Good morning, my friends! Things are just about to get crazy here at the Three Cats Ranch. Not that they aren't always crazy, but you know...insane. The next several days will be spent canning tomatoes, either as pasta sauce, or as plain old tomatoes. It's a big job, and I'm dreading it. When it's done though...that feeling of satisfaction and the gratification of having quarts of pasta sauce on the pantry shelves is worth all the work. If it ever stops being worth it, I'll stop doing it. So far, so good.
Take a good look at these because they are just about to be transformed.
I'll be adding in a few stragglers from our own plants...probably another five pounds worth. We'll see how far that takes me. For now, I'm focused on quart jars of pasta sauce. I'm expecting to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 quarts.
We had the kids up for dinner last night. That was enjoyable as always. I'd done pretty much everything the day before, but I still needed to bake this
Magic Apple Plum Cobbler. We had that with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to finish off our dinner.
There were just a few other things I needed to do to get ready, including cutting some of the sunflowers for the table. Usually, I leave the flowers outside. With sunflowers in such abundance, it seemed a shame not to have some for inside.
I had just about an hour to sew yesterday afternoon, and so I went to work selecting fabrics for the mini quilt. As a reminder, this is the quilt I'm making. It will end up at 11-1/2 x 11-1/2 inches, so you know those pieces are small. It's good practice for cutting and piecing accuracy.
There was time to do all the cutting. When I head into the sewing room next time, I can just get straight to work.
I haven't decided yet about the inner border and binding. I might use solids from the selection you see here, or I might choose something more fun.
Also, Tiny House #33 was released this morning. This one should go fairly quickly, and I'm going to try to get it finished this week. The tomatoes are in charge of my time for the next couple of days.
Aside from canning tomatoes this week, I have poorly timed appointments for a haircut and a pedicure...last minute things before we leave on our trip next week. And just getting ready for the trip is plenty to keep me busy for a day or two. So, you can see there's a lot to do over the next ten days. I might decide to take a day or two off from blogging. It depends on how much I have to tell you. So, if I miss a few days, don't worry.
There are quart jars washing in the dishwasher as I'm writing this, and I'm girding up my loins for a busy couple of days. Fingers crossed everything cooperates and I can get the job finished without too much swearing.
6 comments:
When you cut that eggplant up and you roast it in the oven and you make the tomato sauce and you put it on top, your soul is in that food, and there's something about that that can never be made by a company that has three million employees. ~ Mario Batali
We used to make a similar cobbler when we had our B&B guests - with blueberries or blackberries, depending on what was plentiful at Paul's mother's house. They seemed to alternate years as far as abundance. I think it would be good with peaches, too.
I have never had luck making marinara sauce with my own tomatoes - it's always too watery. Maybe I am too impatient and should let it cook longer. But there is nothing like a tomato right out of the garden!
Ooooh! That cobbler looks delicious! Wished I lived nearer it would have made a delicious dessert after my pilchards on toast!! lol
Stay strong over the next few days. I don't know whether you have to stand for long sessions but..... Try standing on a cushion.
I don't know why but it works, I used to iron for hours without any aches.
Xx free
Looking at the 3 quilts you have piled together, the bottom one sure looks a lot like fabrics and colors as well as pattern for one I have in the works here at home. Different setting though as I will be setting mine with alternate blocks.
Hope your canning is going well. It's a lot of work, but if you enjoy the outcome that's what matters. It will be fun to watch your mini come together, I can't imagine working that small. Hopefully the temps have moderated there, ours have for a few days.
My word woman - are you insane? You go from paper piecing pretty much everything in sight and now you're undertaking itty bitty squares too?
Your sunflowers are prettier than the ones I bought yesterday. $6 for six. Thought I'd better get some because there might not be any when we get back.
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