gg- i love my fiskars too. that's what we use on our sib. iris. For our peonies, we use Florian hand pruners. These 2 plants are about all we cut back in fall- peonies because of needing to discourage botrytis vestiges, and iris because their foliage is too wet in spring to easily cut back. The rest of the arboretum we do in spring. We found this method after many backbreaking years of spring cleanup with its truckloads of detritus. By waiting til spring, we have found that we have a mere percentage of the plant matter that we had before- because the winter dessicates and often removes the leaves/stems . best, Mindy btw, my favorite garden cutting tools are all made by Florian. lightweight, VERY sharp, very comfortable to grip. http://www.floriantools.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=florian&Product_Code=HS-K1000&Category_Code=garden_tool_shears http://www.floriantools.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=florian&Product_Code=HS-K900Z&Category_Code=garden_tool_shears http://www.floriantools.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=florian&Product_Code=P-451&Category_Code=florian_tools

The one I have (Mister Twister?) worked well until the cheap plastic power switch broke off.

I agree with Linda on this one - try better food processor. An electric knife probably isn't the best tool of choice for all the reasons Linda noted. They require a good grip as well as a sawing motion and pressure applied to get through whatever you are cutting. Have you tried a cutting mandolin? I have physical limitation in my hands/wrists/elbows and I find I can cut heaps of produce for dehydrating using a mandolin. -Grainlady

I am much too late to be of any help to starlightfarm with her salmon dinner, but here is a really good recipe for a whole salmon. Salmon Baked in Foil Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune 1 whole salmon, 6-8 lb and cleaned 1 c sliced carrots 1 c sliced onion 1 c sliced celery ½ tsp fresh thyme Salt to taste 8 peppercorns, crushed 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 bay leaf 2 c dry white wine Preheat oven to 400F. Cover a baking sheet with foil. In bowl combine carrots, onion, celery, thyme, salt, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaf and wine. Place cleaned salmon in center of baking sheet, stuff with vegetable mixture and seal foil tightly around salmon. Bake 50-60 minutes or until salmon is opaque in thickest part. Remove from oven and cool. Once cool, remove skin from fish and serve warm or chilled with Hollandaise or your choice of sauce. Makes 8-10 servings. Linda