tomatoes, toomatoes, tooomatoes!!!

Every year we usually have an abundance of at least one crop. This year tomatoes may have won out. I've ended up with 20 quarts of spaghetti sauce and still have more coming in..although those will turn into salsa. But this season I have had an awesome new tool in my kitchen:

The Good Grips Food Mill is so handy. I do have a motorized mill but it would get clogged with the tomato skins on. If you look closely you will see here the skins have risen to the sides of the mill. Yes! You don't have to remove the skins. I just seeded them and chopped and milled and presto!

This is perfect for us since the kids don't like the big chunks of tomatoes in their sauce. Enjoy!

Nope I don't sell 'em but I love 'em!

Can Can Can

I've had a few friends ask me about canning. I really enjoy it, right now without kids, but I'm so looking forward to when they are older and can help out. There is just something about grabbing food from your yard and preserving it.






Last year I had fun making some pear preserves. The pears came from Jonathan's cousin's tree and the girls helped pick them. I love knowing the history of my food. That was a fun day too.








 So last summer/fall I did all of my canning inside our house. This summer we are in a small family house and it has been in the high 90's to 100's and the A/C is struggling. So we have a new set up.

This is just heaven! (I know it's sad) I had forgotten how much I like cooking on gas. It has three burners and can heat up the canners in no time.


I've even been able to run two canners at the same time!! Yeah, I'm pretty pathetic. I get a little too excited about this stuff.


I highly recommend setting up an outdoor kitchen. I'm looking forward to being able to have a nice set up with a water supply in the near future.


And if you're wondering, we still haven't heard anything on the property. Still praying and battling my hopes getting to far up.

Homemade Prego Spaghetti Sauce

Excellent result with this recipe and it tastes just like my favorite Prego!

4 T. olive oil
2 large minced garlic cloves
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
7 cups chopped fresh from the garden tomatoes  (or 56 oz. canned crushed toms)
1 (28 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Heat oil over medium low heat. Add garlic. Stir and cook until golden brown. Be careful not to burn garlic. Add onion and cook until soft and golden, stirring frequently. Add seasonings and tomatoes. Slowly bring to a boil on medium high heat. Let boil for 10 minutes, covered. Reduce to lowest heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.


Yield: 12 cups or 3 quarts canned

Canning: Fill hot sauce in hot jars and process in pressure canner for 25 minutes.

Note: I simmered my fresh tomatoes for 20 minutes but I'm not sure it would matter especially if you are canning the sauce as well.

Garden, Puzzles

I believe I mentioned how hot things are right now. So, although we are doing school during the summer things can get a little, well, boring! So the girls and I had a puzzle-a-thon yesterday (during nap time). I think that is the most puzzles we have done at one sitting but they love them. I can't wait until we can work on the really big ones. They were extremely proud of their accomplishment.

Now, I believe I mentioned how hot things are. Well our garden doesn't seem to know the conditions in which I prefer to harvest (NOT HOT!). There are many things that I sit back and ponder that my grandmothers did with little ones running afoot. It is a challenge for me too but I quickly remember the A/C I get to run back into that they did not. Or the running water that I have, indoor plumbing, dishwasher, washing machine, this list is long and...well, maybe it's not so challenging for me after all.

Back to the garden. We have around 25 tomato plants this year that I am anxiously waiting to harvest. Apparently the infrequent rain and staggering heat have slowed the harvest time this year.

Butter beans have begun to come in and are delicious. Looks like this may be the last harvest for the green beans but we've canned what we were wanting.

And Jonathan and the girls are doing great making relish and pickles with the abundant cucumbers. Hopefully the bugs will stay away and the tomatoes will come raining in!

I'm Not Going Outside!!

IT'S HOT!! And there is nothing better to quench the whining in my house than making a batch of fruit pops. Today's were made from some fresh South Carolina peaches!! Of course sampling of the fruit pop mix or smoothies must be had while waiting on them to freeze.

I started making these last summer and they are now a staple in the fridge, well freezer. The recipe is listed under our "Things we love" via one of my favorite bloggers.

I can get the kids to do anything for these!! Now if I could just get the heat to go away...if something happens I'll post that recipe for sure!