Glad morz8 could help, I'm just not that experienced, have only PCd a few times. One thing Dave and others here have told people to do was to run a few test batches with colored water to check your stove's settings and see how to adjust to avoid siphoning. I did that, but still had some siphoning with the tomato sauce. I think the Presto person was wrong to tell you to turn heat up and down, Dave told me to just keep it steady or adjust in TINY increments. With the weight set you shouldn't have to worry about adjusting, just try to get it venting, put the weight on, and leave it alone - it's not like a dial gauge where you have to watch and make sure it doesn't go over so it's not overprocessed. If you're doing something like fish that takes a really long time the recipe says to start with more water so the canner doesn't run dry. Buy new lids and use those older ones for something like jam or jelly. "well, i've had my first messy case of PC siphoning with my 4th, and thickest, load of NCHFP's spaghetti sauce in my new presto . every qt. siphoned, but just one failed to seal. i've had 1 or more seal failures in the other 3 loads, too." I don't know, maybe siphoning is more a problem with thicker/denser foods? I think it is with starchier foods. Did you have siphoning with the thinner batches, or just an occasional seal failure (which could be the lids)? Or maybe you just adjusted the burner more on this batch after talking to the Presot rep? Store the jars without the rings someplace where you can see them (and some place easy to clean if one does start to ferment or something), I don't think you need to check daily, but occasionally (maybe daily at first). I really don't know when you can stop checking, but since you want to really eat it within a year for best quality, and mine kept a year even with siphoning, I'd say just check it often this winter, maybe again when spring/summer come around if your storage area might start to warm up. I'd wash the gasket if I had siphoning - I didn't after just running test batches of water. Sorry I can't be more help - I'm still learning myself. Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP siphoning troubleshooting

Thanks for all the ideas. I don't think it is a snuffer, but that gave me an idea. Could it be a decoration to put on top of a candle when it isn't burning? It does look like a flame, no there isn't any soot residue on the inside. It would fit on a finger, but you wouldn;t have a lot of control over it. I'm glad I'm not the only one stumped by this one... more research later this morning. Thanks again everyone Alexa

We are an Interior Design Firm, and have just been advised by our cabinet hardware dealer to NEVER use ammonia based products on polished nickel. Some plumbing manufacturer's bond a clear sealer to polished nickel (and other metal finishes) to protect it. Ammonia will cause tarnishing, whether it is sealed or not. Alcohol is not advised either. There is a LOT of incorrect information on line. I even saw a recommendation to use a brush to clean polished nickel. Always check your product's care and cleaning recommendations. This is from Rohl, a luxury plumbing fixture company: https://houseofrohl.com/rohl/support/care-and-cleaning/ Here's another hack: never use ammonia based products to clean your mirrors. The ammonia will begin to eat away at the "silver" mirror finish on the back of the glass and your mirror will begin to appear as though it's deteriorating around the edges. Which, it is. Hope this information is helpful!

I agree with what Azzalea said about maintaining privacy for ALL of your guests. Since we already now know who it is and you ask for advice I would say to treat him just as any other guest. Doing that may of course include doing something special for any and all guests to make their stay more comfortable. I am sure you go out of your way for all your guests who may have different needs. That is one of the things that make a stay at a B&B so pleasant over a stay at a chain hotel. You may want to stock some typical British foods like jams and biscuits or make afternoon tea available for all guests during his stay. He may wish to enjoy the American experience but some things like afternoon teatime are hard to give up. One of the things that people miss when traveling is their favorite foods and they don't care to eat "strange" foods the whole vacations. *If anyone has the chance read his autobiography. It is quite interesting. He actually failed his entrance exams to grammar school. He dropped out of high school at the age of 15y/o and went to work as a printer. Very similar to how Einstein failed math in third grade and was told he would never amount to anything by his teacher. Who's having the last laugh now? He has been knighted. And of course as we know, he jointly received (with Paul C. Lauterbur d. 2007) the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine.