~New to Etsy~

Just added tonight:

~Ketchup~

As promised, here is my ketchup recipe. I tripled this recipe, which resulted in 16 half-pints. It took me approximately 6 hours to boil down the ketchup; it takes less time if you are doing a smaller batch.

1 stick cinnamon, broken
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery seed
1 cup vinegar
8 pounds tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sugar
1 tbs. salt

Place cinnamon stick, cloves, mustard seed and celery seed in a spice bag; add to vinegar. Bring vinegar and spices to a boil; remove from heat and let stand.

Peel, core, quarter, and seed tomatoes.* Combine tomatoes, onion and cayenne pepper. Simmer until soft. Puree using a food processor or food mill. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove spice bag from vinegar. Add vinegar and salt to tomato mixture. Simmer until desired consistency.

Freezer instructions: Cool. Ladle ketchup into can-or-freeze jars or plastic freezer boxes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze.

Canning instructions: Ladle hot ketchup into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

*If you have a food mill that removes skin and seeds, there is no need to peel and seed tomatoes.

~Friday already?~

Is today really Friday? Wow...this week has flown by!

I've been keeping busy. On Wednesday, I cleaned out the garage. I took everything out, swept and hosed the floor, and brought everything back in. Some things came back into the garage via the garbage bag, so all together, everything is much neater looking!

I've also been making ketchup. I spent four hours over the stove yesterday, stirring the pot. I went outside to greet Kevin when he came home from work, and he said I smelled like ketchup. LOL Thankfully, the ketchup is all boiled down, and ready to can. I'll be doing that later on today.

I had to do something while I was standing over the stove, so I listened to Dave Ramsey. I am so thankful that we are not steeped in debt as most of his callers are. Not too say that we've been perfect with our finances, because we haven't, but we both hate to have any debt and do everything we can to avoid it!

Well, I need to go get busy! I have a long "to do" list today! Have a great day!

~Summer Soap Celebration~

For a chance to win some delightful handmade soaps, head over to Nan's place, and check out all the giveaways she's having! The contests end today, so hurry on over!

~Computer Problems~

Ah, our computer is up and running again. I was without the computer all.day.long. I even went to the library so I could check my e-mail, but I ended up on a station that only allows 15-minute sessions. I was frustrated with the internet speed anyhow, so I didn't put my name on the waiting list for the other stations.

So now, after a whole evening of work, my husband has restored a bit of our computer. Three cheers for my hubby! *Smiles*

I can't believe how many times I thought, "Oh, I'll go look that up online" or "I need to go send a quick e-mail to __". And now that I'm online, Bloglines is down! Those of you who subscribe to blog feeds via Bloglines know the frustration of seeing their "Plumber"...tomorrow is another day! =)

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To answer a question from Mrs. H: the clothesline holders on my house/garage were there when we bought the house. I don't know how old they are or if they could be obtained today, but I would look at a hardware store to start with. I use a regular clothesline which I had before we moved into our house. Hope this answers your questions!

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Ketchup didn't happen today! Tomorrow!

~Mountains~

Last week was busy, and somehow I never got around to doing any laundry. I had been trying to get a load done each day, and it was working out well. But not last week! So today I went down into the basement and got started on my mountain of laundry! I got my exercise by going up and down the stairs changing loads around! It is so nice to have all the laundry done (I even ironed everything as needed!)

I also tackled a mountain of dishes. Somewhere around Thursday my dishwasher broke. Oh wait, I don't have a dishwasher...I do the dishes.

On Sunday afternoon, I went through my cabinets, fridge and freeze, and wrote down a list of everything I had in the house. Before I wrote it all out, I would have said that I didn't have much food in the house, but I have quite a bit to work with. When I wrote out my menu for this coming week, I tried to plan around what I had on hand, so that I wouldn't have to buy as many groceries this week. Then I headed out shopping.

So you see, lots of mountains got tackled today! Tomorrow I am making ketchup. I quartered, cooked, and ran the tomatoes through my food mill, and the puree is ready to go! I'm excited about the ketchup I'll get, but not necessarily excited about tending the pot while it simmers! I'll post the recipe I'm using tomorrow.

Have a great day!

~Things I've Learned about Outer Space~

According to Star Trek

1. Everyone speaks English. It's amazing, really. But it's also cool, because you can go from planet to planet and not have to worry about interpreters and miscommunication.

2. Since everyone speaks English, there has to be something that identifies your planet or colony of origin. Facial features predominately set everyone apart. But in case you might wonder, each planet/colony has a different style of clothing as well.

3. There are many rare and deadly diseases in outer space. If your ship comes in contact with one of these dreaded diseases, do not worry. The doctor will be able to save you in the nick of time. Actually, do not worry if you are a key component to the space ship. If you are not very important, be very worried. You probably won't survive.

4. If someone aboard your space ship suddenly starts acting very odd, and issuing commands unlike the norm, be prepared for him to actually be an enemy who has assumed all the characteristics of the person.

5. In outer space, it is possible to transport people to your ship. Even enemies, if you wish to communicate with them on your ship. But, if you get lost while on a mission, do not expect your ship-mates to transport you back, even if you are the captain.

6. It is possible to disappear. The proper term is "cloaking".

7. Sometimes the enemy will cause yourself or members of your ship to alter their appearance. Again, don't be overly worried, by the end of the show day you will be back to normal again.

8. Time travel is indeed possible. How, this is not made clear, but it is indeed a reality of outer space.

There you have it! The things I've learned about Outer Space according to Star Trek. *Grin* Do I watch Star Trek? No way! Unless, of course, I come through the room and it looks interesting. It helps if Kevin is eating popcorn while watching. I can sit down to eat the popcorn. That's all.

~Aprons~

Yes, I am silly enough to put up a clothesline every time I want to take a picture. Our house and garage have the nicest clothesline holders I've seen, but not exactly in a spot that I want to leave up a permanent clothesline. The clothesline that I happen to have only has about three or four extra inches beyond the span of the house and garage, and still, the little clamps hold up the line very nicely, see:



(Yuck, ignore the dirty house! LOL)

Anyhow.


Mrs. B asked me to make her two aprons. She chose the fabric from Hancock's of Paducah, and I made them for her. (I might add that this was the first time I had ordered from Hancock's of Paducah, and I was very impressed with the fabric selection they have, as well as their fast shipping!)



I just love the fabric she chose!


If you would be interested in an item I make, and would like to customize it as Mrs. B has done, please send me an e-mail, and we can work the details out!

~To UPS~

Dear UPS driver,

Please do not park in front of my house if you do not have a package for me. Even though I may not be expecting any deliveries, it is still not very nice. Why, to have my hopes up like that only to see you walk across the street...that is more than I can take. From now on, please park in front of the house you are making the delivery to!

Thank you.

~Wednesday Recap, Thursday To Do~

Yesterday I felt like I accomplished so much! I finished one apron and got the other one cut out. I would take a picture, but it is really overcast right now, so I know the picture wouldn't turn out well.

I also got my bike out and went for a little spin. Three and 19 hundredths miles, to be exact. LOL Even though it was quite warm and muggy, the breeze was blowing, so I had a nice ride. After my bike ride, I got a blanket out and sat in the back yard and knitted for a while. Actually, a very short while, because then the mugginess got to me, and I came inside.

On our way home from church last night we came through quite a bad storm. The rain was coming down so hard, we could hardly see. And people were coming at us with their high beams on, which made it doubly hard to see! We were very thankful to the Lord for bringing us through the storm safely.

Every single Wednesday as we go home from church, we see a man walking beside his bicycle, with a small grocery sack. We saw him out in the terrible storm last night, and turned around to give him a ride. But he is either deaf or he ignored us, so we didn't end up giving him a ride. It was not a pleasant night out for a walk! We don't typically give people rides, but you kind of have to figure that if you see the same person every single week, he's not out to murder, you know?

A friend is lending me her pressure canner and she picked a whole bunch of green beans from her garden for me to can. Isn't she sweet? =) That is another thing I'll be doing today!

Busy day ahead, so I'll be off! Have a wonderful day!

~This n' that~

Click here to read the funniest e-bay auction I've come across. I read the whole description to my husband last night, and we both laughed over it. HT to And So it Goes.
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Sallie of A Gracious Home started a new blog called Sallie's Stack. This blog is just for the interesting links she comes across.
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Wow! It has been raining here, off and on, since Saturday! The grass is so green now! We really needed all this rain!
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I had so much fun with my tomatoes yesterday that I'm dreaming up more things to make with tomatoes. Spaghetti sauce and ketchup are two things I'd like to can this summer. Last summer I made three half-pints of ketchup. It is SO good, and my husband just loves it! He is anxious for me to make more this summer!
~*~*~*~
Speaking of tomatoes, I did a little online search on bushels, since I was confused on the matter. The best definition I came across was at Wikipida:

A bushel is a unit of dry volume....It is used for volumes of dry commodities, not liquids, most often in agriculture....The United States or Winchester bushel was originally defined as the volume of a cylindrical container 18½ inches in diameter and 8 inches deep (2150.420171… cu in); it is now defined as 2150.42 cubic inches exactly. It is divided into eight dry gallons, which are different from the liquid gallons with which most Americans are more familiar....There are four pecks in a bushel.

I also saw somewhere that a bushel of tomatoes would weigh approximately 53 pounds, and that it would yield 15 to 20 quarts of tomatoes. I only got 11 quarts, but I did cook them for a few minutes before canning them, so I am going to say that I got a bushel of tomatoes!
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Well, I think this is enough "This n' that". Have a great day!

~Update~

Well, I got my tomatoes canned! I got 11 quarts, which I'm quite pleased with.

I chopped them, and did a hot pack, with about 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 TBS vinegar in each quart. This is the same way I put them up last year, and they worked well in recipes that called for crushed tomatoes, as well as in chili and soups.



My sewing project required a trip to the store, so I didn't get as far along as I had anticipated. However, there's always tomorrow!

~Forecast for Tuesday: Tomatoes, Pins & Needles~

Yesterday I had a great day with my friend and her teenage daughter. We chatted, had lunch, and did a little sewing project together.

After they left, I went grocery shopping. I also stopped by a produce stand, and purchased a bushel of tomatoes. (At least, I think it was a bushel. For the most part, no one in California measures produce by bushels, pints, pecks, etc., you buy produce by the pound, so while I learned in fourth grade what each measurement holds, I never had the chance to apply my knowledge, so I didn't retain it. I guess I should learn it over again, since almost every produce stand in this area does use this form of measurement.) So where was I? Oh yes, tomatoes! I bought a lot of tomatoes. ;-) I have tomato plants in my garden, but I have a feeling they aren't doing too well...and when I saw how lovely these tomatoes looked...and the price wasn't too high...I came home with them!

I plan on canning them today. Last year I canned several pints from my garden, and I used them all up early in the winter. So this year I would definitely like to put up more. That's one thing on today's "to do" list.

The other thing (here's where the pins and needles come in!) is sewing! I have a custom sewing job. I'm making two aprons, and out the yummiest, scrummiest fabric. *grin*

I'll be back later on today to post pictures of my progress! Have a great day, whatever your forecast calls for!!!

~It's Raining, It's Pouring!~

I just love rain. It has been raining since Saturday evening, and it is still going steadily. Last night during church, the windows were open, and in the brief lulls of the sermon, we could hear the rain outside. It was so pretty sounding, dripping off the roof into the rocks around the foundation of the church.

This morning, I have been dilly-dallying too much, just watching the rain! I went out to my front porch and wrote a letter, I keep looking outside to watch the rain. Mmmmmm...I just love rain! It's so deliciously dark and overcast and rainy today!

This summer has been quite dry (for a lot of people, I realize), so this rain is a welcome addition to the end of our summer!

This morning I'm having a friend over and we'll have lunch together. I haven't quite decided what I'm making for lunch, so I do need to get a move on if I'm going to be ready for my company!

Have a wonderful day!

Picture above: my flowers full of rain drops!

~Ode to the Food Chopper~

Is it possible to have an ode to Pampered Chef products two days in a row???

Yesterday we had company, and in my haste at the grocery store, I bought pineapple chunks instead of crushed pineapple. I only discovered my mistake when I opened the can. What to do? Use my food chopper to quickly make crushed pineapple! It was perfect! It wouldn't have looked any different than the canned crushed pineapple, were I to have purchased the correct can!

Something I routinely use my food chopper for is chopped nuts. I don't typically use it for vegetables, but I will on occasion. It is a helpful tool to have in my kitchen!

Image from Pampered Chef.
This post is not sponsored by Pampered Chef.

~Flowers and Tomatoes~

My flowers on the front/side of the house:


I have two cherry tomato plants, one yellow, and the other red. The yellow tomatoes are like candy. I love them!

~Cookie scoop, how I love thee!!!~

I recently baked a batch of cookies, and used my Pampered Chef cookie scoop to place the cookies on the tray. Wow, what fun! *Grin* All the cookies are *gasp* the same size! And I didn't have to get my hands in the dough!

Here is the recipe for the cookies I made:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the above ingredients together, then stir in:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir thoroughly, then add:
1 - 12 oz. package chocolate chips
1 - 12 oz. package milk chocolate chips

Using your cookie scoop drop the dough on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

~New in my shop~

~Fabulous Cake~

One of the things on my 101 List is to make three "fabulous" desserts. Now, fabulous can indicate many different things regarding desserts, but since my dessert expertise lies in chocolate chip cookies, I think anything I try out of the ordinary will probably be fabulous in my book!

As soon as I saw Michelle's Pecan-Cream Sponge Cake recipe, I knew it was one I wanted to try! And try it, I did:



And if I do say so myself, it turned out fabulous! In order to make this cake, I had to purchase three cake pans, which added significantly to the cost. The recipe calls for coconut extract and butter extract, which of course were not in my pantry. But it was worth it! This cake is scrumptious! I will be making this cake again!

~A Child Called At~

Over the last few months, I've read different stories of parents trying (and failing - their government wouldn't allow the names they'd chosen) to name their children all sorts of unusual names. Earlier this year "4Real" was banned by the New Zealand government, and the parents instead chose the name "Superman".

I just read an article on a Chinese family wanting to name their child "@". How would you like to go through life named "@"? At least it would be easy to sign your name! LOL Click here to read about Lil' @.