sassenach

I like the way you explained it and how you are breaking it down. Keep up the good blogging! We look forward to this one!

Dear Procrastination, I am so glad I have this tool, of writing to you, it will allow me to express my feelings about you and the role you are playing in my life. Procrastination, you have really jumbled up my life. When I realized how helpless you make me feel, the lies you tell me, how much of the devil is in you, it certainly ticked me off. I do hate the grip you have had on me in the past, and the insiduous way you still, so subtly, sneak into my every day life still, despite the actual fact that I am working to get rid of you. Despite my low energy, my chronic fatigue and fibro affecting me and my back getting painful periodically. My place is small and still cluttered, and it is distracting and frustrating that it takes me so long to organize it, partly because of the above factors, but mostly because of you Procrastination, as the physical stuff is improving. Having to wait constantly to be able to go get things just to organize my place is a sore point, I admit, with lack of money and transportation at hand. The clutter is a distraction and you use that as a weapon with me. Make it seem overwhelming in my mind. But, Procrastination, you can take ANY issue, any concern or worry, and you make me feel absolutely rotten all the way through me if you can. ( You can be quite successful with this, especially when I see how much others do get done from day to day. ) Well, Dear Procrastination", I have been and will continue to take steps, babysteps some days, bigger steps on other days, when I feel true, clear, strong motivation or need to do a chore, a projec, hem up some second hand pants, tear up and throw out cardboard, a tedious task here since I cannot recycle from where I reside, move that pile of books, clean my kitchen or my bedroom, simply to make that little effort that truly overcomes you and I know I am now winning battles more and more with you. Arby P.S. BTW, The Lord is on my side in this matter! He can do anything! You, Procrastination, are nothing compared to Him. As long as I remember this and remind myself, I will win the war against you, Procrastination.

Welcome Karelle, what everyone above has posted is absolutely true, even though I admit some things do make me put on my 'tinfoil' hat and freak for about 30 minutes, then I do the research! We ARE getting better at determining who on the Internet is a font of good information, and those who are not. Thankyou for every second it took for you to raise up such a wonderful, faithful, intelligent and compassionate, wise daughter, Darlene. Yes, we will now be working on a Queen smilie, because that has to be you because Darlene is the Princess!

Cat thats a good idea about forum site passwords. That guy at Flu Talk is a jerk! Well I just won't bother with that site. There is enough info out there elsewhere and on our threads if they are coming up. Thanks for bumping this thread up.

perhaps scrubbing scalp with baking soda instead of shampoo might stimulate hair growth. It will open up pores as well which may help. Would stimulate scalp circulation as well.

Thursdays are usually a good day for me to do my writing, which I hope will develop an income to live on in due time. Right now its just time to get nose to grindstone on the writing and today is the first day in a couple weeks where I can really get back to it. Still working on revision of first two chapters since they really set the tone. The good thing about revision , which every writer tends to groan about, speculate about, procrastinate about, is that it really does improve because you can add more and more details of all kinds to the rough draft you really start out with! Revision many times, is necessary! I actually find I enjoy it as I do it, so its not as much of a formidable foe as I tend to think of it as...... so, non $$$ prepping at this time but hope that gets changed in a few years, maybe sooner!

Purdy Bear, what are smellies? Perfumed stuff?

TY! to all who helped me figure it all out today!!!

OK, got the weighted gauge on , but it only had two ring weights, so only one for under 1000 ft, to be for 10 lbs pressure?????? Anyone know? Ready to can now!

Ok, got the canner, got the weighted gauge, which has two weight rings so I take one off right, for 10lbs pressure at 600 feet elevation? THEN, do I just set it on top of the little thingy and then it rocks. It does not seem that you screw it on in place of that little piece for the regulator on a Presto Canner 16qt. I am ready to start canning the chicken breasts today and need to get them done! Also, should I do hot pack with the chicken cooked? Amazon still has not shipped my new Ball Blue Book, so I had to ask these questions, to anyone that can help! I want to get this going asap today, please. I have 35 lbs to process! Also , just soak pinto beans and process after soaking ? I have a canning book that will give me times for the processing, but wasnt sure about chicken these days and what folks who have been canning it, might make it more tender and palatable ( cold pack or hot pack, which one works best?Also want to be sure it is cooked through .....

Thanks for the help CGA. I am still waiting for my new Ball Blue Book to be shipped. Been waiting a month for Amazon to get more in. So, your instructions are perfectly understandable... how many minutes processing for quarts? for pints? I might just make mini patties. The gelatin will heat back up just fine. And yeah, I just want it preserved and handy for consumption. Do i just brown the patties and put in jars with broth?( then process ) or cook all the way through as patties and then can them?

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Maybe I can fry up small patties and can them in broth is what I am thinking. That would be fine. Meatballs would be good too. Yea, meatloaf is questionable for sure.

Violet, I forgot the pickling salt, but didn't get any cukes anyhow. I sure have plenty of skinless chickenbreasts, it was a fair price at Walmart so I bought alot!!! Also got some nice lean beef chuck and rump and figured it would at least be beef I could can. I did just pick up the weighted gauge at my po box just now. It has two rings, so I use one of them not both, for 10 lbs pressure? Yea, will check the canner tonight and do canning in the method if you get back to me this evening on the weights question.... and I might need a tip or two on how to 'fine tune it'?? You are such an expert at all this! I bought some 80 % hamburger in the bulk five pound packages, can hamburger be canned in some way? Any suggestions would be terrific. Fry up patties that would fit in the jars, maybe, drain all fat of course? Or is that a no no? Would just fill with broth or water. ""Thinking ready to eat canned meats is a great idea.""

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The canner arrived. Just washed all the silicone grease off it..... waiting for the weighted gauge to arrive in the mail as I'd forgotten to add it to the canner and stuff in the original order that was shipped UPS. Everything looks just fine. My question is this, about canning salt. Does Walmart carry it ? I know they do, but don't know the brand or what would be best for pickling. I did get some pickling spices, and three have salt already added but one little cannister is just the pickling stuff. I go to Walmart on Monday so a quick answer would be greatly appreciated. I figure I will buy a large quantity of the pickling salt so I can just use as needed. I may become a pickling freak if this goes well. My first canning will be meat, so I can use my tiny freezer for frozen veggies I use all the time in my daily meals, and so I have some room for ice cream finally! I also will can up some beans too. Just waiting on the gauge. Eventually will get used to canning produce and have ready to heat veggies and preps building up this way. I am so very tired of hearing about bacteria and such on produce. Or in peanut butter! It just seems very wise to prep it myself and try and grow my own salad greens and maybe we will get lucky with tomatos at the mha garden, if folks there help me tend the garden since we have to hand water.

Hi BayMare, yes VA is a beautiful state. I was stationed at Norfolk NAS my first tour in the navy and my son was born at the naval hospital in Portsmouth. He finished the Naval Academy in 2006, after going from active duty enlisted Marine status before it. He is now out of the service but his wife is also prior enlisted and now a Marine officer still serving. DS spent over two yrs at Quantico Base and is now working hard internationally most of the time with a company outside of Camp Lejeune, NC, while DIL readies for her tour on a ship in the Persian Gulf in May. I did travel all over VA while living there and although there has been alot of expansion and growth, it remains a great state with much to offer. Living this far north ( Upstate NY, Adirondacks) makes me miss it! Glad you joined up. We all have a start point so don't be shy about asking questions to learn things or to answer if you know a way of doing something someone else is asking about! Your place sounds terrific!

Ok, got my canner coming with canning tools and pickling spices for different types of pickles. It should arrive on Friday, as I paid for 3 day service over the phone to expedite things because of next weeks schedule. I ordered the weighted gauge as an after thought when I remembered, just now, it will come by US Mail so it will be safe and doesn't conflict with my busy two weeks schedule.

Wow, it certainly would work, the eggs might make it pretty thin and definitely bubbly if you can handle that much egg in the resulting quantity. I think I will stick to one egg however since I have cholesterol problems. On second thought, using three egg whites would work too. I guess its worth a try to find out, eh ?

Thanks for the pictures and detailed explanations. I will order the 50332 part for my canner on payday. I was wondering what one did with the pressure gauge as well, so the explanations helped ! I would rather trust the weighted guage system too. Makes things alot easier for me.

Ok, I found the part on the sites long list of canner parts for presto. Thanks! I will just order one on Payday, but also have the pressure gauge tested. Between the two choices something will make it possible to get started! It would be helpful to use the weighted guage for sure. Sitting there monitoring a canner for 90 mins would make it hard to get anything else done while I wait for processing to be done and that is not a good use of time.

Thankyou Violet. I am trying to find a supplier online in case the hardware store in town does not carry them or order them either. I do have Cornell Extension office locally and can get the pressure gauge tested once I receive the canner. Hoping it will be fine, ( yea, right). Will write down the weighted gauge order number for reference, thankyou.

CN I am getting a Presto canner. I looked at the parts available on the site. So, would a pressure regulator be aka weighted gauge? Because there is nothing listed as a weighted gauge and I think this is just another name >>>?