Time has become almost surreal 6 months into this pandemic, a National Disaster for sure, that just keeps cycling around with more bad news. In the West, the more bad news - the fires! We have two burning, one within 10 miles from us, the other 40 miles. Both are burning hot enough for the smoke to block out the sun, almost daily. It's nearly impossible to sit for 20 minutes on the porch, fresh air, not at this time! Daily temps. are hanging around 99-100 degrees, we need cold and snow! The RNC is not helping my mental health
with all the HATE they are spewing on TV! Oh, 2020 you have been one hard year!
But, a little break yesterday....Caitlin and I canned Roma Tomatoes. Jason first roasted them, (4 cases in less than 10 minutes), never again will I do the blanching method to remove skins.
I thought we were going to make tomato sauce, the kind that is ready to pour and use for pasta dishes. Caitlin wanted to can whole tomatoes, because they are so much more versatile, open a jar, make sauce (by adding garlic and spices), open a jar and use the whole tomatoes poured over a roast, or make soup, spicy V-8 juice.......
You get the idea! So whole tomatoes it was and it was fast. We started at 1pm and I pulled the last jars out at 6pm. Not bad for a winter supply of deliciousness!
The Brown and Pink quilt is on the machine and it is going to be slowing going! Though it will be beautiful when completed and I have the time!
Reading:
~Caste: This is a hard read for me, but a much needed read for me! Please, if you are interested in Race and Race relations, this is the book you are looking for, get it, read it slow and digest the information.
~The Mountains Sing- Is about a family in Viet Nam that survives the years of wars from the French through the Americans and last-the Communist Party. WOW.
12 comments:
All those tomatoes ready for winter! I can just imagine all the successful pings of jars sealing. It looks like your brutal temperatures begin to come down at the end of the week and I hope you get a break from the smoke. What a summer!
I cannot believe how long the virus has been here and yet it seems like it's only just begun. I like visiting blogs like yours that shows life going on no matter what. Love the canning photos, you've been quite busy! I hope the smoke goes away.
This is a hard week . . . BUT THAT CANNING!!! Yum. You are going to love opening up those tomatoes all winter long! (And I love the colors of your quilt. It looks so cozy already.)
Those tomatoes will taste like a bite of summer when you open them in the middle of winter!
I do hope they're able to get those fires under control. It sounds so scary. Please stay safe!
Wow! That's a lot of canning and it all looks so good. Come winter you will relish opening those jars. One of my brother's lives in Boulder and said that it has been so smoky. Hope the fires end soon. I can't even think about the RNC - they are all idiots, but scary ones.
Whole tomatoes! That is brilliant! And finally a post with two books that are already in my a TBR stack. I have watched Isabel Wilkerson speak a few times now and look forward to this book even though I know it will be hard. And I really must get back to quilting. I do miss the hum of my machine. So sorry about the fires. That is just too much.
That is very quick to can so much - it must have been very satisfying to see all those rows of jars. Your quilt is beautiful.
Ooo! Those tomatoes look amazing! And your quilt! Gorgeous!!
I have Caste in my queue... stay safe!!
YOU are one productive bunch! Everything here is so great. Except the fires of course. I've been thinking about you and Dan's friends up there as well.
Wow that must be assembly line canning. I will have to learn more about roasting tomatoes prior to canning. That is new to me. Stay safe with all the fires around. We had some hazy days in southeast Ne. from the fires in Colorado but of course nothing like you are experiencing. It's interesting how far that smoke can travel. Rain rain - we need rain.
Those tomatoes delicious, you have been very busy! Good luck with the quilt.
Wow, Eileen - that was such a successful afternoon of canning! I love your in-process quilt and all the quilts in the background of that last photo. You are certainly a VERY productive quilter!
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