Turning 50

My family had a Dinner en blanc for me. Then my husband Allen and I went to Block Island for a weekend get a way. It was so fabulous to be loved and cherished by my family. Here are a few shots of my celebration.

Turning 50th was actually quite fun! My family had a fabulous party for me at Maxx fish.

The last of summers flowers

This bumble bee is workin fast and furious to get as much food as he can before the frost. 

I'm going to miss these bright and sunny flowers when Autumn comes falling in. 

Mother Nature sure does produce amazing colors.

Stand Up Straight Girls

Loving these colors

The last haul

Weighing your haul is important so you can prepare for what you will need in terms of jars and other ingredients
Please note the cat "Chloe" in the back round is paying close attention  . 

After a quick blanch the tomatoes easily are peeled of their skin and are cut and I like to squish the seeds out of the larger tomatoes. Keep the juices as they will be needed for the canning process.

It's messy but fun work as you cut the fruit into pieces to slip into the jars.

Plum tomatoes have more flesh and make for great sauce!

Slightly push the tomatoes down to remove any air bubbles, packing tightly. Top off with reserved juice up to 1/4 inch of the rim. Wipe off the rim with a hot cloth to remove any debris. This ensures a tight seal.

Place lid on clean rim and finger tighten the ring.

Place in a hot water canner and bring to a boil, quarts are processed for about 35 min.s.

Listen for the ping after you bring them out of the bath. Place on towel covered counter to let rest, the seal should be inverted when it has cooled. These will taste like summer when its cold and gray during the winter months.