UPDATE -- just got the mixer back. It is much quieter and the sound is much less objectionable. When they called to get approval on the cost, I asked what they were going to do and got a laundry list of parts being replaced. The repairs were $91 ($44 for labor and $47 for parts -- gears, pins and a whole list of things they didn't put on the invoice) and the shipping both ways (Fed Ex ground) plus sending me the box was $32, so the whole thing was a little over $125 including tax. That's less than I feared, less that the shop in Dallas quoted me and the shipping was less too, plus KA sent me the shipping box. It is still a lot, but at least I got personal attention and it appears I got the results I wanted. It just arrived back today and I have just plugged it in to hear it. I will have to test it in actual use now.

I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for inspiration, making do with what I had on hand, and using up and abundance of cherry tomatoes. I used regular feta, roughly chunked and just combined everything in the ingredient list and baked at 400 for about 25 minutes. Served with crostini, although I have made the crackers she mentions and they are great - but I was too lazy tonight. DH asked "why haven't you ever made this before?" so I think he liked it. Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Olives Adapted, barely, from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook I don't think anyone would mind if you use more than the suggested amount of tomatoes. Feta is so salty and tomatoes are so delicious and sweet right now, the more the merrier. Now, I don't have a grill but I am sharing the grilling instructions here because most of you do, but with the caveat that I haven't tested this on a grill. My only concern would be leakage. I don't think any harm would come from doubling up on the foil. If you'd like to make this with haloumi (you can buy it here or here or here, btw, and probably a cheese or good grocery store closer to you), I like to cut my block of haloumi into about 1/3- to 1/2-inch slices. I brush the grill with oil and place it gently, directly on the grates, cooking it until it's blistered on one side, then flipping it and doing the other. Lay the grilled slices out on a plate and toss it with a chopped salad made from the non-feta ingredients below, plus a splash of red wine vinegar. I usually skip the garlic (just personal taste) and would only use a tablespoon or so of minced red onion, since the salad will be raw, but otherwise think you'll love it as much as we do. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup chopped, pitted Kalmata olives 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (oops, I forgot this) 2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon olive oil Freshly ground black pepper 1 8- to 10-ounce block feta Crackers, flatbread*, pita chips, or crostini, for dipping In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, olives, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, oregano, olive oil and a few grinds of pepper. On a grill: Heat your grill to medium-high. Set the feta block in the middle of a piece of foil. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Fold up the edges of the foil so that it will hold in any liquid as it cooks. Place the packet straight on a grill for 15 minutes to warm it through. Remove from grill and transfer to plate or serving dish. In the oven: Heat oven to 400�F. Check to see that your dish is oven-proof. (I didn�t!) Place the block of feta in the middle of your dish. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Bake for 15 minutes. Both methods: The feta will not melt, just warm and soften. Serve with crackers; eat immediately. As it cools, the feta will firm up again. We found that the dish could be returned to the oven to soften it again. We did this with leftovers, too.

len, you’re welcome. You won’t regret it. I hope you intend to cut right on the island, not just have a beautiful wooden island that you’re paranoid about getting marked up. We passed the 10 year anniversary this past June and while I’ve toyed with sanding it down a bit as mentioned above, I think we’re going to give it a few more years. Of course a few weeks after we hit 10 years we got a really bad stain from where I left the metal disc from a food mill sitting on the counter overnight. I don’t understand why a wet piece of metal leaves a dark black stain in the wood. There’s some sort of reaction between the wood and the metal when it’s wet. It’s not a rust stain. The marks are black. I’m sure it will sand out if I bother but… who cares? It’s a kitchen, not a museum.

The Werner I linked above is not as lightweight as others - around 23 lbs, but it will support 250lbs (of people and whatever they are carrying). It folds to 64" tall and 2.5" deep. They say it can be hard to fold and unfold, but many have discovered this is due to a tight fit where the top platform locks into place. They have been able to file this down and make it easier to fold/unfold. I am picking one up for my mother tomorrow when I travel through a town with a Lowes (if they have one in stock). They should start moving in to their new house in a few weeks and she (at 5' tall) will need this for her 9' ceilings with kitchen cabinets that go all the way up.