Like Nila, I'll wait for someone with more knowledge to speak to the safety issue. Might I suggest though that you get a timer which continues to alarm until it is turned off? My microwave timer goes for several minutes, and I also have a little digital that in addition to not shutting up, starts a countdown up until it is turned off. I use that one for baking when I don't stay in the room--it can tell me exactly how much extra time was added. Keep going and don't get discouraged. Everyone here has goofed something up with their canning. Like you mentioned, it's a learning process that never ends. (And I am completely jealous of anyone with a fig tree)

Tinker - I really respect your willingness to keep as much of the home as you could. It is absolutely beautiful and exactly the style I would choose as well. We're just finishing picking fixtures for our new addition and fell in love with that style of schoolhouse fixture you put in the kitchen. I love your kitchen! That would be a dream space for me. And the laundry - oh, the laundry! In theory, I agree with totsuka. I think that the bar has been raised in this country, and many people are putting upgrades in their kitchens and baths that aren't necessary. It would be silly to put granite countertops in our modest bungalow, but I think some home buyers expect it. HGTV or whatever has made us think that somehow cooking on certain surfaces is mandatory. I was struck when I lived in England how dingy that carpet often was and how home dwellers didn't seem to notice. I appreciate that sense that if it works it's okay even if it isn't current. Maybe I misread the aesthetic there, but I had the sense they had lower expectations, at least in my circles. Not everything had to be perfect, and people were used to living in older spaces. But having said that, what you did is extraordinary. And if you have the money, I think home improvement is one of the most satisfactory ways to spend your money, especially if you are committed to restoring rather than renovating.

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Janefan, I am the mother of twins, too. I never forget how hard my twin pregnancy was, but I do adore my girls (4.5) despite how hard it was, so maybe there is hope that I will love my kitchen, too!!! Bellamy, I only wish that I hired a cheap GC, so at least I wouldn't be paying a fortune for every aspect of this kitchen, but it is not the case. We hired the GC used by very close friends, friends who are incredibly demanding and exacting (husband's friend from the military), who did a very large addition to their house. They could not have praised this GC more. We saw his work in person, while it was in progress, work that was done exactly on schedule, perfectly. He was the most expensive GC of all that we interviewed, but we hired him because we were willing to pay more to have a job done on time and well, and because we trusted our friends' judgment. Sometimes you can do all the due diligence in the world, and things just don't work out the way you expect. If you read my post you will see that I never said that the KD is wrong to wait, and I didn't ask him not to wait, just frustrated, mostly with the being given false expectations, and with the carpenter, who obviously has too many jobs. I do see lots of people on this board with appliances installed before the rest of the kitchen is 100% done, and I do think the KD is being overcautious to protect his butt at our expense, but I have let him run the job the way he wants in that respect. I have done a renovation before, knew it would be long and frustrating, girded myself for the length and frustration, and believe that we have been actually quite patient. Too patient in the beginning. Just wanted to vent my frustration a little. Sorry it irritated you, Bellamy.