raehelen, Congratulations with starting you project! Starting the project means 50% of work is done, just don't forget to multiply estimated time by three! Thank you for the link. Believe me or not, but I prefer old fashion toggle switches, they are more convenient and are easier to handle in the dark. I will replace bathroom switches with the fancy ones anyway but for another reason, I have a z-wave network at my home that allows to control lights, locks and other stuff but old fashion z-wave toggle switches discontinued and only rocker z-wave switches are now available. When you turn lights and fan in the bathroom on, Z-wave controller will automatically turn them off after 20-30 minutes. Very convenient feature. Good luck with your project, have fun!

I learned to make sushimeshi (vinegar rice for sushi) at a Japanese restaurant where I worked for about 8 years. They always used an electric fan. It wasn't really about making the rice shiny, though it did, it was about helping the water in the vinegar evaporate so that the rice wouldn't be soggy, leaving only the flavor behind. You mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in with very hot rice, turning it over and over with the shamoji (rice paddle) or a wooden spoon so that the breeze from the fan blows the rising steam away from the rice and all the rice grains dry evenly. I cannot give you the proportions of rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar, because I've never measured them, we always just did it to taste, sprinkling them on individually (we didn't make a syrup) while we tossed. If you have made the rice correctly, the nori doesn't get soggy, although it does of course get soft fairly quickly after rolling. When making the rice, I wash it well after measuring. Yeah, I know they don't coat it with talc anymore, and you're meant to be able to skip washing it. But the flour (or whatever it is) that they coat it with now still absorbs water and keeps the rice from developing that perfect texture. My Japanese second Mom would have had a fit if she caught me not washing the rice until the water ran perfectly clear. I use equal portions of rice and water, usually adding just a little bit extra water. It's hard to say exactly how much...rice differs in moisture content, there's a "feel" to it. For example, if it is "new crop" rice, very little extra water is required, if it has been on the shelf for a while, it will need more. At a guess...say an extra 1/4 cup water per 2 cups rice? You end up with better rice if you let it sit in the pan soaking for at least an hour before you cook it, but it isn't essential. Cover the pot, bring to a rolling boil...do NOT leave to go do something else...it can go from a simmer to overflowing in less time than you think. Then turn it down to low, simmer 15 minutes, remove from heat. After 2 minutes or so, open the lid, quickly turn the rice over to fluff it a bit, return the lid and leave it be for 10 more minutes. Then make your sushimeshi. Inarizushi is easy to make and almost everyone likes it. We always made it buying the fried tofu puffs from the market, cutting them in half and simmering them in the sauce. I've never used the canned kind. I haven't made it since I moved here, as there is no Japanese market closer than 2 hours away. I'd forgotten about the canned kind, maybe I will pick up a few cans next time I go to Sac and try them! The filling was mostly just the vinegar rice, with any extra inside scraps from the tofu wrappers and a few simmered carrot slivers and maybe a bit of shiitake mushroom. I have played around a bit at times, adding some shredded chicken, katsuo boshi (dried bonito flakes) or some of the sweeter types of tsukemono (pickled veggies.) I don't know about the metal bowl...except that I generally avoid using metal with vinegar. It seems somehow to pick up the taste of metal. I've always used a large, rectangular tupperware or glass baking dish, 'cause that's what we used at the restaurant. Spreading the rice out as you fan, sprinkle and turn it helps the air to circulate so that it dries off more evenly.

I looked into that one, but I preferred the Mundial. It takes less room for the number of knives it stores. It holds 8 small knives and 6 large knives plus 1 steel. I bought mine from CutleryAndMore for $29.95. Here's the description from Amazon (but don't buy it there if you get it, it's $45 at Amazon!) * 2-tiered wooden drawer tray safely stores favorite knives * Lower tier holds 6 knives and 1 sharpening steel, up to 10 inches in length * Top tier holds 8 steak knives or any knife up to 6 inches in length * Tray measures 17 by 8-1/2 by 2 inches, fits most drawers * Hand-finished, solid wood for durability Yes, I have more than 6 large knives, but I don't use them very much, if at all, so I store the extras in a knife block in the pantry. Here's a pic: BTW...I store cooking forks in the steel section. Since I don't use the steel that often, it stays in the knife block in the pantry. Oh, there's also a smaller one (KST-1) that holds 4 large knives, 6 small knives, and one steel. It's 17" x 6-1/4" x 1-3/4".

Thank you for responding Sophie, I really admire your advice and always look for your comments! I thought that might be the pro consensus on Bellmont. That was the rec from ProSource, but I’m trying to meet with a husband/wife team that specializes in cabinetry and countertops next. Their lines seem a little more niche and generally have good but limited reviews - Crestwood, Wellborn, Designer’s Choice. Any thoughts on those brands? I will also look into who carries Omega in town, as I’ve seen them recommended more than once. What you describe as the backyard custom guys is what I was concerned about. Everyone says custom is great, but those are excellent things to look for in custom versus “custom” cabinets. Given that we’re trying to move as quickly as possible, a semi-custom solution is likely a safer bet. And thanks for the gut check on price. $2k seemed low. I think $4-6k is reasonable, hopefully on the lower end though :) Anything over that is probably out of our budget, but I’d be willing to skip any upgrades or extras to try to keep it affordable.