Safaribabe, even my Grandma gave up paraffin, although it was widely used many years ago. I do know some older canners who still use paraffin and can manage to actually get a seal, but it's messy, it ruins a pan, I've caught paraffin on fire. It's hot and liquid melted wax (especially with children around), and if you get a single bubble or leak, your jam molds. It's way easier to slap a lid and ring on that jar and put it in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and not chance ruining your jam after you've spent all your time and money on making it. As for that jam, I'd slice 2 cups of rhubarb and 4 cups of apricots, add sugar to equal the amount of fruit. Stir and let the mix macerate, then take a couple of lemons, squeeze the juice into the fruit, strain out the seeds, then toss the lemon rind right into the pot. Cook to jell point (somewhere around 218 to 220, depending on your altitude). I check mine by dabbing a bit of jam on a frozen saucer, put it back in the freezer for a minute, then check for thickness. When it's thick enough, put it into clean jars, add hot lids and waterbath for 10 minutes. It sounds yummy, apricots and rhubarb. I've only used peaches for jam with rhubarb, but that would be very similar. If you want to use pectin, like sure-jell, I'd probably use one of the zillion strawberry-rhubarb recipes, but sub spricots for the strawberries. Annie

>grow and eat a lot of "pumpkins" --- it seems to be the vegetable of choice, in fact. I am dying to know what a Botswana pumpkin is --- Pumpkins are eaten throughout Africa, Zabby. In the southern part of the continent, the pumpkins are most often what are locally called "calabaza", which is a small, white, sweet pumpkin. Butternut squash actually substitutes for it better than any of our "pumpkins." As in: South African Pumpkin Fritters 5 cups cooked calabaza (or butternut) 2 cups grated raw calabaza (or butternut) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup flour 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of salt 1 egg, lightly beaten Oil for deep frying Cinnamon sugar, for dusting Put the cooked pumpkin in a mixing bowl, mash it with a fork, and set aside. Blanch the grated pumpkin by briefly dipping in boiling water. Drain it and add to the mashed pumpkin. Add the baking powder, flour, ground cinnamon, salt and egg to the mixture and beat until it is smooth. Heat oil for deep frying (375F). When hot, drop the batter, a tablespoonful at at time. Be careful not to place too many in the oil at once. ook the fritters until golden brown on each side, turning once. Drain on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Serve warm. Variation: Add a pinch of lemon zest, a grating of nutmeg, and a tbls sugar to the batter before frying. >I once heard that the cans of pumpkin in the grocery store was actually winter squash - butternut, in fact. Most cans merely say "pumpkin" nowadays. But the most often used squash for canning actually are Hubbards, with Cushaws running a close second. Butternuts are considered by most canners to be too small to fuss with.

A lot depends on for what events/contingencies you're preparing. Some of the list is humorous. "Big dogs"? Kind of goes with goats & chickens? Liquor for bribes! And seeds? Probably should include an alternate mate to repopulate the world! LOL Ease up folks, some of it clearly was for entertainment purposes. But there are basic items I can't excuse people for not having in stock. If you don't have a supply of batteries in your refrigerator drawer, purchased when free or cheap, you deserve to suffer during a power outage. Again I endorse the crank flashlights/radios (until analog radio is turned off of course). I would suggest going with propane for lantern and stove fuel rather than the white gas ("Coleman" type) fuels. That stuff is explosive. If you doubt it, take a tablespoon and throw it on a campfire sometime. But be back a ways when you do it. A 20# propane tank can have splitters on it to run multiple lanterns and a stove, even a heater, much more safely than the white gas. Heavy garbage bags make excellent makeshift raingear. And don't forget about firestarters. If you're talking emergency situations, I'd suggest waterproof matches. Make your own by dipping the wooden matches in paraffin wax. Firestarters are many different kinds. Save some dryer lint. Works great. Keep it in a coffee can. Dip some cotton string in paraffin wax. Some books of matches waterproofed (with? yes, paraffin) works too and even the end pieces from candles you use in the house at holidays. A hatchet is a good idea to keep handy too. Essentially, camping fans will do fine in a lot of emergencies. Other cooking sources are your propane grill, kettle grill if you have charcoal and starters. A good alternative to thermal underwear is sweatpants and shirts. Even southerners often have these. Depending on the clothes sizes you can put a pair under and over a pair of jeans. Or the flannel lounging pants under and sweats over them. A few cans of waterproofing spray like Scotchguard will help keep them and you dry. Another little camping tip. Oh, and instead of a dedicated toilet, a portable toilet is made easily from a 5 gal pail, seat if you want to get fancy or even a folding camp stool or a lawn chair! A camp shovel and squat will work too. And if truly an emergency, modesty goes out the window. Fasten the toilet seat to the 5 gal pail and you won't have to argue about who left the seat up! :) Wire clothes hangers can be versitile tools. Use them to make your own lantern hangers, repairs, tie things together, and you can even hang clothes! (To dry and more.) Can also be used as a weapon to beat off people trying to steal your rats, chickens, goats and big dogs! ;) Personally, I think I would use duct tape instead of stockpiling screen patching but the idea of all of these suggestions is to get you thinking. I really think that doing some research on camping tips and tricks would be of great benefit to a lot of people. I live a rather modest life, austere to the view of many. But when the power was out for a week here the last time, I survived quite well. Comfortably under the circumstances and even had some luxuries that many others didn't. I had tv, radio, light, food, water, telephone... Not a huge disaster compared to some, but being prepared not just with supplies, but also in a state of mind. My last suggestion. On these ideas, why not put together a 3 ring binder or something with lists of what to do in certain situations? For instance, power outage, turn off as many breakers as you can, the crank flashlights are located in the hall closet, 1st aid tips, important phone numbers, insurance info, etc. Even ideas for food, crackers & PB (sans-salmonella, eat first from the frig, etc.) and how about including notes like check on the handicapped neighbor, your elderly relatives, etc. Could be helpful. Even though I disagree with some of the ideas, I do like these lists minnie_tx. Keep 'em coming. I like going through them and see how they compare to my checklists and I get ideas from most all of them. I appreciate your efforts.

Sarah, I followed advice offered on this board (sorry, can't remember who!) and started using Johnny Wax (toilet bowl wax ring, available at any hardware store cheap) at ambient temperatures. It's sticky and clingy and tenacious and reasonably easy to apply I suppose that if it were slightly warmer it would go on a little easier. But even at its stickiest it's not bad. But to take a stab at your question I think "not too hot" means "not warm enough to drive out liquid from the plant tissue". Certainly you wouldn't want anything to sizzle, nor would you want to see bubbles on the pieces. I'm guessing that a baby's bath water would be a good guide, but duration is important too- a quick dip would be safer than a long soak. The use of grafting wax is optional, and if you're using parafilm or some other tape that seals well you may well choose to dispense with it. Good luck, Mark