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!

There are a lot of variables in freezing. If they're cold and dry and you can pack them air tight (preferably vacuum sealed), and if you have a good, stand alone (or dual compressor/evaporator) freezer that doesn't run self-defrost (either evaporator or manual), they might freeze very well. The biggest enemy of vegetables in freezing is water migration, so chill in the coolest part of the fridge overnight to make them freeze fastest. Thaw in the fridge as well. They might lose some crispness or tooth, but should be okay. In that case, they should keep well for several months at least. Thrown into a box and put into a freezer that shares equipment with a fridge, they might only last a week, or might not freeze well at all. There are all kinds of variables in between. If you don't have a vacuum sealer, try a zip bag, pushing/sucking out all the air. If they're delicate, cover a piece of cardboard with parchment or waxed paper to hold them in the bag, or use a little tray. Good luck! They sound good. :)

Don't be taken by the fifth burner. At 30", you'll likely never be able to use more than 4 at a time. Also, you mention a new hood. Do you have a ventilation system with make-up air? If not, there is a limit to how many BTUs you want to have. The Jenn Air 30" Pro-Style dual fuel range with multi mode convection has a lot of what you are looking for and is under budget. The Wolf, well the Wolf is like the adult version of the Jenn Air. All of its burners are dual stacked 20K burners and the broiler is IR. It is over budget, and there were issues at one time with the blue porcelain interiors chipping. I don't know how those were resolved, or whether they are ongoing. These are sealed burners whereas the BS and CC are not. This one will definitely need a hood with MUA. I used to research this stuff until I was blue in the face, hoping to find the best option, trying to figure out which would be the best one for me. Half of the meals I've cooked in my life were in rental apartments or in friends' homes. The truth is that a great range makes life easier than a crappy one, but OK appliances are usually just fine. You don't want one that needs to be repaired often. In my case, I don't want one that will need a ventilation system with MUA. My sincerest advice is not to break your budget, but to find something that is reliable and close enough. You're not choosing a spouse (something I also haven't done).

Have you considered an induction range? There is a lot written on this forum if you use the search at top. Adding a third element (Euro or True convection) does not guarantee even heating. If you have an all convection mode contrary to marketing it can make a hot spot. Dual fans can be good. Variable fan speed is good. A slow fan is less likely to create a hot spot than a fast fan. It is hard to sort out all of this because these things are not always I the use and care guide. The platinum has a back burner in the oven but no bottom element/burner. The convection fan runs every time the burner comes on. It is never off all the way even if turned off.