Newer version of Annie's Salsa - BWB only Annie's Salsa 8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained 2 1/2 cups chopped onion 1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper 3 to 5 chopped jalapenos (for milder leave out seeds and ribs) 6 cloves minced garlic 2 tsp cumin (optional) 2 tsp pepper 1/8 cup canning salt 1/4 c fresh cilantro (optional) 1/3 c sugar (optional) 1 cup cider vinegar (see note on subbing lemon or lime juice option) 16 oz canned tomato sauce (to adjust density) 8-16 oz canned tomato paste (to adjust density) Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars, process pints for 15 minutes in BWB. Makes 6 pints. _________ A lot of changes have been made to this recipe over the years. Some people like lemon or lime juice in place of some or all of the vinegar, that's fine. (Note from Sheila - I like half lemon half lime.) Some people leave out the cilantro, that's fine too. Do not increase! Some people add more hot peppers or fewer onions, fine as long as you keep the same total measurements. (Note this is what NCHFP does in their new Choice Salsa recipe.) Some people leave out the sugar, that's fine. You can scoop out the goo in the middle of the tomatoes with your thumbs when I'm peeling and chopping for a less seedy version, so it's 8 cups of chopped tomatoes without the seeds and goo. Most who make it regularly as well as Annie recommend using a variety of different slicing tomatoes, not paste types, for best flavor and consistency. (Note: use the tomato sauce and paste to adjust the consistency of the final product to a "sloshy" consistency.) According to Annie "My salsa is not as thick as Heinz catsup but it's thicker than taco sauce. If you don't like it quite as thick or sweet, cut down the amount of paste. I would add some, then taste. Reducing that ingredient shouldn't affect the safety of the recipe. I use equal amounts of sauce and paste. You can pull it off the heat at any point and adjust for flavor. Before I cook it I check for salt, sugar, check the consistency. Add more pepper or cumin if I want. When I first started making this salsa, tomato sauce and paste came in 8 and 16 ounce cans. Like everything else, they've now been downsized, so now I have to use partial cans." Does anybody have good versions of the other recipes that have weird symbols in them for measurements?

Wendi, has a lot of free tutorials and downloads on her site. She also sells CD's of her tutorials. However, there is enough free stuff to make it worth checking..... Wendi's PSP Tutorials Joy

Thanks guys, I actually really like the warmer tones as much (or more) as I liked the blues/grays. I think I started down a road and ran with it without thinking about the bigger picture. As far as pulls, I was thinking maybe just cup pulls, although I do like the ones that badgergirl posted too. We are straddling that budget so we'll have to see what is available with no charge. The bars were an upcharge so it was nice to make a choice that was less expensive for a change. I am hoping that the quarter sawn oak isn't too much of an upcharge, I went to look at just factory finish cabinets at Lowes today and do like the look of the grain. It is warm, but quiet enough. Sent my request to the cabinet guy so fingers crossed that all will come in on budget. Another question is do I paint the island a lighter color to decrease the darkness in the middle of the room or just keep consistent throughout. I am leaning toward the latter actually. Badgergal, I stole the lights from you! I loved it so much in your pics. And I saw the price, so it will be a splurge for me as well. They will be likely be a 2013 item, with a cheapo $20/per pendent fill in until my savings account replenishes. But I can live with that knowing what is in the future. As far as lighting, we have been pricing/thinking of this. Due to the dark color of the cabinets, this was a big concern of mine, lighting is everything! We currently have some recessed (6 of them) and an overhead over the sink. We are pricing the pendants over the island and lights in the glass front upper cabinets (total of 6). We cut the under cabinet lights in the interest of budget and in talking to people who said that they rarely use them. Maybe I should reconsider? How hard is that to add in after the fact if we decide that we need them later? We do have a window over the sink and then the bump out of the eat in area is virtually surrounded on three sides pretty much floor to ceiling with windows/doors, so it does get some natural light. Anyway, updated pic and I think it looks pretty good (although I am now thinking that the curve/bow pulls may be a better option seeing it in place - maybe less surface so less shine). Walls will need to be decided on, but that is an easy fix. Cookies will be forthcoming when I have a new oven that doesn't take the temp setting as a mere suggestion!

Jack, that's about the age of my new herd bull, he was a couple of months past 2 years old when I got him in August. He is registered, the people I got him from were serious about beef, they'd even had the rib eye ultrasound checked for fat marbling, LOL. I figure I can keep him for a couple of years and still get my money out of him. So I only have three cows, but I'm sure they are all bred. He was already tested, of course, as his owners were leasing him out as a herd bull before they sold him to me. Anyway, tenderloin for Christmas dinner this year! I made some really nice horseradish sauce with some of the horseradish, but Elery has been eating it straight, just smeared on a sandwich, he loves the stuff. I guess we'll be planting more, or letting it spread. I still have some in the freezer, unground, so I'll be experimenting with that when the three half pint jars I made are gone. I was told not to grind it all at once, since it loses it's potency. Elery's son, DIL and their three boys are coming from California for Christmas, we see the boys in the summer but haven't seen his son or DIL for nearly 5 years. He just put 5 pounds of venison sausage in the smoker this morning, more than we'll need although there will be a Christmas meal for 16 and another one for 11 this year. So, some venison came out of the freezer, was made into sausage and went back into the freezer, LOL. That kind of counts, right? Annie