Culinary Update

My  bumper crop was yellow crookneck squash, and I canned 24 quarts. In the summer, I was eating it crispy, just lightly steamed. .When something is canned, however, it's cooked for a long while at high temperatures. With yellow squash, that changes the consistency, and brings out different flavors. The bottom line is that I really like this canned squash, which is good because there's so much of it. It's softer and sweeter, with a taste like baked pumpkin. It reminds me of how my mother cooked vegetables-the old German way.

I also use my pressure canner as a pressure cooker, and just did a pork roast. I braised it, added onion, oregano, red wine, salt and pepper, and then cooked it under pressure for 45 minutes. It turned out very nicely, tender and flavorful.

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On a technical note, I'm going to try and replace the DC connector in my laptop. It's a bit of a stretch, and involves taking apart the laptop, desoldering the bad connector and soldering in a replacement.  I think I can do it, if I'm careful and methodical.

More Casting

I cast some more pieces, using both store-bought slip and my own slip, and both types seem to have the same characteristics. This means that I am mixing my own slip properly, and getting the specific gravity and viscosity right. I also want to see how the color turns out on the premixed slip, because I want a  finished product that is more red. I can add iron to the slip if this is still not the right color..