These do fry up great. But some canning tips we discovered between batch 1 and batch 2. Batch 1 was mixed reds and yukons, aged 30 days from our garden, cut with the large size FF cutter and all the pieces packed - unfortunately over packed in the jars. Ended up with fair amount of mushy potatoes and many broke during processing. When opened, drained, rinsed and fried they were great but about 1/3 of the quart were broken into smaller pieces and so wasted. Batch 2 was with store-bought Russets that had been matured well for several months in storage. Peeled, cut with FF cutter but this time we didn't include the slivers, edges, and small ends that the cutter leaves. Just the best fries pieces. And the jars were more loosely packed too. They processed great. No mush, no breaking, just several quart jars of nice looking french fries suspended in clear hot water with a bit of salt added. They fry up a nice golden brown, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Definitely worth doing but with home-grown potatoes we suggest Russets and only after storage for a couple of months. Hope this info helps. Dave

Angelaid, would it help to retrofit your lower storage to rollout tray shelves? The cupboards would hold a little less but it would be a lot easier to get at what you have. Definitely get rid of the Fry Daddy since storage is out. Maybe you can rearrange the contents of your cupboards and baking rack so that the only things that are downstairs are once a year kinds of things that you can take up and down in stages and at leisure, and more regular things, like the roaster, even though it's big, can live in the kitchen. Maybe even keep a small table or basket by the stairs on each level for things that are going up or down. I do that and it works well for me. For frozen things going down to the big freezer I leave a nylon tote bag there to remind me to take them. I'd keep all the "discards" for at least a year, though, to make sure I really didn't want them anymore. Whenever I don't do that, I get rid of something I end up wanting. DC, good idea about the rice noodles. I have them. :) It won't get me to put away the thermometer, but definitely easier to use. :)

1. Please tell us a little about your gardening style, if you garden for sun, shade, water(pond), or other. ** I HAVE SUN AND SHADE, WOULD LOVE FOR A POND BUT DONT HAVE THE SPACE** 2. What type of plants do you have for trade? ** I AM NEW AT THE GARDENING THING SO I DONT HAVE ANY PLANTS, I HAVE ALOT OF SEEDS AND IM ALWAYS COLLECTING MORE** 3. What types of plants are you looking to add to you gardens? ** ANYTHING THAT IS VIBRANT, COLORFUL AND UNIQUE.** 4. Do you grow from seed? **ABSOLUTLEY, ACTUALLY ALMOST EVERYTHING I HAVE IS FROM SEED** 5. Do you grow vegetables as well as flowering plants? ** NOT ALOT BUT I WILL TRY A FEW THIS YEAR, ID LOVE TO GROW PUMPKINS FOR MY KIDS BUT DONT HAVE THE ROOM.** 6. Is there a particular type plant you are looking for? **ANYTHING COLORFUL AND UNIQUE, ID LOVE TO SEE IF I COULD GROW ORCHIDS AND THAT BEAUTIFUL CHRISMA AMRYILLIS SUE HAS ON COMMENTS.** 7. Is there a particular type of plant that you do not care to receive? **NOTHING INVASIVE, NOTHING THAT CLIMBS, NOTHING THAT ATTRACTS ALOT OF BEES, NO HOSTAS.** 8. Are you into houseplants? **SOME, I LOVE ORCHIDS.** 9. Outside of gardening, do you collect anything special? **PRECIOUS MOMENTS FIGURES, ANGELS, BUTTERFLIES, PHOTO FRAMES OF ANY KIND.** 10. Do you like garden junk/decor? **SOME THINGS, DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS AND HOW BIG IT IS** 11. Tell us a little bit about your family - are you married, children/grandchildren? at home? ** I AM ENGAGED IVE BEEN WITH MY FIANCE FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS, WE HAVE 2 CHILDREN-- A GIRL (ANGEL)-4YRS OLD, & A BOY (CAMERON)-ALSO 4YRS OLD. NONE TOGETHER YET BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL FOR ONE OR TWO IN THE FUTURE!!** 12. Any pets? **WE HAVE AN AWESOME KITTY-(CUDDLEBUG) 1YR OLD, WE RESCUED HIM FROM AN ABUSIVE HOUSEAND A TURTLE WITH 3 LEGS WE FOUND ON A NATURE WALK AT OUR OLD HOME (MOMMA)- AGE UNKNOWN.** 13. Aside from gardening, share a little bit about your hobbies.** I LOVE SCRAPBOOKING AND CRAFTS. PHOTOS OF FAMILY AND MEMORIES ARE MY LIFE!! I LOVE TO TAKE OUR KIDS TO HOME DEPOT ON SATURDAYS, THEY HAVE A WORKSHOP WHERE THE KIDS GET TO BUILD THINGS SO WE DO THAT TOGETHER. ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH FUN AND MY FAMILY IM IN!! ** 14. Types of books/mags you enjoy? **ANY KIND HOME IMPROVEMENT, CRAFTING, BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, RECIPIES, MARTHA STEWART, ETC. ** 15. What colors are your kitchen? **ITS NOT MY KITCHEN BUT THE ONE I HAD WAS BUTTERFLIES AND PASTELS. ** 16. What is your favorite scent(s)? ** I LOVE LILAC, LAVANDER, SOFT FLORALS, FRUITY, BODY BY VICTORIA & VERY SEXY ARE MY FAVORITE PERFUMES ** 17. Do you enjoy receiving food? Coffee, Tea? Any restrictions? ** I LOVE TEA OF ALL KINDS EXCEPT PEACH, NO COFFEE AND NO CHOCOLATE, LOVE ANYTHING STRAWBERRY. ** 18. What size gloves do you wear? ** SMALL** 19. Finally, share with us a little bit about yourself... ** I AM 31, IVE BEEN WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE/SOULMATE FOR 4 YRS NOW, WE WERE WELL ON OUR WAY TO STARTIING OUR LIVES, WE OWNED OUR OWN COMPANY, NEW HOME, GREAT KIDS & TRYING FOR ONE TOGETHER, THEN THE ECONOMY FELL AND WE LOST OUR COMPANY AND OUR HOME. SO WE NOW LIVE WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, WE ARE TRYING TO GET OURSELVES BACK UP ON OUR FEET AND START OUR BUSINESS AGAIN, ITS VERY HARD STARTING FROM SCRATCH AGAIN BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAS HAPPENED WE HAVENT LOST OUR FAITH IN THE LORD AND THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME DOING THINGS WITH MY FAMILY AND TRYING TO BE THE BEST MOMMY AND COMPANION I CAN BE. I TRY TO RAISE MY KIDS WITH GOOD MORALS AND VALUES AND TRY TO DO BETTER FOR MY KIDS THEN I HAD. I AM TRULY BLESSED BY THE LORD TO HAVE SUCH A TERRIFIC FAMILY AND I THANK HIM EVERYDAY FOR THE WONDERFUL LIFE HE HAS BESTOED UPON ME!!! **

No, they don't recommend it on the box. What, my recommendation isn't to be trusted, eld? ;) The Trader Joe's pannettone has a paper wrapper over it. I wanted a crisp crust instead of a soft crust so I popped it into the toaster oven for about 3 minutes. I like using left-over ciabatta for French toast. Cut it thick and let it soak in the eggs and milk for awhile and fry it over low heat so it doesn't get too brown before the egg mixture cooks through. It becomes custard-like. https://www.thekitchn.com/ciabatta-french-toast-from-tri-132303