THIS MOMENT: a friday ritual. a single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment i want to pause, savor & remember.
if you’d like to share your “moment,” leave a comment with the link. xo!
love,
natalie
in january, i decided 2015 would be the year of more reading.
i have held tightly to that commitment & have thoroughly enjoyed my new hobby. i’ve always loved reading, but college left me exhausted from required reading & endless textbooks. it’s been such a gift to snuggle close to a book at night with tea in hand, falling back in love with the many stories i’ve dearly missed.
i’ve read some incredible books over the last six months, but one that has completely changed me from the inside out is better than before by gretchen rubin.
even if we’ve failed in the past, gretchen encourages her readers to master the art of habits by implementing strategies based on how we interact with the world & our own personality types. she then shares ways to make those habits even easier so that they become natural rhythms of our everyday lives.
better than before has also helped me to better understand the people around me & how/why they make the choices that they do. i feel better equipped now as a wife & friend to encourage & interact with those closest to me.
friends, i hope you’ll snatch up a copy of this book & let me know what you think!
for more reading inspiration, check out elise’s book report posts & shannan’s book list. i visit these two places often.
what’s one book you’ve recently read & loved? i’m on the hunt for another good read!
love,
natalie
y’all. it’s been crazy town over here.
while in europe, we had a major leak in our tub causing our one & only bathroom to need a complete remodel. think soggy floors & mold in the walls. so, we’ve been camped out at my in-law’s for over a week.
of course, we’ve got tomatoes coming out of our eyeballs. in between tiling floors & picking out new paint, i’ve been spending lots of time in the kitchen.
thankfully for you & for me, i’ve found the easiest way to can tomatoes. this recipe breaks all the canning rules, but it’s perfect for those busy days & it gets the job done.
the easiest way to can your tomato sauce
ingredients:
tomatoes, stems chopped off
salt
dried herbs
lemon juice
1. gather as many tomatoes as can fit in your largest stainless steel pot. scrub your tomatoes & chop off the stems.
2. put your tomatoes in the pot, skin & seeds included (see- we are breaking all the rules, folks!)
3. put the stove on low, place the lid over your pot of tomatoes & allow your tomatoes to simmer for 24 hours. stir occasionally & yes – this requires that you go to sleep with the stove on.
4. wake up in the morning, check the tomatoes, stir a bit & crack the lid on the pot. this will allow moisture to escape.
5. allow the tomatoes to cook until most of the moisture is gone – about five hours – & the tomatoes are a mushy consistency.
6. at this point, prepare your jars & lids.
7. using your immersion blender or food processor, process your tomatoes to your desired consistency. once a tomato sauce-like consistency is reached, add salt & dried herbs to taste.
8. add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to your pint size jars & 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to your quart size jars. the amount of jars you need is based on how many tomatoes you process.
9. fill your jars with tomato sauce & process in the water bath canner.
10. label & store until winter. enjoy with pasta & sautéed veggies.
if in doubt, here are basic instructions for water bath canning.
my friends, i hope you find this recipe helpful! let me know if you try it! it makes canning tomatoes much more manageable during the crazy days of summer!
love,
natalie