Summer Tomato Harvest

This year with all the rain we have an abundance of heirloom tomatoes in our little garden. We planted pickling cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapenos, and two types of heirloom tomatoes. Our bell peppers are not doing so well, but the tomato plants have taken over and are growing furiously. 

Cream of Tomato Soup

Last year I made tomato sauce which we have used all but one quart and I know we are going to have enough tomatoes to produce the same amount as last year and plenty of salsa and so much more. I hunted for other ways to use our abundance of tomatoes and found Susy's Home Canned Tomato Soup recipe at Chiot's Run. I do believe I have found the most heavenly tomato soup recipe!!! Silky, creamy, taste of sunshine and all the fresh tomato goodness with no added chemicals and no metallic taste, just delicious heavenly creamy tomatoes!

Canned Tomato Soup

I canned in half pints and pint sizes as there are only the two of us at the house now and you mix 1-to-1 with milk or chicken stock when using. The half pint size is just right for the two of us to have with grilled cheese sandwiches and the pint size is good for those times we just want a little more.

My not so Modern Maples quilt top

The Modern Maples quilt is pieced together and on the frame. I still don't know if I like the busy loud floral prints but at this point I am committed to finish it.

Victor, isn't he so handsome!

This past weekend was somewhat productive, and here again is Monday and back to work I go.

I hope you had a productive weekend too! Here's to a productive week, even if it's sitting behind a desk in the 9 to 5 world!!

While on the subject of watermelon...

and all it's sweetness, it's the fruit most assosiated with summer. Besides being a tasty treat watermelon is the Lycopene Leader in fresh produce, having higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. In fact, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes - a 2-cup serving of watermelon contains and average of 18.16 mg and one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg. Something good for us 'of a certian age' fighting aging free radicals. A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight. Watermelon is also mildly diuretic and contains large amounts of beta carotene.


Some fun water melon facts:
•The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
•Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.
•Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitaceae. It is cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
•By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
•Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
•The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
•In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinness Book of World Records).
 

Not only is watermelon tasty but it makes an awesome mojito!!

And you knew I would have to put my  quirky little twist on it didn't you?!?!

 

Watermelon Mojito

 

Ingredients

• 
  
  2 1/2 to 3 pounds watermelon flesh, pits removed
• 
  
  1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 
  
  1/4 cup packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish
• 
  
  2 1/2 cups white rum
• 
  
  1/4 cup agave syrup

Directions

In a blender, puree watermelon, fresh lime juice and mint in batches until smooth. Strain into a pitcher. Mix in rum and syrup. Serve in glasses filled with ice and garnish with mint leaves.

Ahhh, the sweetness of summer!!

Happy Mothers Day Banana Pudding (sugar free)

I did not get to visit my family for mother's day so I did the comfort food cookin' .

Banana Pudding (sugar free, but you will never know!)

Very easy!!!

I used

2 pks- dream whip made per the directions (1 cup milk for 2 packs & vanilla extract, whipped till stiff peaks form), then chilled while mixing the pudding.

2 lg boxes of sugar free vanilla pudding

5 cups of milk, I used 2%

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 boxes of Sugar Free Vanilla Wafers

5 bananas

Mix the 5 cups of milk, 2 cups of sour cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract with the 2 packs of vanilla pudding mixing on low untill blended well. Fold in half of the Dream whip (pre made as stated above).

Now its time to start layering. Vanilla Wafers, pudding, the bananas, and so on until you have used all of the pudding. Then top the whole thing with the other half of the Dream Whip and crushed vanilla wafers.

Yummmm!!!

PS: I love you & Happy Mother's Day Grandmother, Mom, and Aunt Wanda - we will be coming to visit very soon!

New Diet Addiction

A great free resource for getting or staying healthy is SparkPeople.com . It's 100% free and they have a nutrition tracker, fitness tracker, message board, blogging, advice, articles, and more. I had heard about this site years ago and never visited, but last week I got hooked. I am over-weight, and like many people needed a little push in the right direction.

I love the nutrition tracker, it's do easy - enter the foods that you have eaten and it totals at the end of the day all the calories, and nutritional values. They have foods listed you can choose from or enter your own food and its nutrition information. At the end of the day you can see a report that shows how you daily intake was, and from this report I have learned that I do not get my daily % of calcium.

The fitness tracker is so cool, fill in the exercises for the day and it totals up the day calories burned, and you can also set up goals for the week and use this to get motivated to reach them. I learned that the 4 hours I spent digging up the yard and planting some flowers and shrubs I burned 805 calories Sunday.

You can set up a personal home page and write a blog about you healthy adventure. They even have active teams you can join with other members are similar as you or your interests. The message boards are alive with people asking question, telling their stories and replying with advice and motivation.

With SparkRecipes.com you can print, import into you nutrition tracker, and organize a cook book all online. I have already found 4 recipes, tried them and rated them.

This site is a great help to keeping people motivated to get and stay healthy.

God's candy.......................

Blueberries!!!!

Saturday we went blueberry picking at a friends home in the Florida panhandle. I can say I had the best time I've had in a long time!! It was hot and humid but being out in nature picking the sweetest berries was a thrill for me. (pardon the pun, lol). But it truly was a great thrill on blueberry hill!!!

(if you want to see more picking pics go here )

Zucchini Relish

Zucchini Relish

10 cups of coarsely grated zucchini

4 cups of coarsely grated onion

2 red peppers minced

3 green peppers minced

5 Tbls of pickling salt

2 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar

5 cups of sugar

1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (optional or to taste)

1/2 Tbls of dry mustard

1/2 Tbls of mustard seeds

1 tsp of celery seed

1 tsp of turmeric

fresh ground black pepper

Mix the vegetables with the pickling salt and let set overnight in a non-metallic container in the frig.

The next day get your canning supplies ready.

Rinse the vegetables well and drain, set aside while you make the pickling liquid.

In a large pot combine the vinegar sugar and spices. Bring this to a boil, add the vegetables and stir well, bring back to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Place relish into your canning jars and process for 10 minutes.

This make about 16 cups or 8 pints of relish.

For canning help go here.

This is the first in a series of zucchini relish recipes I am making this summer. This one is a basic relish next up I will make a HOT relish.

The fruits (veggies) of our labors....

It all started with a few little seedlings and some seeds..................... As they grew, things changed very quickly.............

There was eggplant, peppers and broccoli.............

Zucchini and crookneck squash........

Throw in some cherry tomatoes........

And that was only the very beginning!!

This weekend I will be canning zucchini relish cause - this green stuff is taking over!!!!

(Help - with cherry tomato tips and canning advise please!!)

Yummmy - The feasting will commence

Happy T'Day

Everyone!!

Everyone is blogging about thier menu for T'day,

so I am not one to ruffle the Turkey feathers (grin)

Smoked Turkey

Cornbread Dressing

Fresh Baked Sweet Potatoes

Butternut Squash

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Home-made Rolls

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle (sugar free)

~

So to that I say.................... COOK ON!! EAT ON!! GIVE THANKS!!