I know you've already had your special date, but wanted to share this recipe for Bolognese Sauce, published in O Magazine, February 2007 - "Learn to make this sauce, and find a man worth cooking it for, in that order. Make a meal that will leave him hungry, not for sex, but for you! This sauce will smell better than anything youÂve ever smelled before. Make it only once a year, and keep him hungry! Great for special occasions and wonderful in the fall when itÂs cool. This sauce takes a lot of time  it should simmer for four to five hours  but it does not require much skill or effort. Once the vegetables are chopped, all thatÂs left to do is add ingredients and stir. This gives you plenty of time to shower, tidy up your home, and do whatever else you need to do to prepare for your dinner guest. Ingredients: 1 medium onion 1 large or 2 small carrots 2  3 stalks celery 1 ounce pancetta, very finely chopped 1 lb ground beef (not lean) 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper Pinch allspice 1 cup whole milk 1 cup dry white wine 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ juice 1 lb pasta, such as rigatoni Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating Finely chop onion, carrot, and celery. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat, cook pancetta until all fat is rendered and pancetta is just beginning to brown. Add chopped vegetables; raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and soft. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, ¼ tsp (to start) salt, plus pepper and allspice. Cook until meat is brown. Add milk. When it begins to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally until milk has mostly boiled away, about 30 minutes. Add white wine and cook as with milk, until it has mostly boiled away. Add tomatoes and juice; bring to a simmer. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and allow sauce to cook very gently at barest simmer, 2.5 to 3 hours. Season to taste with remaining salt. Just before sauce is done, bring a pot of water to boil, salt it generously and boil pasta according to package directions. Drain, mix with a third of sauce, the serve with remaining sauce on top with lots of grated Parmigiano cheese. Makes 4 cups sauce."

michoumonster, I somehow missed your comment last month, but thank you! CamG, thank you! I used to have my dish cabinet above my DW and hated it. I couldn't reach into it well with the DW open. I put my dishes in a drawer on the other side of the sink (about a step away) and my glasses in a 12" deep cabinet in the island just opposite the dishwasher. I sacrificed seating for one person in the island to add 2 12" deep cabinets (one on each side) to take the place of some of the wall cabinets I was losing with the window. I really wanted the light from the big window so I was willing to sacrifice the upper cabinets for it. Laura517, I know how you feel. You spend so long planning and looking at everything but when it comes to making real decisions it's so hard. I like my 2 trash cans a lot, so I'd go for it if you have room. Everyone recommended recycling in the prep area - probably closest to the refrigerator is the right place. The windows in most of my house are double hung, but I went with casement in the kitchen because double hung would be too hard to open and close. I then decided to switch to casement in my great room and one other room. In all three cases there is a larger stationary window between two smaller casement windows so it doesn't stand out that it's different. I like casement better and would have done if everywhere, but there was a cost difference to consider. By the way, for anyone reading this whole thread, I made a mistake. My hood is the Zephyr Gust, not the Breeze. Don't know what I was thinking...

Sylvia, I worry about oven on, etc. But have found that a little prayer as I leave and one as I return, cuts down on the anxiety. But I will tell you what happened once. Was going on a long trip so actually made a ck list. Was satisfied that I marked off everything and left with nary a concern. The night before the trip we had lit a fire in the FP, not a common occurrence, and accidentally left the FP doors open. A smoldering ember could have fallen out and onto a rug or nearby upholstered furniture. A month later when we returned we discovered our oversight and shuddered at thought of what could hv happened. Here I was, thinking my list sheltered me against mishaps, and yet I had a rather risky oversight....

Nice, Nick! Katoom - this has the 'wow' I mentioned your plan was missing. Has a few quirks to work out (i.e. I'd want a full laundry room not just a stacker in a closet - plus I'm really not a fan of dryers IN closets because lint floats and gets on clothes when cleaning trap and I feel like its an increased fire hazard if a lint fire were to start) BUT these are minor quirks that can easily be worked out now that you have a solid starting point.