Category Archives: canning tomato salsa

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, California, cancer, canning tomato salsa, meal planning by

We woke up to rain so no walking today. I’m going to the Auburn gym later, so I’ll use the treadmill there.

I did all the canning yesterday and ended up with 9 pints of tomato sauce and 6 pints of chicken broth. One of the chicken broth didn’t seal which is very rare for me, but I think I had wiped the rim with the vinegar solution and left too much on.

It looks like there was some siphoning as well. As long as their sealed it’s fine.

I had both canners going on the stove, so that was new to me. but tomatoes only take 25 minutes in the water bath and chicken broth only 20 in the pressure canner. That cleared out quite a bit of space in the freezer, so I’m happy about that. My goal for the last month or so has been to use down the freezer items, and this certainly helped.

I don’t plan on making any jams this year. We just don’t eat enough jam to warrant it. I can buy a quality Bonne maman, and that will last a few months in the fridge. I do love canning, but it has to be something I’m going to use.

I don’t have a lot of house chores today. Mostly dust, and do another quick vacuum.

I’m planning soup for dinner. I have chicken tortilla soup and vegetable barley. I’ll do some homemade tortilla strips on the side. The rest of the week I’ll have to figure out.

I have my labs tomorrow and will see Dr. L on Thursday this week, so that will change up my swimming and other gym plans.

Saturday

Posted in California, camping, cancer, canning tomato salsa, freezer cooking, peritoneal mesothelomia by

Frugal Friday got sidestepped by other things.

But I did go to Winco once after swimming and spent $58, although $15 of that was a bottle of wine. So $43 for food. I also got gas at Costco, which is always a savings. Other than that, nothing was spent.

Today, I have to take Barclay down to Infusion in Rocklin. I was going to do a Trader Joe’s stop, but nothing is urgent, so I think I’ll wait. This will take about 4 1/2 hours, so my daughter will go down to get him at 2:30 or so.

The video visit with Dr. Neal was a waste of time. He really didn’t say anything of importance except that the one spot on his spleen was concerning. But I’ve read on the Facebook group that people will have their spleen removed during the surgery if it’s impacted. So now we wait again till we hear from Lee. Honestly, at this point, I think it should be our call. He’s the one taking the risk, and if this can remove tumors, then that’s what we want. So I think I’m going to be hopeful that it will go forward.

After I get home, I plan on processing the rest of the tomatoes from last summer I froze. So I have 3 bags to do. I think I’ll cook them down, then run them through the food mill and can them tomorrow. I also am planning to make chicken broth but will pressure can that. Does anyone use the Presto pressure canner that’s automated? Lots of people swear by it because there’s no waiting for the All-American to come up to pressure, then juggle at the right time, etc. I’ve looked at them on Amazon, and they run around $350, so a big investment.

We’ve booked a spot in Tahoe for September, so that’s exciting. Belived me that’s like winning the lottery to get a spot. It took us 6 tries to get a spot, so if you’re trying to do anything in Tahoe, beware of how long it can take and plan accordingly.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, books, bread, California, cancer, canning tomato salsa, cooking, home stuff, reading by

Update: B called the NP and she said it could take up to 2 weeks to get results. I kind of doubt that especially if there are cancer cells. So maybe soon. I don’t think that there’s going to be any surprise as it seems to be peritoneal cancer which basically is cancer masses in the abdomen. Hopefully, chemo and maybe some surgery will help and extend life. Who knows,? right?

So I opted to not go into the Auburn gym so I could do my first batch of salsa.

I only got 3 pints. The recipe called for 3 lbs cored tomatoes which I did but I think after baking they shrunk down so next time I’ll make more and then weigh the 3 lbs.

Then I got the bread going.

All in all, I started at 7 and I’m done now at 10. So, a good start to the week.

Tomorrow I have my labs and then I’ll go to the Roseville gym. So I’ll get my weights done for the week.

I just finished this book. It was good and I think by him writing stuff that was so emotional will help others. Worth reading.

The next book was about Judith Jones. What an amazing woman and what an amazing life she had.

There were so many books she helped get published including”Diary of Ann Frank”.

Truly a remarkable life.

Here’s a Gus picture;

I think that’s Cherry Ratski under the chair.

Well, I’m off to read or collapse one or the other. Probably read.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, canning tomato salsa, cooking, Myeloma, Walking by

The day started with a walk in the park with NO ONE there but us!! Very unusual these days. But quite nice.

Then back home and right into prepping tomatoes to can. B did all the food milling and I got the canner and jars ready. Four Quarts of tomato sauce. They are in the water bath right now. Quarts take 40 minutes and I add 5 minutes for altitude.

I may or may not have a flu shot appt. I didn’t get a reminder and couldn’t find it in my messages as a confirmation. The website was useless. So I think I’ll go in at 11:30 and check. If it’s there great if not I’ll just reschedule. I’m skipping the gym because of canning and then going into town. I usually go to the gym by 8:30 a.m.

I pulled some ready meals from the freezer for tonight. Stuffed bell peppers( vegetarian) and a turkey chili. I need to dig down in the freezer and see what I have.

This week will be busy and different with going to the infusion center on Wednesday. I need to get to the library too. I have holds there. One is Demon Copperfield by Kingsolver. People love it or hate it. I suspect I won’t like it but I’ll try. Some of her stuff I have loved like Animal Dreams and Bean Trees but I disliked Poisonwoood Bible.

I also need to look at my swim times and rec center times and how that’s going to work. After Infusion, I’ll take Dex so the rest of the day is a wash and I never drive the next day either. Friday can be ok so I’ll just have to see. If I need B can drive me to the store or even down to the Rec Center. There are loads of trails there so he could walk or hang out in the library. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.

I’m going to work on my Japanese quilt today as I got the quilt frame. The poles are way too long for me to use so B needs to cut them down. I’m not sure how much easier it is with the frame. The lady did not want it back even though I said I’m not probably going to do more. She just said pass it on. That was generous of her. Her father had made this frame and it is sturdy and looks professional.

Well onward and upward. At least the assholes in Congress passed something so the govt doesn’t shut down.

Simple Sunday

Posted in budgets, California, camping, canning tomato salsa, home stuff, Uncategorized, Walking by

I finally got to go out and walk yesterday and this morning. I walked slowly and with my walking stick. It was ok. My knee is still a little sore and the back of my calf is a little sore too. Yesterday no one was there at all which was great. Today, no one was walking but there were people there setting up for an event.

I plan to go to the Auburn gym and just do arm weights, no treadmill. I haven’t figured out my swim schedule for the week yet. I do need to drop some books off at the library so I can pair that with the gym as the library opens at 9 a.m. MTW.

The mornings are much darker at 5:30 a.m. I think sunrise is @ 6:30 now. Evenings are getting darker earlier too. Well, it does happen every year. We have a Tahoe trip in September and I think it’s going to be a little different. I’m not sure what we’ll think about because we’ll be in the trailer earlier in the evening even if we have a campfire. Maybe it’s time to start checking out campgrounds more south like we had at Refugio. That was in November and it didn’t seem like the early sunsets or late sunrises affected us that much from what I remember.

I finished the budget for September and it looks good. We have a few added expenses like 2 new batteries for Rubi, and the shelf brackets for the kitchen shelves. Plus just everyday stuff that comes up. I won’t be able to pay the full dentist bill for Barclay’s crown but I’ll be pay a good chunk. So all in all, ok.

I don’t have any canning to do today. I think we’re going to get one or maybe two last big tomato harvests so I’ll wait and then do a large batch of plain tomato sauce. I also still want to can a few different meals in a jar but haven’t decided what yet. The Happy Homestead vlogger was pressure canning a chicken corn chowder which looked good. Of course, you wouldn’t do milk or flour but just the core ingredients and, then when you cooked it you would make a roux and then add the jar to the roux mix.

I played around making the Caco de Pepe recipe again and watched a couple of YT channels on making it. First, to get the cheese not to clump, grate it with a micro planner. Second, cook the pasta in a saucepan so the starch from the pasta is more concentrated. Third, toast the freshly ground pepper in another pan and then add some olive oil and butter. Then you add the boiling water to that and then add the pasta. I can say, this worked and it was delicious. The recipe was from Serious Eats, if you want to try it.

It’s hard to believe August is almost over and September will be here. September is both of our birthdays. It’ll be time for flu shots and the next Covid booster if it’s out by then.

Frugal Friday

Posted in California, canning tomato salsa, frugalism, plants, Uncategorized by

The trip to Costco ended up $150 for food and $100 for alcohol/non food including a very fancy bottle of Veuve Clicquot at $55.00 and B bought beer and then the rest was nonfood.

We haven’t opened it yet since we had the Taittinger champagne.

Our lunch out was a splurge at $80 including tip. At the nursery, I bought an Eucalyptus tree in a 5-gallon pot for $15 and a very large fiddle Leaf fig at half price of $18 which is an incredible price. I’m not sure what like it likes yet but I have it by this window.

I also bought some plastic pots to repot 2 of my indoor plants.

Overall, all of it was worth the splurge. Next week, I probably don’t need anything from the store and I’ll try and keep it a no spend week.

I’ve ordered some fat quarters of Japanese fabric to make a small lap quilt. Actually, I’m not sure I’ll quilt it but will probably do some Sashiko embroidery on it.

This was my latest Sashiko. I like how meditative it is but my stitches have a long way to go. Oops looks like I got some dinner on the upper corner. 🙂 I also didn’t do the outside stitching right as you’re supposed to iron the seams first and then sew thru both pieces of fabric.

Orchids are one of my favorite flowers because they last so long. B got this one for an anniversary present.

This is a Swedish Dala meant to bring good luck. This was an ‘our’ gift even though I’ve wanted one for a while. Actually, I’ve been looking for a white and blue one but they are hard to find.

Some of the last sunflowers from the garden.

I’m hoping to walk at least one round tomorrow. I’ll use my walking stick.

Tonight is homemade pizza. Yesterday I made another salsa but this one I roasted the tomatoes, peppers onions, and garlic. The skins come right off the tomatoes. I then whizzed the peppers,onions and garlic in the food processor but not the tomatoes. I ended up with 4 pints. The flavor was excellent.

So next week, no falling off step stools, and getting back to my regular routine albeit slowly. I will not do any leg stuff with the weights until my knee feels 100% better. i can do all the arm stuff though.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, books, California, canning tomato salsa, home improvement, home stuff, reading, swimming, Uncategorized, Walking by

That I have the strength to stand and can tomatoes at 70 yo. Really, I’m 70?… That’s just weird.

This a new recipe for me. It’s like Rotel. Very spicy!!

I just read an absolutely fabulous book “ Fellowship Point” by Alice Elliot Dark. It’s a great combination of characters. The main narrator is 80-something and so is her best friend. Then it weaves in lots of Quaker stuff and takes place in Maine. I loved it and I think I’ll look for a used copy. Mine was from the library.

Even though our weather is hot and humid we have window coolers to stay cool in the house. I hate humidity. It reminds me of NY. Growing up in NY I felt I didn’t belong there and left at 18 never to return. But I do have illusions about Maine and Vermont. My father’s family were all Mainers but we never met them or even saw them at all growing up.

That the pool was a lovely temperature even though it was busier than usual. Plus the traffic was crazy with people taking kids to school. The school next to the pool was busy.

My lipid tests did come back high but only slightly out of range and down 20+ points from last year. So I’m ok with that. No results yet for the light chains. My thyroid tests were all in range too.

Our morning walks are always a highlight of my day. Even though there are still more people than ever, I suppose that’s just part of the growth in our area. Although quite a few people drive from other local towns to walk.

The window replacement wall is all done and painted. It looks nice. I’m amazed at how much doing just this little project costs and looking at the COMPLETE remodel of the old hoarders’ house just must be mind-boggling. I’m guessing $200K -$250. easily. It still makes me sad that she had to be evicted and couldn’t find a way around it. I wonder how she’s doing or if she’s even still alive.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, canning tomato salsa, cooking, simple foods, Walking by

A nice walk in the park. We got there right a 6am. One person showed up right after us and then by the time we left it was getting busy. The sun is now cresting the trees at 6:40 right about the time we were leaving.

Today is the Auburn gym day. Sundays are pretty quiet in there so I like that.( the introvert that I am). Then I went over to Safeway to see if they had the petite pork roasts for pulled pork but they had zip. I mean the meat section looked like it did during the pandemic. Strange. I did get the mini cheese cake Z wanted as dessert.

When I got home I started the tomatoes for sauce. B did all the food mill turning and I got everything else ready.

Just look at the beautiful color. I got 4 quarts, so I’m pleased with that. They are in the water bath canner waiting for it to come up to a boil before I start counting the time.

One of my favorite YTers changed the content of her YT channel to homemade items, knitted, sewn, etc. She must have gotten burnt out on the whole minimalism thing. She’s one of the more genuine YTers there is. Another one I watch that I do like is Scandish Home. But she is not quite a minimalist( although I think she does call herself a minimalist). She doesn’t have clutter at all but she still has so much stuff. (mostly kitchen stuff).Now it is all VERY organized and in beautiful jars etc but her pantry is like a grocery store. Still, she is a wonderful cook and loves what she does. She does all gluten-free and dairy free too. She is a really excellent cook.

I wouldn’t say our house looks all that minimalist either partly because it is so small that things always look more cluttered in a small space. But I don’t have any excess or unnecessary stuff.

The week ahead looks nice, no appts so I’ll probably swim 2x.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in bread, California, canning tomato salsa, Gratitude, swimming, Uncategorized by
  • The competition pool was amazing and the water was perfect. The only downside was it’s deep(7ft) almost all the way around with quite a space between the top of the pool and the water. I jumped in and didn’t like doing that. To get out though, I went under the lap lanes and over to where there are stairs. Tomorrow I’ll get in that way I think. They have us using this pool only this week.
  • I shopped at Winco and am so grateful their prices are below Safeway or Bel Air. I haven’t shopped in Safeway for months now.
  • Our weather continues to be beautiful with highs in the 80s.
  • Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes,…I made my first batch of tomato sauce yesterday. I ended up with 7 pints of beautiful sauce. The hardest part is putting the tomatoes thru the food mill.
  • I had an hour alone this morning as my daughter was at the college and B went to Costco. Hurray for a few moments of alone time.
  • I found a sandwich bread recipe that I think works. The only thing is I did the last rise last night so it overinflated this morning. But I punched it down and still had an ok rise after that and it baked up ok. Good flavor. So I will try again but start the dough in the late afternoon instead of the morning. The recipe has 3 rises but the first one is 8-12 hours so that will be the overnight one. Then in the morning, there are 2 more rises at 2-3 hours each. I’ll link the recipe after I get it done without overinflating the dough.

Frugal Friday, and the heat is coming:(

Posted in California, camping, canning tomato salsa, Lake tahoe, travel by

The heat is on its way.

Today is around 103 degrees; by Monday, we’re looking at 108. That’s pretty much unheard of in the Sierra foothills. We get 100-degree days, maybe even 103 but I don’t remember 108. We’ll be leaving for Tahoe Monday morning @ 10 am so we can get up there by 12:30. Checkout is noon so we don’t want to get there too early. We’ve never had a problem with early check-in but it does depend on the camp hosts.

Even in Tahoe, the temperatures will be in the 80’s, and for September that’s hot. I’m looking forward to just getting up there.

I have most of the meal ideas planned and will make a list of what to go buy at the store. This week was another lower spend week with B going to Costco but that was only $85 and $20 of that was champagne to bring with us. But he filled the truck at Costco gas and that was the main reason for going. No extras from Amazon or Winco this week. I stopped at our market yesterday to pick up cilantro for the salsa I was going to make this morning.

We had a nice walk at 5:40-6:20 am and then I came home and started chopping stuff for the salsa. The recipe calls for chopped onions, tomatoes( peeled and cored), bell peppers, and jalapenos, cilantro, and garlic. After all that I cooked it down for 30 minutes and then put it in the jars. Processing was 20 minutes.

That was 10 lbs of tomatoes. I think probably I’ve done @ 50 lbs so far. There’s not a lot left on the plants but if there is I’ll just do some quick sauce and maybe freeze that.

Except for the excessive heat, it’s been a nice week.