Secret's in the sauce

In my last post, I eluded to trying to can some homemade pizza sauce. Well today I did it. Wanna know how I did it? 
First I put on my trusty dusty tea towel apron. (You can sew grosgain ribbon across the top of any towel and instantly turn it into an apron) (By the way I can not focus on one thing at a time and the parathesis are how I try to seperate my thoughts for y'all.  And just for my readers, so you don't get overwhelmed, I actually omit several "sidebars." I can't keep up with my own brain. I would never expect anyone else to try. Please remember my husband in your prayers.)

Then I stepped through the usual hot boil, cold bath, peel the tomato trick that I used in this post (tomato cold bath peel.)

35-40 tomatoes

Puree the tomatoes

Drain the puree (save the juice, it can be canned also)

 The recepie that I used as (the example) (I have a small problem with following exact directions. Sometimes it is because I am lazy and sometimes I just don't have the correct ingredients) recommened adding an onion, garlic, olive oil puree.
                                                                5 medium onions
                                                     4 Tablespoons chopped garlic
                                                             1/4 cup olive oil
                                                      1 Tablespoon lemon juice (would have used more, but I ran out) and Ms. Christensen also suggested adding some of the tomato juice to help the function of the blender and I concur.

                                        Drop in a few or maybe several more ingredients.
                                                             1/2 Tablespoon pepper
                                                                 1/2 cup brown sugar
                                                               4 Tablespoons parsley
                                                              2 Tablespoons oregano
                                                               1/2 Tablespoon basil
                                                             1 Teaspoon celery salt
                                                                1/2 tablespoon salt
                                                            2 teaspoons garlic powder
                                                                   1 teaspoon savory
                                                            3 large cans tomato paste

 Because I had drained the juice earlier, I decided to add about 2 cups back as the tomatoes cooked down.

                                       I let this simmer for 3 hours before I put it in the jar.

 Just like most canning project I left 1/2 inch headspace then processed for 25 minutes. They are now proudly displayed with my canned tomatoes on top of my kitchen cabinets.

P.S.  Folks I have canned more this year than I have my entire life (due to a bad pickle experience) It's alot of work, but I am enjoying it. Hope you are too!

Our Friday Tradition

   We have started a little family tradition. I honestly can't even remember when  it began, but I'm glad it did. It's not a big deal and perhaps that is part of why I like it the most. It
is nice to know that we can just enjoy the little things in life. So here it is. On Friday's we have homemade pizza. At first, I enjoyed this so much because it was one night that I didn't have to come up with an idea for supper. Now I get a kick out of watching the kids look forward to it. They get to have a sprite and eat picnic style on a blanket in the living room floor. We also let 2 & 3 sleep together. I guess that kinda reveals part of why they like it so much. They are hopped up on sugar and have a mini slumber party.
  Well, yesterday we were out of pizza sauce and I did not want to go to town to get any more. I knew I couldn't cancel pizza night over this and then I had a brain storm. Homemade Sauce. We have tomatoes coming out of our ears. So maybe, just maybe if this works out I can "can" my own. Perfect, kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Use tomatoes and have extra sauce stored up. I went straight to the computer and pulled up pinterest( I want to suport the sites that support me. HA HA HA.) Another recommendation for my blog was for me to post recipies. Small problem there, I don't use them often. I normally look up several different recipies and then combine them in my head. This is what I did tonight.
   I will drop a few photos of the sauce process later when I actually process some jars and I will include a complete recipie. But for this post, just pizza pics.

 For the dough, I use a store bought package. Normally the generic or what is on sale. I think the Betty Crocker is slightly sweeter. My little trick, I add biscuit mix. We need to make two pizzas for this big ole crew so I need more dough, but not enough for two packages and I think the biscuit mix makes the crust kinda flaky. Plowboy thinks its better than Pizza Hut or Dominoes. That's all the aproval I need.

I cover the dough with olive oil and drape a towel over the bowel and then place it on the back eye of the stove because it has a vent to the oven and it helps the dough rise while the oven preheats.

 Last special trick. IRON SKILLET. Grease it with shoretening and put it in the oven while it preheats. This will make the dough nice and crispy. Yummy!

The moral of this story,   try to enjoy each other even if the kids are fussing and the hubby works til 9:00. And if it is pizza night. People please try the iron skillet!


p.s. the sauce was pretty good. Gonna try to can some soon.

Y'all, They don't know I'm famous.

I could just jump up and down and scaaarem out loud! I've been pinned. Seriously, it was a goal of mine to have any of my creations pinned on pinterest. I was so hard-core serious about it that I would not let my sisters or friend (the only two people I told about the blog) "pin me." I wanted to truly earn it. Within 24 hours of linking up to some fab linky parties, someone pinned me. How stinking awesome is that? I even had a few comments. So then I go to work (I am a part-time xray tech at a local clinic) and nobody knew I was famous. They were all "Cand,y can you grab this xray and draw this patient's blood." I mean sure I guess so but you do realize I have a picture of my seed sack purse on Pinterest, right? I guess life goes on. I will still vacuum the carpet, change diapers, and cook for my crew but I hope they realize how important I am. I have followers! In all seriuousness though, Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for everyones kind comments, followings and pins. I hope to keep you coming back to inspire and entertain you as ,much as other bloggers have done for me. Hang in there as I learn the proper blogging etiquette and feel free to make suggestions. I have had one request for a give-away. I belive it was something about a clutch. You have been heard (shout out Ms. Diane) and your idea is being processed!

Getting ready for Atlanta.

WHOOO HOOO. Can you feel my excitement?  I finally get to go to the Country Living Fair. I have been wanting to go for years and I got my other brain (my BFF or bestie, the young people say) on board. We are going to Atlanta in October. I was using this as my deadline to make a new purse. I get so tired of hauling a bag around so most of the time, I carry one of my little clutches. However, for long days that involve alot of walking I prefer a cross body hipster. I didn't want one too big. I just need my phone, credit card, chap stick and gum. I try to be low maintenance. I got inspired at christmas last year and made a purse for my niece. I loved it and wanted to make one similar for myself.
 
Here is my inspiration!

Ain't she pretty? This bag is from the 50's. It still had it's tags on it.

Are you inspired? What would you do with it?

I have been waiting til I knew exactly (ok not exactly, but kinda) how I wanted the bag put together. I couldn't just go randomly hacking into the bag. It's not like fabric that could be easily replaced. However, I never wanna spend alot of time making a pattern and complete prototype. Soooo, I borrowed number 1's(our oldest, my step-daughter, a.k.a bug's)   fossil purse a few weeks ago and liked the size and style so after fliping it inside out and studying how it was made I tried to cut the basic bottom shape out of paper and laid it on my bag. These things have to be centered and I wanted to utilize as much print as possible.  I nervously pulled out my scissors and got started.

These pieces were attached at the top and since the bag was covered with some type of think coating on the inside, I decided not to make a liner for the purse. I designed  some pockets to fit my phone and other needs, attached the top bands and added magnetic closures.

This pocket is on the inside but the back will double as my outside cell phone zipper pocket. The less fabric I use the lighter my purse will be and the longer I can carry it comfortably. ( I am so stinking excited !)

This is my strap and it had to be long. I am a tall girl and want this to actually rest at my hips and not above them. I think the font on the strap will be perfect.

A view from the top.

I can't wait any longer. The big reveal !!!!

Do you like it? I think it it awesome. I always find something negative to pick out on my projects but I'm not gona do that this time. Did I mention how excited I was? Perfect bag for this farmer's wife!

This is an addendum. I am so excite to say that I linked up to alinky party for the first time ever :saynotsweetanne  My laptop crashed less than 30 minutes later as I was trying to "grab her blog button" I hope I give her the credit that is due for hosting the party. I am trying to shake the feeling that it was an omen because I really wanted to link this to more places. I am proud of my project and want to learn all I can about the "cyber-world."  It would really make me happy to know that people could read about some of my projects and enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed reading others.

Places I've Linked to:

http://www.thegunnysack.com/2012/08/whats-in-gunny-sack-link-party-49.html#more
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/
http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/
http://www.reasonstoskipthehousework.com/ http://ladybug-blessings.com/ http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/
http://www.tipjunkie.com/homemade-projects-87/
http://singingthreelittlebirds.blogspot.com/
http://allthingsfee.blogspot.com/
http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/
http://www.flamingotoes.com/
http://www.brassyapple.blogspot.com/
.http://petitehermine.blogspot.com/2012/08/sunday-linky-party-73-goodies.html#more
http://forloveofcupcakes.com/2012/08/i-10/

Second verse same as the first

Tomatoes! You wanna know what is so exciting about tomatoes? Well, nothing to you maybe, but I put these babies up all by myself. I normally do these projects with my m-i-l or call her a millon times.  I was a big girl, pulled out a canning book and tried to muddle thru it.

We have about five plants. This is kinda a small batch to drag all the canning supplies out for, but I think they will be better for cooking when canned instead of frozen. If I do it right, that is.

I think it is best to go to the experts.

And follow them step-by-step.

Step1 : Hot clean jars. 

and the cheater cheater way to do this:

put them in the dishwasher run them thru a rinse and heat cycle. By the time you get the tomatoes ready, so are the jars.

Step 2: Peel the tomatoes. Just like I did on the peaches.  Consider yourselves warned. When you drop the tomatoes in hot water, you have about 30seconds before they need to go into the ice water or they will split.

Boil

Ice Bath

Peel, Skin slides right off.

Step 3: Chop

That's my fancy chopper that my bestest friend got me in Boston, cause that's how we roll.

  Step 4: Pack them in the jars. (before you start this, boil the "flips" or lids that will top the jars.

Each pint  needs 1 tablespoon lemon juice (quart = 2T)

                                                    1 teaspoon salt per pint ( quart = 2t)

                                                       1 teaspoon sugar per pint ( quart = 2t)

                                                        Add the tomatoes. Blue book says to remove air bubbles but since                                                my tomaotoes were chopped, that wasn't an issue. And leave at least 1/2 inch of headspace at the top pf the jar. Wipe around the rim.

Step5 : Process the jars. (technical term for boil them in a huge pot) This is what seals the jars.

Remove the flips from the boiling water and place them on top of the CLEAN rim. Screw the rings on hand tight. And place them in the canning processor (huge pot of boiling water)

I didn't think the water would ever start to boil but once it did the jars were processed for 45 minutes. And make sure the water is an inch above the jar tops.

Viola! Here is the finished project. They are gonna be awesome in some chilli this winter.