Tomatoes and Pickles

Christine had her last Utah post-op visit on August 28th.

She was doing great.  In fact, the placement of the rubberbands had actually overcorrected where she should be, so Dr. Nicholls changed that up.  Did you know that bone has memory?  I didn't know that!

While down the canyon, my mom and I went to Joanne's where she got some fabric for more diamonds for her baby quilts, and I got some flannel for a receiving blanket for Josh and Mere's baby, and some dmc embroidery floss for a victorian haunted house I'm starting for Halloween.  I probably won't finish it this year, but that's okay.  I'll have it framed and put it on an easel on my living room coffee table.  I've had the pattern since 1989 (haha) when I bought it at Shepherd's Bush in Ogden on a shopping trip with my sister-in-law, Julie.  I found it when I was cleaning out my craft closet.  I had forgotten I had it and how cute it was!

We stopped and picked up the tomatoes and pickling cucumbers on our way back up to the cabin.  There is a great quality local produce stand on No. Canyon Rd.  I got 1 1/2 bushels of tomatoes and 22 pounds of cucumbers for an amazing price. 

I ended up with 32 quarts of tomatoes and 24 pints of pickles.  This is my first time ever doing pickles.  I did 12 pints of kosher dill spears, and 12 pints of sliced bread and butter.  We can't eat them until the middle of October since they had to 'cure', so I hope they are good.  I guess you can say I 'cheated' a bit.  Ball has come out with the seasonings for pickles already done in a jar or a packet and that is what I used.  So I would still call that 'homemade', just not from 'scratch'!  Haha!

My mom had never done tomatoes before and she got enough to yield a dozen quarts.

We had a good system going:  Duff and my mom peeled, cored, and packed.  I scored, blanched, added the salt and lemon juice, cleaned and put on the rims and seals, and processed.  We used our steamer canner upstairs and the water bath in the basement kitchen.  We cranked those bottles out!