I'm in Knoxville TN. Re: Whole families and screaming kids. I find it depends on which Walmart you're shopping. I think there are 4 in our immediate area and I have only been in 2 of them. Believe me they are light years apart in their clientele. Our local Food Lines all closed except in outlying areas and the Food City I mentioned bought out Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo. We do still have Kroger and Ingles. I would love to have Publix or Harris-Teeter although I think they're more expensive. I have seen some Lowe's in western NC and they seem pretty nice. I have a tendency to judge them by their range of baked goods in their bakery. Our stores are pretty pathetic in that area unless you go to Fresh Market. Have you guessed that bread is my biggest weakness? I'm intrigued with your quick breads made with self-rising flour. That's something I may try. Do you make muffins for your Farmer's markets? There's a roasted banana muffin that is very good. I have made it 3 or 4 times and we like it a lot. Anyhow, thanks again. jude

Bamia (sweet & sour okra) 1 lb small okra pods 2 tbls EVOO 1 tbls honey Salt & pepper to taste 1 tbls lime juice ½ cup water Wash okra and pat dry. Top and tail it, discarding any blemished or hard pods Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and sauté okra 3-5 minutes, turning each pod once. Add the honey, salt, pepper, lemon juice and water. Cover, lower heat, and simmer 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary, until pods are tender. Source: Traditional Egyptian dish. Stewed Chickpeas & Okra 2 tbls oil 1 cup okra in ½-inch slices ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped green pepper 1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes ¼ tsp oregano ¼ tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp red pepper 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas Heat oil over medium high heat in saucepan. Add the okra, onion, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the spices. Stir in the chickpeas, bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, ten minutes. Source: "Wholesome Harvest" Okra Crustini 12-15 okra, sliced 6 garlic cloves, minced 2-4 paste tomatoes, diced handful basil, chopped white wine salt & pepper to taste Olive oil French bread Diagonally cut French bread about 3/8 inch thick. Brush with olive oil and toast both sides, preferably over a charcoal fire; of in the broiler. Saute okra in olive oil, 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking until garlic just turns golden. Add tomatoes and a dash of white wine. Add salt & pepper. When juices start to flow add the basil. Cook until tomatoes have fully softened and their juice combines with the okra. Pile the mixture on the toasted bread slices. Source: Original recipe. Bhindi Bharwan (Indian Stuffed Okra) 1 lb okra* 3 tbls oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 med onion, chopped 2 green chilies, seeded & chopped ¾ inch ginger, finely chopped 1 tomato, chopped stuffing: 3 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground tumeric 2 tsp ground fennel seed 2 tsp Amchur (dried mango powder) 1 tsp cayenne ½ tsp salt Cut the stalk off each okra pod and make a lengthwise slit. Combine stuffing ingredients and mix well. Stuff each pod with the mixture. Saute cumin with a little oil until it starts to crackle. Add onion, chilies, and ginger and sauté until the onion turns transparent. Add tomato and cook until it turns pulpy. Add the okra and cook for 5 minutes until tender and well coated with the sauce. Serve with rice. *Zucchini or other summer squash can be substituted. Source: "The Food of Asia"

mal First it's your home & only you truly know what is best suited for it and your family - The responses re: concern above I think give a good general opinion about resale - that has the potential to be a negative. lascatx brings the pt to light I would tend to agree w/that op. Not opposed - necessarily - just a different op - it's not my home.... try to imagine a time when the house is being sold - the first thing the broker will ask is "what is this room?" - If you have other options to put the mud area esp I would go that route - since you do come in throught the basement why not try to retrain your family to let that be the drop off zone - cubbies/hooks/baskets etc.... When you put appliances & plumbing in DR it would be difficult & a big expense to change that back in the event of resale & a broker saying changing it back will mean X$$ Perhaps contacting a broker or 2 before you decide may help in understanding what the market calls for in your area. To me, esp if you have other areas to designate, it just seems like a not clearly defined room - mud area & kit should be 2 separate imo.... Try to imagine being the person who is your potential buyer - walk in your own front door and what do you like/not like - Could a potential buyer walk in and say "do I take my shoes off here or take the cake out of the oven" Good luck

If you can get King Arthur flour, that works better than anything else. Buttermilk Biscuits 2 1/2 cups self rising flour (I use King Arthur) 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup PLAIN Crisco (not butter) 1 cup whole milk buttermilk Preheat oven to 425*. Cut Crisco into flour with a pastry cutter or fork until well mixed. Add buttermilk and stir. Turn out onto floured surface and pat out, turn in half, flip, pat out, and turn bottom half over. Pat out and cut with biscuit cutter. Place in pan sprayed with Pam. Reform leftover dough and cut rest of biscuits. I form the last biscuit by hand. You can do them all by hand if no cutter. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes. 1. You can cut recipe in half. You can also take out of oven after they are just done, but not brown, and freeze after they are cool. 2. To use regular flour, 2 1/2 cup plain flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt. 3. We like to butter our biscuits after they are cooked and do not like butter in the dough. If you want butter in the dough, use 1/2 cup unsalted butter, omit Crisco. 4. The lard you get in the grocery stores now is not the same as old fashioned lard. If you have a source for real fresh lard, you can use 1/2 cup lard instead of Crisco or butter. 5. Keep your hands well floured and also dust a small amount on top of dough and under dough as you turn. Keep a light hand, you are not kneading yeast dough. Dust the cutter with flour, also. The first biscuits after I got married in 1970, you could of used for hockey pucks, lol. He ate them anyway!