I think you help raise some questions about usage that can cause us to stop and think about the interesting phenomenon of us homeowners trying to "own" so many possible experiences in our personal places of residence--the cocooning phenomenon and the idea of having a spa-like envrionment at home. Sitting by a firepit seems, or is, nice on an occasion when we have experienced it, so maybe we should have access all the time. Sitting in a hot tub is nice, so get one of those. Watching koi in a pond is nice, so maybe have that. And so on. I'm not at all trying to say that you are on the wrong track--instead, am agreeing that you're doing a good thing to think, how much will I use this; will I end up forcing the "let's sit out by the firepit 'cause we have it and need to make use of it" when you'd rather curl up with a book in the house; as you note with the question of wood vs. gas, do you anticipate having several hours of continuous use of the pit once you've got the wood going, or are you more likely to say, well, my hour is up, got other things to do. Weather and climate are huge issues too, since I can clearly see some climates where it is cool and delightful (with no mosquitoes) and firepits or outdoor fireplaces really could get a lot of use; you'll need to decide if it's for "show" when weather is really mild (and will it bother you to burn wood), or if weather is kinda nippy, will you really want to huddle round the pit; will everyone smell like woodsmoke, and will they like that; do you have kids like teenagers who might in fact "hang out" at your house if they can burn something, and that could be a good thing. The conversion to table or usable floorspace is a neat idea and might sway you, since it'd be there if you want, but not the gaping pit; OTOH, that pit, raised or flat, still won't be as flexible for as many uses covered as would plain patio, if you're limited on your total space and "floorplan". One of the things I realized was that I just didn't currently live the life of the firepit or some other similar creations, and I ought to instead take trips a few times a year to experience some of these things in a vacation mode, but not try to own them for infrequent in-home experiences. But still it makes perfect sense to try to identify those things that you will really use, and more conveniently and less expensively, by having them at home.

The service where all the pictures are hosted for this thread is shutting down. I have reposted all the pictures at a different site, but GardenWeb does not allow me to edit my posts to change all the links. Here's a page with all the pictures on it. Don't miss the tiny "page 2" link at the top of the page. Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures for this thread

Well, heck I won't ban you for a minute never mind for life! I just posted to your other request, LOL, and I seem to be on a roll so I'll keep on posting over here with some chicken recipes :) Easy Baked Chicken 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves Salt Ground pepper Garlic powder 4 T. mayonnaise 4 T. fresh shredded Parmesan cheese 1 c. fresh coarse bread crumbs (or packaged, or panko) Chopped parsley 1. Season chicken lightly with salt, pepper. 2. Combine mayonnaise, garlic powder and cheese. 3. Put chicken in baking dish and cover with the mixture. 5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with parsley. Bake at 400 until juices run clear (about 15-20 minutes) Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 18 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings 2 pounds chicken cutlets Salt and pepper 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup Italian bread crumbs 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 clove garlic 1 (3-ounce) jar pine nuts (pignoli) 1 lemon, zested 2 eggs, beaten Olive oil, for shallow frying Basil- Parsley Sauce: 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides turn lightly in flour. Combine next 7 ingredients in food processor and pulse-process the crumbs to chop the spices, garlic and nuts and evenly distribute the flavors throughout the crumb and cheese mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs then breading and add to the hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and breading is evenly browned. Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms. Serve chicken cutlets with a generous amount of basil and parsley sauce poured over the cutlets. Garnish the chicken with finely chopped Roma tomato. (NOTE FROM WOODIE - IF THE CUTLETS SEEM TOO BOTHERSOME, JUST SERVE THE SAUCE OVER ANY PLAIN CUTLET - BAKED, BROILED OR SAUTEED.) CHICKEN SAVOY 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken, cut into 6 pieces (two drumsticks, two thighs, two breasts with wings) 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon dried oregano Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 6 to 8 teaspoons grated Locatelli or other Pecorino Romano cheese 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (preferably 7% acidity) In a 10 1/2-inch cast iron skillet or other heavy, oven-proof pan, arrange the chicken pieces skin side down and so that they do not touch each other. Sprinkle the chicken with garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and grated cheese, in that order. Place chicken in a preheated 500-degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and pour on all the vinegar at once. It should sizzle. Return the chicken to the oven for another minute or so. Arrange chicken on a platter and pour on the sauce created by the vinegar. Serve immediately. (Woodie's Note: I don't really use 500 degrees because my smoke alarm will go off, so I usually do 450 for 40-45 minutes, depends on which chicken pieces I'm using - we like dark meat the best. I also think that I use more vinegar, I don't measure, just pour it on, and I use any kind of vinegar, balsamic or red wine, doesn't really matter.)

Ain't that always the case, Lascatx? Form vs function! You can do both if you want to bury a gas line. But we were wanting to avoid that. If you want to go the hidden propane tank route, which sounds easiest, there are a lot of quite ugly neo-tuscan choices, alas! I will share three other hidden propane tank options. The first one seems cool but it was DIY so you either need to be handy and brave or find someone to make it, but I like the idea (though I'd choose a lower pot perhaps). I like the simplicity of this; they make a square one, and a round one too but it kind of looks like a Hobo's fire. There was also a round, sort of coffee table height one, I am trying to find the image of it again. It is shipped as a plane concrete form and you can clad it in any facing, metal or stone or tile, you like, after you get it on site. I kind of like that idea.