That seems way too cheap...and that's what scares me. The heat pumps are not inverter systems...which are used in all of the high end systems like Fujitsu and Mitsubishi. The link below takes you to an explanation of inverter technology. You want to be comfortable and have a trouble free system...then go with a reputable and well known manufacturer...like Fujitsu, Sanyo or Mitsubishi. I had a Mitsubishi 12,000 BTU heat pump placed in my 13x16' sunroom this spring and it did a wonderful job cooling the room and now does a great job heating it. Trouble free so far and the thing is whisper quiet--both inside and outside. Visit the Mitsubishi website and see if you have some of their Diamond dealers in your area. Have a few out to give you quotes and see how they compare to Fujitsu quote. Again, they should complete and heating and cooling calculations for the room(s) to be serviced by the system. Hope this helps... Theses systems are a big investment...so go with a good brand. Here is a link that might be useful: Inverter Technology

My bottle of Tide HE liquid says to fill to line 2 for medium loads. This 2.95 liter bottle will wash 52 loads if filled to line 2. I'm just saying that if Tide was consciously telling you to use double what is really required, they would be much better off telling you to fill to line 1 and then labeling the bottle as able to wash 104 loads. That looks much better on the shelf sitting next to its competitors that only wash half as many loads per bottle. 2.95 liters = 200 tablespoons 200 tablespoons / 52 loads = ~4.0 tbsp/load If I cut that dosage in half, to 2 tbsp, that is not enough to get clothes clean in my 4.0 cuft machine in soft water. Even Persil Megaperls recommends just over 4 tbsp (65 ml) for a medium sized, normally soiled load in soft water. Tide's recommendations are pretty much in line with what's expected - not more, not less. I use the recommended amount of detergent (Tide, Persil, Vaska, etc) but reduce by 50% if washing towels. Towels generate a lot of suds when spun out, and reducing dosage for towels does not negatively impact cleaning since they aren't that dirty to begin with. For 80% of my laundry, however, I follow the dosage instructions on the package without any problems. There is great debate on how much is enough, and certainly water chemistry and load size has a lot to do with this. However, from what I've read, it seems that using too little detergent leads to more problems than if using too much.

Blanching destroys the enzymes that make the beans mushy. I blanch for 3 minutes, then plunge in ice water, dry on paper towels, freeze on a jelly roll pan then seal in Foodsaver bag. That reminds me I have to bag the ones I blanched and froze this morning. There is a discussion on Harvest about this from early this year. I have pickled some bigger beans, ran out of vinegar solution had to mix more up so stuck 2 pints in the fridge. We took some to a BBQ only a few days later and they tasted really good. Lemon Spiced Pickled Beans from Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp. We don't like canned beans either but these were good (of course they hadn't been processed, I'll let you know how the processed ones are in a few months). I figured they'd be good in 3-bean salad once my limas come in (or with storebought canned chickpeas). Here is a link that might be useful: Freezing beans on Harvest

Ooooh! Love the website, Lukkiirish! I most definitely would consider black. My husbands sports paraphernalia has mostly black framing, so that would be perfect. I have to refinish his desk, so maybe a flat black distressed finish would work there. I can always play around with wall color once the trim is finished. And, WOW, Sandy! That is an amazing use of color. It looks great and I love your doors. You have given me a wonderful idea now for our mudroom. I'll be sure to post pictures when I am finished. I do have to wait for the electrician to finish here, so it may be awhile. Thank you both for the ideas!