heather77's Profile

You can use the 3-cup Cuisinart to slice or grate large quantities of veggies, cheese, etc., because it comes with a chute that you can use to direct the food into a bowl. I've shredded massive quantities of cabbage quickly with just this little processor and a large bowl. I also own the citrus juicer attachment and it's very handy. It's one of my favorite appliances and it's very versatile.

The Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad from Epicurious is much more delicious than it sounds, and it feeds 8-10 people (even though the recipe says 6). You can make most of it 24 hours in advance, have the fresh stuff prepped and just throw it in right when you get home:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mediterranean-Couscous-and-Lentil-Salad-13106

I've served it with grilled vegetables (I do them in advance in a grill pan) and this Romesco Sauce from Cooking Light that can be stored for up to 2 weeks:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/catalonian-pepper-nut-sauce-salsa-romesco-10000001734294/

This is a great use of a narrow lot. It's so open and bright. I live in a neighborhood of older homes like the ones pictured, and I honestly don't care if someone wants to build something new and different in the middle of them.

Why must we be trapped forever in the 20s, or whenever those earlier (and actually quite homely) houses were built? Time moves on, life moves on, design moves on.

Gambrel roofs like the ones pictures actually force inefficient use of space on the second floor, and awkward "storage spaces" around the edges of sloped rooms.

The new house is a much more efficient use of space and materials.

For a simple, no-cook sauce, I like this Triple Tomato Sauce from Food & Wine that uses fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and tomato paste with basil, garlic and olive oil.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/august-2007-penne-with-triple-tomato-sauce

I would prefer to have three gas burners in a V formation, so you could have large pans on all three burners at the same time. Also, I would want all three burners to be able to go from very low simmer to very high BTU for maximum versatility.

Thank you!

My family lives out of state, so we've set up a "guest suite" in our basement, and we have two queen sofabeds. We could sleep 6 extra people in our relatively small house if necessary.

In general, though, I would say it depends on the guest.

Great job! I agree that moving the refrigerator made a big difference. I see a lot of kitchen renovations that make cosmetic improvements, but don't solve layout and function issues. It's nice to see a kitchen that looks beautiful AND functional.

I like all of these ideas. I'm kind of psyched about the table with the non-froufrou skirt. It looks like you could just attach a rectangular piece of fabric that has prefinished edges. I'm down for anything that doesn't require threading a bobbin.

Thank you for responding about the fridge. I appreciate hearing about your experience.