out_of_the_ordinary

We did our regular weekly grocery shopping this morning (Sat morning) and it was GREAT--no crowds at all! Walmart, Sam's, the local grocery store all seemed dead--barely anyone there at all. It was nice because usually we've been standing in lines quite awhile even with getting up early to shop on the weekends. I like looking through the Black Friday ads, but don't shop it. This year, there were very few things I would have been interested in if we did shop it. DH decided to venture out yesterday afternoon (with a 50% off coupon for Joanne fabrics) to do some shopping. I don't know where all he went. He thought the crowds would be all gone. He was wrong and came home a bit stressed. I did some looking-at-things-online-then-calling-a-catalog-orders in today. Puritian Pride's vitamins has free shipping this weekend and some extra sales. This was the first time I've ever called Cabela's where I've gotten a busy signal! Took over 20 minutes to get through and then was on hold awhile. (I didn't mind. I'd rather be on hold than standing in line. Plus, the people that take their calls are always so nice. ) They're running a free shipping with their Visa card, so I took advantage of that, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you so much for all the advice!! I think we'll try again with just water in the canner (not jars) to get used to it. I'd rather have it all figured out before we actually attempt canning in it. Thanks for explaining how/when to take the weight off!! Violet, I'm making a note about venting for the 10 minutes instead of 7. Jeepers, the weight on my AA looks like the one you linked. We'll try it with the fork.

That's pretty!

Green is Red.

So after having it for 2 1/2 years, we finally tested out the AA canner. I'm very nervous about canning. I have the AA, 2 water bath canners, the tools, jars and books, but we just haven't done it yet. So, we pulled the AA out last weekend and tried it out (not canning), just to see how everything works. We put water in it to try it out, all while carefully following the booklet. We were going to vent it for 7 minutes, but didn't notice right away that steam WAS coming out, but finely. I thought it would be a stronger steam, like a tea kettle. So that's something to pay closer attention to when we do can. We put the weight on and WAITED and WAITED for it to jiggle. DH and I were debating what the "jiggling" was. It was making a very, very quiet noise. We weren't sure it that was it. Then, it DID JIGGLE. I about jumped out of my skin! On the cooling down part, when the dial has reached zero and you take off the weight, the booklet says to "remove it slowly". We're not quite understanding how to do that slowly?? My other question is on canning chicken using the raw pack method: --The Ball book (2009 100th Anniversary edition with a peach desert on the cover) on page 67 has you ladle hot water or broth into the jars over the meat. --The So Easy To Preserve book on page 91, under Raw Pack for Poultry, says "Do not add liquid." Actually, it looks they tell you not to add liquid for raw packing other meats as well. Which is correct? Or are both? Which does Violet recommend?

I hope you and your DH have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving!! Since we went family-free, I actually enjoy holidays now instead of dreading them. It's unfortunate that sometimes it gets to that point. If I want to be treated like dirt, I'll sit next to a shovel.

Glad to hear it went well. Praying for a speedy recovery!

Thanks, CG. When I click on the button, it takes me to McAfee's page giving MrsS the "green" and teeling me the site is safe.

quick question--My McAfee site advisor is normally green (indicating a site is safe), but on MrsS, it's RED. Should I be concerned?

Thank you! I'm glad the site is back up! I missed all of you!!

Hi Carie! I'm glad to see you back!

Praying for both of you....

Growing up, we are them as a side dish at meals. We usually had bowl of pickled beets or salad or applesauce next to our plate. Both applesauce and beets were home-canned. We only had pickled eggs and beets for holidays and picnics. (I never liked hard boiled eggs, so it didn't matter to me.)

Happy Birthday!!

Have you had success with ever getting off the call list of political calls? Awhile ago, we kept getting calls from a survey group conducting political surveys -- they weren't asking for votes, just with questions. I asked to be removed from their list and the guy said sorry, they were exempt from the Do Not Call registry. I was irritated by that and finally got a hold of someone in the Pa Attorney General's office who ended up getting them to stop calling, regardless of their claim they were exempt. That may be an avenue to consider if you keep getting calls, even if they claim to be exempt. We have an unlisted, unpublished number and are also on the Do Not Call list, and we still get more calls than I like. I make it a point to file a complaint on the Do Not Call website whenever I get a telemarketing type call. The worst is on my cell phone, almost every morning I wake up to see that there are 6-7+ missed calls and of course the voicemails. It's a pain because I have a TracFone, and that's taking up minutes. So far, the political ones I've told to take me off of their list have not called back. I didn't realize about the AG's office. Thanks for letting me know. That's awful that you are getting calls on your cell phone like that!

I'm on the Do Not Call List and I have an unlisted phone number, but I still keep getting the political calls. If I'm able to speak to an actual person, I ask to be removed from their list and for them not to share/sell/trade my information. One number keeps calling from Connecticut. It's a very poor quality recording asking you to take some kind of survey. My phone company allows me to get online and block phone #s for free, so I blocked that number. I'm also getting calls asking me to switch my electric provider. I called my electric company, and apparently in PA, your address, electric consumption info and phone number are available to ALL electric companies. Oh, was I mad about that one! My electric company now has "restrict" on my information to have them not share info.

Happy Birthday, Crazy4Canning!!

I'm glad you're okay, Jeepers!

We're okay here. Thankfully, we didn't get the winds that were predicted! Just rain last night and continuing today. The local weather forecasters kept going over that with all the rain the ground would be saturated making trees fall easier when the heavy winds hit. I understand that, but I don't think they were taking into account how DRY it has been here all summer and most of the fall. With rain half of Sat., most of Sun and yesterday, I was getting concerned that I hadn't heard our sump pump kick on. (It's in the basement....there's a sump "pit" and french drains empty into it. There are springs in the hillside up the hill behind us.) I was getting concerned as I never heard it run. DH pulled the cover off last night and looked down in with a flashlight (for some reason I find it a little creepy and don't like getting to close to it!) Anyway, it was bone dry!!

We've had rain most of the day. It's gotten steadier as the day has gone on. There's a little breeze, but it's not very windy. They are saying the wind will be the worst in my area from 9 pm-9am (at least the last time I saw). praying for everyone