Imagine a wall oven that refrigerates your prepared entree inside of the oven during the day until you begin the cooking process via your internet browser from anywhere in the world (but just close enough to be home for dinner). Now that's cutting edge! It's not just state-of-the-art stuff...it's award-winning state-of-the-art stuff...many times over. Imagine having to login to your oven to prepare the evening feast. Then you get...'Did you forget your password?' 'Please enter your email address to retrieve your new password.' I don't know if that's how it goes with this new oven but I can see that happening.

Imagine no more. It's for real. Refrigerated wall ovens are here and I think they're here to stay in this hectic, convenience-associated society we live in. This certainly won't replace the $40 crock pot but it gives a whole new meaning to ready to eat.

The Connect IO Intelligent Oven, manufacured by TMIO, is not a gadget or a gimmick. (They're not playing around here.) The Connect IO has NASA-based engineering involved that has allowed it to rise above its' competitors.

High Tech = High Price

You'll pay through the nose for all of that engineering, though. Read more to see how much they cost and capabilities.

HGTV recently gave away a multi-million dollar dream home in Islamorada, FL and now they're giving away their very first eco-friendly Green Home located in Bluffton, SC near Hilton Head Island. My persistent daily entries DID NOT pay off for the Islamorada giveaway but maybe they will for this one. It won't hurt to try and it would be well worth the effort.

I must admit...I admire much of what HGTV does. And why wouldn't I? They provide an abundance of informative programs and great website DIY-type reference material for homeowners and for folks that just want to gather ideas (pssst...The Fun Times Guide To Homebuilding is a great homeowner idea source, too!).

What is the LEED Home Rating System?

Ever heard of it? Maybe. Thought of it much? Probably not. If you're about to have a home built to your specifications I'd strongly suggest you educate yourself regarding the eco-friendly  LEED Home Rating Certification program. If you're in the market for a new home, condo, apartment, et cetera...seek out a dwelling with the LEED certification for a multitude of reasons.

Okay...you might be asking yourself, "What the heck is LEED?" LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and it is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. It's some serious stuff with stringent guidelines but certainly not unattainable goals for environmentally-minded homebuilders and their customers.

 

This post veers a little to the left away from homebuilding towards a commercial retailer but that's alright with me. Why? Because it has to do with solar energy being harnessed by Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers in Knoxville and any homeowner with a south-southwest roof line that's clear of trees can harness the sun's rays, too.

I was reading Lynnette's pizza post over on sister site The Fun Times Guide To Franklin/Nashville (TN). On a whim I spent a few minutes looking into the Mellow Mushroom (ultra-cool) corporate website and discovered that the Knoxville location recently installed a solar panel array on its' roof. To me, that says a lot about where their head is at.

Why aren't more retailers installing solar panels on their roofs???

HGTV's 2008 Dream Home, located in a private development dubbed The Shore at Islamorada on Plantation Key, FL, is a beachcomber's dream (and a fisherman's dream, for that matter). I was finally able to sit down and take in the "TV tour" of the home the other night and saw one desirable feature after another hit the screen that should suit many dreamers/planners who long for a home by the sea.

photo courtesy HGTV

So what do you think are some of the new kitchen trends in homes these days?

I know that I see some pretty interesting things in some of the higher priced new homes that I tour that are either in the final phases of construction or waiting for a buyer.

Okay...so high priced homes to me may be different from what you have in mind. The homes that I'm gathering new trends and ideas from that are in my local vicinity (suburban Atlanta, GA) range in price from the $400's to $1M. (Homeowners that live in areas where home prices are astronomical will need to use a sliding scale to apply these ideas to your home.) Anyway, that's high-end 'round these parts and it's where builders really start to offer homeowners something custom, somewhat unique or new-on-the-market to get them to sign on the dotted line. That's not to say that you can't borrow what you may find here and apply it to your home if it happens to fall above or below that price range. Create the kitchen that works for you and your family.

For a moment, let's set aside what you and I think about kitchen trends. Let's hear it straight from a nationally recognized home improvement expert that lives and breathes this sort of stuff everyday, DIY Network's Paul Ryan.

Thinking of relocating over the summer or sometime soon?

You're not alone.

Here are the Top 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S A. for 2007.

Illustration: Dave Shelton