I have a bromeliad no expert has been able to identify and that includes the likes of Derrick Butcher. The source of this plant was from the collection of Eric Knoblock, a founding member of the New Orleans Bromeliad Soc and good friend with Mulford Foster. It's a remarkable plant really in that it is so healthy and happy all the time - in any condition, takes cold and heat. Nary a brown spot ever on it's leaves, full sun or shade - it doesn't care. I'd like to give this forum a crack at it and I would like to share this plant with anyone who wants to trade. I think we all should consider ourselves conservationists, especially when you realize the original habitats of many of these plants are being destroyed at a rapid rate - many plants are extinct in the wild, no telling how many get destroyed before they are ever even identified. Eric Knobloch kept notes on his plants, realizing that these south american beauties are actually transplants to our environments and he aspired to a collection that would grow well in his environment (south Louisiana). I have some of his notes and you might say, I aspire to do the same. I originally found this site because I wanted to know all I can about Aechmea Ampla. I have a pup ordered and I suspect from postings on this site that it may have specific requirements for color and bloom. We manipulate heat/cold, humidity, light, fertiliser, water and soil, air current don't we? Looking for that right "mix" but you can't just find a book that tells you all that - right? Then there's that 'stress' period - some plants love to be crowded in a pot, some don't. I tend to favor plants that are originally from a latitude and elevation in the southern much like mine in the northern - that being mostly Brazil. Only thing difference is the wider range of temps here in Mississippi. I am so lucky in that I have sweet well water and live oaks. My friends and family think I am odd about these plants. I tell them that they need to quit thinking there is no God just because they haven't seen his face, can't they even consider that we could be seeing him all around - maybe even in a plant. Anyway, that's how I look at it and that's how it feels to me. There is still very much we do not know about these plants and I think we as collectors need to share knowledge and not leave it all up to the scientists. We have a lot of observations we need to share.

Hey everyone! Wow! So much going on here!! Sorry haven't checked in the last few days. Sorry I missed Bingo, been just crazy here. I'll start getting my seeds together to mail :) Here are a couple of recipes I love... RECIPE 1: Lazy Pigs ~1 small to med. cabbage ~1lb hamburger ~2 cans tomato soup ~2 med. onions ~2 cups brown rice Core cabbage, and cut into small pieces. Wash, set aside. Brown 1lb hamburger, reserving drippings to cook diced onions. Cook brown rice according to directions. In a large skillet (I use cast iron) combine cabbage, hamburger, onion, rice and 2 cans of tomato soup. Mix well. Add enough water to cover the top of your mixture. Cook 350, for about 1 1/2 hours. If you wanted to make this quicker, I cook the cabbage on top of the stove for about 20 minutes. Reserving the cabbage liquid to mix with some of my tomato soup. Mix everything together and cook 350degrees for 35minutes. Salt and pepper to taste :) RECIPE 2: Ham and Cheese Roll ~1 pound of ham; Sliced or cubed ~8 oz. of Havarti Cheese with dill, cubed small ~Your easiest dough recipe. Some times I've even used those flaky biscuit tubes (Grands, you need 2 tubes) ~ 1/2 cup peach jam ~ 2 Tbsp. mustard Roll your dough as normal. Like making a pizza. Or place your biscuits together in a 13x9 pan making sure their is no holes in the bottom. Place ham and cheese randomly over your dough bottom. In a bowl mix jam and mustard together using a small whisk. Pour over the ham and cheese, and spread evenly over the dough. Now you can either roll your dough like a stromboli, or if your using biscuits, open the second can and place over the ham and cheese mixture. Bake at 375. For actual rolled dough cook for about 30 minutes. For biscuits cook for about 20 minutes. They will both be golden brown on top. Yummy :) Have a great night!!

I can't speak to the quality of the non ikea butcher block, but I can't imagine that they are better quality because my ikea butcher block is unbelievably beautiful. I wish I knew how to post a pic here because I think people would be shocked. I think it was the waterlox that brought out the beauty of them though, I sanded and water loxed at least 6 times, and not only are they gorgeous, but they are bullet proof. They don't scratch, stain, or anything. I'm pretty shocked. They have a gorgeous rich color, they look like a custom job. My aunt has the same ikea counters and didn't water lox and I don't care for them though.

Thanks again for all the feedback. While I wish everyone just loved the plan (especially after I've paid the KD for them and am already meeting the cabinetmaker tomorrow!), it's good to get all the feedback. Better to flush out all these things and be prepared than have a potential problem down the road. Nards, have a lot of thinking to do tonight. mindstorm - The Bluestar will vent up, one 90 degree turn across the ceiling, and straight out the wall. Not as efficient as straight out the wall or straight up, but one turn should be ok, no? What counts as a "veritable highway"? It's 6 feet between the Bluestar and the sink, and I measured it out in steps - turn, 2 steps and I'm at the sink. Is that really dangerous? The windows can't be moved without severely impacting the budget, so there really isn't room on that exterior wall for both the sink and the range. That window on the left is only 23" off the ground, which is way too low for a counter or any appliances. rhome410 - We always move the appliances out from the wall when we move them because I don't like the steam coming up and hitting the upper cabinets. The Kitchenaid might move to the baking counter, and it's possible we'll move some to the Hafele if it's too crowded. I guess I didn't really care about that counter space right next to the fridge and just thought that with the undercabinet lights, there would be enough light? dedtired - No holes yet, but likely by the end of this project! granite-girl - Interesting idea to swap the cabinets next to the range, and at least an idea that doesn't require me to start back at ground zero! The one thing is that the cabinet on the right is a little different in that the door opens on the side facing the doorway so that there's a bigger door and easier to get into. But I'd give that up if it meant for a better flow. growlery - I don't quite understand the bolster - we're planning on a small bolster on top of the chair cushions. There still has to be a solid bench for people to sit on, right? plllog - I just measured that spot when I got home, and it's not big enough even for a cab-depth fridge without changing the window, which isn't an option. I think I could even do without any table for a while - trestle table sounds like it's definitely out. I don't mind the idea of a cafe table, but is a round table with rectangular seating strange? remodelfla - I don't have the sample door yet, but will post when I have them. We're currently planning on 2.25" rails/stiles, but we did also consider 3". Since none of our doors are overly large, I think we might stick with 2.25". Before we decided on a custom cabinetmaker, I saw some samples at KitchenSync of Ultracraft (but with red birch, there's no plywood box option) and Crystal by Quest. lisa_a - I want a commission if they start this! Then I'd be able to afford more for my kitchen remodel! rubyfig - Thanks. I posted this earlier, but it's only 23" up to the window, and I think that's too low for any kind of counter, isn't it?