Picante Sauce using unripped tomatoes

Reader has requested the recipe once again. This is a medium spice recipe. Enjoy!

2 lbs unripe tomatoes, quartered and skin on

1 large onion
4 bell peppers
13 jalapenos
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salad oil
pinch of hand crushed fennel seed
dash paprika
dash chili powder

Using a food processor (or your amazing knife skills) finely chop the onion, bell peppers, and jalapenos. Add everything to a medium size kettle.

Since unripened tomatoes have little juice, you will need to stir this constantly over a medium heat until the liquid at the bottom begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover and place in a slow oven (200F) for 1 hour. Remove and carefully chop the ingredients in a food processor or blender (too hot for your mad knife skills) get those tomatoes finely chopped. Return to kettle or a new one, and place in the slow oven for 2 more hours.

jar and can in a hot water bath for 5-10 minutes.

If I Had a Garden

I would be gritching about the heat. 100F+ for several days now. 

Tomatoes will not set fruit in temperatures higher than 85F, some 90F degrees. Pollen becomes unviable. If it's super humid, pollen because too dense, heavy, to do much good. Keep the plants healthy by side dressing them with fertilizer. You can also try shading them with your awesome bed sheets, and have a light mister going during peak heat hours. They will fruit once the temperatures come back down.  And when Fall sets in, don't forget that you can make all kinds of yummy dishes with unripened tomatoes.

The heat, as you know, kills the cool weather plants, but it also has detrimental effects on your cowpeas, common beans, corn and sorghum. ( cotton, rice and wheat as well, FYI). If your overnight temps are reaching above 75F, good luck getting any of the above to do much of anything. 

If you are entering drought, or in a constant one, flooding the garden a few times a week, in the evening, will help the chances of your plants producing for you. Do not flood them every night, 3x a week, or when the soil at root level starts to dry, is all you need. Be sure to side dress with fertilizers! When watering, you need to remember that evaporation is a huge factor. You are losing more moisture than you think. 

Do not flood your orchards, it causes the soil to lose the oxygen for the roots to survive. A good soaking is fine. 

Well, that's what I would do if I had a garden.

Small harvesting potatoes last fall. The tire tower worked better in drought than the lazy bed method.

 

Tomato ketchup(s)

Original post >>>

6 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup water
3 pounds tomatoes, quartered
5 Tablespoons vinegar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 Tablespoon whole cloves
1/2 Tablespoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon salt



Carefully wash, core and quarter your tomatoes. Placing them in a heavy stock pot. Using a potato masher, smoosh the heck out of them. Cook over a medium heat. Bring to a light boil for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile. . .

Put you celery, onion and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over a medium heat. stir the mix occasionally. Cook until almost soft, 25 minutes.

Add the celery and onions to you mashed tomatoes, continue cooking until the vegetables are completely softened, 15 minutes. Strain tomato mixture in small batches through food mill into another small stock pot.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Place the pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring often to be sure that the ketchup is not sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens, kind of, for 15 to 20 minutes. Ladle into your sterilized pint jars, and process in a hot water bath for at least 40 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 pints.


Need a simpler recipe? Very basic tomato ketchup>>>

Unripened tomato ketchup>>>

No tomatoes but love ketchup? Not a problem, I am the ketchup queen>>> I know it doesn't say it, but I indeed wrote the article.

Unripe Tomato Spice Cake (Kid Approved)

I told you I was working on a dessert. Allow me to insert, I so rock!, at this point in the post. Thank you.

To be honest I was very hesitant to even taste this. I mean unripe, green tomatoes in a cake! And I am so much the texture girl. I refuse to eat things prepared a certain way because of the texture. Tomatoes are one such food item. And that would be why Husband calls me spoiled. However, I closed my eyes and, this cake turned out just wonderfully.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 very firm medium sized unripe tomatoes, diced
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter a loaf pan.

Whisk together flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar.

Beat in 1 egg at a time, mix in vanilla.

Stir together the baking soda and warm water, stir into the sugar mixture.

Fully incorporate the diced tomatoes.

Gently fold the flour mixture in with the sugar/butter batter. Blend well. Batter should have a whipped look and feel. Do not over mix. The batter will be thick.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour 10 minutes - 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on its side for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. (the cake seems to become sweeter as it cools. I might cut the sugar back by 1/2 a cup)

Small and Medium just tried a small slice. I'm not an idiot, I didn't tell them what was in it other than "it's a spice cake."  They devoured it. 

It is now, officially Kid Approved!

Pasta Sauce using unripe tomatoes

Had to get this down before I forgot it.

2 lbs unripened tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Merlot for deglazing
salt to taste
fresh parsley, chopped

Saute onions in the bacon fat, until golden in color and most of the fat has soaked in, over a medium low heat. deglaze with 1/4 cup or less of the Merlot. Scrape up the sticky bits. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Stir, cover and simmer over a low heat until the tomatoes have softened. 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Puree at least half the sauce. Depending on how chunky you want it, you can puree it all for more sauce. Unripe tomatoes make little of their own juices.

adjust the sugar to your taste. Unripe tomatoes are a bit tart, the sugar in the recipe is only a base, so you will need to adjust it to suit you.

Jar, and hot water bath for 20 minutes. (Unripe tomatoes are higher in acidity than the ripe ones)

Makes 1 quart.

I have been using what I have on hand here. The Merlot I used is a Blackberry Merlot made locally.

Also, I have only been making small batches because I have no idea what it will taste like until I have finished it. I so don't want to make a gallon of this stuff and it turns out bad.

Medium Zest Picante Sauce using Unripe Tomatoes

2 lbs unripe tomatoes, quartered and skin on

1 large onion
4 bell peppers
13 jalapenos
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salad oil
pinch of hand crushed fennel seed
dash paprika
dash chili powder

Using a food processor (or your amazing knife skills) finely chop the onion, bell peppers, and jalapenos. Add everything to a medium size kettle.

Since unripened tomatoes have little juice, you will need to stir this constantly over a medium heat until the liquid at the bottom begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover and place in a slow oven (200F) for 1 hour. Remove and carefully chop the ingredients in a food processor or blender (too hot for your mad knife skills) get those tomatoes finely chopped. Return to kettle or a new one, and place in the slow oven for 2 more hours.

jar and can in a hot water bath for 5-10 minutes.
 makes 3 pint (Husband ate 1 pint as soon as he got home)

Unripe tomato chili

This one is a cheater. Simple, chop up your tomatoes replacing the red's for the unripe. Only I had to go and try and get all experimental and fancy. yea, that didn't work.

I looked for a recipe that the base of the chili sounded like it would work well. With the unripened tomatoes you should really add a bit of sugar to help bring out the flavor. Unripe tomatoes are high is acidity and a bit tart.

The base recipe turned out to taste more like baked beans than chili that it was hard to save. But I think I got it at least reminiscent of chili flavor.

But the idea still stands, make an unripe tomato chili sauce. Green Chili!

I will do it again with Husband's chili recipe even though I don't like corn and green beans in my chili (he's a freak)

Today I am working on a dessert.

Unripened Tomato Ketchup

First, I know I am preaching to the choir with my regular readers, but there is a difference between green tomatoes and unripe tomatoes. Green tomatoes can be used like regular red or yellow tomatoes, while unripe tomatoes take a bit longer to prepare.

3 lbs unripe tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs onions
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon pickling spice
1/2 teaspoon ground hot  pepper
1 cup vinegar 5%
3/4 cup honey

Chop up onion, and saute them over a low heat, with a bit of butter or olive oil. Stir occasionally, while chopping your tomatoes.

Place tomatoes in a small kettle (or deep pot) and mix in the seasonings, Add the Worcestershire sauce to the onions shortly before they turn golden brown on the edges. Cook for a few seconds, just long enough to incorporate the sauce.

Mix everything except the honey together in the kettle.

 

over a low heat, cover and simmer for 4 hours. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking.

Remove from heat and puree. Place into a clean kettle and bring to a boil. Stir in the honey (you can use 1 cup of sugar instead) Mix extremely well. 

Pour into your clean jars and hot water bath for 5 minutes.  Makes 2 1/2 pints (recipe can be doubled, stay true to the doubling amounts)

I think it turned out wonderfully, though the color might put some people off a bit. It tastes more like modern ketchup than traditional steak sauce ketchup. And it doesn't take as long to thicken it up. A warning however, honey tends to separate out a bit, so make sure you jar it while still hot, and shake well before use.

And be sure to check out my guest post (recipe) over on  Mohave Rat's blog>>>>  (please take it as a good spirited, believe it or not post that it is)

Bob's your unripe tomatoes

The frost that I mentioned was coming. . . even with the precaution of covering the plants, was still a killing frost.

I pulled all the tomatoes off the plants last night before yet another frost hits tonight.

yes, there are a lot more of them than seen here. I have a counter full for ripening, however I have several more buckets full as well. So I hope you are ready for recipes.

The next couple of days I will share the unripe tomato recipe experience with you all.

For those finding this through a browser search, the recipes for unripe (green) tomatoes can be found by clicking on the links below.

Spice Cake (kid approved) 

Pasta sauce

Med zest picante 

Ketchup

Very Basic Tomato Ketchup

FTM Farmer Asked after a ketchup recipe. This is the basic of basics. After you have this down you can create altered flavors using the tomatoes. (I have many non tomato ketchup recipes as well)

12 lbs ripe tomatoes
1 lbs onion
1/2 lbs sweet red peppers
1/2 lbs sweet green bells (peppers)
4 1/2 cups 5% acidic white vinegar
4 1/2 cups sugar (or sweetener, adjust to taste)
1/8 cup canning salt (adjust to taste or diet needs)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2  tablespoon ground dry red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

quarter you tomatoes and chop your pepper and onion(s), place them in a large pot, mashing them down. Over a medium low heat, cook the peppers, onion(s) and tomatoes until they are soft, stir and mash frequently.

Place the cooked tomatoes, onion(s) and peppers in your food mill and catch the juices in a separate large pot, feed skins to chickens for omelette tasting eggs.   (you can always peel and core the tomatoes then place them and the peppers and onion(s) into a blender, but I find it takes a bit longer)

Bring the juices to just a boil, reduce  heat and simmer an hour. Stir to prevent any burning.

Mix together the remaining ingredients. Add to the tomato sauce, mix well. Simmer (or place in a crock pot and walk away) until the sauce is reduced by half.

Jar and place in a hot water bath for 15 minutes for both pints and 1/2 pints.

I finally have some tomatoes showing up on my plants, as long as we don't have an early freeze I might still get to make something this year.

The Dark (and slightly uncomfortable) side of Homesteading

A skunk managed to kill all my "teen" rabbits. However, Buckets, our Staffy, killed the skunk. We thought most of the smell was off of her. However with the 100F plus, 85F in the house and her unable to do extreme heat because of her black skin and fur, she was given a cooling bath. Then she decided to lay in front of a fan and fill the house with the smell of wet, skunked, dog. I thought Medium was going to puke, and Small was a bit green.

Last night I skinned a chicken for the first time. I usually pluck as it is a habit I am comfortable with. But most of the time chicken butchering is planned out in advance. Last night it wasn't.

Missy is a good, seemingly happy pig. She gets fed all kinds of pig worthy treats. But yesterday the free ranged fryers found their way to Missy. Missy was enjoying her food as I left her, but when I stepped back outside, I found a fryer running and jumping, flapping and flipping, and Larry (rooster) feeling frisky from the scene. Blood splattered the other white fryers as they went in to attack and eat the flopping chicken. Missy was making all kinds of happy noises, and dancing about it her pen. It's the same dance she does when we move her tractor to fresh greens. She crunched away noisily on the chickens head. It was a clean decapitation though. And even if it isn't my preferred method of butchering, it still worked. The chicken had stuck her head into Missy's pen to steal the food, Missy wasn't having it, or was jonesing for some chicken skull. Either way, it was done, it was a clean fresh kill. So once the death throes finally stopped, I hung the bird and skinned it out. Decent amount of meat even though the drought and heat had stunted their growth. I am canning the meat this morning.

We finally have tomatoes growing. Throwing sheets over the plants just before the heat of the day seems to have worked. We only have a month left in the season, unless it turns out to be an Indian summer, so my fingers are crossed that the plants just explode with fruit.

Basic Tomato Paste

You need paste to make various other tomato based sauces

makes about nine 1/2 pints

13 lbs Peeled,cored, chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 c Chopped sweet red peppers
2 Bay leaves
1 tbs Salt
1 Garlic clove; peeled

Cook tomatoes, peppers, bay leaves, and salt for 1 hour over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Press through a food mill and return to pot. Discard seeds and bay leaves.
Add garlic, and continue to cook over medium to medium low heat, stirring frequently, until tomato mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 2-1/2 hours. Or place in a low oven over night.

Remove garlic.

Pour hot paste into hot 1/2 pint jars to within 1/4 inch of tops.

Process in a boiling water bath 45 minutes.

Basic Red Pasta Sauce

10 lbs Tomatoes

3 tbs oil

4 1/2 cup Onions, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp Oregano, crushed

2 Bay leaves, crushed

1 Tbs Plain salt (non-iodized)

1 Tbs Sugar

1 tbs Black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper, crushed

1 tbs Parsley, dried

1 tbs Celery leaves, minced

Peel, core and chop tomatoes. Combine with rest of ingredients in heavy saucepan.

Simmer 2 hours stirring often until desired consistency. Pour into hot jars leaving 1/2" headspace.

Process 30 minutes.

Makes approximately 5-7 pints.

No Rain, no rainbows

That saying makes me giggle every time I hear it. (long story)

Sometimes opportunities don't merely knock, they pound on the door. And if you take a moment to at least look through the peep hole, instead of cowering in the corner, you will lose it.

I can't talk about it just yet, but there might just be something pounding on my door, yelling through the thick wood, begging and pleading that I just look. I have looked, and it seems to be the opportunity that I have been wanting for a very very long time. It combines my love of cooking, homesteading and bikers. Now let's see what happens when the phone rings.

Of course the weatherman lied. Summer has arrived and we are looking at 100+ F for a full week. Good for my plants, bad for me.

We let the guineas outside to see the world, they wondered off. Not sure how they got out of the pen, but they did and they are quiet. I hear that they are loud, but my batch was mute.

The garden is looking good. I am a little worried about the tomatoes because the water doesn't seem to be draining off like it should. We will have to fix that. The squash plants are huge, but no flowers yet. I am so looking forward to this years harvest.

My way or the highway

Over the past few years, tomatoes have been the center piece of my garden. I bet many of you feel that way about your garden. Tomatoes are the most versatile fruit when it comes to canning. we can store much more "needed" food stuff when we have a bounty of tomatoes.

But then there is that issue of trellising them. Should you are shouldn't you. And if you shall, how?

Trellising has it's benefits. Helps keep your fruit off the ground. Allows you to plant a little more tightly, helps the fruit grow larger. But how to go about trellising, what really works?

Their are several ways to train and trellis tomatoes. Most of the time however, without proper pruning, trellising just doesn't seem to work. At least for me. And most of the plant will end up on it's side at one point or another. I have done field fencing, tomato cages, large sticks tied together, you name it, I have tried it, and have never been completely happy with the out come.

Don't get me wrong, I do manage to harvest quantities of tomatoes, but most lay on the ground. Either because the weight of the plant was more than the trellis could hold, or that ever present Kansas wind has kicked up it's heels. Tomatoes do seem to be of the mind set that it is their way or the highway with you.

This year we are going to put that free rebarb to work. We can sink it into the ground deeper, it it strong, and hopefully this will help. With a little construction grade fencing, we might actually have a winner.

What type of trellising have you found successful for your tomatoes?

Are you kidding me?

Snow. More snow on the way this morning. Will it never stop?

I have furry yellow hogs sprouting in the closet. That is a type of tomato. Figured I would throw that in there, who knows what some of you were thinking they were.

I am at a do or die decision point in my life. I informed my husband that it was a midlife crisis, even if I am not considered midlife yet. He is not enthusiastic about my real midlife crisis when it decides to rear it's ugly head. I feel resentful towards the cows and my husband right now. It is pure selfishness and I think a little fear on my part. I can still get out of all of this, the homesteading for profit thing. I can sell my cattle and live a relatively easy life, now. But as soon as I move to the farmstead I feel I will have no more chooses.

I am not a shut-in, I am not anti-social. Sure I have said in the past that I don't like people that much, but I also don't like being alone so often. Once on the farmstead I will be more alone than ever. Because of the cows, I can't just take off for a weekend and join my husband on a motorcycle run. Because of the cows I have a curfew. Because of the cows, I have someone to talk to. They are good listeners.

I am resenting my husband because he will be back in a single life. He will be living alone the majority of the time. He won't have the children breathing and screaming down his neck all the time. He doesn't have to go home if he doesn't want to. He gets to go riding whenever, and see his friends willy nilly.

I told you it was selfish. But it is a part of me, and it hurts. I fear that I will end up losing everything. Look at the FDA that has been proposed. If I go to the farmtead, intent on starting or expanding my business and all this passes, what am I to do then? I won't be able to make any more to live. Sure I can continue to grow my own, but there are still things I need money for. I have very few "practical" skills for the working world. Plus the farm is so far out in the boonies, that there isn't a practical way to get a "real" job. I will have the staples to live, but not the means to be.

I am losing sleep over things that I need to decide. I am fearful of making the wrong decision. And I have no idea where to look to help me figure this out. I can do all the research I want, but there is no info out there to sway my mind one way or another. And all this talk seems pointless right now. No one can make my mind up for me. I am scared about this, if I choose wrong, then what?

I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought I knew what was right. But others create rules that make things seem impossible, and I don't have the money to conform to the potentially new rules. Nor can I afford to be fined. I guess it will be a wait and see. I will continue to get the farmstead ready, and see where this bill leads. If passed, I will stay on the Neophyte Homestead, and work just for my family, making no profits.

Why can't things be easier. What happened to just having a simple life? Things are no longer simple when others and major changes in life are in the forefront.

Pizza the Hut was found dead earlier today in the back seat of his stretched limo.

This is for 1 pizza. It doubles easily.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seed

• Using a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil. Add onion, celery and garlic and saute until soft and transparent.
  
• Add tomato sauce and paste, stir until smooth.
  
• Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer.
  
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
  
• Remove the bay leaf and pour into your sterile jars. Process in a food bath for 40 minutes.

For those with simpler tastes

28 oz crushed tomato

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic gloves, minced

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Mix all together and set aside for a few hours. Pour into a sterile jar and process for 40 minutes in a hot water bath.

These recipes are for 1 pizza. I did it this way because pizza making is not a necessity on a homestead, but having premade sauce on hand sure makes things a lot easier some days. I am assuming that everyone knows how to make paste and plain sauce. If not, yell at me and I will be happy to tell you how to do it.

Catch up, would you.

As the hysteria that is canning season peaks, the titles of my posts will be groaners. As I tell my kids, that's how I roll.

Yesterday I processed 6 pints of Ketchup. you will need,

1 house to yourself
3 Cd's
6 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup water
3 pounds tomatoes, quartered
5 Tablespoons vinegar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 Tablespoon whole cloves
1/2 Tablespoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon salt

If it is cool enough outside, open back door. Put Cd's in CD player, and start player. (my first selection was Sound Garden "B Side")

Carefully wash, core and quarter your tomatoes. Placing them in a heavy stock pot. Using a potato masher, smoosh the heck out of them. Cook over a medium heat. Bring to a light boil for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile. . .

Put you celery, onion and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over a medium heat. You will need a "Spoonman" to stir the mix occasionally. Cook until almost soft, 25 minutes.

Add the celery and onions to you mashed tomatoes, continue cooking until the vegetables are completely softened, 15 minutes. Strain tomato mixture in small batches through food mill into another small stock pot.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Place the pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring often to be sure that the ketchup is not sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens, kind of, for 15 to 20 minutes. Ladle into your sterilized pint jars, and process in a hot water bath for at least 40 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 pints.

I make larger batches of this recipe. I managed to listen to all 3 of my cds. I discovered yesterday that the stupid, embarrassing mom dance is hereditary. As I wiggled to some System of a Down, singing at the top of my lungs, stirring my ketchup over the stove. My neighbor walked in my open door. Let the giggle commence.

This is why the kids love me

8 ounces of ring pasta ("O" shaped) you can make these yourself. A basic flour pasta recipe. As for the shape, I am sure you can buy something to cut them out. My husband has made me a small little machine that will make the rings. Sorry still no camera.

1 can condensed tomato soup or 10 3/4 oz. 1 peck ripe tomatoes (12 1/2 lbs) 4 slices of white onion, 12 sprigs of parsley, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp peppercorn, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp cloves, 2 TB salt, 1 TB sugar. Wash and halve tomatoes. Place herbs in a piece of cheese cloth, tie and add to the pot of tomatoes, mix in the rest of the seasonings. Bring to a low simmer for 1 hour. Drain through a food mill, into another large pot. can what you won't use for this recipe. You can reduce this recipe without issue. To make the soup (mock) condensed, make a smooth paste of 1 T flour and a little water. Add 1 cup tomato soup slowly and mix well. Cook until thickened.

1 cup (8 ounce can) tomato sauce 1/4 cup olive oil, 6 tomatoes, chopped 3 sliced onions, 2 green bell peppers, sliced, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 3 tablespoons white wine. Place garlic, bell pepper and onions in cheese cloth, tie and add to a sauce pan with tomatoes, stir in all ingredients. Simmer at least 30 minutes, drain through a food mill to make smooth.

dash garlic powder

dash dried oregano

dash dried basil

Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, pat dry. In a saucepan, mix soup, sauce, and seasonings. Simmer gently, stirring often, so not to burn, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the drained pasta. toss, add more water if needed to the sauce. If canning see below

I do not have the original meatball recipe. But that's ok, I have better meatballs. Use your own recipe, make sure the are small.

Disclaimer time! The USDA says you should not can pasta. But if you are going to do it anyway, I'll tell you how to.

Pack them into the jar, loosely and then add your sauce. Processing takes the same amount of time as your meats do, 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts at 10 pounds pressure, unless you live at an altitude more than 1,000 feet; consult your canning manual for directions for increasing your pressure.

Have a great Labor Day! We are off to go apple picking. See you tomorrow.

I have bad timing

I will have a house full of people on Saturday. Marina {Tales from a Texas Farm Wife} being one of them. And my house is a wreck.

I didn't need to pull up the carpet in the living room.

But the hallway is almost done.

The flooring I picked up at a Farm Auction.

Good news, my truck is running again. Woohoo for men that are Jacks of all trades!

My tomatoes have gone crazy. I will have to give some away so they don't all go bad.