Giving it a whirl...

Hello one and all...In response to many requests I have decided to give blogging a whirl! With the children back to school I will have a bit more time and hope to be able to post at least a few days each week.

My efforts this week have turned to canning and preserving as the garden is in it's "tomatoey peak." I have put up a wonderful spaghetti sauce that you bake and then can. I did not dread the process anywhere near as much as I did the original idea of cooking and canning that I attempted a few years back. That process resulted in seedy, thin sauce that did not stick to the pasta very well. Despite my efforts the dear hubby declared that he would just as soon eat bottled sauce...so be it for years. This recipe is tasty and easier. AND I can break it down into smaller segments that suit my time frame with a toddler around the house. Give it a try and see if you and your family find it to your liking! (Thanks go out to my sister-in-law Cher that shared this wonderful recipe!)

Homemade Tomato Sauce

6 quarts tomatoes, cored and quartered; leave skins on (I used 18-20 medium/large tomatoes)
3 green peppers, cleaned and cut into chunks
5-6 stalks celery, cleaned and diced (if you leave them too big you end up with long strands of celery "string"...best to chop on the smaller side)
1 or 2 onions, peeled and chunked
3 cloves garlic
3 to 4 bay leaves

Put all the vegetables in a large pot or roaster and cook in a 350 degree oven for 3 hours, stirring once each hour. Remove from oven and cool awhile. Remove bay leaves. Blenderize on high- fill blender only 1/2 to 2/3 full to avoid splatters. A towel over top helps as well. Pour all the blenderized sauce into a large pot and add:

2 to 3 cans tomato paste
2 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP salt
pepper to taste

You can add other herbs when you heat and use the sauce later. I wash my canning jars and lids. Cover jars with boiling water for 10 minutes to sterilize and keep warm. Heat the sauce just to boiling. Heat lids in jar water, fill hot jars with hot sauce and seal. (The original recipe did not call for processing...I chose to err on the side of caution and processed my quarts for 30 minutes in a boiling water canner.) Makes approximately 6 quarts.

There are so many recipes online to help you preserve your own bounty from the garden or the wonderful bargains to be found at your local farmers market. I will be canning diced tomatoes and chili sauce later in the week. Use your "new found" extra time this week(as the children head off to school!) to prepare something for your family to enjoy this winter. You will find that the tastes and smells of summertime feed the spirit as well as the flesh when enjoyed on a wintry evening...Eve