I have probably a bushel of mixed tomatoes (mostly paste types) now that market is ended. I did make slightly over 3 quarts of sauce last weekend, but next time will cook in my big Nesco roaster instead of 6qt Dutch oven so that I end up with a full canner load instead of slightly over 3 qts. I also haven't practiced with my new PC yet so just used it to BWB the quarts and it took over an hour to come to a boil on my glasstop stove, and half that to come back to a boil after putting the jars of hot sauce in. Since the PC uses so much less water, I think that it would take less time to boil, vent, and come to pressure, and definitely less time to process compared to BWBing quarts. I'm not sure I want more sauce, was thinking after I practice with the PC and colored water, just PCing whole or crushed tomatoes. But wondering if taste is better using lower pressure and longer time, or higher pressure and shorter time?

Without knowing which salsa recipe you used - and hopefully it was one approved for canning - it is difficult to identify what the problem may be. Could you post the recipe please or link to it? But it is true that some spices can intensity or even turn bitter during shelf storage. That is especially true for fresh spices vs. dried. Yes you can adjust some flavors after opening the jars. Sometimes a bit of sugar will off-set bitterness. Dave

I've been drinking decaf for years now. If I combine caffeine and sugar, I get "the shakes." So a typical breakfast of coffee & a sweet roll would do me in. But the real reason I swtiched to decaf was because of tinnitus. Too much caffeine results in weird crackling noises in my ears. That said, I've tried all kinds of brands available in grocery stores. I like dark blends the best, and they are hard to find, especially in whole beans. I've found a good independent coffe house fairly close by that sells wonderful freshly rosted beans, but sometimes I simply can't make it over there. So I depend on the grocery store until I can make the trip. The Dunkin Donuts was good tasting but only came in pre-ground. So it staled quickly. Peet's has a few good choices: Major Dickason's, Sumatra, and Mocca-Java. Most of the time, however, they, too, are pre-ground. Starbucks Sumatra and Caffe Verona aren't too bad either. I've also used the Trader Joe's French Roast and Columbian. (I combined them to make a strong, bolder taste.) Maybe ordering online would be worth looking into. Then I wouldn't have to worry about getting to the local coffee house or making sure I stop at Safeway because it's the only store that carries whole bean Starbucks Sumatra.

"I do think we are exposed to so many visuals these days that it's not hard to be influenced, want something different, or to begin to feel like what you have is looking rather dated or dowdy." I'll agree with that 100%, at least about the first part of your statement. What also happens, I think, is that you see something completely new to you, in a shelter magazine or on a blog or here on this forum, and suddenly, you, too, want to own A Whatever or paint a bathroom in Whatever. This has happened to me so many times. pal's example of Robshaw comes to mind. I first saw a bedspread in a book, and I immediately coveted it. I'd never heard of John Robshaw before; all of a sudden, though, it seemed his textiles were in every issue of every magazine that came into my house. I realized, after seeing pictures of his own place, that I really didn't want to decorate much in his style: what I REALLY REALLY want is that first bedspread. That particular fabric seems not to be produced now, and I probably won't ever be able to get it. But I might end up with some other fabric of his on a bed. It might seem like I'm following a popular trend/designer, when in fact I really like some of his textiles. To the extent that having a Robshaw textile on a bed is a trend, it's undoubtedly because I'm hardly the only person to see an example, like it, and want it. As for things looking dated or dowdy, I could not give one whit what anyone else thinks of my stuff. However, and it's a big "however," when you regularly see new or updated things, I think you do begin to look at your own things with new eyes. When you do that, sometimes your things don't hold up well in such comparisons; sometimes, you've become exposed to different versions of what you have. These versions may be more expensive, better designed, or of different materials, or just plain different. "I'm thinking of painting my powder room gray. I've never been a gray person. Didn't care for it much at first. But I've seen it so often now that I've grown to like it. A lot. I'm not sure how much gray I could live with but I am glad I've come to appreciate something new. Will it be a love that lasts or that I could live with forever? Who knows. " I know what you mean. I don't want to live in gray rooms, with gray furnishings; it's not a neutral I'd ordinarily find pleasing. However, we have a couple of stone walls and stone floors, and their main color is gray. In one room, I'm actually considering a gray trim to match the walls. I don't think of myself as someone who would ever slavishly or blindly follows trends, but I can't say I'd have considered gray as a trim color if it were not for this popular craze for gray. Anyway, except for the person who starts what becomes a trend, isn't everyone else a follower? :)