contralto's Profile

I love Granny Smith apples with an unholy passion. They are nearly the only apples I eat raw; I love how tart they are. I eat one nearly every day.

I *don't* love baking with them, though; I think they stay too firm. I'd rather bake -- apple crisp or pie -- or make plain applesauce with McIntosh apples.

My Nana's spritz cookies with nutmeg! Green Christmas trees and pink camels and Scottie dogs (as she used to do). Just ate the last two three days ago . . . I may have to make a non-Christmas batch.

Wow. I would never leave that bathroom. Love love love the mosaic tile floor and shower tile pattern.

YUM. Fresh strawberries, sour cream and brown sugar, and grilled pineapple, are two of my favorite desserts of all time.

SO frustrated that this issue of my subscription never showed up (or was grabbed by someone else in the building). . . . HB has no back issues to send me. Rats. I'll just have to enjoy online.

It looks like the Mint numbers used just Manhattan for the New York "Buy" prices. Otherwise, there would not be such an enormous gap between the San Francisco "Buy" prices and the New York "Buy" prices.

It would have been helpful for Mint to list what their assumptions were (what size place and what neighborhoods/boroughs/surrounding towns were included).

I live in San Francisco and I think the SF "Buy" price is low. $774K would buy a 2BR 1BA flat with no parking only in the outer neighborhoods or as a massive fixer-upper. You could rent the same 2BR 1BA flat with no parking closer into downtown for well under $3K/month -- try more like $2400. A large 2BR, 2.5BA FDR apartment with a garage parking space in Pac Heights in my building currently rents for about $4K/month. To buy a comparable flat in the neighborhood would easily cost over $1.5M, which results in a price/rent ratio of 31.25, not 21.55 as Mint's numbers produce ('Buy' Price / Monthly Rent times 12).

My first good chef's knife was the 6" Wunsthof Classic and I still love it 12 years later. It is my go-to knife; and no, I don't prefer the 8" or 10" (now that we have those too). I recommend Bed Bath and Beyond -- get one of those 20% off coupons! (They say they're not applicable to certain brands, but I've never had one turned down for anything.)

I love this so much . . . I wish I knew how to make my living room look this beautiful. What talent this kid has!!

I read the article on the NYT online avidly, and immediately thought, someone has to post this on AT! Completely "Small Cool."

I would put an L-shaped sectional couch facing the fireplace, with the long side under the triple window, and the short side extending into the room. Then make the area behind the short side of the couch the dining area.

If you don't want a sectional, you could do the same thing by using a normal couch as the "long side" under the windows and a loveseat as the "short side extending into the room.

Gorgeous and warm. My favorite aspect is the beautiful carven wooden bed in what I assume is the master bedroom. What a great job on the kitchen remodel, too!