What to do with all those tomatoes?

I faced another 8# of ripe tomatoes yesterday, and will be today.  In fact, I told Hubby dinner will be very late.  I'm on a mission to put up all of my ripe tomatoes.  Ha!  

I took time, after the tomatoes were all boiled and ice bathed, and draining, to eat breakfast on the porch.  It was nice to get some Vitamin D.  Then it was back to the sink and stove.  By the way, that was leftover sweet potato/black bean frittata (Mmmm!)

500.8 pounds of tomatoes this year!

I made one last visit to the tomatoes.  I promised myself to not even think about getting more harvested, and just pull the darn plants.  I put the last of the grape tomatoes into the dehydrator, and pulled some green tomatoes.  Even the green tomatoes are starting to look bad, so I'm ready to get them pulled.  I pulled one plant and stake today.  It's a measly start on 100-some plants, ha ha!  The grand total of our tomato harvest, as of yesterday, was 500.8#!

I told the kids I'll not do that again.  They all laughed at me.

Weekend Fun ~ Fall Foilage ~ Flowers

I took this photo as a light rain was ending.  You can see some of the trees are already turning to beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows.  Hubby and I saw the most beautiful fall colors last night.  We took off on a ride along a river, and the colors were fantastic.   I was on the back of the Harley, hence no photos (very curvy road).

Our weekend started out with a funeral visitation about 40 minutes from home.  Hubby was needing some much needed road therapy and insisted we ride the Harley.  I was hesitant, due to the fact would could not wear nice "dress" clothing, but we went.  It was at night, so he spontaneously booked a room in a historical hotel.  I did not have my camera, so the photos are a bit unfocused (taken with my phone).

Tomato Sauce Leather ~ Tidbits

I just realized, if I run out of pantry and freezer space, I can always utilize my dehydrator.

I can make tomato sauce leather.   You simply spread out he tomato sauce on parchment paper and dehydrate.  This  would come in handy for backpacking trips or camping meals (uses less space to pack food).  You just combine it with equal parts of hot water, and you have tomato sauce again.  Then you can add spices to create pizza sauce, or make other meals using dehydrated ingredients.

The thing with tomatoes, is that you always have something to make with them.

Sunrise ~ Pumpkins ~ Dogs and Vet Tech to the Rescue

I'm not sure if it's just this time of year, but yesterday's sunrise was just gorgeous too.  

Beautiful Sunrise ~ Garlic ~ Me

Yesterday morning, the sunrise was just gorgeous.  I took this in the beginning.  Then I took this photo...

That was about the time the school bus came.  Then I was getting ready to do laundry, and another dog wanted to go out.

I ran back inside and grabbed my camera before that little bit of rainbow disappeared.  Do you see it?  In the center?  I heard it was a double rainbow, as one of my daughter's saw it going to class. 


A few months ago, I pre-ordered a 1/2 pound of Russian Giant garlic. I counted 29 cloves cloves. This is new to the garden.

Random Tidbits

I snipped a few containers of chives and got them into the freezer.  We plan to add these to every breakfast scramble, soups and whatnot.  Sort of like greens, but a lot more.   As the cooler weather approaches, I go into panic-mode.  We have not even started splitting wood, so I'm madly stocking up the herbs before the first frost.
 

Today, breakfast was "on the go" as Hubby and I made our first visit back to the gym.  We get up at 4:30am and get about an hour work out.  I pre-made the breakfast yesterday, using my crock pot.  I was completely out of apples, and thankful to have a few straggling pears left from our tree.  I made steel cut oats with pears, organic raisins and locally grown walnuts (which I am about out of).  It's a pity that stores here do not sell organic steel cut oats. 

More Tomatoes. . .

We opened a jar of Cowboy Candy.  Wow! Even I liked it, but you have to like hot peppers to enjoy it.  We tasted it with organic cream cheese and a cracker, but they would be delicious topped on a burger of sorts too.  Hubby topped his chicken with homemade BBQ sauce with them too. 

In one last trip to get a few more items for the homecoming attire, we stopped and picked up 10# of organic beef, and one (almost) 12 lb. organic turkey.  That pretty much emptied the pocket book.

Hubby and I enjoyed a picnic in the park after his second doctor appointment, and was due to return to work today, so we played hookie all weekend.

...which meant I did not go into the garden one iota.    

And this happened.

Been a bit busy....

We woke up to thick fog Monday morning.  School was delayed 2 hours, then eventually closed.  As I took the dogs out, it started to rain.  Urghhh.  Rain.  Like we need anymore. 

 Tuesday the fog was bad again - another school delay.
 

However, some lovely green peppers were stuffed and

Poof! Tomatoes and Pears have disappeared....Tomatoes re-appeared!

This is how we began our pear wine - pears were seeded and stems removed.  We purchased a wine sieve bag to place in our 6.5 fermenter.  We had just enough pears to fill this half-way, which was about 23-24 lbs. of pears.  We added one cup of sugar for every pound of pears (approximately), then poured boiling water over, with enough water above pears.

Get'r Done List

The list is getting knocked off by just a teeny, tiny bit.  Hubby can only rest so many hours sitting or napping, so I put him in a chair......

 ..gave him a brush and paint....goodbye black, hello red.  His stent was installed through his right wrist, and is healing nicely.  We finally got his first doctor's appointment made for next week.

While he painted the door, we had a good conversation, while I prepared tomatoes for the freezer.  Today we started the pear wine.  I'll have more on that tomorrow.

Random Tidbits

I had 4 mashed potato servings in the freezer from last year.  They had a small amount of ice on each one, but guess what....

 ...we baked them up the other night, and they tasted absolutely fine.  No freezer burn taste.  Just delicious-ness.  They are not yellow, that was the lighting that evening, as it was dark outside and raining.  Oh, the rain fell, and fell and fell and is still falling today.

Homemade Fruit Picker

You-Tube has it's advantages.  Hubby and I watched a few videos, went out to the barn and got a broken hoe.....

 ...cut out the bottom of a plastic bottle, and stapled the bottle to the handle.  Wa-la.  Not real fancy, but functional and free.  It works too.  Homemade fruit picker is now off the "to buy-it" list.

I woke up early and told Hubby, "I can't can a thing today - no onions."  Which he quickly said at the crack of pre-sun-up, "I can run to the store real quick and get some for you." Ha ha ha!  Oh that burst of energy he has now.  And no, we are still not canning, and no quick trip to the store.  We'll get them later, maybe from the farmstand, but not before 6am, ha ha!

Stay-cation

Hubby and I had a good laugh at the end of yesterday.  As we were driving home, I said, "I feel like I'm playing hookie from my tomatoes."  I really was, and it felt so good.

We went to the movies to get out of the house, watching "The Magnificent Seven."  Don't worry,

The Recovery

While Hubby took a nap, I took a little walk out to the tomatoes and fall green beans to check on them.  And the remaining cauliflower (which looks great due to some recent rain).

I ended up coming in for a basket, and picked 21# of tomatoes.  That brings the grand tally to 365.39# this season.  

However, in all that picking, the wind was wicked, and I lost one of my favorite earrings that I don't wear that often (it was a special occasion to wear them for Hubby's ride home).  It was a wake up call to me.  I think I lost it in the tomatoes somewhere.

I should not have gone to the garden.

Coming Home....

I'm bringing my husband home today folks.  He had the best care at the best hospital, and a high-five to Yawni, his nursing assistant who had us laughing a good amount of the time. Good laughter, good conversation, and lots of laughs.  Although I think Hubby talked her ear off with all my self-sufficient ways, and weed remedies, ha ha!  

He got to talking about comfrey and I could not stop the man. He is definitely feeling much better and I can't wait to sit on the porch and love on him today.  

Thank you for all your good thoughts, well wishes and prayers.  We will be celebrating life.  Tomatoes can wait.  Or they can be part of dinner.

The temperatures here really dropped, so the tomatoes may have rotted overnight anyway.  I better get this posted so I can get the laundry on the line before sun-up.  I have to get that love of my life back home where I can spoil him again.

Getting through......

The tomatoes will remain on the table today.  I had all sorts of plans to get them into the freezer, make ketchup again, and so forth, but I have no energy and can't sleep on top of that.

Hubby is still hospitalized. 

....from the handiwork journal and other random tidbits.

One good thing happened due to our camping dilemma on Friday - I finished the baby blanket.  (We had planned to deliver it today, but......)

While Hubby and his nephew went to fetch the stranded camper, I retreated to the front porch to crochet and relieve my headache.

I also got 1 boot cuff finished, and another started.

Then I sulked again, as the air cooled off and I was imagining myself sitting around a campfire....

I got over it.  

Saturday Hubby

Camping Trip Malfunction

Although we picked the hottest, most humid weekend to camp, we went.  Even though the air conditioning wasn't working in the truck, and it was to be 90°F.

It was our first time to go camping at this beautiful, scenic campground.  Waterfalls, long hikes, horse riding - the works.


Meals were super simple this time, and hiking shoes were donned.  Two took off work, one taking the entire weekend off, and two were taken out of school for a day.

We packed up coolers, bicycles, chairs, and tables.

Two hours or so into our 3 hour drive, and we stopped at a gas station.  A guy starts waving at us.  Hubby says, "now what?"

Hubby gets out and then shakes his head.

Tomatoes, Oh Joy Tomatoes! ~ Tidbits

Tomato-Herb Jam.  I just couldn't help myself.  I had just enough ripe tomatoes to make this, so I did.  It's a first time recipe.  Another BHG recipe.

Unlike tomato-basil jam, it uses zero pectin, and simply sugar.  It's more of a sauce than a jam.  They call it "adult ketchup" because you use a bit of pinot grigio to make it.  Now I have this opened bottle of pinot that is chilling for dinner.

Tincture Tip

I have finally ordered, and received my bottles to properly bottle and label my tinctures.

Guess how I "washed" my bottles and droppers?

I used vodka.

I visited a brewery in KY once, and they "wash" their bottles with bourbon, so they do not water down the content.  

Brilliant!

Just thought I'd share that info.

Hot Peppers and Winter Prep

I finally found some habanero peppers, so another batch of hot sauce was canned. 

I used my own serrano and jalapeno peppers for this batch. I got exactly 4 - 4 oz. jars this time, and boy is it hot!  Personally, hubby and I much prefer the first batch using cherry bomb (hot, but not burn-your-mouth-off hot).  It's all up to your taste I guess.

Did I share the recipe (BHG) link?  Triple Pepper Hot Sauce

I put more dandelions on the freezer.  I am pretty sure we'll be well stocked with greens, but I have another list that needs filled before the snow even thinks about falling.   


The barn cats are eating up a storm.  I am taking this as a warning to prepare for a bad winter.  They are already trying to fatten up. 

Today?  It's another day with tomatoes.   And the next day too.