I blanch tomatoes or peaches before canning and usually put them into a wire basket to plunge into the large pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then have a bowl of ice water to deposit them into so I can peel them quickly. The knife to slice the skin if it didn't already split is the accepted method. The same pot is the one I use for processing the jars.

Steve, I didn't know you could make lasagna without leftovers. ;-) And a tip for the future, if you make several ahead in pans lined with foil then freeze them, you can take the foil-wrapped casseroles out of the pans and put them into plastic bags and keep them in the freezer for a really long time. When you want to eat them, put the foil-wrapped casserole back into the pan you made it in and put it in a cool oven (325^o for a really long time (hours - 3 at least). Better than trying to thaw it first. The best lasagna I've eaten in the last few months was one that had been in the freezer for about three years.

My split pea soup is a little watery because I didn't get out the recipe and was guessing. And I didn't have any celery to chop and add to it. So I'll let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days to set up and get all of those flavors working then I'll reheat in bowls in the microwave.