ok, here is an update. I was able to find the ingredients for the mix and since i live in the desert south west i am mixing the recipie for the high desert heat as follows: 4 parts turface 3 parts bark 2 parts crushed granite but i completly overlooked the 1 part vermiculite and did not noticed until i had already root pruned and repoted one of my citrus trees. I won't be able to buy the vermiculite until next payday (this friday). should i mix it in once i get it or will it be too much stress on my tree to be repoted in a few days again. I almost prefer to leave it alone until next spring, the area where i live is a good citrus growing area so i think it may just be fine. I will wait until i get the vermiculite to do the rest of the trees. what are your thoughts on that? has anyone kept tropical fruit trees in the gritty mix? i am trying to grow mexican papaya. I have read they don't get very big so i can kep them in containers but they don't like too much water because they can have root problems. I do have the seeds of a papaya i ate and i can experiment with a few different mixes combinations. Any ideas/sugestions for me? thanks for reading

The pics you've published look to me like textbook illustration of a succulent tropical that's been staying in too-low light. I'm betting your trouble started either at the end of winter or in spring, after the plant weakened internally from months and months of shorter daylength. A couple months in a warm, sunny environment should do the trick. All bananas want full sun for at least part of a day (though in the Desert Southwest you wouldn't want to do that to them in the afternoon, not because of the strong sun but because they burn in the super-dry air). The trick with a banana that's been grown in low light is to just give it morning sun or filtered sun for a couple weeks, then move to full sun. Leaves that grew while the plant was in low light are thinner and may burn once full sun hits, but the plant will make new, thicker, stronger growth in response to the higher light. A banana that's been suffering has likely lost roots, especially if it's taking so long to put out new leaves. That means the plant can't use so much of its water. The soil stays wetter longer, increasing fungal problems and the risk of root and rhizome rot. The hope is that your banana plant hasn't weakened past reviving. Warm days and nights will be your quickest ticket to spurring a recovery, along with more light. Light alone will NOT do the trick; it needs warmth - right away - including at night. A little heat mat like for starting seeds could help, if your summer weather is still chilly. Cavendish banana cultivars have the same ancestor, a tropical banana that likes year-round warmth (that means warm soil and warm air), sunlight and humidity. Best of luck!

Here's the recipe for cottage cheese daughter has! She got it from the program 'Good Eats'! She and her two boys, ages 4 and 5 love that show! They tape them and the boys beg her to play them over and over. They've really gotten interested in cooking, themselves and even use play dough to reinact the shows! She's letting them help her alot now! Quick Cottage Cheese 1 gallon pasteurized skim milk 3/4 cup white vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 cup half-and half-or heavy cream Pour the skim milk into a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat to 120 degrees F. Remove from the heat and gently pour in the vinegar. Stir slowly for 1 to 2 minutes. The curd will separate from the whey. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pour the mixture into a colander lined with a tea towel and allow to sit and drain for 5 minutes. Gather up the edges of the cloth and rinse under cold water for 3 to 5 minutes or until the curd is completely cooled, squeezing and moving the mixture the whole time. Once cooled, squeeze as dry as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine, breaking up the curd into bite-size pieces as you go. If ready to serve immediately, stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream. If not, transfer to a sealable container and place in the refrigerator. Add the half and half or heavy cream just prior to serving. Oh, and her hubby (our SIL) is here with the boys right now, having watched Ohio State and Illinois (boo hoo--OSU lost) and he says it's really good and not gritty at all, when she makes it!

Thanks everyone for your input. I left her a voice mail and an email this morning and no word from her yet... mindstorm: good point, which I had thought about too. But the manufacturer couldn't have just "made up" these dimensions, and I assumed the KD sent them more specs than just the rendering I posted on photobucket. She then emailed me a "sketch" yesterday from the manufacturer and asked me, "Didn't I send this to you?" It showed the openings as they appear on my (incorrect) cabinet. I never saw that sketch until yesterday. When she saw that in February, I'd imagine she would've realized it was wrong, or at least ask another KD's opinion on it? Plus, her comment about the specs saying it should be at least 32" from the floor, which is merely a recommendation for a single wall oven installation, that makes me wonder about her experience as well. live_wire_oak: Although I didn't have a drink last night (we had DD's instrumental concert at school), we find both our children have sleep overs at their friends' houses tonight, so we actually have a date night! We're going to look at light fixtures, but then we WILL go out to dinner and have those drinks!! Thanks again, y'all are great.