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Blessed

9/25/2012

This is a pot of tomatoes heating up. If I can a pot every other day for the next two weeks, I will have enough tomatoes for the Winter. Maybe. I will tell you how in Trish's Dishes.

As you can see...this garden is about done.

These tomatoes in the front are about done, too. Those are the beefsteaks. There are plenty of green ones still on there. So...if I drape the tomatoes by the fence with plastic, I might be able to have some for at least Thanksgiving dinner. If it stays warm...I could have it at Christmas, too.

I have waited many years to have this glut of tomatoes. I refused to give up trying to grow them. I am so glad I didn't quit. They taste so yummy.

I guess one reason why I never gave up growing them was because I KNOW what great tomatoes taste like. Eating the ones from the store were like eating cardboard. I was ALWAYS disappointed. To the point where I just wouldn't waste my money on them. Which made me sad because I LOVE tomatoes.

NOW...I can eat all I want now...and all Winter too.

I am really so very blessed.

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I Love Tomatoes!!!

9/24/2012

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Today...I picked ALL these tomatoes. The basket in the front is mostly Roma tomatoes. The other two baskets are mostly beefsteak tomatoes. After picking all theses they needed cleaning and sorting. Some were not quite ripe, so they went in a pile. Then there were the ones that were not perfect...but still good.

This is what is left of all the Roma's. They can wait a day or two and be still real good. I am showing my hand so you can see how big the basket is.

These have a few more days than that. They are all not perfect ...see the cracks? They are even still dirty. I really don't like to wash them till I am ready to cook them. I don't think it would hurt them. Just my thing.

But...I turned the ones I did peel, chop, and cooked, into future dinners. Six pints of crushed tomatoes, and a quart of salsa. At least the quart is what is left after The Lad and I worked on it. I love tomatoes!!!

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Lazy And Mad

9/21/2012

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I have been trying to post for days. AND...make orange marmalade. But we have been busy...as usual.

Yesterday...I was finally getting to the orange marmalade. I had it on the stove for the final cooking time when I noticed a wet spot on the dining room carpet. With a puppy around...I was thinking I might have been too busy to notice him at the door.

Not too long after that I stepped a little closer to the wall in the dining room, looking for canning jars, and the carpet was way more wet than the first spot. That got me thinking. I then turned off the swamp cooler...because it is loud.

That is when I heard it. Gushing water. In the wall. Niiiccceee...NOT!

We called a plumber to come over and they showed up in less than 30 minutes. How wonderful...really!

In the mean time...I pulled my make shift shelves and bricks away from the slider door, with all my cooking/canning stuff all over them. I then pulled the old, soaking wet drywall off the wall so I could see where the leak was. This is also so the plumber can get to the pipes that were spewing HOT water straight through the drywall like a laser.

Next, I had to decide what to do about the carpet. The house was built in '82. The carpet is original. Gross. So I pulled up all the carpet and padding in the dining room and The Lad took it outside to the dumpster. He was surprised at how simple it was to get it off the floor. We have been talking about new flooring for some time now.

THEN...I had to clean it up and put it all back after the plumber left. At that point...I gave up for the day. Sometimes I am only good for one big problem in a day.

So...today I started in on the marmalade again. I re-heated it and measured it and realized that I was more than a cup short on the amount of fruit/juice I needed to make a full batch of marmalade. That is when I decided to add some crushed pineapple to it. The problem I was afraid I would have is that if I added the whole can of crushed pineapple, juice and all...it might have too much liquid and not enough 'meat'. That makes the fruit float...and I don't like that. I want fruit in the last bit of jam in my jars...not just jellied juice. So I scooped out enough pineapple, and drained it, to make the full four cups. It still wanted to float.

So...after I processed the jars in the water bath canner for the allotted time, I turned the jars upside down on the counter for about 15 minutes to cool for a while first. THEN turn them right side up. The marmalade thickens as it cools down which makes the fruit stay at the bottom.

After I made the marmalade...I started in on tomatoes. I made 5, 1/2 pints of Killer Ketchup, and eight pints of tomato sauce. After I get this posted, I need to bake some zucchini bread. No rest for the weary. Actually, I made some meatloaf and put some homemade Killer Ketchup on top. I just couldn't wait to try it. It is so spicy!!!

Here is a picture of the marmalade and the killer ketchup.

Here are the 8 pints of tomato sauce. There is also almost a quart of sauce that I can use for juice to drink...I just can't can it. Not quite enough to fill it.

We sure are going to eat good this Winter.

Trouble Dog just brought me one of my sandals with the strap chewed off. I would take a picture to show you, but I am to lazy and mad.

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Great News and My Schedule

9/18/2012

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Yesterday I made two batches of my hot pepper relish. It is one of the 'things' I make that I can't make enough of. Sometimes I call it crack. I think I need to make a couple more batches for the holiday 'seasons' coming up.

I am setting things up for my 'shows'. I am hoping to get on at the Pearblossom Duck Races. It is usually the first weekend in October on a Sunday. It is on 128th St, off of Highway 138. There will be signs. 10-2pm.

Then comes the Juniper Hills Association's Pancake breakfast and Christmas Bizarre on Saturday October 13th, from 9-2 (I think). On 106th St East, South of Fort Tejon. It is mainly for locals but all are welcome. They have some Great artists that show up.

I am also trying to get on down at the Cornerstone Church for their Christmas luncheon and Christmas Bizarre. Not sure when it is...still waiting on info.

Then I do the Psychic Fair, November 3rd in Palmdale, Ca...from 10-2 (address to come later).

I try to have pomegranate jelly, hot pepper relish, orange marmalade, and zucchini bread. Then I take what else I am willing to get rid of. Like cinnamon rolls, apple pies...full size or individual servings, pickles, and other jams and jellies. I am hoping to have some banana nut bread (found a GREAT recipe that I tweaked) AND banana nut bread butter. Maybe some tomato marmalade. I also have some bread and butter pickles, hot dill pickles, piccalili (green tomatoes and cabbage), garden medley (with carrots and cauliflower), and pickle relish. They are all most excellent.

I picked these tomatoes this morning. They are mostly Roma tomatoes. Good for salsa. They still need a day or two to ripen.

Salsa...makes me think of BFF. Just so you all know...she is now cancer free. Thanks you so much for all your prayers. It means so much to me that BFF stays here with ME.

She texted me not long ago...on her way back from the DR's. saying this.

I could NOT be more pleased.

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WARNING! Tomato Horn Worms

9/14/2012

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Today...Farmer J came over and picked these off of my tomato plants. We were joking about how he could 'train' his chickens with such treats.

I also took a picture of him...but he says his double chin is showing...so he asked me not to put it up here.

Personally...I think he looks MARVELOUS! (Name that TV show).

Here is a hint...Billy Crystal said it.

Anyway...have a wonderful weekend.

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Kids And Sprinklers

9/13/2012

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Yesterday Farmer J weed-eated the yard. What you see here is Trouble Dog running through the sprinklers. Over and over again.

He was barking at the water, and biting at it.

I guess a nose full of water will make you pause. Actually...he was running around and ran into that black post to the sprinkler and cried a little. Mostly because it scared him, I think. When he cried out...Bad Dog came running out of the house to make sure she wasn't missing something. He ran up to her with his wet little body and tried to jump on her. She wasn't having any of that. She spun around and went directly back in the house. It happened so fast I wasn't able to get it on film.

Anyway...I guess all kids love to run in the sprinklers.

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Is It Two-Face?

9/11/2012

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We have been having thunder storms. That doesn't mean it rained. Some times it sprinkles a bit...but not rain. OR...it will rain at Farmer J's, but not here. That is about 1 1/2 miles from here. The thunder is what causes trouble around here.

This is the common sight around here, now. Poor Bad Dog. But I have to say...she is not that bad anymore.

There is a new bad dog in town...

His name is...Trouble Dog.

I have been taking that can away from him for a week now.

Look at his nose. One side is black and the other is white.

Maybe I should call him Two-Face.

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All The Buckets

9/6/2012

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Here are two five gallon buckets of apples. So Yummy! Destined for pies.

This bucket is a mixed 'picking'. Peaches, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Then we have this basket...full of tomatoes. Still dirty from the garden.

...and this basket of tomatoes.

And this basket of mixed veggies. Now...these are BIG baskets.

We turned those veggies into future meals. Whole tomatoes (Roma). Pickle relish. Garden pickles (with cauliflower). And one half pint of ketchup with a lot of cayenne pepper in it. It has a bite. I named it killer ketchup. I need more of that.

We also made four apple crumb pies. They are killer too.

And eggplant Parmesan..before it went in the oven...for dinner. Yummm!

But as you can see...I have more to do tomorrow.

And yet...even more tomatoes (really big basket). That not even counting what I can pick in the morning.

This is a crock with a recipe of piccalilli. That is green tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and peppers. I put in red and green sweet peppers and some Pasillia peppers...MY personal favorite. These will be ready to can tomorrow.

Think I might go back in the kitchen and make four more pie crust recipes to make more pies tomorrow Gotta do something with all those apples.

Sure wish I still had a freezer.

Anyway...it has been a long, busy day. And it all starts over again in the morning.

I would like to say thanks to my Special Helper. She was such an Angel. This is a woman who knows her way around the kitchen. She spent a lot of time canning with her MIL. The Girl has skills! It was such a blessing to have her help.

Plus...I love that women bonding stuff. It was how the women in my family spent their time. Collecting food for the Winter. I would wish this feeling of accomplishment, and pride in a job well done to all women.

I am so wanting to give classes.

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Busy This week

9/5/2012

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Yesterday I pulled up my cucumbers, and the rest of my squash. My garden is looking bare. I am hoping to plant some more beets, peas, salad greens, and maybe some more cabbage, Brussell sprouts, broccoli, and anything else I can find room for.

As you can see...

...my tomatoes are about ready to can. I think I will be very busy this week.

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