Friday, August 17, 2012

Canning 101: Tomatoes



Canning tomatoes- once you do it, you will never want to buy grocery store tomatoes again!

Let's get started.

You need to start off by having all of your jars sterilized and ready.  You can do this by running them though your dishwasher and heat drying them or you can boil the jars for 10 minutes.  Once you have done this, set them to the side.


Preperation: 
Grab your water bath canner and another large pot and and a small, non reactive pot for your lids and rings and fill them all with water.  The canning pot and the large pot should be covered and brought to a boil (this takes a long time, so just continue to prep while your water heats).  The small pot, you want to have heated just before boiling.   Fill your sink (preferably one with a garbage disposal) up with cold water.

Score all of your tomatoes by cutting an X shape in the tops of them.



I separate the tomatoes into small batches before I take them over the the large pot of boiling water. 




Place tomatoes in large pot of boiling water for about a minute.  This will cause the skin to pull away from the tomato, making your job TONS easier! 


 Once you see the skin start to curl up and pull away (as shown below), remove them from the water and place them in the sink full of cold water.   Repeat this until all your tomatoes are ready to be pealed and cut. 

The hot water starts loosening the skin.

Placing them in cold water will help the skin fall right off!





Once you have the tomatoes in the cold water, it is time to start peeling them and cutting away anything you don't want to eat.   Once all of the skin is removed, any bruises, spots, stems, yellow, white or green spots, should be cut off.


Cut out the core.
Remove and discard the core.

This is what it will look like after you peel them and clean them up.

Once you get to this point you are fully aware of how much working canning is!  It is so rewarding, though, so keep going! 

Canning:

Because your jars are already sterilized and set to the side, it's time to get going.  Put your lids and rings in the small pot on almost boiling water.

You can jar your tomatoes whole or cut into peices, whichever you prefer. 
Use a funnel to put the tomatoes in the jars tightly.  

Add one teaspoon of course kosher salt to each jar.  

Use your spatula to remove air and fill with excess tomato juice up to 1/2 inch head space.   Wipe the rims clean with a damp paper towel or cloth and let dry. 

You now ready to add the hot lids and rings to your jars.  Be carful not to burn yourself.  Add one lid and ring to each jar and tighten.  

Place jars into water bath (that should be boiling by now).  Return to a boil. Once boiling again, set your timer to 45 minutes.  Remove after 45 minutes and set on a towel to cool.   You have just canned!  Allow your cans to cool for 12 to 24 hours before you move them.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Repurposing a Chest of Drawers

It's no secret that they don't make furniture like they used to!  A chest of drawers is one of those peices that, once you have a nice one, you don't ever want to let it go!  But, sometimes your child takes a sharp object to the finish, uses the drawers as steps and breaks one, or maybe your taste just change.  So, what do you do with it?  NEVER throw them away!  There are so many creative possibilies!  Show below are a few ways to make great peices for your home, using what you have (or you can buy cheaply at a yard sale)! 

Bathroom Vanity

Kitchen Storage

Bench

Refinish with Mod-Podge & a Poster

Wall Display
Container Garden
Entry Table- Just add Legs!
Child's Armoire

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Decorating with Burlap

Apartment Therapy
Burlap: [bur-lap] -a plain-woven, coarse fabric of jute, hemp, or the like; gunny.

"The strength of burlap is renowned, as it is hard to tear and can stand up to great pressure. Burlap is extremely weather resistant and can be dried over and over again after becoming moist. It is also available in many widths, weights and forms. Burlap is able to be colored, sewn, treated to protect against rotting and even laminated."

Read more from eHow: History of Burlap

Farm House Style Kitchen from HGTV
Burlap has gotten really popular in recent months in decorating home interiors.  Not only does it provide great texture and depth to a space, but it gives off a warm and comfortable vibe as well.  Burlap is versitile, too.  You can use it to make a space feel rustic like a barn or luxurious, yet comfortable, as in a French Laundry style.

French Laundry Style from Houzz

I started decorating with burlap by purchasing 96" burlap panels with a ruffle detail for my foyer and living room.  Maddie, my seven year old daughter, promptly told me, "that looks like barn fabric!"  Exactly!  That is why I wanted it!  It has always been my dream to live on a farm.  So, I decided, until that day comes, I will just pretend by  Decorating in a "farmhouse" style.  :)

Anyone that knows me, knows I don't pay full price for anything!  Because of that, sometimes it takes me a little while to have my rooms complete.  However, these panels were a wonderful start! Bargain hunting is part of the fun, anyway! --Right?!

And that's the most beautiufl part of decorating with burlap! Burlap is very inexpensive. So, if you can sew or are crafty, you can make your decor for a fraction of what it would cost with other fabrics. Burlap, even in colors, can be purchased for a few dollars a yard! Beautiful and cheap-- you can't beat that!


Below are some beautiful examples of decorating with burlap:

Ballard Designs

Ballard Designs
Cute Pink Stuff
TheKitchn.com
 

Ballard Designs