Meatloaf in a jar

A reader in Australia named Santina is teaching herself to can. She wrote: "I'm in Australia and canning isn't as widely used as it is in the US. I had a friend help me get started but once I got the pressure canner I exceeded her expertise."

Santina wanted to can -- meatloaf! Her question for me was whether or not Worcester sauce could be used in the recipe (answer: yes), and I sent her a list of canning no-no's from my FAQ ebook on the subject.

Bottom line, she canned up 14 pints of meatload and sent me some photos of her success. From her description, it sounds like she did everything right -- including leaving out the breadcrumbs since flour products shouldn't be canned.

(Click on the photos to enlarge them slightly, though the text will still be pretty small.)

I just love it when people make their own canning adventures, as long as they stay within the bounds of safe canning procedures. Congrats, Santina!

How cool is it that people literally on opposite sides of the globe can exchange canning tips? Ain't the internet sweet?

Roaringly funny

Supposedly these are questions posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials. I can't confirm if this is true, but from what I've heard about Australian humor, it wouldn't surprise me.

Don't drink anything while you're reading these, I don't want you spewing over your keyboard.
_____________________________

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK )

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
_____________________________

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )

A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
_____________________________

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )

A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
_____________________________

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay ? (UK)

A: What did your last slave die of?
_____________________________

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? ( USA )

A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not... Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
_____________________________

Q: Which direction is North in Australia ? (USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
_____________________________

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do...
_____________________________

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is... Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
_____________________________

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia ? ( UK )
A: You are a British politician, right?
_____________________________

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
_____________________________

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from.
All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
_____________________________

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )

A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
_____________________________

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ? ( USA )

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
_____________________________

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )

A: Only at Christmas.
_____________________________

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )

A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.

Australian Bushfires

I've been in touch with the editor of an Australian homeschooling magazine who will be printing some of my articles. We were emailing back and forth when suddenly an ominous silence descended on our communications - about the time the Australian bushfires were raging.

Concerned, I sent the following email: "You guys okay over there with all the bushfires? I haven't heard from you since sending the revised articles and photos on 2/10. I'm getting paranoid because we've been following the fires with great agitation. Are you safe?"

To my great distress, I got the following email back:

"Yes - I am safe. It has been an incredibly emotion filled week - we are all in shock. It is our neighborhood that has been destroyed. We have been frantically trying to make sure all our home-ed families are safe and to date they are. Two lost their homes and one is the only home left standing along her country road. As you can imagine, hugs abound and tears are never far away. The appalling loss of life is just starting to infiltrate into our daily lives. My friend went down to the pet store yesterday only to find it closed with a sign on the door that the owners and their family had perished in the fire. She ended up sobbing on the pavement.

It will be a long time before people can get back on their feet after this but I have no doubt they will. There is an overwhelming outpouring of support for those affected and we will just keep on holding their hands until they can stand for themselves."

Words can't even begin to describe the anger I feel at the scum who started these fires.