I used to feed stale bread to the outside birds.My neighbors dad,who lived at the house part time after retiring to Pa,,,told me it was no good for the birds. So for the last 5 years I have bought wild bird seed,..A year or so ago my neighbor told me I needed to stop feeding them as they pooped on his 50 thousand dollar truck.I told him to F off...Months later I got a warning from town saying I can only feed them with a bird feeder,...I got one,,,,Then he told me not to feed them more than once a day.At 63,with a bad hip,I fed them if I happened to see it empty whenever that was.I got a ticket from town saying the food that falls to the ground as they eat,is illegal.,,,How can people be so mean?

Buckling is from expansion, which is caused by increased humidity (typically for several days to weeks) compared to when the glue was applied. It seems unlikely that a fireplace would be the culprit, more likely a seasonal change from summer to winter. But you normally expect a substrate such as MDF to be very stable regardless of humidity swings. The whole thing is kind of curious and I can understand why your cabinet maker is scratching his head over it. Anyway, to answer jerzeegirl's question - veneer doesn't curve or bend easily. It is possible to get it to curve but usually a lot of care and special handling is required, such as steam or other wetting agent, then a vacuum box or special jig for keeping pressure applied while the glue cures. You normally wouldn't veneer a sharp 90 degree bend with a single continuous piece of veneer. A better solution would be two pieces applied to each face, or better yet some form of solid edge-banding depending on the application.

UPSIDE DOWN LEMON CUPS (serves 6) 1 cup sugar 3 TBL flour Pinch of salt Juice & grated zest of 1 large lemon 1 TBL melted butter 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1 cup milk 2 egg whites, beaten stiff Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, lemon juice & zest, melted butter, egg yolks & milk. Fold in the egg whites. Divide the mixture among 6 greased custard cups & set them in a pan of hot water. Bake 30-35 minutes. cool & chill. Remove the custards from teh cups to serve, turning them upside down.~~Jr League of Dallas Cookbook PRALINE CHEESECAKE WITH PECAN SAUCE Crust: 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup pecans, chopped & toasted 4 TBL butter, melted Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the crumbs, sugar & pecans in a bowl. Add the melted butter & mix well. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom & 1 1/2" up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Filling: Three 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 2/3 cup evaporated milk 2 TBL flour 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup pecan halves, toasted Beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, evaporated milk, flour & vanilla. Add the eggs & beat just until blended. Pour into the hot baked crust. Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool in the pan 30 minutes, loosen the sides of the springform & remove the rim. Cool completely. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the cheesecake. Pecan sauce: 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 2 TBL cornstarch 2 TBL butter 1/2 cup broken pecan pieces In a saucepan mix the brown sugar & cornstarch. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil & stir over medium heat until thickened & bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter & add the pecans. Serve the sauce on the side in a sauceboat.~~ LEMON BREAD PUDDING (serves 12) Lemon Curd 3 eggs + 1 yolk 1 cup sugar Finely grated zest of 2 large lemons 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1 stick unsalted butter in 1" pieces In the top of a double boiler beat the eggs, yolk & sugar to mix. Stir in the zest & juice. Add the butter. Place over hot water on moderate heat. Cook uncovered, stirring & scraping the pan frequently with a rubber spatula for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is as thick as mayonnaise. It will register 180° on a sugar thermometer. Remove the otp of double boiler & set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Will keep, refrigerated for several weeks. Bread Pudding One 8-10 oz loaf French bread 10 large eggs 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 qt milk (I use half & half) 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla Lemon curd Butter a shallow oblong 3 qt baking dish (13x8 or 9x2") & set aside. Preheat oven to 350°. Slice the bread 1/2" thick. Place slices on cookie sheet & bake 10-15 minutes until dry but not brown. Turn slices over when half done. Set aside. In a large bowl beat the eggs & 1 cup of the sugar (reserve other 1/4 cup.) Beat in the milk, salt & vanilla. Set aside. In the bottom of the baking dish place a layer of the bread slices touching each other. If necessary, break a few slices to fill in spaces. Spread 1/2 of cooled lemon curd over bread. Make a 2nd layer of bread slices, these slices at right angles to the first slices. Break off a few slices to fill in if necessary. Spread remaining curd over the top. Ladle egg & milk mixture slowly all over the top. Let stand at room temp. for 1 hour. Put rack in center of preheated oven. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar over top of pudding. Place baking dish in a large shallow baking pan, place in oven & pour hot water into outside pan to about 1/2 the depth of the baking dish. Bake about 45 minutes until top is puffed & just barely colored. Tap the side of the baking dish & when the middle moves only slightly, it's done. Serve hot or at room temp. Serve w/raspberry sauce: puree a bag of frozen raspberries, strain out seeds & sweeten to taste.~~ From Marlen: Arroz con Leche - Gladys Style (Cuban Rice Pudding) 1/2 cup valencia rice (donÂt rinse) or arborio 1 can condensed milk 1 vanilla bean, split 4 cups water (3 and 1) Pinch of salt Lemon rind - 2 pcs- about 2"xx2" Raisins to taste Boil 3 cups water. Add rice, vanilla bean and salt for 15 minutes. Rice should not be overly soft. Add condensed milk, 1 cup water and lemon rind. Cook 30 minutes stirring often. Add raisins. Do not allow rice to become dry. When cold, it thickens. Pour into molds. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

I think the grain direction is just a personal choice. Go with what you prefer, not what others tell you they like... Having said that, once you talk to your cabinet maker, you may find that there is a huge price difference if the grain always has to go one way. Sheets of plywood are 4' X 8' (unless cabinet maker has access to bigger sheets/rolls of veneer which he makes his own plywood with. The teak for our bathroom vanity is $300 a sheet. For that reason, I am having the cabinet doors over the toilet going with the grain opposite the vanity---just because I don't want to have to pay for another $300 sheet of wood. I'm also having the vanity 24" deep rather than 24.5" deep, again saves another sheet of plywood!