain, no carrots, etc at WalMart 1/2 cups almond slivers, toasted 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries 1/2 cup celery, diced**don't use 1/4 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper **don't use This is the creamy dressing I used and it works great: mix 1/2 c mayo with 2 Tbl cider vinegar **I used white wine vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, salt and pepper to taste Pour over coleslaw right before serving and toss JUST TO COAT Combine cabbage, almonds, cranberries, celery, green onions, and green pepper in a large plastic bowl with a snap-on lid. Combine all dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressing over slaw just before serving. Stir well This recipe is courtesy of Glenda who posts on the Kitchen Table Forum, and sometimes here. The Cream Cheese Pound Cake is the Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake from the March 2011 issue of Southern Living Magazine. I make it plain, as DS is allergic to strawberries, and we can do whatever we want with it plain. I also don't use the almond extract in it, just extra vanilla, cause DD borrowed my almond extract for Christmas cookies and still has it. Mom's pineapple upside down cake just came out of the oven. It will be a miricle if it turned out right! Tami

Try this, from Bon Appetit. The nuts should be husked (the papery part removed) for best results. These are really good and the coating could probably be used with other nuts -- would be good with almonds, for example. Roasted Hazelnuts If the nuts have been stored in the freezer, bring them to room temperature before roasting so the coating maintains a smooth consistency. Vegetable oil 4 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt 5 dashes of hot pepper sauce Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 13x9x2-inch baking pan and large rimmed baking sheet generously with oil. Mix hazelnuts, brown sugar, rosemary, salt, and hot pepper sauce in large bowl to blend. Transfer to prepared baking pan. Bake until sugar melts and coats nuts, stirring every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break hazelnuts apart and store in airtight container at room temperature. (Can be made 5 days ahead.) It's important to keep the hazelnuts hot during the entire baking time so the glaze doesn't clump. To prevent the hazelnuts from cooling off, don't remove them from the oven when stirring  just pull the oven rack out slightly. (It may take slightly longer to make the nuts than indicated -- but they're really good and worth the trouble. Be sure to use fresh rosemary; dried won't be the same). Makes 4 cups. And a more typical recipe. My mom makes these with cinnamon only -- really good, and really good in salads. Sweet-Hot Spiced Pecans In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice. Whisk in 1 large egg white and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Stir in 2 cups pecan halves. Spread nuts in a single layer in an oiled nonstick 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300° regular or convection oven, stirring occasionally, until nuts are crisp and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to loosen nuts from pan; cool completely. Serve or store airtight at room temperature up to 2 weeks (I keep them much longer). Makes about 2 cups. Happy eating!

The trim ( crown) touvhing your cabinetry should match it. For all other areas not touching cabinets, a SOFT white. What is the trim in the rest of your home?

I have been trying to improve my sourdough skills recently. I have several very dense loaves sliced in my freezer. More recently I did manage to make lighter loaves. The dense ones taste good but I have to toast them carefully or they get rock hard. I like toast warm with salted butter or a drizzle of olive oil and gomasio. I really dislike jams and jellies. Recently I had part of a thawed jar of pesto to use up and spread that on toast. I liked that so much that I thawed another jar. Occasionally I pile cinnamon sugar on my toast as a treat. I went to school in Montreal in the 80s. I remember going to a restaurant where there were a variety of breads, spiced butters, topping and toasters. We created and toasted our own greasy combinations. I liked the going there but the adult post pandemic me wonders about hygiene.