Thanks for all replies! Long post with specific methods & ingredients below! OK, what I did was stick 13 jars on a cookie sheet in the oven at around 200-225. Then, I had the canner heating up and 3 jars in it with some water so they don't float. When simmering, I took the 3 out of the canner and dumped the water into a bowl for the lids--I already microwaved some water for 4 minutes then added the lids & added to it the water from the 3 jars to keep the lids hot. Then I filled the 3 jars, put lids & bands on, and put them into the simmering canner. Then took 2-3 more at a time from the oven and repeated until all were filled and in the canner. I understood what Ken was saying about the flat sides against each other, as well as Shirley's reply--if flat sides touched, they wouldn't curve. But I realized he meant all the flat sides facing each other, as opposed to the corners facing each other or mixed directions. I tried many different ways, thinking it was like a jigsaw puzzle and only 1 way to fit 10, but obviously newer jars only can fit 9, which is a little stupid for fairly new canners! Don't know who to blame--the canner mfr or the jar mfr. How many current pint jars fit in a Mirro brand? Zabby, Annie's Salsa was the thing I made more than anything else this year--I think 41 pints + leftovers (as opposed to 4 quarts of spaghetti sauce as an example, though still have a gallon of tomato puree frozen to use for something.) I used to go thru maybe 1-2 jars of Chi-Chi's salsa per YEAR, but Annie's is so good that I go through a pint per SITTING! I know it's subject to modification, like with the # of jalapenos, ratio of onions to peppers, etc. I have made maybe 5 batches and all came out great and I wouldn't say any 2 were identical! Some I used different types of peppers to get different heat levels, and some I used just the paste and no sauce. All turned out great. This last batch had (for a double batch) about 5 cups mix of Red Bull & Ailsa Craig white onions, about 3 cups total of an Orange Bell, a red-ripe Big Bertha huge sweet bell, 2-3 red-ripe Joe E. Parker NuMex peppers, 1 red Big Jim NuMex, 1-2 brown Eclipse NuMex, 4 red Jumbo Jals, 3 red Primavera lo-heat jals, and 2 Yellow Peru hot peppers. For the black pepper, I doubled it for the double batch, less about a teaspoon, then ground up a dried jalapeno & a dried Boldog Hungarian Spice pepper in a cheap coffee bean grinder from ebay. For a double batch, I doubled the cumin. Half cup canning salt instead of 2/3c. I used 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar and a half cup sugar--I started with a quarter but then figured after the vinegar & chipotle I added another quarter almost. For the paste & sauce, I used 30oz of paste but no sauce, but 24oz of diced tomatoes & it's juices from 1. I only had about 1/4 cup of cilantro left after chopping just the leaves, probably could have used more if I had more, though I can't stand the smell or taste of it alone. I think I realize now that my yield is always less than I expect (even after draining the heirloom tomatoes many times before measuring) because I start heating the salsa mixture before I have the jars and canner ready. I used almost a gallon of chopped tomatoes, plus added 1 drained can of diced tomatoes and 1 16oz can of diced tomatoes with the juice. I think the heating breaks down the diced tomatoes and the water evaporates, thus leaving less. I must be cooking it too long... I ended up with twelve full pints instead of 16, and maybe less than a half cup left in the pot--though the ingredients add up to over 8.5 quarts I think. Next time I'll reverse the procedure and heat the mix up after the canner & jars are ready. I had extra jars ready that I didn't need. As for the Ball Hot Chipotle seasoning, it smelled great when I opened up the packet, but I think a packet only makes like 4 pints or so, so it probably got diluted in a double batch, though it did taste great before I poured it into the jars, but can't say if that was from the Ball seasoning or my pepper assortment & fresh ground chile powder. Mark

Our footers will be dug this week but they have roped off all of the rooms and I have gone out there everyday for 2 weeks measuring it over and over again. We are building 1764 sq feet on the main floor with a bonus room over the garage that we will finish later. Not a mansion by any means, but perfect for our first home. I cried the first time I went out there, and finding this thread has given me SO much relief. I pray it continues to take shape and make more sense, because right now it looks like I could jump from one end of the house to the other. Crazy that this thread from almost 15 years ago is providing hope for me. I was only 10 years old when the first post would have been made! Thanks to all.

So great to read everyone's experiences. Mine were much the same-- however, I went to Wilson College, a small women's college in south central PA so we didn't have the advantages of the schools in the big cities-- or those in Western MA/Boston where the environment of academic excellence is unmatched (IMO). Like Sue, I didn't set out to go to a women's college. If I had, I'd probably have selected one that was in a different region and a little more focused on science/math-- however, I have NO complaints. Because women's colleges are so focused on providing opportunities to women, I had many advantages such as being able to work with my professors to design my own major, run my own lab/studies and build the kind of curriculum and experience that prepared me for graduate studies-- and, in fact, helped me to receive a full scholarship in a highly competitive PhD program. When I started college, I was pretty confident and was quite comfortable (and quick) to speak my mind. What I lacked was the maturity and compassion to use my "voice" effectively. Through the many leadership opportunities and guidance of my peers and mentors, I learned how to use my voice to not just speak out -- but to speak out in a way to educate, influence and lead others. I learned to not just identify problems but to provide solutions-- because I was a part of the solutions. These skills have been invaluable not just in my careers but in my personal relationships. I've had the opportunity to get back in touch with some of the students and professors recently as we rally to support the college, students and alumnae in facing the possibility of going coed. It has been a great reminder of what a great group of women we were... and are. We're professionals, business owners, teachers, lawyers, doctors. We're community leaders, mothers, activists, scientists and artists. We're passionate and wise and we know how to get things done. When I was first contacted about the possibility of the college going coed, I had to ask myself if attending a women's college had benefited me. I've been in male-dominated fields my entire life-- through two different career paths. Had my women's college education prepared me for that work? I wasn't sure.. until I started reconnecting with my old classmates. We are all different and have gone down very different paths-- but there's just something different about this group. I've struggled to identify it and name it (which is why I haven't posted here for a few days). These women have such a strong sense of themselves and the worlds around them -- and hokey as it sounds, they are generously and passionately committed to sharing their experiences and giving back to other women. It's been humbling.. and inspiring. And that's the other thing I gained from going to a women's college-- a great appreciation and admiration for other women. I think it's made me a better friend, sister, daughter and manager. Thanks again sharing your thoughts and experiences! I've enjoyed them all.. and best wishes to all those with daughters and loved ones heading off to school!

I am enjoying these stories. I'm another who grew up vacationing at the Jersey shore. It was a magical place so many years ago, now it is too crowded. We would spend a month in Ocean City NJ. We spent the days on the beach and most evenings on the boardwalk. A real treat was the one night each summer when we went to Wildwood to go to the boardwalk and ride the rides. Later we switched to Stone Harbor, NJ. We would also go to visit my parents' families in a little town in upstate PA and that was so much fun. There was a dairy farm nearby and we hung out there all the time. Every summer there was a carnival and we always went to that. That little town holds such great memories for me. We stopped taking vacations when my parents built a big house with a swimming pool. It was so boring. It was too far away from anything to get there on bike or foot. I just remember being bored to death all summer. As soon as I was old enough to get away on my own, I went right back to the beach and got a job working on the boardwalk. What fun! Later we took the kids to Ocean City every summer.