I'm exhausted!! There was so much piled up to do when I got there I couldn't believe it!! But alas, the fires have all been put out. Mind you I'm not caught completely up but it's looking a sight better than when I got there!
After work today I had to do the grocery shopping. When I got home hubby helped me in with the groceries, I put most of them away, separated the chicken breasts and put them in packages of 2 for the freezer; and then finally, I was able to think about supper. I had put a beef chuck roast in the crockpot this morning with some herbes de provence and it was smelling like heaven when I got home. I wanted to fix a full-fledged meal but I was just too tired so we had roast beef sandwiches, sliced tomatoes and cinnamon pears. Hey, it wasn't half-bad. Hubby kept asking what I had sweet to eat in the house and of course, I didn't have a thing . . . but I did have marsh mallows and it is awfully nice out this evening so he went out to build a fire and when he gets that all set up I'm heading over to the fire ring with a couple glasses of iced tea and we're having marsh mallows!! What fun!!!
After sitting around the fire I went out to the herb garden and picked, oh, about a half dozen of figs. Then I went out to the vegetable garden and picked a half bushel of Roma tomatoes. Tomorrow I actually am going to make ketchup. I've never made ketchup so this will be a new one for me. If it turns out tomorrow I'll put the recipe on the Recipes Page. I sure hope it's good because I'd hate to waste all those wonderful tomatoes and all my energy!!
Tomorrow I'm picking passion flower leaves to dry for the Winter. These are an exceptionally good but gentle sleep agent. I'm also looking at making some mint jelly here sometime in the next couple weeks but probably not until next week.
By the way, now is the time to hit your garden and hit it hard for all the leftover vegetables that are not necessarily perfect. Try those veggies that you can cut a bad spot out of and use them. Don't just leave them in your garden to rot. Now is the time to try those unusual recipes like tomato jam, or perhaps trying a fried green tomato. Don't forget those leftover tomatoes make great fresh and canned salsa too. Pair some of your veggies together when pickling. Cucumbers, carrots, onions, squash - they will all pickle well. Try making watermelon rind pickles. They are very tasty. How about canning up something spicy or hot and using some of those jalapenos? Use your imagination and give something new a shot. Don't be afraid. Make a half recipe or a quarter but try something!!!