Canning Tomato sauce

So some little people around here think that tomatoes are "yuck", "eww", "that's just nasty", and so forth.  And that was just today.  But when I make spaghetti, chili, lasagna, or any number of other things, they are willing to "suffer" it down.  And they at least make me think that they like it.

So today's project "Canning tomato sauce" sounds ridiculous, because I am actually putting it in jars.  But I don't get to decide what things are called, so here it goes.....

A whole bunch of tomatoes diced (some people remove skin and seeds, I don't)

Enough Olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a stock pot

some seasoning (yes, it's technical....I used salt and oregano..and a tsp of sugar to reduced acidity)

Boil until it is reduced to a liquid.  And while it is still hot put in in the jar.

If you put it in while still hot, it will seal itself.

This is 1/2 of the little ones that have decided that tomatoes are yuck.

     

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Real Food-Crepes

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Real Food-Crepes: Crepes 1 cup ap flour 1/4 tsp salt Mix Add 2 eggs 1/2 cup of milk 1/2 cup of water mix Cook in a hot, lightly greased (or nonstick)...

Real Food-Crepes

Crepes
1 cup ap flour
1/4 tsp salt
Mix
Add 2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
mix

Cook in a hot, lightly greased (or nonstick) frying pan about 2 minutes each side

Batter:Pour a little less than 1/2 cup into the pan

Crepe

Filling

Mac and Daniel had eggs.  Hannah and Gabe had Blueberry filling

Filling

2/3 cup of sugar

4 tbsp of cornstarch

1/4 cup of water

dash of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

bring to a light boil

Add about 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries

Cook until it has thickened

Blueberry filling

Sorry.  My picture didn't turn out and the kids ate it before I realized.

And I am very excited to say that my children have been eating wonderfully since I have started to remove processed food.  No vegetable or fruit arguments.  For snacks there is yogurt and fresh fruits.  This weekend I made sloppy joes with a homemade tomato sauce.  Which is (surprising to me) just a diced tomato cooked down with a little olive oil and seasoning.  And it was awesome!  After the kids ate it, I told them that I cooked a tomato in it...They just said, "oh, well."  ;)

 

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Real Food-Beef Wellington

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Real Food-Beef Wellington: What a day!!! I decided yesterday that I wanted to make Beef Wellington. But guess what....When making a puff pastry from scratch it reall...

Real Food-Beef Wellington

What a day!!!  I decided yesterday that I wanted to make Beef Wellington.  But guess what....When making a puff pastry from scratch it really needs to be done the day before, so the Wellington got pushed off a day.  It was SO worth it!!

Puff Pastry Recipe  (this is the quick recipe, but it still takes hours.  Or you can buy one at the grocery store)
Roast cut into about 2x2 strips (estimate)
Fresh Mushrooms diced fine
Mustard (yep, the yellow kind)
Prosciutto
Egg wash (eggs beat so you can use it like a paint)

                                                 Puff Pastry (even though I used only 3/4 of the butter it called for)
Next day, brown roast, paint with mustard, wrap with prosciutto, and let rest in the fridge.
Meanwhile, heat diced mushrooms in the pan to allow all the water from the mushrooms to come out.
Then, roll out dough, add mushrooms, then beef.

Brush the egg wash around the side and wrap.

                                               Note the size of the beef and the egg wash

                                             Here it is rolled

                                         Then brush with egg wash and make small cuts

Cook on 425 for about 40 minutes

Super yummy!!!  Even the kids ate it without complaining.

I added spinach salad and strawberries to make the meal complete.  And if you ask my mom or sisters, a meal isn't complete unless the plate is colorful.

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: My new thing...

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: My new thing...: "So I may be slightly ADD. (There is no H for ADHD in my body.) I am always doing, reading, learning, or trying different things. This we..."

My new thing...

So I may be slightly ADD.  (There is no H for ADHD in my body.)  I am always doing, reading, learning, or trying different things.

This weekend, I decided to make it through the week without restaurants with the exception of Sunday morning when we all eat breakfast before church.  We started Friday.  That may not have been the best day to start.  The weekends are times when I try to relax.  Not to mention it is a week until payday, so almost all of the grocery money is spent.  But I figured that this would be great for the family!  When I was a child we didn't eat out much, and when we did it was at Street's in good ole

(Note: I downloaded that picture so it isn't my fault that "Bay Minette" is cut off.)  So of course Friday was pizza night, Saturday was chicken gorditas, Sunday was tacos, and tonight will be taco casserole because I have left over taco meat.  This is the last week for free lunches at the school cafeteria for the kids, so I won't be making those meals.  I am totally loving the free summer lunch program!  The kids don't eat all the food, but they are exposed to foods that I wouldn't necessarily cook.  For example, pinto beans (eww) isn't something that I would just heat and feed to my kids, but Gabe didn't mind them too much.

All this to say, just because we can eat out doesn't mean we should.  So am taking this week and giving food a shot without the restaurants.  I know that this seems really ridiculous.  Some people can't eat out ever, and here I am trying to get through the week without it.  I don't want my kids to feel like they grew up on McDonald's or Chick-fil-a.  I want them to have the same dinner experience that I had.  A table with food and fellowship.  Shame on me for letting it get to this point.  I want to get to the point that eating out is very rare.  But on Sunday mornings, you can find us enjoying down time before the Sunday morning rush starts.

This is where I will be spending lots more time.

Luckily, I am pretty good at making these.

And as I finish this, one of my babies walked up and asked if we could eat out tonight.  Me, "Nope, get use to it."