Kid History - Episode 6 - by BoredShortsTV

I can tomatoes today for tomorrow.

Today was the first day of many days to come of harvesting and preserving the bounty of our garden.

After the wet/cold/snowy spring and wet/cold/snowy early summer we had, I really didn't think we'd be harvesting much from our garden this year. But here we are and out there sets a garden heavy laden with blessings for our table. We indeed are blessed.

So I thought I'd share how I can our tomatoes.  This is a super simple way to preserve these tasty little fruit. I've bottled salsa for years without the aid of a food processor and so the whole process can be a bit labor intensive. However, bottling just the tomatoes takes about half the time and then you can use them in a variety of different ways, soups, casseroles, sauces, etc.

What you'll need:

• Tomatoes......as many as you have or you want to can.
• Glass Jars (Pint or Quart depending on what size works best for your family), (Check your local thrift store or Craig's list for a more economical option than new, simply sanitize them in your dishwasher or with boiling water)
• Sharp Knife ( I like one with a bit of serrated edge)
• Tomato Corer (Kind of optional but makes your life much easier and they aren't very expensive)
• New Canning Caps (as in never used for canning before)
• Rings (can be reused)
• Salt
• Wooden Spoon
• Cutting Board
• Canning Funnel thingy
• A large pot with a lid for processing your cans. I used an extra large water-bath pot. Like this
• Lots of boiling water
• A dishrag and a towel (at least one of each)
• Apron

Exactly how many tomatoes are you going to need? Really that's up to you and how much you want to preserve. I would guess about 18 medium size tomatoes will fill 6 pint jars, that's about 3 tomatoes per jar.

This little tool, the tomato corer, will make your life so much easier. You can find them pretty much anywhere kitchen supplies are sold and I highly recommend picking one up.

It works a lot like a melon baller only it has those little teeth to cut through the tomato skin.

First I twist off the stem, then used the corer to scoop out where the stem was.

After coring all of your tomatoes place them in your plugged sink. Poor boiling water over the tomatoes. Let them set for a couple of minutes.

The skins on the tomatoes will start to split and peel away from the tomato.

After 2 or 3 minutes you can drain the water off of the tomatoes.

At this point the skins should just slide right off of the tomatoes. You can use your knife to slice away any of the skin that sticks.

Also cut away and discard any rotten or excessively damaged parts.

On a cutting board coarsely chop the tomatoes and place tomato pieces in clean jars.

This is the point in the process that can get really messy. That tomato juice likes to go every where.

I like to lay a towel on my counter and then place the cutting board on top of the towel so as the juice spills over the edge of my cutting board it gets soaked up immediately by the towel.

**One more thing. When I say coarsely chop the tomatoes I mean really what ever size you want go for it, quarter it, half it, chop it, whatever! There is no wrong way to do this.

Fill your jars really smashing the tomato in there.

Use a wooden spoon to slide around the inside of the jar and get all of the air-bubbles out.

Make sure you leave about a 1inch space between the tomatoes and the top edge of the jar.

On top of the tomatoes poor salt.

• 1/2 tsp for a pint
• 1 tsp for a quart

Meanwhile in a small saucepan boil a couple of inches of water. Once the water is boiling take the pan off of the heat and place your canning caps in the hot water, let them set while you take care of the next step.

With a wet, clean cloth wipe off the top edge of the jars. This will remove any little bits of tomato or tomato juice that may have gotten on the lip of the jar that may prevent the jar from sealing.
With each jar use a different part of the cloth to wipe way any drips.

Use a fork to remove one canning cap at a time place on top of the jar and secure with a ring (no need to use excessive force finger tight is great).

Place closed jars in canning pot and cover with water. Each jar should be covered by about 1 inch of water.
Cover pot and bring the water to a boil.
Process (boil) 30 minutes.
After boiling turn off the heat and carefully remove the jars from the water (They are extremely hot!). I like to use a jar lifter like this.

Place the jars on clean dish towels with a couple of inches between each jar so the air can circulate around the jars.

As the jars cool the caps will suck in and will seal.
Sometimes they make a pinging sound as they seal and that is seriously one of the sweetest sounds in the world.

I wanted to share this because I think sometimes canning or preserving food can be intimidating. It's really not hard!
From the tomatoes pictured (in the sink) I was able to can 8 pints and 2 quarts in just a couple of hours (that includes the processing time). And, my time spent will be so worth it when I can grab a jar from my food storage this winter and make a delicious stew, marinara sauce or chili relleno sauce for my family.....my mouth is watering already!

a few thoughts with the hope someday it will be a little humorous

Oh this boy......I love him so!

I love all of my boys and I love my girls too but today my story is about this boy.

He has life in his bones that bubbles up and out of every moment he's in. He doesn't stop moving.....Ever....and he never has. He didn't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time until he was 3.....oh the sleep deprivation!

But, with his never ending life and energy comes never ending love. 

This boy in his short years has learned how to love completely and loyally and shows it easily and happily. He carries it with him openly and paints each day with it.

He is brave. He knows fear because it visits him often in his dreams but he is brave enough to know where he needs to turn to chase the fear away. He prays and then makes the long walk to my room because he wants a hug. Fear grips but he is brave enough to kneel and pray where he finds freeing comfort.

He is stubborn and it is woven deeply in his being. But we choose to see it as a good characteristic. Once his feet find a path or his mind makes a decision he is unyielding good or bad. I see it as a privilege as his parent to set his feet on a straight path where his mind will find happiness and peace in a world swirling with chaos.

Today was a test of his bravery, character and love.

When I picked him up from the children's class at church he said to me with a catch in his voice, a quivering chin and a tear in his eye. "I'm sorry I was late to church mom but I made it okay. Every thing's alright."

I was confused, "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I got left at home. I was in my room playing and when I came upstairs everyone was gone. So I came to church and I was late for Primary. But I'm okay." he said simply.

Immediately I wanted to cry. My baby boy was left home, alone, he was scared, I failed him!

I guess what happened was this; I left early because I was teaching today and needed to set up my room and things, I took Youngest with me, MDH thought I'd also taken Mr.Man but he was quietly playing in his room.

When Mr.Man realized everyone had left he decided to walk to church (what we do almost every Sunday) He realized he couldn't go out the front door because he didn't have a way to lock it again so he let himself out the garage and then closed the garage door and ran to church and went straight to his class. He missed about the first 45 min.

We had no idea until after primary and he told us.

Ugh! The guilt!

Oh the pride! Our little man was so brave. Not only did he figure out what he needed to do but he also had the clarity of mind to make sure the house was safe and still locked.

And he freely forgave us.

Here's hoping that someday this is a humorous story but today I still feel a little sick.

What I learned about spray paint....and my new discovery.

The kids are officially back in school!
I feel a bit conflicted.
Part of me feels like doing a YiPEE! Fist pump, Cowboy jump, click my heels in the air, victory, I survived, dance.
Another part of me feels like taking a very long nap.
And still another part feels like sitting on the floor holding my knees to my chest and crying.
I guess feeling conflicted is a good thing because I'm not actually doing any of those things. In fact I think I'm acting quite normal and I'm trying to recover my house from 3 months of neglect and partying.
And when I say partying I mean the wild and crazy building forts in the basement, camp-out with cousins, go on 3 vacations, and on any given day anywhere from 5 to 15 kids at my house kind of a party.
Anyway.....
In honor of my kids going back to school I started a project that's been waiting patiently in the garage all summer.
So..... I learned something major with this project I thought I'd pass on and I discovered something amazing I also thought I'd pass on.

First what I learned.

I started this project on the hottest day of the year so far. 101˚F
By no means am I an expert on Spray Paint but I decided to use it on this little project (computer armoire makeover) because I've seen so many fun things you can do with spray paint all over the Internet and I thought it would give me a smoother finish for the paint.

However, on the can  it says that you should use the spray paint if the temp is between 70 and 90˚F.
I knew it was warm out but I didn't think 11˚ would make that big of a difference.

Ummmmm......it did.

The paint started drying before it even hit the wood. whoops. .....but I didn't stop. I just kept going thinking it would get better if I put more paint on.

Ummmm.....it didn't.

Take a look.

Yep it's splotchy and bumpy.
That's not the light reflecting weird off the paint that's really how it looks.
Guess who's going to be sanding and painting again?

You guessed it. ME!
But it's not too bad I only did the front of the doors and I'll know better for the rest.


Second, the Amazing Discovery.

This is a Spray Grip.
It fits over the top of the spray paint and then you pull the trigger.
I was amazed at how well it worked and how much more comfortable it was than pushing the nozzle down with my finger.
Seriously, I love it. Here's why. Years ago when I was getting married I spray painted a bunch of things for the reception just a few days before the wedding. By the time my big day came around my arm and hand were so stiff and weak from using the spray paint I couldn't hold my bouquet. True story.:)

Anyway....

I bought my spray grip at WalMart but they have them Here too.

I have a goal to have my living room decorated by the end of September. (I figure we've lived here for 2 1/2 years it's time). So I have a lot of projects I'll be posting as I finish them up.
Wish me luck!

Boston = Food = North End "Little Italy" = Yum!

Just in case you were wondering, yes, food is always the most important part of a trip.

And let me tell you, we were not disappointed by Boston at all!

My friend Dora lives near Boston and she said while we were there we couldn't miss having a canolli from Mike's Pastry.

This pastry shop was so busy it was crazy and so much fun. You stepped up to the counter and told them what kind of canolli or other pastry  you wanted then boom, bam, boom they boxed it up for you tied it with baker's twine and you were on your way.

We headed to the water with our tasty treats to kick back relax and enjoy.

Oh boy did we ever enjoy!

We enjoyed a chocolate dipped and a pistachio canolli with a profiterole for a snack later.

And

We just might have gone back our last night there for seconds (chocolate filled and pistachio)

And

we just might have also

Picked up a giant caramel pecan brownie for the trek home the next day.

I think my favorite part was carrying the box around because we got so much attention.

"Mike's Pastry!? Where's that"

"Mike's Pastry!? Did you bring some for me?"

"Mike's Pastry!? If you give me what's in the box your flight's free."

"Mike's Pastry!? Mmmm"

etc.

Check out their web site. You can totally order cannoli and have it shipped to you!

Awesome!

click here

Dora also recommended Regina's Pizza  also tasty! 

Our last night in Boston we decided to have pasta (because we hadn't yet). As we were walking through Little Italy MDH asked a man setting by his front door what was the best restaurant and the guy recommended LoConte's.

It was off the main tourist route so it was a little less busy and the food was Oh So Good.

I highly recommend the Tortellini Pesto.

MDH also enjoyed his Shrimp Marinara.

The bruschetta wasn't too shabby either.

Click Here

The only bad thing was we didn't have a refrigerator in our room and so we couldn't save our leftovers. 

Sad, sad, sad.

I think I'll be dreaming of that pesto and the cannoli for years to come.

James Cotton Blues Band feat. Matt "Guitar" Murphy Part 1 of 2 June 11, ...

We had another celebrity sighting on our trip. I sat next to the singer for James Cotton Band. We didn't know who he was. Hopefully he wasn't offended. He'd finished a show at Red Butte Gardens the night before and was headed home to Boston. He was so kind and had all kinds of helpful information on getting around Boston and where we should eat.

He even was wearing the same hat as in the video.

(You Tube Disclaimer: I haven't watch this whole video just the beginning, just so you know.)

The Pinewood Derby Can be a good idea

Seriously, I think the most anticipated and the most dreaded part of cub scouts here in the United States is the pinewood derby. (The boys are supposed to make their own cars from a kit and then race them. Unfortunately, quite often the Dad's end up doing most of it.)
It is so much work and every boy is just sure his car is going to win but not every car can be a winner and it's so disappointing when they're not. Plus, not every boy has a dad with computerized power tools and an Engineering degree.

But I think our Cub Master came up with the perfect solution.

The boys built their cars the night of the Derby, at the church where our pack meetings are held 1 1/2 hours before the races started.
Brilliant!
Why have I not heard of this before?
The boys were given a paper with 9 car designs they could choose from or they could draw their own design on the grid provided on the paper. Then the papers were handed back in about a week or so before the derby. Three men in our neighborhood cut all of the cars out then the night of the derby the boys sanded, decorated and applied weights and wheels.

Then the races were on.

I've never seen so many close races before in my life. All of the boys were so happy to see who won and there was not one single tear shed that night. It was great!

Doodle's car was awesome and he won the "Best Design" award. He was so happy. So were we.

I can honestly say that I highly recommend this approach to the Pinewood Derby. If you think you'd like to try it out and would like some more in depth information about the way it was run feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help you out.

Ellen....my new best friend

Wednesday I met my love at Quincy Market to grab some lunch and do some shopping.
When we got there, there was a huge crowd standing around and TV cameras so I asked someone who they were waiting for. They said, "Ellen Degeneres".
My love and I didn't stick around, we went on our way and found some tasty treats and other fun things to purchase.
When my love had to go back to his meetings but I decided to stick around the market.
I hadn't been there long when who should appear but my new friend Ellen.
She arrived in style......of course.....on a duckboat.

I quickly realized she would be walking right past me so I prepared to snap some awesome photos of my new friend.

I was all ready when she walked by....

Then this ginormous freckled arm came from nowhere and thwarted my photo plans.

But I wasn't too concerned because I still had a second to snap another pic.

But then the friendly lady next to me with the "I love Ellen" shirt decided I really didn't need to get an up close picture of my new friend.

But that's okay because I figured I could get a picture while she was standing and receiving her award from the city of Boston.

But then Ellen decided to stand right behind the gigantic column.

See the podium, that's where she was.

But at least the beagle had a good view.

From Atlantic To Pacific

Boston, MA. (Atlantic)

 Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island, WA. (Pacific)

I feel like a world traveler.  Two Coasts in a little over two weeks. Pacific coast with the family, Atlantic coast with just my love.

Both recharged my battery and helped me find some much needed inspiration.

What We Found...a travelling, (post #1)

A word of caution....when we get to the nitty-gritty part of the post, just try not to think about it too much.

If you know what I mean. Well, you will.

In the city of Seattle. 

Right next to Pike's Market.

Down some stairs.

Out some doors.

There is an alley.

As my family emerged from the doors at the bottom of the stairway I heard,

"Wow, I saw this in National Geographic!" (from my 11 year old son)

"What is that?" (from my 7 year old son)

"Cool!" (from my 13 year old son)

"That is so gross!" (from my 15 year old daughter)

and a bit of a chuckle and then "That is pretty disgusting." (From my husband)

And then I looked up.

It was a gum wall.

a very, very large gum wall.

We had no idea it was there!

We stopped and stared....

in awe and disgust, shock and dismay....

....at the plethora of colors, shapes, sizes and designs.

Then, before we were overcome and with a bit of a laugh, we moved on.

What I've Learned

Sometimes you think you know what you want.

You focus with all of your might and mind and energy and you try to make it work.

Even when it takes so much....you are strong you will make it work...

You are a pin point of focused concentration and determination.

The ability to be such is a gift.

But somehow your goal keeps slipping.

And you realize it wasn't meant to stay firmly in your grasp it wasn't meant to work for you this time.

Then you take a step back.

And you take a good long look at the bigger picture. When you see how beautifully everything fits together with your new perspective and how blessed you truly are you're glad that sometimes things don't work-out.  But most of all you're full of gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father who sees the bigger picture of all life and helps you discover the bigger picture of your life.

That's what I've learned....lately.