Thanks all. The meringues are tucked in a huge Tupperware bowl with the air squeezed out as much as possible on a top shelf. Rain is predicted for the entire week, until the day of the luncheon. This is going to be a challenge. Thanks, also, loves2cook, for clearing things up about the Pavlova. My parents went to New Zealand (or was it Australia?) many years ago. While there, they stayed for a couple of days with a farm family. The farm wife made something she called a Pavlova and gave Mom the recipe. It is NOTHING like any other recipe I've ever seen for Pavlova. The shell is made of something with gelatin in it and coconut. It is more like a chiffon than a meringue.

No pressure treated wood. The rest of the pillar seems fine so far, the problem is with the molding. I believe it is store bought molding but he cut it himself with a miter box. I don't believe he primed the ends. I really am not sure what type of wood was used but it could be pine. It isn't oak for sure. It's obvious I am learning lessons the hard way. I thought a carpenter would know the proper way to build a pillar.

I don't have that recipe, but here's one that I've used from finecooking: Lemon Curd 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. grated lemon zest In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks. In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil. Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months

Another way to approach the sugar is to measure it then run it through the food processor. With a stand mixer, it wouldn't be a problem. Even though a couple of generations ago, it was standard to whip eggwhites on a plate with a fork, I like a deeper than wider bowl. That gives them something to climb up, though the hand mixer is a hindrance and will demand a somewhat shallower bowl. I can completely inflate a dozen eggwhites from size large eggs in a five quart bowl. For fewer, I'd still go with a big bowl, especially if it's not too wide, to give yourself room to maneuver. I've tried a hand mixer and didn't think it did a good job, so before I had a stand mixer, I just whipped them by hand with a fork or whisk. I don't have any issues with a stainless bowl (Martha's copper is classic, but I don't have one). The problem would be a bowl that's too slick. I wouldn't try glazed ceramic, and only glass if it's been beaten in before and roughed up a bit. There's a subtle texture to unpolished metal that helps the egg cling and climb. The reason to start slowly is so you won't be decorating the kitchen with egg slop. The actual aeration would be on high. You'll eventually get there at any speed, but why work that hard? Length of time to stiff peaks is quite variable depending on your equipment, eggs and number of eggs. I once did a dozen by hand and it must have taken at least 20 minutes. I should have done it four at a time. The best I can say, since you're probably using a dozen for meringue cookies, is that it'll take longer than you think it ought to, but not nearly as long as it could. :) Don't overbeat or underbeat. Not flopping over doesn't mean truly stiff. There would be a thin peak when you pull the beater away, and it should stand at attention type stiff. The meringue should be glossy not floppy. If you overbeat it'll start to liquify again and should become a nice omelette. Always use a scraper to turn the bottom once or twice (without squishing) to make sure there isn't a pool of unwhipped white. If your recipe has any salt in it, but 1/4 tsp, or however much called for if it's less, into the eggwhites. It helps them retain their loft. For meringue cookies, piping usually works best. If you don't have a piping bag you can use the ziploc with a corner cut out method. Before you start your recipe, get your bag ready and find a vessel to use to hold it while you're filling. It might be a wide pickle jar or coffee can or similar sized vessel. Something tall enough that it'll hold the whole working part of the bag without touching bottom. Fold the sides of the bag over the vessel. This makes it a lot easier to fill without squishing the eggs. YMMV but I like plain old fashioned matte but not textured aluminum baking sheets, no paper. I think th paper keeps too much of the moisture. Before you bake, you should also decide what texture you like. Some prefer crisp outside and chewy in the middle. I prefer crisp all the way through. As far as I know, the only difference is how long you bake it. I don't know a good doneness test but the chewy ones feel heavier in the hand (the weight of the water that makes them chewy). You can compare recipes to get an idea of timing. Have fun! Meringues are magic. :)