Well, I'm interested in knowing what kind of tomatoes, too! Heehee! You're so lucky. Your location (Ozarks or close to), your rural habitat, lots of native plants, woodlands, water, etc., are all conducive to having lots of butterflies that we city folk don't get. I have worked on my butterfly garden for 10 years, and just in the last 3 or 4, have gotten what I consider to be a good population of species here. My neighbors may yet condemn my property because it is rather untidy, but intentionally so, cuz my garden is a haven and a nursery for the adults and their offspring. That's why I also attract lots of other things like birds, especially hummingbirds, and I intend to get back into the birding in the winter because it is great to have something to do during that time. Oddly enough, I get lots of dragonflies and damselflies, too, which aren't often seen in the city. Maybe it's because I water so often. I have a very small space limited to my front yard, so water doesn't usually become a financial issue. A small yard filled with butterfly hosts and nectar plants is also why I have to grow my tomatos in containers, LOL! I line them up on the side of my driveway which is the only available place for them. When the tomatoes and such are doing badly in this heat, my butterflies, hummingbirds, and other things, are really faring well. Keeps me busy and entertained. Keep sharing your beautiful images with us. We are certainly enjoying your contributions to the forum. Susan

Dave, thanks for the recipes link. Carol, I'm just guessing about not lasting another year on the shelf, since the sauce started to turn from a yellow color to a darker color a few months ago. Last year was my first time canning Old-Fashioned Limbertwig applesauce, and I'm not sure how long it will keep before it goes bad. Considering that it tastes more like lemon sauce than applesauce, it probably will last for years due to all the acid. It was bad advice that I use that variety. I was told that it makes good applesauce, and it does indeed cook down very quickly into a thick sauce that tastes pretty good when fresh. However, age it a few weeks and the taste changes. However, the main problem is space for all of the canning jars. Hundreds of full canning jars everywhere with various vegetables, pickles, etc. stacked in corners, closets, under beds, under the kitchen table, etc. Now that the Gravensteins are starting to ripen, we'll be canning more applesauce soon, and I'd prefer that the older sauce doesn't go bad while forgotten somewhere, as I know nobody will eat it as plain applesauce when we have the "good" applesauce available again. And we can always use the emptied jars. Sorry about rambling. Being crowded with canning jars is better than starving, I suppose.

Today I had some of Mom's Spanish Bar cake that I had asked her to make - the same recipe Nancy made above. It was pretty darn close to what I remember the A&P Spanish Bar tasted like. It was moist, spicy, and delicious. The glaze was good (mainly because I don't like heavy, thick frosting on cake) but it wasn't the same frosting/icing that the A&P made for their Bar. My sister suggested the recipe for the filling that goes between oatmeal cookies and whoopee pies? But that is usually made with shortening and I don't know if I can face that. Just the thought of shortening lately makes me feel nauseous. LOL! It's funny, but my sister didn't remember the cake until I told her about the icing on top and the ridged decoration that was done to the top of the cake. She's 4 years younger than I am. Teresa

Jeeze....I mis-read your post and was about to answer..."Bottle or otherwise!" ;Q I wouldn't like raisins in blondies...I like pecans, walnute or chocolate chips....raisins are in applesauce bars or oatmeal cookies....just my prejudice! Linda C