..because I can't seem to finish a blog post.....

I may not be able to finish a blog post.....

but I have made these......and yes....technically...I made the said above

they are wonderful.....and home made...and not full of preservatives.... and neither are the cheesy crackers! GO ME! though they are just circles and not cute fishy shapes! thank you Erin.....she blogs here..I will be visiting again!

So at least I got one thing done besides this post....besides the beets that I have started and yet to de-skin and pickle and the floor to be mopped and the scholarships to be found for Numero uno boy child......

AND  I have sat here with my #5, (a dead ringer for his dad which makes me melt when he bats his big eyes at me when he is in trouble)...and practiced letters...and drawn pictures...GO ME!  AGAIN!

AND all three babies had a bath.....and their hair done!  GO ME! AGAIN x THREE! and fed...they kinda like that...

and wait for it....I took a shower AND shaved my legs.....tmi?

and for those worried..I even let #8 nurse a bit....

my point??  sistas be good to yourselves...you are lovely and busy and doing things everyday that are worth while and wonderful and of good report, but one of my favorite speakers says it even better here.....

luv yer overworked and under appreciated gutzsss!

Judging.....right or wrong

Do you wanna hear a secret, see a little bit of my dirty laundry??

Really??  Ya think it's salacious?

Are ya ready?

Haha...have you been reading long? 

Here goes....

This is what daddy does when he doesn't want to do their hair......he covers it with a do rag..

jk....i can get dirtier then that....

When I am at the grocery store.....I totally critique what is in people's carts....

I want to start telling 'em not to eat those pop tarts, do they really want that cereal with all that dye in it, that velvetta is not cheese at all, and oh my goodness, that margarine will kill 'em quicker then the bacon that they have secretly buried under the oh so healthy Lean Cuisines...um..not!  and if I know you...and I have a minute to kill, I will totally tell you to not buy the at free sour cream.....

*have you seen the ingredients for fat free sour cream....they were supposed to take the fat  (healthy) out, and instead they wind up putting 20 things back in it...that can't be good!

and then I will actually go to the milk refrigerator case and pull out the original sour cream...the one that has only three ingredients and show you the difference.....I am just sad that I can't go milk the cow for you and make sour cream fresh for you and me...but we do the best we can, right?

Right?!

So let's just keep my dirty little secret hidden, because you will still see some CRAP in my basket occasionally...i try and follow the 80/20 plan, sometimes it is the 50/50 plan and I have yet to get to the 90/10 plan...but as long as you are doing your best

but i find i eat a lot healthier if i make food from scratch, and can substitute items.....i am posting my picante sauce recipe that i made up...I wanted something on the sweet side, thicker and mild...it was a success..the kids ate a bottle right then and there!  It is so much better then store bought that often put corn syrup in it......why???

Picante Salsa

2 rib of Celery, chopped fine

8 cups of Onion, chopped fine

8 cups of Peppers, chopped fine (1 cup Jalapeno for mild, 2 cups for medium, 3 cups for hot - remainder may be bell or sweet peppers)

4 Qts fresh Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup Cider Vinegar

1 cup water

½ lime juice

6TBS Pickling Salt

2 1/2 TBS Cumin

2 TBS oregano

1 cup Sugar

4 TBS Mustard Seed

6 (8 oz) cans of tomato sauce * optional, I wanted mine a little thicker

Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Pour into sterilized jars.  Process for 15 minutes in water bath.  Makes 16 pints. 

I also like to make tortilla chips from corn tortillas that are minimally processed (I have yet to be able to make tortillas successfully on my own! dang it!) I cut them in the shape of triangles and then fry them in a little coconut oil...ht is the oil of choice!) an then salt with sea salt.

Salsa...and not the Dacing Type...thank heavens

21 ....make that 20 bottles of restaurant style salsa sitting on my table...#1 decided he needed nachos...
the bottles are slowly making the little pop of a sealed lid sound, it secretly makes me giddy..because

we have been out of salsa for the last two months...well...if you don't count the jalapeno salsa....but there is only one in our household that can eat it...the rest of us always regret it the next day........"ooooouuuuyyyyyyyy mama"

and because i feel like i did something wonderful and brilliant and life altering by making my own salsa that is pure and good and free of preservatives and corn syrup....

pop!

i will share the recipe below that i adapted from The Pioneer Woman, man... want to be her friend...or maid...or something!!!

we have tried a variety of recipes..and we love them all, my kids drink salsa.....but this time around I wanted to mix it up.....this recipe does just that! and although it seriously took me all day to get it done...because I used fresh tomatoes...it was so worth it...just don't ask my baby back...

...and my baby back better suck it up cuz we still have green chilies to bottle, more bread and butter pickles because we are almost out..already!  freeze green  and red peppers, bottle umpteen million tomatoes.....(if we can get enough at the Day Farm), pickled beets, green beans, pickled eggs...boy, am I missing those! SERIOUSLY!  don't knock em till you tried em!  and I want to try a green tomato salsa....if I had my own garden with enough tomatoes i would probably try ketchup....maybe in the future! oh yea...and sauerkraut...love me some sauerkraut.....

but until then, chow....away!



ReNee's Restaurant Style Salsa adapted from PW

270 ounces of pureed tomatoes (I used my blender)...and this was just under 3/4 of a bushel of tomatoes
2 onions
14 Big Jims
7 jalapenos...seeds and all
8 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons cumin
4 cups cilantro
4 tablespoons lime juice

I gave the tomatoes a water bath to skinned them,diced them and separated the seeds and as much as the juice as possible, then pureed them, along with the onions, peppers and cilantro, add all together in a good and heavy pot (tomatoes scorch easily if not watched!) along with the spices and simmer on the stove to a boiling point....

I ended up leaving my salsa on the stove on the lowest setting possible as I went to my #1's football game and then until I got the mctwins some dinner and nursed a wee one...and probably peed in there somewhere.....

I then bottled and processed for 35 minutes in a water bath.  Since there is no vinegar (you must read PW's post on this...hil-ar-i-ous!) i processed as I would regular tomatoes to be on the safe side!!  I ended up with 21 pint bottles..with one being opened immediately and one given to my sweet friend who saved my with chocolate zucchini cookies....those were good... ate them all myself and was a little put off when the kids thought they should have one....

love yer salsa guzzlin' guts!


b