Botulism isn't really a concern with high acid foods like jams and jellies and pickles. The primary concern is molds and yeast. Full sugar jams and jellies will easily store well in the fridge for several months. Low-sugar ones don't store as long. If there are no signs of any mold growth then it is likely fine to eat. Flavor may have degraded but safety isn't a real issue with it. Dave

I'm 'anal' about organizing...to the point where I labled the thread in my sewing box so I could find the color I wanted by looking at the top of the spool! My laundry routine is one I've used forever-and I never had to worry about never being able to keep up. My SIL has MOUNTAINS in her laundry room-she hasn't seen the floor in 10 years, I kid you not. Everyone had their own hamper and basket. Every couple days dirty laundry is brought to the LR where I have 6 hampers-one each for whites, towels, sheets/blankets, jeans and grubby work clothes, and two for colored clothes-light & dark. Clothes from the baskets get sorted into the hampers and then anyone can do a load. The routine goes like this-start a load when I get home from work. While dinner is cooking, I can fold up the load that is in the dryer. As the items are folded, they're put into the empty baskets left in the LR. Towels & sheets have their own basket. I also have one big hamper that all the socks go into...I HATE folding socks, so everyone would pick thru the basket for socks, or every once in a while, someone would fold socks while watching TV. Everyone would then be responsible for putting away their basket of clothes so the cycle could begin again. Every night before bed, the washer would be emptied into the dryer and started before bed. If you don't over load the dryer, you won't get wrinkled clothes. This cycle repeats daily. On weekends, I can catch up with towels & sheets. Every night before bed I load the dishwasher and start it. In the morning while coffee is being made, I empty it. Because we have 3 dogs and 4 cats, we sweep daily. Once a week I sweep under the furniture (can get a full dog worth of hair that way) and mop the floors-we don't have carpeting, so it is easier to keep up with the fur. I use the master bathroom-DH uses the main bath-so he is motivated to keep it clean because his customers occasionally need to use the bathroom! My bathroom is neat because I'm so obsessive about organizing-baskets or holders for everything-and I group like for like. I HATE cords hanging around, so I make sure to put appliances away in their baskets when I'm done. I set up a mail station in our garage (where we enter from). DH puts it in a basket, and I sort it right there when I come home from work. There's a recycle bin next to the kitchen door-items I don't need to shred go in there immediately, the rest into my office where they're either shredded right away or put into the bill organizer (also labled action needed, not paid yet, to read, to file). Once paid, they're shredded (I pay on line so I can track it thru my bank). I will admit that I am horrible at filing-so I have a cute picnic basket that I use to hold things that will need to be filed. I keep receipts in another basket and every couple months I sort thru it for filing or tossing. I dust as infrequently as I possibly can-I DETEST dusting. When i see too many cobwebs is when I dust. Lol. Same with window washing-just doesn't get done. Our biggest problem is the kitchen table-it tends to be my dumping ground/staging area. So I bought myself some little handled tubs that I sort thing in to and every couple days I bring the tubs to the appropriate places and put the stuff away. I also keep a basket on the kitchen counter next to the door for things that go outside or that I need to put in my truck. I'd love to say that I live in a model home-but the reality is that I live with a slob husband and a lot of shedding creatures. But I can honestly say that my house is at least presentable. You might trip over a few pairs of shoes or see coats draped over chairs (my pet peeve) but I'm never embarrassed to have drop in guests.

Sushipup-- I am no better or worse at present and continue to search for the cause of my discomfort--severe burning pain in any muscle used even for light work. I am now in the allergy testing phase and the doctor suspects metformin, a diabetes medication. I follower the gluten free diet faithfully because I wanted to either confirm or deny the diagnosis. When I found the GF chicken in BJ's I was thrilled because the diet is so restrictive and also because I am the pickiest eater in the world and hate most of the allowed foods on the diet. I immediately emailed my local celiac disease club of my find and I hope it helped the members to find an easy source of a quick and tasty meat. Nancy

I store mine on the kitchen counter, but I eat them fast, so not for long. From Ehow.com: 1.Keep sweet potatoes in a dark cupboard or a cool room, like the basement or the garage. 2. Avoid storing sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. The cold temperature in the refrigerator will start to turn the starch in the potato to a sugar, causing a disagreeable taste. Although they may last longer this way, the sacrifice in flavor isn't worth it. 3. Store sweet potatoes away from onions and other produce that will encourage sprouting. 4. Keep sweet potatoes cool not cold. At room temperature, a sweet potato will only last for about a week; however, if you drop the temperature a few degrees, it will keep for a month. 5. Avoid moisture. Moisture is the enemy of stored sweet potatoes, so keep them dry. One of the worst things you can do is keep sweet potatoes in a sealed, plastic grocery bag with no air flow. The mesh or perforated bags potatoes are usually sold in allow some air flow, so don't sabotage the the suppliers' efforts by sticking your sweet potatoes in a plastic bag that will seal in moisture and encourage decay.This goes for cleaning sweet potatoes too. Never rinse the potatoes until you're ready to use them. Instead, tidy them up by rubbing or whisking them with a soft, dry brush or sponge. 6. Handle sweet potatoes carefully. They may look sturdy, but their skins are thin and delicate, so handle them with care.