Crenda I didn't think they flower -jk- I got mine in Feb. 2012 & no sign of bloom yet. But it is growing well (considering it is in pot only, with short Canadian summer), I may put it into hanging pot since it is so sprawly. Sun & less water it get that darker color. I don't mind - do you? Rina

Our Culinarian now in use for over 3 years here in Northwestern Connecticut. Purchased from Trevor. When new, the igniters did a lot of clicking when at the simmer setting. The service tech came out and fixed that. The problem was that the igniters were not properly aligned with the gas jet behind the igniter. I asked him to lower the simmer as far as possible. I knew about the simmer complaints before purchasing, I decided the large burners were more important to me than simmer. I decided to deal with that issues by purchasing a simmer plate. So far, I've never had to use it so I guess the service tech did a good job with the adjustment.

Lav: It's just that fridge and big sink on that wall seem to eat up all the countertop. Plus, the fridge needs like, 4" minimum clearance against a fixed wall... I wish that wall were a little longer cause I'd love to have the fridge to the left of the sink like that. I always seem to want to prep to the left of the sink. I don't know if I can change that habit, can I? I get having a prep sink closer to the stove, but this copper sink is made for prep with the cutting board that sits on the ledge and the drain tray. Not to mention that after what that thing cost, DH will probably throw up if I mention getting another sink, lol. Bellsmom: I was told that having the whole wall open is a problem with structural stuff. That's why DH wants a rustic railing with upright beams in part of the opening. I can't tell exactly but the island makes the walk around about 30"... seems too close to the step down for safety? Rosie: Your words are food for thought. I am definitely a sink/window prepper. I tend to live in front of the sink for some reason. Don't really see myself doing too much between the fridge and stove (in the original layout) And, as I said above, I tend to want to work to the left of the sink. Angie's idea is very appealing though. I like the smaller area to cook in and less walking around. I like the fridge out of the main area, so anyone can get something without, 'excuse me'. The one thing DH does is make adult beverages (killer old fashioneds for those familiar with Wisconsinites) and we're always in each others way when that happens. I thought a bar sink over by the window could double as a kind of prep sink and I'd have mondo storage over there, too. But, it does close up the room somewhat, at least for traffic, but maybe not in a bad way. Idaho: thanks for the info and I was kinda thinking that empty corner could be a safe cubby or something like that. Keep our Cracken in there, lol. Marcolo: are you saying to leave the fridge as it is in Angies plan? I'll have to play around with that configuration, too. Thank you...

I think that eating at desks is a huge problem and may be contributing to obesity. I like to take my time eating lunch and eat more slowly when I am sitting in my pergola watching the hummingbirds. It's been so warm lately that I have been eating lunch outside almost every day, although I did eat inside yesterday so that I could watch Giada visiting Ina Garten. Giada was making gnocchi, but as it turned out, I did not like her recipe. When I lived further from work (a 12 minute commute instead of 4 minutes), I would bring my lunch and often assemble it in the lunchroom at work. For example, if I wanted pasta with pesto, I would being the pasta and pesto in separate containers, heat the pasta in hot water, drain, and then add the pesto. Pesto gets gummy if microwaved (due to the Parmesan cheese), and I wanted to avoid that. If I made Shrimp Udon noodle soup, I would put the shrimp in a separate container and heat the soup in the microwave and then add the shrimp, so that the shrimp would only get reheated and not overcooked. I also would bring garnishes such as cilantro separately. I agree with Ann about the Spanish! Lars