OK, I must add my 2c to this. It is almost pickle time here, so these have been on my mind - sorry no pics, yet. Lazy Housewife Pickles, a.k.a Washing Machine Pickles Some of you may remember this from a few years ago, when I bought 11 quarts of gherkins, the black spined type. The lady at the farm where I purchased them suggested that she washed hers in the washing machine - brilliant. It worked so well, that I did the salt soak overnight in there too. Short story, it was not my washing maching, but my cousin's....we are still speaking, but it was touch and go for a while. Brine: 3/4 gallons vinegar - cider or white - 2.5 l. 1 qt. water 1 cup pickling salt 1/2 lb. white mustard seed - 200 gr. 1/4 lb. dry mustard - 100 gr. 1 oz. curry powder - heat level is your choice 1 oz. turmeric 3 cups white sugar Mix above together in a crock, or food safe bucket. I keep this in a cool place, but if you have space, fridge would be OK. Soak cukes in 10:1 water-salt solution. Also really yummy with pearl onions, baby carrots, beans, zukes. Beets will change the colour, but still yummy. The gherkins are ready in about 2 days. If kept cool, the brine lasts about 2 months. I tie the whole mustard in a cheesecloth bag, otherwise it is messy. Million Dollar Relish - makes 9 pints. 3 quarts finely chopped cucumbers - cuisinart french fry blade is good. 1 quart finely chopped onions 3 peppers - I do 2 green 1 red - your choice - chopped 1/2 cup pickling salt Mix above well and leave overnight. Drain well and put into pot. Add: 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1/2 tsp. mustard seed 1 tsp. celery seed 6 scant cups white sugar 3 1/2 cups vinegar Bring to a boil and seal hot. Family and friends clamour for the above. Hope you enjoy them too!! Nancy.

chartrbee2, on melting them to use as oils..... what would be the harm to try one? they melt with the heat of your hands so whats so diff about in a warmer. the only thing I see is leaving it melted (hot) for long periods of might diminish the smell ( being that when I make them the mix is removed from the heat before I add essential oils for smell because excessive heat makes the essential oil "break down" or evaporate in a sense).... I love the bars and use them daily. they are a GREAT seller for us as well. My Dad and I keep bees so I am fortunate to have as much beeswax as I could possibly EVER need. good luck with testing out the melting use, let me know i do have friends that also are massage therapists ( could be a new avenue for my bars!) LOL

Carol: I admire your taking good care of your dogs ... I have one daughter, and it's hard enough to take care for her (such a fussy eater !!) Jim: I'm glad you are getting relief from your sore neck and shoulder .. pinched nerve takes a long time to heal. Jess: I found some quotes which I framed upstairs: The rough is mental. Our thoughts are the cause, rather than the effect. So true. My neighbor has a giant pile of leaves .. it seemed impossible, but after 10 trips with my wheel barrow, and scoop by scoop into the wheel barrow, I transferred all to my garden. Same with weight, it seems a giant pile, but one bite, or one clump of leaves shift-away, after many trips, or many days, the weight will be gone. Getting leaves teach me the importance one bite less, and soon the weight will be gone. Losing weight is fun if I look at it as a Christmas gift to myself: blasting my fat-load. Another quote which I framed: Joy is giving oneself unto forgetfulness. Losing weight can be fun if I give myself whole-heartedly. My most fun moment this year was working in the garden until I lost track of time, and wish I have more time. It can be that way with exercise too, once it's made into a habit, then it's easier.

THANK YOU, LAVENDER, for alerting me to the danger of glycation. My best dinners were made in a slow-cooker (low heat with plenty of liquid), rather than fried !! Here's the link to my Pinterest slow-cooker recipes: THANK YOU, VAPORVAC, for setting a good example of hot whole-grained cereals for breakfast. I used to do the same, but neglected that, thanks to eating my kid's pickiness. https://www.pinterest.com/clonewar/slow-cooker/ My sister convinced me to buy a pressure-cooker, and it WAS HORRIBLE IN TASTE. The temp. was so high that it ALTERED FOODS and made everything stinky, be it cooked beans, meat, or soup. I used that a few times, and never again !! I boiled chick-peas in that pressure-cooker, and it stank so bad my kid complained loudly & I trashed the whole mushy pot. Compare that to aromatic chick-peas boiled with low-heat over the stove top, which retained its firmness & flavor. I use the microwave to quickly heat up food (with liquid) to zap out germs, rather than long cooking high temp. like pressure cooker which destroys food. Cooking food to death is not a good idea. The high-heat destroys proteins 1st, but microwaving vegetables with water for a short time to kill germs .. that still retains nutrients and beans & peas are still bright green. I checked on the nutrients retained with microwaving veggies vs. steaming veggies, and microwaving FOR A SHORT TIME IN WATER retained more nutrients, with less loss in water. My personal measure stick for AGE (advanced glycation end-products) is HOW MUCH JUICE I NEED TO DRINK to chase away the "stinkiness" or "rancidness" of high-temp. cooking or over-processed foods. More juice = more calories. http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/11-nov/foods-high-in-ages.html Which foods are high and which are low in AGEs. Protein-rich foods: Red meat and cheese tend to have the most. In descending order, chicken, fish, eggs, and legumes have less. Grains: Boiled grains, such as rice and oatmeal, and sandwich breads are low in AGEs. When grains are processed into crispy brown crackers or fatty cookies and sweetened with sugars, however, their AGE content can soar. Dairy: Milk and yogurt are low in AGEs, but when moisture is removed and fat is concentrated (as in cream, butter, and cheese), the AGE content rises dramatically. Fats: Vegetable fats tend to have fewer AGEs than animal fats. Animal fats are also more likely to be high in unhealthy saturated fats. To further reduce AGEs, cook foods at low temperatures and with lots of water-based moisture by steaming, stewing, poaching, and braising. Stay away from fried foods. deep-fried chicken has more than six times the amount of AGEs than steamed chicken. When you grill meats, marinating your food in an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar before cooking it will reduce AGEs by up to half. http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/11-nov/foods-high-in-ages.html