Re: 7 Reasons to Hire A Kitchen Designer

The Kohler web site has a good article detailing the 7 Reasons to Hire A Kitchen Designer. This advice applies to baths too.

In the Industry today we have seen a dramatic drop off in work coming into design offices and showrooms over the past year and a half.

Consumers are buying houses that have been poorly maintained, or even trashed and repossessed by lenders, yet they are not going the established route of working with a designer. Instead they seem to be going it alone in making decisions about how to repair the damage and renovate their newly purchased homes.

I have said more than once recently, that the situation reminds me of the '70's, when Do-It-Yourself (DIY) was the way most people planned and renovated. I started out as a Do-It-Yourselfer back in the '70's, so I know whereof I speak. From what I have seen of the quality of most '70's renovations over the intervening years, they would have been better off doing NOTHING!

Correcting the poor decisions of the '70's Do-It-Yourselfers has kept the kitchen and bath design industry growing ever since! I can't stress this point enough. It is very important for the current DIY consumer to realize this fact, because YOU live with your decisions and your mistakes; and when you decide to sell your home, for whatever reason, YOU will pay the price in less appreciation and saleability.

Kitchen and bath designers are trained to maximize efficiency and storage. We are also trained to bring a project in within budget.

Kitchen and bath designers SAVE far more than we cost our clients.

So, if you are cruising the Web today, looking for ideas for your own kitchen or bathroom renovation, with the thought of saving on design and Doing-It-Yourself. I strongly suggest that you ask yourself these questions:

1. What are the requirements in my community for submission of plans for renovation?

2. Am I up to the task of creating the required documents? Such documents require electrical and mechanical elements. Am I prepared to learn what I need to know about electrical, lighting, and mechanical documentation? (Here in California we have community and State mandates to upgrade inadequate electrical service, plus Title 24, to take into account).

3. If so, am I willing to spend the time to learn enough to design my own kitchen or bath and be satisfied with the results?

4. Does the kitchen or bath lend itself to easy decision making? In other words: Do I already like the way it is designed? The traffic flow? The space for storage? The area for countertops? The amount of light? If not, see Question 3.

5. Am I willing to spend the time to research each of the myriad products I will have to contemplate to complete my new kitchen? Do I know WHAT THEY ARE? Do I know WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM? CAN I DISCERN RELATIVE QUALITY BETWEEN LIKE PRODUCTS?

Kitchen and bath dealers represent certain products because the manufacturers offer elements important to the dealer. Such as: price; quality; reliability of delivery; little or no damage on delivery; etc.

Many of these elements important to the dealer are invisible to the consumer. When the dealer is not there to filter choices down to the reliable products only - BUYER BEWARE.

The least expensive products on the market in every category are the products reputable dealers shun as problematic.

Believe me, all kitchen and bath dealers would love to be able to sell a great product cheap or more profitably. It doesn't happen because manufacturers of great products value and sell them accordingly.

6. Am I going to hire a contractor to renovate and install the products I buy? Or am I going to do the work myself?

7. If I plan to do the work myself, do I know how to do it well? If not, am I willing to spend the time to learn how?

As I said above: We kitchen and bath designers have spent the last forty years correcting the mistakes of the '70's Do-IT-Yourselfers. Do you really want to start that cycle all over again?

We have learned so much about designing great kitchens and baths in the interim. Why not give us a shot at helping with yours?

Peggy

15 Minute Recipes-Main course(Part 3)

The much awaited round up is here!

Rice Varieties

1. Cauliflower Rice with Boondhi Raitha from Appetizing Recipes
2. Chutney Chawal from Ruchii
3. Coconut Rice from Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine
4. Coconut milk Rice from Appetizing Recipes
5. Carrot Pulao from Appetizing Recipes
6. Corn Pulao from Appetizing Recipes
7. Cranberry Fried Rice from Asankhana
8. Kichdi from Dil Se..
9. Masala pongal from Kitchen tantra-tease your palate
10. Milagu pongal from Kitchen tantra-tease your palate
11. Peela chawaran from Simplysindhirecipes
12. Puli Pongal from Chandrabhaga
13. Sambar Sadam from Edible Garden
14. Simple Lemon Rice from From my kitchen to yours..
15. Ven Pongal from http://kaleidoscope-articlegallery.blogspot.com/

Rotis

1. Red Orangee Roti from Adlak's kitchen
2. Spicy Chapathi from Adlak's kitchen
3. Methi Roti from Saffron Apron
4. Mixed Veg Parotta from Vidya's Kitchen
5. Paneer Roll from Usha Nandini's Recipes
6. Roti Rolls from Health nut
7. Akki Roti from Annapurna

Dishes to go with Rice and Rotis-Gravies, Sambars & dry Curries

1. Baby Onions Curry from http://gharkirasoi.blogspot.com/
2. Beans Poriyal from Usha Nandini's Recipes
3. Beluli Thambli from Masala Vade
4. Bittergourd Curry from Kavitha'vin Kaivannam
5. Boloker Torkari from Khana Khazana with Malini
6. Brinjal Curry with podi from Spice-Club
7. Brinjal Tomato Sambar from Enthaligai
8. Capsicum Curry from Usha Nandini's Recipes
9. Chilli Garlic Cauliflower from Kavitha'vin Kaivannam
10. Coriander leaves with gram flour from SpicyKhazana
11. Cut Mango Pickle from Preethi's Online Cookbook
12. Double beans gravy from Appetizing Recipes
13. Drumstik kootu from Appetizing Recipes
14. Gobi Matar Tawa Fry from From my palate
15. Cauliflower Manchurian from Appetizing Recipes
16. Kadaintha Keerai from Kavitha'vin Kaivannam
17. Keerai poriyal from Viki's Kitchen
18. Malaai ki Subz from Zaayeka
19. Mavina kayi appehuli from Recipes24even.blogspot.com
20. Mix Veg Kurma from Appetizing Recipes
21. No Fuss Sweet potato fry from Nalini(nonblogger) Check out the recipe below
    
22. Okra in roasted sesame and poppy seed sauce from Appayan
23. Palak Paneer from Saffron Apron
24. Palak Chole stir fry from Veggie Food Journal
25. Palong Shak-er charchari (Spinach with mix-veg) from Appayan
26. palong-shaak-sheddho from COOK-A-DOODLE-DO
27. Paneer Mutter from Usha Nandini's Recipes
28. Plain Palak Curry from http://a2zvegetariancuisine.blogspot.com
29. Aloo Fry from Kalyani's kitchen
    
30. Potato curry with podi from Spice-Club
31. Puli inji from From my kitchen to yours..
32. Pumpkin Stew(Gummadikaaya pulusu) fromThe Chef and Her Kitchen
33. Red Capsicum Thogayal from Preethi's Online Cookbook
34. Soy Chilli Aloo fry from Kavitha'vin Kaivannam
35. Spicy Tangy Chillies from The yum factor
36. Spicy Soy Wadian from http://memoryarchieved.blogspot.com
37. Spinach Poriyal from Padma's Recipes
38. Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Curry from Spicykhazana
39. Sweet Paneer Gravy from Esho-Bosho-Aahare
40. Thondekayi Saasime(Ivy gourd in yogurt sauce) from Savi-Ruchi
41. Yellow Pumpkin with Cashewnuts and Coconut from Tasty Treats

I realized later that 2 entries were missing in the above collage and got mixed up with chutney collage. I apologize for the confusion! Sorry guys. If I redo the collage again, it is going to take a couple of hours more. So here are the missed out pictures and links to the recipes.

Plantain Fry from Vividha ruchulu



Radish, Peas and Bell Peppers Sauteed in Olive oil from Simple Home cooking



Recipe from non blogger

No fuss sweet potato fry
1 sweet potato (US variety)
1- 2 Tbsps oil
1/2 tspn or more red chilli powder
1/4 tspn turmeric
asafoetida
2 Tbs chopped onions
2 Tbs dessicated orfrozen coconut
salt

Peel and dice the sweet potato into small pieces.
Heat the oil in a 10 inch saucepan. When the oil is heated, add all the ingredients in the order given into the pot except the sweet potato. Give the ingredients a few seconds to sizzle together. Now add the diced sweet potatoes. Sprinkle abbout three tablespoons of water and close the pan with a lid.
Lower the heat to medium and let the sweet potatoes cook. Stir it every so often. The vegetables should cook very soon. Let it roast uncovered for a few more minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
Serves four.

Chutneys to go with Rice, Roti, Idly, Dosas

1. Bari Chutney and onion tomato raitha from Asankhana
2. Ridgegourd Chutney from http://memoryarchieved.blogspot.com
3. Carrot Chutney from Sai kitchen
4. Cilantro Yogurt Chutney from Kavya's Kitchen
5. Kothimeera-Tomato Pachadi (Cilantro-Tomato Chutney) from kalyani's kitchen
6. Peanut Chutney from The Chef and Her Kitchen
7. Plantain Fry from Vividha ruchulu
8. Plantain Chutney from Vividha ruchulu
9. pumpkin cilantro chutney from Vidya's kitchen
10. Mint leaf Chutney from Viki's Kitchen
11. Radish, Peas and Bell Peppers Sauteed in Olive oil from Simple Home cooking
12. Simple Peanut Chutney from From my kitchen to yours..
13. Tomato Capsicum Chutney from Kavitha'vin Kaivannam
14. Tomato Chutney/Dip from Indian Khana
15. Tomato Archaar from Cooking 4 all seasons
16. Ambuli Chutney from Aps kitchen
    

Podis/Powders

1. Spiced Dalia (Roasted Bengal Gram) Powder from Essence of Andhra
2. Spicy Coconut powder from Aathidhyam
3. Thaengai podi from From my kitchen to yours..

Raithas/Pacchadi

1. Coconut thayir pachhadi from From kitchen to yours..
2. Raita/Pachadi from Usha Nandini's Recipes
3. Cucumber pachadi from Easy2cookrecipes
4. Pineapple Raita / Flavoured Greek Yogurt from http://a2zvegetariancuisine.blogspot.com
5. Sweet mango pachadi from Sanghi's Food Delights
6. Tomato and capsicum pachadi from Preethi's Online Cookbook
7. Carrot pachadi from Salt to taste

Please check your links and let me know if there are errors.

OK I am TIRED and want to sign off. This covers only half the round-up. Anybody interested in doing the other half? haha.. just kidding.

Enjoy!

Reshmae Parota

Reshmae Parota

Mother’s chapattis were the first and the best chapattis we ever relished. The chapattis which she prepared with her newly acquired skill looked like full moons with their unblemished perfect round shapes and silky smooth texture. She cooked the flour in boiling water, and kneaded and boxed it while still warm. She pinched out lemon sized balls from the dough and rolled them out into thin chapattis of six inch diameter. We the children sat around with the round lids of steel boxes with which we cut out the perfect rounds. We were engrossed in chewing the left over ribbon like strands of dough as we cut the circles and left behind only a very small quantity which took the shape of one or two more thick chapattis in the end.

Mother never used the gas flame. (That was the first time we bought a gas stove!) to make the chapattis puff up though she used it to heat the tava to do the initial cooking. She had a ‘choolha’ with burning embers on which she dumped the half done chapattis for a moment. And Lo! How they puffed up without a scar or blemish! We could devour at least half a dozen of them with pickles, dal. sambar, rasam, jam, curd or anything that was available.

My children love chapattis and their best ever relished chapattis were really named as “Reshmae (Silk) Parotas”. As we were always after good food we often visited various restaurants in Bangalore. The choicest among them was a place called “Avishkar” which has now succumbed to the monsters called ‘Development’ and ‘Real estate’. We loved the hot, crisp and luscious ‘Reshmae Parotas’ - multi layered chapattis- which we relished with green peas masala.

Even now I try to make it at home with wheat flour, which turns out good enough, though it can never beat the original ‘Reshmae Parotas’ of Avishkar.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt - ¼ tsp
Ghee - 4 tbsps
Rice flour – 4 tsps
Oil – for cooking

Method:
1. Add warm water, salt and a spoon of oil to the wheat flour and make a soft dough.
2. Cover the dough and leave it aside.
3. Mix the ghee and the rice flour and beat it with a spoon until it becomes fluffy. This is called ‘Saati’ (don’t know in which language!!). Add more ghee if necessary so that it is t enough to be spread on the parota.
4. Make lemon size balls out of the dough and keep aside.
5. Roll them one by one into very thin chapattis.
6. Spread a spoon of ‘Saati” all over on a chapatti and place another chapatti on it.
7. Spread “Saati” on the second chapati and place the third one on top and repeat the process.
8. When you finish with all the chapaties apply the remaining “Satti” all over the last chapatti.
9. Roll the layers tightly together as you would do with a mat. 10. Cut them across into thick rings resembling jam rolls.
11. Flatten one ring with the cut section up into a moderately thick parota.
12. Heat a greased tava and cook the parota on both sides till golden in colour, with a liberal dribble of oil on both sides.

Relish the crisp and hot Reshmae parota with any side dish of your choice.