Homemade Tomato Salsa

Okay, I'm finally posting the recipe for the homemade salsa I made a few weeks ago. Jay and I both LOVED this. Perfect consistency, flavor, everything, just like the nice jarred stuff you get in the store only better. I didn't actually can this when I made it, I just put it in jars and then into the freezer. But I do plan on making another big batch of this in the near future and canning it.

I can't recommend it enough! Easy to make and healthy too.

Changing subjects slightly, Jay came home last night with more bags full of produce from that friend of his whose wife works at a u-pick farm. So with the tons of pickling cucumbers she gave us, among other things, I made some sweet freezer pickles and then I also canned (for the first time) dill pickles. I'll share that in my next post.

For now, here's the salsa recipe!

Tomato Salsa

• 8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped, and drained




• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions




• 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper




• 1 cup minced jalapeno pepper (I used only 1/2 cup)




• 6 garlic cloves, minced




• 2 tsp cumin




• 1 tsp pepper




• 2 Tb canning salt




• 1/3 cup sugar




• 1/3 cup vinegar




• 1 (15-ounce can) tomato sauce




• 1 (12-ounce can) tomato paste

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring to a slow boil and cook for 10 minutes. Spoon into jars, seal, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Apple Pie Success!

I'm not skilled when it comes to pie crust-making. Like a lot of people (it's a large club). I've just never been good at it. Which is why I only ever make pies that call for a bottom crust, so I can use my super easy press in the pan pie crust recipe.
Well, I brought home from work recently a Betty Crocker fall baking cookbooklet that has an apple pie recipe in it. The picture of that pie kept staring at me every time I looked through that book, daring me to make it. I finally decided, that's it, I am going to make that pie!
So I bought my Granny Smith apples and yesterday when I got home from grocery shopping, I took on the challenge of making an old-fashioned two crust apple pie. As you can see from the picture, it turned out so good! I had to give myself a big pat on the back.
I took on the apple pie challenge and succeeded! Now I wonder why I ever thought it was so hard. I just took my time and was patient making the dough and rolling it out.
I'm not going to post the recipe here because it was just your basic old-fashioned apple pie. But boy, was it good. I'm so glad I made it!

I have been Blessed!

Not once, but twice! Last week I received from our landlords a bucket full of cucumbers and tomatoes that they brought back with them from their recent trip to visit family in British Columbia. I'm going to be posting shortly the canned salsa recipe I made to use up some of those tomatoes. They are SO good!
Then, a few days ago, a fishing buddy of Jay's loaded him up with a whole bunch of fresh produce that came from a u-pick farm his wife volunteers at. We received grocery bags full of fresh green beans, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, and ziploc bags full of frozen strawberries, raspberries, and saskatoon berries(similar to blueberries).
I also ended up with one of these funny looking vegetables. It's called a kohlrabi. I've never had it before, but a little google research told me it tastes similar to a turnip. And I don't really like turnips. I've decided I'm going to make beef stew so I can chop it up and hide it in with all the other vegetables. I'm certainly not going to throw it away and waste it!
Just wanted to share my good fortune with y'all! I'll post that salsa recipe soon. It turned out so good!

Our Trip to the Devonian Botanical Gardens

Okay, so today I'm finally posting the pictures that I meant to post last weekend. Argh! I just get to doing other things and forget, and when I do remember I don't feel like getting on the computer.

Anyway, last Saturday Jay and I went to the Devonian Botanical Gardens which is just outside of the little town of Devon, about a 40 minute drive from where we live. I've been wanting to go there the past few years and finally we made the trip!

We had a good time, though it was too bad that this late in the summer a lot of the flowering plants had already bloomed and were done. But there was still plenty to see as you can tell from the pictures.
I think there are few things I love more than being outside and hearing the wind blowing through the trees. I could have just sat at one of the benches there and closed my eyes and just felt at peace.

It was a nice warm day with a bit of a breeze. Perfect weather. Hope y'all enjoy the pictures!

How much is that kitty in the window?

Sorry, she's not for sale! I snapped these pictures the other day of our cat, Shadow. Noisest.cat.ever. I have never met another cat that meows and squawks and generally makes a nuisance of herself more than her. Here she is quietly (for the time being) lounging in the window. She loves the sun.

Hazel's BBQ Meatballs

This is a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. I wrote it down and stuck it in my recipe binder before I even tried it because I just knew we would love it. I love meatballs and this recipe is going to become one of our favorites because it is soo good!

Super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients that I'm sure y'all already have around. Trust me, you will love this recipe!

Hazel's BBQ Meatballs

• 2 eggs



• 1 small onion, finely chopped



• 2 lbs ground beef



• 1 tsp salt



• 1 cup cracker crumbs



• 1 1/2 cups ketchup



• 1/4 cup yellow mustard



• 1/2 cup white vinegar



• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add onion, ground beef, salt, and cracker crumbs. Shape into about 40 meatballs. Place in a 13x9 baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Drain off any grease.
Stir together kethcup, mustard, vinegar, and brown sugar. Pour over the meatballs. Bake for another 45 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

Trip to Elk Island National Park

Hello family and friends, welcome to my new blog! I am intending for this blog to be a way of keeping in touch with all of you that are so far away and for y'all to be able to see what I'm up to way up here. I'll be sharing mainly recipes that I think you'll like to try yourselves but also other things as well.

From the title, you can tell this is not a recipe post! Earlier this summer Jay and I went to Elk Island National Park which is about a 30 minute drive from where we live. It's a beautiful area with lots of trails to go hiking down and wildlife to see. Though I must admit the only wildlife we saw (and felt) were mosquitoes... We did see a lot of wildlife poop if that counts for anything?

I want to share some pictures I took while we were there. Hope you enjoy them!