Michigan

[Steve]

ahhh....garden growing.....I love the stuff we get out of the garden.

Judy was just telling me last night we have saved a bunch from all we raise. We were figuring out what we were going to do and what we wanted to change.

This year I grew Rutgers tomatoes (12 plants) and although we had plenty for pizza/spaghetti sauce and chili.....I am not pleased with the runnines we got in our sauce. I am not sure if it was not boiling it long enough or not a meaty enough tomato. We have canned sauce for years, but it doesn't seem thick enough lately.

I always need more green beans it seems, we kept 40 quarts and gave my son 30 (he helps out to) Got more taters than we really needed so I gave some away, need a better way of storing them through the winter.

My dad has an abundance of watermelons, cantalope and strawberrries so we don't grow those although he wants to give me some strawberry plants to get a start on em. I'd like some good raspberry bushes as well.

Gardening seems so far in the future right now.

 

[KrisRose]

Lets throw those brats outside in just their undies- That'll teach em.
It was zero this morn'in but beautiful outside. I enjoyed it till I felt frostbite setting in.
Citi- I second the 80 degrees and raise you 10

. I like it hot. Maybe I should have a Marilyn Monroe avatar??

 

[Wynette]

Steve, I've had the same issues with tomato sauces being runny. I always thought the watery part just separated or something. Hmmm...lemee know if you figure that one out!

I'm with you, too; I sure can't WAIT until spring and garden planning! My DH lost his job in December, unfortunately; but, that will give us a good opportunity for once to have a really nice (and WEEDED!!!) garden. I'm looking forward to that!

 

[KrisRose]

Perhaps the runny sauce is related to the amount of rain we got and not the variety of the tomato?? I have a big problem with my tomatos when we get too much rain, they split from the extra fluid they take up. Last year I thought that I was going to loose them from the excessive rain we had.

 

[Daycare Mom]

Quote:
us too! we are thinking about 300 this year. yummy!

that was the best pot pie recipe i have ever used. seriously beat the old canned soup and frozen veggie type. my kids were just going on and on, "Mom, this is soooo good..." glad they liked it, because they'll be seeing it often!

So do you care to share your recipe? Maybe?

300!!!! Wow!! My FIL wants to split an order with me (with me raising them all) He helps me butcher. I'm not sure I care to butcher 300! You are way better than me there! I have been using ours very slowly (we butchered 24 last fall not nearly enough). Just can't decide on a number we feed 9 kids everyday so I know I want alot just not sure how many.

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
us too! we are thinking about 300 this year. yummy!

that was the best pot pie recipe i have ever used. seriously beat the old canned soup and frozen veggie type. my kids were just going on and on, "Mom, this is soooo good..." glad they liked it, because they'll be seeing it often!

So do you care to share your recipe? Maybe?

300!!!! Wow!! My FIL wants to split an order with me (with me raising them all) He helps me butcher. I'm not sure I care to butcher 300! You are way better than me there! I have been using ours very slowly (we butchered 24 last fall not nearly enough). Just can't decide on a number we feed 9 kids everyday so I know I want alot just not sure how many.

my friend has 11 people in her home also. she cooks two chickens for supper then boils the carcasses for broth, so she gets at least two meals out of them.

i would not do all 300 at once. if i have more than 50 to do at a time, i take them to Smith's Meats. they process, bag and weigh for $1.50 each.

the recipe is on the same page...here's the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1468148#p1468148

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
dinner is at 5:30 or so, just show up...

the bread is ginormous! it looks like 'The Bread That Ate New York' or something!!! gonna need extra butter...

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
rock on with your bad self!

i used one whole chicken to make my broth and meat. it made two pies with two legs and a thigh left over.

 

[Opa]

Steve, when I make tomato sauce I never boil it. You have to watch it to much to keep it from scorching. I put it in a large roasting pan in the oven with the temperature set at 200 and the oven door slightly ajar. You dehydrate it instead. Much easier, with a little practice you learn how long it takes so you can let it work while you sleep. When you get older you always look for the easiest way.

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
that is a great idea, Opa! so going to give that a whirl this summer!
thanks for sharing with Steve and the rest of us.