French Bread Pizza would be easy and probably pretty cheap, too. Slice some french bread loaves in half lengthwise, spread with some bottled pizza or pasta sauce, top with grated cheeses, veggies, or some crumbled veggie sausage patties or Boca Burgers, bake until hot through and cheese is melted. Apple juice costs less than cider and can be kept hot in a crock pot - sweetened with brown sugar, add some cinnamon sticks and cloves tied up in cheesecloth. That will warm up those skaters very nicely! Apple slices dipped in a warm caramel sauce would be different. Taco Soup - you could use crumbled Boca Burgers instead of ground beef or add another can of beans or two. This makes a large quantity and freezes well 2 pounds ground round, or veggie burgers, crumbled 1 large onion, diced 1 packet taco seasoning 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch original dry mix salad dressing 1 can kidney beans (with liquid) 1 can pinto beans with jalapeños (with liquid) 1 can yellow hominy, optional 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel) 2 cans stewed tomatoes (I use Mexican stewed tomatoes) 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 cup of water Cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain excess grease. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Penzy's Spicy Cheese Bread 1 cup grated mozzarella, Jack or Swiss cheese 1 cup grated colby or cheddar cheese l loaf french bread sliced in half lengthwise 2 TB butt, soft 1/2 small yellow or red onion minced 1 1/2 t. Italian herbs 1 t. garlic salt 1/2 t. crushed red pepper or sprinkled on cayenne pepper Heat oven to broil. Cover baking sheet with foil. Toss cheeses in a bowl. Butter cut surface of bread and place on sheet. Sprinkle onion on both halves of bread. Sprinkle half of herbs and garlic. Mound cheese on top of bread. Top with rest of herbs and garlic and the red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, if desired. Boil 5-7 min. until the cheese melts and the bread is crusty. Slice in 3" slices.

The figs were easy. Pour some balsamic vinegar into a pan and over a med-high heat, reduce it by half. Cut figs in half, and place them cut side down in the balsamic reduction to marinate. I left them there for a couple of hours, I guess. Then, right before putting them on a hot grill, dip the cut edge in olive oil and rub a bit over the skin side as well. It doesn't take long to cook them...you want them warm through, but not mushy. Mostly, it's just the nice flavor the grill marks add. I turned them over and let the other side cook for a short time as well. Then, the figs are served with your grilled meats, drizzling the leftover balsamic reduction over both. Raita is one of those things that everyone makes just a wee bit differently. I use my home made, plain yogurt, which I drain for a while so it's good and thick as the fruit will add liquid and I don't want it watery. Mix in your choice of chopped fruits. You can add a pinch or two of cumin if you like, or toasted cumin & mustard seeds...or some very, very finely minced serrano pepper. Fresh herbs are another option. Cilantro, mint or any of the mint relatives are very nice. Sometimes a little garlic is nice or minced green onion. The other night though, I just used the fruits, yogurt, and julienne mint leaves. A raita is a wonderful compliment and foil to spicy hot foods as the yogurt cools the burn in your mouth (in this case, I leave out the serrano!)

I have a ton! I have used nautical Christmas ornaments to decorate a welcoming wreath for the door, welcome signs and to use as decorating accessories around the house....knobs on top of lamps, thrown in with potpourri, as refrig magnets, napkin rings and as the ends curtain rods. I have used oars to hang window toppers from.,,,,and another to hang a long,bed-cuddle pillowed(covered) along the wall for a padded rest for the bottom bunkbed. I wrapped a metal bunkbed with rope. I have cast the kids footprints in lakesand to hang on the walls. I used an old boat hull for the main part of a "bar"...and used a plastic maidenhead on it and drilled it and stuffed lights into it(it's cool). Found it on a website for Nautical stuff......there are TONS of sites if you do a search. I have painted old furniture and sanded off the edges to make them all go together......they are mismatched except for the color of paint and the rubbed off corners to show a white undercoat. I did use different nautical things for any knobs that I had to replace. One room I did rope knots, one I used some fishing bobbers, and another more ornaments.(watch for sales during the Christmas season....you can find them CHEAP!). I also used rope to circle around a mirror with a knot at the bottom....and used some to wrap around a lampshade. In one room, I hung fishnets over and off to one side on the curtains and hung fishing lures in the nets. I also bought calendars of boats and lake scenes to frame....also bllew up tons of pictures of us enjoying the cabin over the years on the computer and framed them....great to see how everyone has enjoyed the lake and grown over the years!! I bought old picture frames from resale shops and painted them......they look great all different, but the same color. I used old driftwood(after spraying and drying out in the sun for a long time...worried about bugs) to hang from the ceiling to hang pots from....with a smaller piece of net on one corner. I have bought remnants of carpet, painted it in squares and made fish bean bags to use for tic-tc-toe. Other remnants I have painted on for outside the doors......cheap and can be thrown away each year for a change. I have an old fishing basket for the odds and ends in my bathroom. I have tons of other things I have done, and tons of things I want to try still. My best advice is to go to "junk" stores around lake or waterfront. They have so many cool things that you can use and if you pick through them all, you will find some great bargains. SInce your cabin is more rustic than "lakey"....maybe more twig crafts......more natural stuff like log stump coffee tables or at least for the pedestal part. Use twigs to frame art and/or your furniture....to hang hooks from for coats..... I wish you luck......and tons of fun. It can be so exciting to take a theme and go with it.....let your imagination take you away!!!!! Julie

Rebunky, you did not fuel me but provided what I asked... it just confirms how I feel. I do not mind the raised bar at all, it's the way we went about it getting done. If we wanted raised bar we should have looked into having a wall built, it's the riser box look I hate. To me this is a big regret to look at. My mom even though said it looks good but if I'm unhappy said I should call him Monday and tell him to remove it at seam and make me new piece with the extended over hang I wanted. I just don't know if separating a seam is possible??? And while I shouldn't care I feel like he's gonna be mad at me