Cindee, I am not really good at posting pictures yet. I hope this works. This is something I made for your swap. I don't know how you want to either give it away or what but it is yours to do whatever you want. The plants inside are called "Cryptanthus" or Pink Starlite. [URL=http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/JardineraFloridana/swapgift-5.jpg][IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/JardineraFloridana/th_swapgift-5.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/JardineraFloridana/swapgift-3.jpg][IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/JardineraFloridana/th_swapgift-3.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/JardineraFloridana/swapgift.jpg][IMG]http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/JardineraFloridana/th_swapgift.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Hope the pictures get attached. Susana

Sorry but all salsa is cooked to some degree. It is the method of preserving it that is in question. If you plan to can it (process it as a vacuum sealed food in a jar) then you'll encounter several problems with pH (given your list of ingredients) as well as density issues that will make computing the required amount of added acid and the processing time difficult. By including all those low acid vegetables it would have to be pressure canned rather than BWB canned and most states will not allow the sale of pressure canned foods to the public without an inspected and certified kitchen and license. So be sure to check local requirements before investing much time or money into it. They will likely require lab testing and certification. Salsa is considered especially risky for food poisoning concerns because of all its low acid ingredients. For that reason making up your own recipe rather than using already tested and approved ones is strongly discouraged. The article linked below explains some of the issues in more detail. Of course if you can develop a recipe for a frozen salsa then many of the safety concerns are voided. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Burning Issues - Canning your own salsa recipe

Oooh! Ecks, that looks lovely! How is the new kitchen working? Maybe we should start a thread in Conversations for weekly menus?

Sharon, I agree, I like the appetizers better than the meals, sometimes. It gives me a chance to have a bite of this and that, a little bit of everything and still have room for a sweet! Love appetizers.... I make these and fill them with hot pepper jelly, but a dab of herb flavored cream cheese is nice with a dab of fig jelly too. I use the small end of a melon baller to make the indentations, but a spoon works too. My mother likes them with no filling at all, just left as cheese crackers. It's a little fancier version of the block of cream cheese with hot pepper jelly over top. Savory Cheddar and Jalapeno Jelly Cookies from Rick Rodgers Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup jalapeno jelly, or sub apple butter or chutney Place cheese and butter in a food processor (could be creamed by hand or mixer); add flour and process until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather up the dough and divide into two flat disks. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until chilled, about 45 minutes. Position two racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Line to baking sheets with parchment or use nonstick sheets. Using 1 teaspoon dough for each, roll the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or 1/2-inch-thick dowel, poke an indentation in each cookie. Place the jelly in a small plastic bag and force it down into one corner. Snip off the corner of the bag to make a small hole. Pipe the jelly into the indentations. Return to the oven and bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the tops are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Palmiers made with puff pastry are nice too, and can be filled with cheese, herbs, meat, whatever. Tiny puffs made of pate choux are nice filled with seafood salad or tiny shrimp, and Sharon's gougere are always welcomed here. I'm making pimento cheese and hummus, as well as pickles, olives, sausages and a selection of crackers. Annie