You all have helped convince me to buy a King of Spades spade and a one-sided bevel grafting knife, but I'm still trying to figure out some details. On the spade, do you all prefer a long handle or a D-handle? I did use a King of Spades brand spade once digging bamboo at someone else's place. He had the kind in the link below. I just showed the picture to my wife and explained how it worked, saying it was kind of like a built-in T-post driver, to which she asked why one couldn't just drive a long-handled metal spade with a regular T-post driver. I suppose the feasibility of that idea might be obvious if I actually had a regular, long-handled spade in hand, but I'm curious now. But apart from that idea I would be leaning toward the D-handle as it would seem less likely to bend/break since I wouldn't be able to exert as much leverage on it as with the longer handle. Or should I go for as much leverage as I can get, because these things are so heavy it won't matter? On the knife, I saw a one-sided bevel knife at a local hardware store this week that they call a "floral knife." I almost bought it, but then I remembered the orchardist that taught the grafting class that got me started recommended carbon steel over stainless steel, and this knife was stainless. What's the practical difference between stainless and carbon steel, and which would you want for a grafting knife? Also, with a one-sided bevel will it be like a chisel such that I need to start paying attention to which way the bevel is facing when I make cuts, and if so, which way should I turn it? Here is a link that might be useful: bamboo spade

That sounds a lot like what I did, only I lived in my little dwelling for 6 years and then "added on". I bought 8 acres of open land in 2003. Built a little 24x24 double car sized box with a 6x6 bathroom in one corner. Shower, no tub. Electric tankless water heater, because I knew I wouldn't be living there the rest of my life and didn't want to waste that electricity keeping water hot in the future. Along that wall, there is a full size washer and dryer, shop sink (deep plastic free standing), full size dishwasher with adjustable top shelf to fit quart jars, Jenn-Aire drop-in cooktop with down draft exhaust vent, and more counter space with a microwave sitting on it. I had a larger toaster oven that replaced the need for a full sized oven. I have a full size refrigerator and an upright freezer (that's in the big house now). The cabinetry is all raw unfinished oak and particle board stuff I got from Lowe's and hung or placed myself. Particle board/formica counter tops. Bought an old chemistry lab drawer cabinet and topped it with more counter top. That's my "island" sitting next to a couple of sets of 6 ft tall, 2'x4' metal frame shelves that separate the "living room" from the "kitchen". Separating the "living room" from the "bedroom" was a rack I built to hang clothes on. There's baseboard heat on 3 walls, and a through the wall AC/Heat combo unit mounted up high on the "living room" side. So half the structure is "wet" (bath/kitchen) and half is "dry" (living/bed). Had a little 13" TV sitting on top of a stereo. Two doors. 8 windows, ceiling fan, electric outlets mounted 4 feet high instead of 18" from the floor. I can actually see the outlets above the couch and not have to crawl around looking for them. Very nice! I hung all the insulation, the paneling (actually outdoor lapboard panels with a woodgrain finish that looks really nice, rustic, cabin type). I hung the cabinets, painted the concrete slab floor, the ceiling, trenched and buried 700 feet of water line, made the connections to the supply and the house, and hired everything else out. It had a 12x24 covered porch on the front, and a 12x24 pad on the back (in hopes of possibly adding a greenhouse type structure in the future (not yet)). Had a septic tank put in that was large enough to compensate for the little house and the future bigger house. Worked out very well! In 2011, I added onto the front of the structure more carport, and a 3000 sqft house and use the original structure now for tool storage and canning. Bought lots of surplus office shelving cheap and use those for storing extra empty jars, full jars, tools, and other junk. Stereo is still there and I crank it up when I'm canning. So these are connected now by 36 feet of covered concrete pad (3 car carport). Metal roof covers everything. Vinyl siding, gutters. Quite happy with it all now. Quite happy I built the little house first. I couldn't afford the full house in 2005. So it all worked out. Built a pole barn in 2010. Nice to park the tractors under. Want to channel the water to tanks to use for irrigation. Have two 40 ft storage containers on either side for dry storage of materials and tools that can stand the heat. Have another one out in the pasture with a bunch of my brother's stuff in it and another couple thousand canning jars. i struck it with someone on Craig's List one time and made an unbelievable deal, so I had to store them somewhere. :-) They keep getting more and more expensive, so maybe one day, I'll start selling some of them off. Lots of older jars that I'd never consider using. Lots I would. Still collecting... :-( :-)

There seems to be something weird with C-tech. I ordered a C-tech sink last month from ecounters and it never arrived. When I called to inquire about it they told me that the sink I ordered and several similar models were not actually available. I then checked on Galaxy's website and noticed that they had removed all but 1 of the C-tech or Linea Imperiale sinks from their website. I couldn't really find any information on C-tech anywhere other than the company website that Galaxy tool's customer service provided me. The sinks looked good in their marketing materials and they had the unusual shape I was looking for--and I had searched everywhere. I contacted the company and they told me that the zero radius sinks in their brochures including the combination D bowl with square side bowl that I ordered were handmade and when they received the first shipments of the sinks they were flawed and deemed unacceptable for sale. I don't know how this affects your decision, but I was completely furious that they sold me a sink that didn't exist and no one bothered to tell me that they couldn't get it. I am also annoyed to see that ecounters still lists these sinks on their website--the sinks are all on sale and the site still claims the sink will ship within 5-7 days! I've now had to start all over with my sink quest (which was long and painful the first time around). I think I finally found something that will make me happy today and I am thrilled to be done with the search. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: The sink that doesn't exist, but is still on sale!

You have a knife that you love. Give it a wooden cutting board big enough to be easy to work on, a steel or sharpener to keep its edge, and a nice block or magnetic strip to store it in/on. Then keep cooking and check your spreadsheet as you feel the need of something here or there. You have a minimalist heart, so I would avoid something big, expensive, and only intermittently useful like a food processor. I've cooked for forty years without one, happily. Likewise, a Vitamix is overkill unless you often make drinks or smoothies that require finely crushing ice cubes. But you'll take my immersion blender from my cold, dead fingers! If it has a whisk and chopping attachment, it can: whip egg whites, make whipped cream, make hummus, nut butters, pesto, chopped liver, and puree soups. SO much easier to get out, use, clean, and store than a stand blender! Things I use a lot from W-S that have lasted well and been well worth the $: the set of three mesh footed colanders with handles, waffle-weave white towels for drying (15 years and still going!), an OXO digital scale (not discounted anywhere, so might as well get it from W-S), and a 3-qt All-Clad saucepan with the handled steamer insert (which turns out to be perfect for making couscous the traditional way as well as steaming veg). A big silicon spoonula is about my favorite utensil -- much more heat resistant than rubber spatulas, cuts way down on cleaning needed for bowls and pots, cuts way down on waste when transferring from one vessel to another. Big-ticket items that are super versatile: Dutch oven, wide shallow two-handled braiser (which can be used, lidless, to roast and bake, in addition to one-pot prep of things like short ribs and braised chicken w/veg). This is a nice braiser: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-tri-ply-stainless-steel-braiser-with-rack/ that will be easier to handle than an enameled cast iron one, but those have the advantage of being attractive enough to use for serving. Have fun!