Saturday, August 9, 2014

One of Those Little Things

It was a great day even though the first cup of coffee was ruined with spoiled
 Half&Half.  Bought Thursday, exp. date Aug 25th, just opened this morning.  There is one of those "little things"  that tick me off!  Back to Giant it will go on my next trip to Wellsville.  The upside...........we had heavy cream  left from Dick's peaches and cream the other night.  Heavy cream could be addictive in my coffee, forever!   It won't be but nice thought.

First thing this morning I canned the spaghetti sauce made yesterday.  The job isn't as tiring taking two days.  Years ago I would do two batches in one day! Life in the slow lane now.  While the jars processed 30 minutes I put my feet up and did a little quilting.  The quilt should have and would have been finished July 16, the garden and the slow lane again.  I am getting better at accepting it just takes longer to do.  Maybe that is why some start a "bucket list", the older you get the faster time goes and the slower we get.  I have never thought of a "bucket list".  Now I do have dreams of traveling the USA and a couple European Countries.  Nice to dream.  The ship can't come in if you never launch it.

I had a request for the spaghetti sauce recipe as crazy as it is!

1/2 bushel tomatoes, (Romas are my pick for canning) I used reg tomatoes this time, that's what the Amish were selling.  I don't peel them, cut out core and bad spots, cut  in large chunks and put them in my food processor until finely chopped. We like smooth sauce.  If you don't peel the  tomatoes, cut into chunks and put in kettle.
Once in the kettle I add 2-cups dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and canning salt, oregano, basil (I add a few TBSP. of each throughout the simmering until it suits me for flavor. Also 1-TBSP hot pepper flakes(optional), 4-cans of tomato paste(large cans), 2-cups chopped onion and 4 heads of garlic chopped fine(not cloves).  We like garlic if you don't cut amount back or leave out. Simmer for 4 hours uncovered.  Final taste test, add what ever you think it needs.  Can,seal, water bath for 30 min. pints or quarts.

You can see how much I cooked it down,
dark and rich color.

The finished sauce.

Dick went to the archery shop in Belmont today with our grandson. Hard to believe but within a few days the archery targets will be in full use and soon after that the Buck will be in Rut.  That's a phrase I will here often.  Just coming in rut, full rut or on the down slide of rut.  Full swing is when you really want to watch for deer when driving.  The buck are a little crazy that time of year.  Nice Dick and Kent had a little shopping fun, Kent picked out arrows a lighted knocks for his gramps.  I knew they didn't go just to look around.  While they were gone I did the "lick and a promise" through the house and my most enjoyable (I'm serious) warm weather task, mowed the lawn.  What a beauty of an afternoon, warm sunshine, 80 degrees with a nice breeze.  Sometimes it just gets done way too fast!  Usually by this time the lawn as all but quit growing and needs mowed once a week to knock down the spindles.  Not this year, spring green and mowing 3 times a week.

Supper was an easy one.  With the extra chicken, veggies and gravy I had left after taking some to a friend last night I made a biscuit casserole.  In  9x12 baking dish I poured the hot gravy mixture and placed buttermilk biscuits on top.  Bake 400 degrees until biscuits are done.  Our two side dishes were from my niece's garden, sliced cukes and fried crispy yellow squash.  Here's the trick for extra crispy, dip in buttermilk, then flour.  Never put salt in the flour, it pulls the moisture out of the squash and makes it soggy.  Salt and pepper squash as soon as they come out of the grease.  Buttermilk works for frying fish, chicken or vegetables.  For some reason it makes the coating crispier than milk.  I love cooking and baking with buttermilk.

Enough left for Kirk, plus a little walk to get it there ♡

Our supper ♡