Show and Tell

Well, another week has come and gone. The weather is getting cooler and cooler but not quite to freezing. I have pulled up all my vegetable plants except the tomato plants. I am hoping that there is still time for all the green ones on the plant to ripen.

I have given away a bunch of tomatoes but I still had quite a few very ripe ones and so I came up with the idea of making salsa. Well, I don't like spicey food but I do like Pace mild salsa. So I figured I would try to make salsa chunky and mild like that. I bought a white onion, garlic and a few jalapeno peppers.
I started right in and chopped 8 cups of tomatoes, diced onions and the garlic. Then I cut the peppers in half and started to wash out all the inside. Oh my goodness, I started coughing and itching and didn't think I was going to be able to finish with them. I finally did finish, cut them up and put them in the pot.I only put in half what the recipe said to put in.  I then bottled 6 pints. I gave two daughter in laws each a pint and I have 4 left. I am a little concerned about being able to eat any of this salsa but I will not have a problem getting the kids to eat them. They love spicey food.

I have now started on 2 boxes of pears. My daughter, Jenny, and I bottled one batch Wednesday and I have one batch going right now. That will make 14 quarts so far. Pears are a funny fruit and you have to be very patient with them. They ripen when they are ready to ripen and not before. I have another box waiting but I don't think I will be able to do any tomorrow.

Don't they look pretty.

I have a son who really likes his quilts. He still has the baby quilt my grand mother made for him when he was born. I had to have my grand mother recover his quilt many years ago because he was loving his quilt to death. Well, he came to me with the holey remains of his quilt and asked me to recover it again. I tried to tell him it was not possible but he almost begged. This quilt was mostly holes so I am referring to this new outer skin as 'encasing' his baby quilt. I put fleece on the top and cream flannel on the back. I attempted to quilt it on my HQ with a particular pattern but that did not work at all. I am lucky I got it to sew the quilt at all. The lumps you see are really lumps and I am not showing the back because the thread is a mess. So I am done and he assures me that he is happy. He hasn't seen it yet.

I have decided to put the Smith Mountain Morning quilt together and now it is a top.

It is beautiful! I am working on another quilt top but I will not show it this week.

My daughter and daughter in law, Chelsi, decided to bring out my valentine quilt and try to arrange it on the design wall. It looks pretty good. I guess I need to work on this quilt top soon.

Well, this is all for this week. See you next week!