Hot Salsa Fun!

No, we did not go Salsa dancing....We do plan to go and hopefully that will be another post. We did, however, break out the blender and large pots, pick lots of yummy garden tomatoes, and can salsa. It was a family affair. (We had the weirdest weather here in Boise this weekend-- we woke up Saturday morning to a thunder storm and it rained hard all day. I don't usually stay in bed, but there was something about the morning storm this weekend that had our whole family in bed late both Saturday and Sunday mornings) Now back to the salsa.....The girls dressed up in their rain gear Saturday afternoon and picked lots and lots of tomatoes. Josh and I used a recipe from my sweet friend Lucy to make the salsa. Josh made his hot and spicy and I made mine mild and then another jar half and half. I put in a little too much cilantro, and he put in a few too many onions so we think the half and half jar should be about right. It took us from about 6-12 to finish the canning. He LOVES salsa so we should be through the jars within about a month! OH wait.... Just in from the WUBBA WAh (that is my pet name for Josh; the condensed version:)), we WILL be making more in a couple of weeks...

The girls and I also made apple butter last week. We used papa's recipe and his grandmother's strainer apparatus and sang a silly song as we made the applesauce. The girls LOVE to use this cool contraption! This too was a long day in the kitchen as it has to cook in the oven for about 8 hours. I think I took mine out a little early so I could can it and get to bed before I had to get up again!

I remember sharing with my mom last year that I was learning to make jam and apple butter-she couldn't believe it! I was never very domestic, but it was always a goal of mine to learn how to make yummy food for my family. I knew it would not come easily because I could hardly boil water for mac n' cheese when I got married. I remember adding butter to the pan to cook hamburgers at my college graduation!! Poor Josh , right?!! I have come a long way. Each year I am learning more and having more opportunities to make food to share with others. This is really what has given me the interest to learn. First for my family and then for friends in a cooking co-op, and now for other families needing a meal or who have blessed us by helping our family. I am so thankful that the Lord has provided opportunities for me to step out of my comfort zone.