It's a pressure sterilizer, which is works exactly the same as a pressure canner, but this has it's own heat source. You just plug it in like you would a crock pot. No more worrying about breaking mom's glass-top stove! It's even made by All American, the same company that makes pressure canners.
The local university had it up on their surplus website, I got it for $106. I looked online, and new ones sell for over $600!!!
(Happy dance! Happy dance!)
On the garden front, I needed a few small things from Amazon so I could get the free shipping for my sleeping meds, so I ordered seeds. I got some hardy kiwi, and some black strawberry. I didn't even know there was such a thing as black strawberries, but i looked them up and they look cool. And who knows, maybe the critters will be less inclined to steal them from me?