I'm very happy with solitary canning. It's kind of a Zen interval. I grew up in a canning family (though now I cringe at some of the unsafe methods). I was one of the "canning serfs" which means kids did the peeling, pitting, all the labor of preparation, but never actually made jelly (which my step-mother was wonderful at) or canned pickles or fruits or green beans themselves. But everyone canned. And even now, many of my relatives and in-laws and people around town at least make pickles or freezer jam or venison sausage or something. So if there isn't the intensity of the old-time canning, there's still a respect and understanding of it as an important adjunct to daily life. People here never question the value of home food preservation or gardening. They admire it. My home town has a population of Old Believer Russians who pickle and can. They're traditional. I doubt they've read a Ball Blue Book in their lives. But they consider food preservation integral, as do the Mennonites. My DH comes from a family which survived for a number of years (following their father's injury) on salmon, venison, all the veggies from their garden, so he's the pressure-canner expert. I learned pressure-canning from him since my family didn't hunt and didn't can meat. We butchered and froze meat and made soap, which is another aspect of home preservation. Since DH's disabled and can't stand on his feet for long periods, I can on my own. But I don't mind it at all. Canning is peaceful. He's proud of my skills and if he can't assist physically, I always feel he's "in my corner" so-to-speak. He never doubts the value of what I do, praises my preserves and appreciates my salsa. He's also the person I turn to whenever I have a PC question because as a chemical technician he spent years working with steam boilers and such. I feel very fortunate. I live in an area where pressure canners and jars are easily available every canning season. Now that it's just two of us I have more supplies than I need. And even if my neighbors don't preserve foods themselves, they understand and appreciate what I do. Here I'm not an oddball. I'm a guru. Carol

Well, I just got Vic good. I found her on ebay and wouldn't tell her WHO I was and made her guess. By golly she got it right too, first try! Ain't SHE a smart cookie? Well played Ms. Vic! Now who's a smarty? HEHE Vic you asked me how SO was doing on the smoking he has not had an actual cig. since Nov 12. BUT he is using the Nicorette gum. I hope he can really quit this time. This is the longest I have known him to go without one, and NOT breaking down and getting one. We also found out yesterday at a follow up visit to his reg. Doc. that he DID in fact have a mild heart attack. She said they where not SURE WHEN it happened but it shows up that it did. Well WE know for a FACT that is the day (Nov. 12) it happened because he had never experienced anything like the pain before and he also hurt in his chest for almost a week afterwards. He had just had some test a few months before to look to see what if anything build up was there and at that time there were so signs of a heart attack. So YES the 12th IS when it happened. I am just glad is wasn't severe and he made it home from where he was and we were able to get him to the hospital. So, yes I was sort of freaking after we heard the news and still am a little, I haven't been able to sit down an calmly talk to him about our future and what he needs to do now to take care of himself and make sure it doesn't happen again. However, when I think I can talk without breaking down we will be discussing some options, and what-if's in case there is a next time. WHICH I HOPE there isn't, but we do have to talk about it at any rate. ANYWAY, Bunny, I still haven't gotten my act together... I promise I will. It maybe a little late, but I will get your 'prize' out to you. I feel like such a slacker! I'm sorry. Kym has her hands full with all her Secret Santa swap stuff, but I can tell you her kids ages are girl 16 and boy 14! I have insight...hehe, actually I have her questionnaire...HEHE, that is cheating now ain't it? Ok, ladies I will tell you. I will be posting a game in the next week or maybe 2. When I decide what the prize will be and then I will post something. I have to decide what the prize will be before hand and then I have to decide what I want the game to be! Something hard or something that can be found online! Well, I am either going to turn in or go play a game, it depends on how heavy my eyelids get in the next 30 min. or so. :) Fran

Brad - I bet the cookies and tea are a big hit.... What's not to like! If you are a big fan of shortcut recipes, which are recipes that include a cake or brownie mix, refrigerated cookie dough or ready-to-eat cereal as time-saving ingredients, you would enjoy a copy of "The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book" by Camilla V. Saulsbury. The author was the winner of the Food Network's "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" Best Cookie Recipe and the book has over 800 recipes for cookies, bars, biscotti, brownies, desserts and special treats. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book

For years, I packed lunches for myself, DH and kids about 4X a week. When they were playing sports, it was often the main meal of the day. We used small soft sided insulated lunch bags with food in generic plastic containers. DH and I had lidded Corningware soup mugs we could heat in a microwave. I still had a document on my computer that I posted on the CF about 10 years ago so here are some of the lunches we had in those days. In addition, we'd have some type of fruit or dessert but they're not included. -Margarita scallop salad (grilled scallops w/a corn salad) -Grilled portabella and eggplant salad w/sesame ginger dressing -Hummus w/pita triangles and a Greek salad (and sometimes a grilled stuffed kibbee with it) -Ham and cheese on mini-bagels with chicken rice soup -Tomato and mozzarella salad with a couple of slices of French bread and some salami -Tomato stuffed with chicken salad, crackers -Baked chicken breast, baby carrots and sugar snap peas with dip -Caponata and some slices of smoked provolone -A fruit and cheese platter with rolled up slices of ham and turkey and assorted crackers -Shrimp and asparagus salad with mustard-dill dressing, bread soldiers -Cream cheese, blue cheese, horseradish and dried beef spread with garlic melba rounds, pepper cabbage -Cold salmon with a container of yogurt, cucumber and mint sauce and green beans cooked with tomatoes and onions -What we call Italian tuna salad (tuna, little cubes of tomato and onion, mixed with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar), thin slices of French bread -Stuffed onions or eggplant or zucchini (good use for leftover meat) and marinated mushrooms -Shrimp and corn salad with mini corn muffins -An avocado stuffed with crabmeat salad with breadsticks -Barley salad topped with sliced London broil steak -Gingered carrot soup with cucumber and onion sandwiches