I don't do store bought petunias anymore. I started with some re-seeding types from Select Seeds several years ago and I have petunias galore! They are in shades of deep purple, lavender, pinks to whites. Once in a while I get a broken color, but they seem to be gone this year. They get very long and I should start pinching, but probably won't get around to it. If I want to start some in other places, I just dig up a clump of seedlings and move them. This kind works better for me than the fancy hybrids the stores love to sell! This miserable heat we are having in southwest Missouri is hurting everything! My red daylilies in particular start out such a gorgeous color but are very unattractive by afternoon. The weatherman said we are having July heat now! Wonder what July will be like? We who live in different zones have to realize that our gardens are a whole different species from each other. We have to adapt our methods to our regions to get the best results and sometimes those results are less than what we would like. Such is life. glenda

Do you want the wall ovens for the oven space or do they have to be in the wall? If they don't have to be in the wall, how about two ovens in the island? Or a range with oven and then the second oven in the island or in the base cab next to the range? As an aside, I had double wall ovens in my old kitchen for 11 years and ditched them in the renovation. My range has a second, smaller oven, and that will be enough for us on those occasions when we have a lot to bake. I did like not having to bend over with the wall oven, but the trade off in loss of counter space made it not worth it to me. I guess that, in the long run, unless you can figure out a way that you like to add in a pantry to the existing cabinets, you might need to decide which is more important to you--the oven space or the food storage space. That's something that only you can decide.

GREAT pics Susan and Lynn. They are just adorable. I'd love to hear and see how everyone's cats are doing with kale and other unusual cat foods. I'm afraid I don't eat anything fancy like those greens. I detest cilantro and I would get kale in a box or produce that I got from the grocery store for my worms. Kale is a funny thing, even thawing after being frozen, it didn't soften or become mushy at all. I'd love my cats to eat some veggies. I'll keep trying to see if there's something that intrigues them.

Here is a "recipe" that uses figs. It was in my email from Arcamax and it is from Wolf Gang Puck. Honestly I haven't tried it (or figs for that matter) but it sounds interesting for you venture-some soles out there: GRILLED FIG AND PROSCIUTTO SALAD Serves 4 SHERRY-DIJON VINAIGRETTE 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup almond oil or safflower oil Sea salt Freshly ground white pepper SALAD 4 thin slices prosciutto 1 head fris lettuce (chicory or curly endive), leaves separated, rinsed, thoroughly dried and torn into bite-sized pieces 1 head Belgian endive, leaves separated, rinsed and thoroughly dried 1 head radicchio, leaves separated, rinsed, thoroughly dried and cut crosswise into thin julienne 1 shallot, peeled and very thinly sliced 4 ripe fresh Mission figs 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt 1 small block Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3 to 4 ounces 1 leaf fresh sage, rolled lengthwise and cut crosswise to form thin ribbons Freshly ground black pepper Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a mixing bowl, stir together the vinegar and mustard. While whisking continuously, drizzle in the oils until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt and white pepper and set aside. You should have about 1-1/4 cups, enough for this salad and several other recipes. Store the remaining dressing in a covered container in the refrigerator. When the grill or broiler is hot, begin preparing the salad. First, drape each slice of prosciutto in the middle of a chilled salad plate. Arrange the frisée, endive, radicchio and shallot on top, taking care not to conceal the prosciutto completely, and set aside. Rub the figs with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle them lightly with sea salt. Carefully place them near the cooler edges of the grill's cooking grid and cook them, turning with tongs, just until they are evenly marked all over with dark brown grill marks but not yet cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes total cooking time. Immediately cut each fig lengthwise into quarters and arrange the fig quarters on top of each plate. Drizzle each serving with about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the Sherry-Dijon Vinaigrette. Using a cheese plane or a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, lightly shave some Parmesan on top of each plate; you'll only need about 1 ounce total for 4 servings, but it's easier to shave that amount from a larger block of cheese. Garnish with the fresh sage and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately. If anyone tries it, let us know. Figs are kind of rare here is in CT. Heidi