We've Got Salsa!!

Last year we made so much salsa. I was sure we would have a couple of years worth. SILLY ME!! Between giving it away, sending it with Aisling to school and our own use, we ran out about 2 months ago. So I've been anxiously watching our tomatoes. Unfortunately, the tomatoes haven't been cooperating and have been ripening really slow!! Finally last weekend by adding our tomatoes to our good friend Annette's tomatoes we had enough for 2 batches. We got 19 pints. YAHOO!!

SALSA (recipe from Cyndie M.)

1 gallon tomatoes peeled & coarsely chopped

4 large green bell peppers (seeded & chopped)

4 large white onions (chopped)

5-6 jalapeno peppers (seeded & chopped)

6 yellow banana peppers (seeded & chopped)

1 large molé pepper (this is Laurence's addition that we like, but they're hard to find)

1/4 C. salt

1/2 C. vinegar

1 T crushed ground red pepper

Place tomatoes in a large pot (I use a 12 quart stainless steel pot)

Cook. As water rises to the top, spoon it off.

Add peppers, onions, salt, vinegar, and crushed pepper. Cook until really thick.

Bottle as usual.

Process in a hot water bath for 7 minutes.

Makes about 8 pints.

You can alter the "spiciness" by adding more peppers as desired.

Although Laurence had his surgery he was able to take care of the peppers and onions. He is a great trooper!!

Grandma Baird's Pickled Beets

Grandpa and Grandma; Everett & Marie Baird When we planted beets this year, I made sure I didn't plant too many. I REALLY didn't want to HAVE to can them. So here I am, it's September and I'm pickling beets and wishing I had more beets to pickle. I LOVE pickled beets. Talk about reaping what you sow!! This recipe is a recipe I got fom my mom, who got it from her mom, Grandma Baird.

PICKLED BEETS

Wash and cook beets until done.
Peel and slice 1/2 inch thick (I prefer to leave them whole if they're small enough)
Place in jars.
Set aside.

Boil:
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. water
2 T. caraway seeds
6 C. vinegar
3 C. white sugar
1 T. mixed pickling spice in a bag (I also put the caraway seeds in the bag as I don't care for them in the beets)

Pour boiling mixture over beets.
Seal jars
Hot water bath 5 minutes.

An Incredible Weekend

Last weekend was an incredible weekend. So many wonderful things going on.

The day started out with Annette and I heading out to Billings to attend the temple. It can't begin any better than that!!After that, we went to the cannery. We are so fortunate that our stake presidency has made the sacrifices necessary for our stake to be able to dry pack can whenever we desire. Since my calling in the ward is the Ward and Family Preparedness Chairman, (always wondered about that, doesn't chairman mean there is a committee?), anyway I had 2 groups signed up for the cannery. A 12:00-2:00 session, and a 2:00-4:00 session. We had 31 people attend and canned a little over 400 cans of food storage. YAHOO!! Thank goodness for Annette, (in the above picture), without her help I would have been up a creek since Laurence was attending to our duties at the temple.
Then it was over to the Stake Center for the evening session of Stake Conference. (Laurence and Annette were already there because of Priesthood Meeting and Stake Leadership).

The evening was wonderful. Elder Dallin H. Oaks was visiting us and his companion was Elder Renlund. Elder Renlund is a new member of the Quorum of the 70. What a good speaker. And of course, if you are LDS you are familiar with Elder Oaks and what a dynamic speaker he is.

The spirit of the evening was wonderful. I LOVED IT!! I am usually a notetaker, but that evening I just sat and soaked in everything that was said and felt.
The night was spent at the good ole' Super 8 hotel. Did I mention that we live 120 miles from our stake center?
Sunday morning saw us up bright and early. We arrived at about 8:05 and the chapel was already nearly full. Conference didn't start until 10:00. By 10:00 the cultural hall was totally full.
Some thoughts I had that aren't new, but touched me. (In no particular order!!)

The Lord doesn't care where you were, he cares about where you are and what you are becoming.

Solutions to the world problems are gospel basics-- a better understanding and practice of fundamentals.

We must strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ.

OK, So It's NOT the Iron Chef Competion

Being the partying kind of fools we are, we DIDN'T have an Iron Chef Competition, or light 89 candles on a beautiful cake only to blow them out. Although I wish we had been there for both events! Laurence and I spent Valentine's Day canning beef stew!! Bet you wish you'd been here:)
We are going to mom's this week. She told us on Thursday that they had made special arrangements with the butcher place that we could pick up our 1/2 beef while we are there. If you could see my freezer you would know why this sent me into panic mode! There was only one choice..... eat it and can it. I had 8 packages of stew meat that were taking up space. Laurence and I turned them into 8 quarts and 20 pints of beef stew. YUM!!! I am so tickled to be looking at this on our pantry shelf!! (I think my church calling is affecting my brain....)
AND..... after all the fun was over we cooked filet mignon and peach cobbler for dinner! It was a wonderful day!! Not to mention the beautiful rose Laurence gave me.
Happy Valentine's to All!!

It's a Great Way to Spend Boxing Day

Aisling and I spent part of the day today canning spaghetti sauce. Last summer my tomatoes couldn't really get with the program. I took the tomatoes as I got them; blanched and quartered them and put them in the freezer. This morning the job was half done!I must say it sure beats canning during the heat of the summer!! We did 17 1/2 pints, now she'll have even more food to take back to school with her.