What happens when you have a sister-in-law who can wrangle her baby boys, produce a full-size garden and is willing to can vegetables in a kitchen without a dishwasher? You get jars and jars of fresh pasta sauce!
A week ago Saturday, my sister and I packed up her own little one and made the 45-minute trek south. We were eagerly greeted by two little farms boys who couldn't wait to tell us about all the tomatoes in the kitchen, and who wanted nothing more than to plant kisses all over their baby cousin. Before too long the boys were sent to play with the kittens so that we could get to work ...
... tomato soup, fresh pasta sauce, salsa, and even jars of fruit were simmered, stirred, and tasted as we worked through the afternoon. There were a good number of breaks to make coffee runs, snuggle the boys, grab a bite to eat, and attempt to put cranky littles ones down for naps. The basket of tomatoes never seemed to end even as jars of produce slowly took over the counter space. Evening settled in as the last batch was pulled out of the canner and set to cooling, and the last pots could finally be washed and put away. The car groaned as we loaded up the haul from the day, dozens of filled jars, baskets of the remaining produce that couldn't get canned, fresh eggs that the nephew gave us a deal on ... it was a visit to a literal farmer's market!
A week ago Saturday, my sister and I packed up her own little one and made the 45-minute trek south. We were eagerly greeted by two little farms boys who couldn't wait to tell us about all the tomatoes in the kitchen, and who wanted nothing more than to plant kisses all over their baby cousin. Before too long the boys were sent to play with the kittens so that we could get to work ...
... tomato soup, fresh pasta sauce, salsa, and even jars of fruit were simmered, stirred, and tasted as we worked through the afternoon. There were a good number of breaks to make coffee runs, snuggle the boys, grab a bite to eat, and attempt to put cranky littles ones down for naps. The basket of tomatoes never seemed to end even as jars of produce slowly took over the counter space. Evening settled in as the last batch was pulled out of the canner and set to cooling, and the last pots could finally be washed and put away. The car groaned as we loaded up the haul from the day, dozens of filled jars, baskets of the remaining produce that couldn't get canned, fresh eggs that the nephew gave us a deal on ... it was a visit to a literal farmer's market!
