Tomato Sauce

We live in a predominantly Italian town…well we did but we have now moved 5 minutes north and this town is predominantly Jewish with a few Italian's thrown in for good measure…

All around our streets right now you can see wooden crates (no I was not quick enough to take a photo) out ready for pickup by the trash guys.

The crates hold these -

 

Well imagine my delight when I woke to find my neighbors setting up and prepping for a day of Tomato Sauce bottling. 

First it is a three step wash process.

Then the tops are taken off (and thrown in the compost!)



Then they are thrown into the (lobster) pot and heated over the gas burner (we are SO bringing one of these home)…



and then the fun begins.  Take one 20th century cordless drill and insert it into the side of a 15th century meat mincer … yes yes… we had one of these growing up but I seem to recollect that my siblings and I were the cordless drills!

   

The stewed tomatoes are then minced.  Pulp going one way….

 
and sauce another.

The sauce is then poured into crystal clear jars that shined in the bright sunlight.  Lids placed and they in turn were boiled to finish the process.  They looked like great big jars of red candy!

Now you may ask where are the rest of the photos…well unfortunately Max chose that moment to ride his scooter on the road…so I guess you will have to use your imagination.

I can only hope (and pray really really hard) that my neighbor will take pity on me and my obviously perceived lack of education in the art of tomato sauce bottling, and drop a finished jar in sometime this week. 

I will report back.

And summer went where?

 

Our summer has been a blur and only a few of us have taken time to relax …. totally

We got through the “moving house” bit although boxes are still to be unpacked.  Maybe if they are not unpacked, it means I don’t need them….I certainly didn’t have all this stuff when we moved here!

So let us do a quick recap:

Rose sang up a storm in RENT and her lovely group of friends came for moral support

 

 
Next it was Roy and Claire  - no museums for these two!  First stop Costco…Claire channeled Mum while there and picked up ribbons.  Roy got an extra bag…for the ribbons.

Then the dancing banana at Stew’s – always good for at least 5 pushes of the button before moving to the dancing chickens.

 
Roy licking his lips and waiting to try the different oysters…this photo specially taken for Papa!

and then there was Max…what a good good boy…and thank you inventor of portable DVD players that work straight out of the box.

August arrived and the madness continued…this little unicorn galloped all day in his outfit which happens to be about 12 years old and would you believe a brief moment of “but that’s my dress-up outfit”, was experienced by the now Queen of Lord and Taylor!

(subtitled…this better not be going on your blog")

Then the gorgeous “Red” came to visit and have a holiday away from the rest of her tribe.  This photo was taken before Rose had indoctrinated her with the delights of L&T but by looking at the photo, you know it was only a matter of time!

We had our annual Day with Dolls where the Goddess and I worked behind the scenes with the wonderful women of our club who have taught me so much about life and about faith.

 

Pincushions…bigger is always better

 

Aprons designed by an Aussie (no not me!) and Doris (Pincushion queen)

 
I have just returned from Art In the Rough – read blog post here.

and the summer is not yet over!  We have the Goddess and Boompa coming today.  The boys are off to the baseball and the girls are setting up for a big big weekend next weekend where we are hosting 14 people for a workshop with the incomparable and very Australian Judy Wilkenfeld.   We have the team from ARUP coming for the annual “Neil invites you to lunch but hasn’t told Sal yet”.

It is about 3am right now and I will sign off because it will not be long before this little guy will be calling!

Love Sallianne xx

at peace

 

It is with a sense of contentment that I look at this photo and see the peace and joy on the face of my Kel and her Sisters.

Four generations stand before you.  One embarking on a new journey and the other three who stand with love, proudly beside this wonderful young woman – their daughter, their grand daughter and their great grand daughter.  They too can be at peace knowing that they helped to mold and shape our beautiful Kelly into the young woman that she is today….although Granny couldn’t help herself…she had to make ALL of Kelly’s aprons and well…it was a big meat tray night at Bingo so Nanny had to run off after the service to ensure the family could be fed for the next week and then Bails, in the midst of all the well-wishers, I did hear that she had to review a toffee burn on the arm of Jules who created farewell chocolate honeycomb for the occasion.

All in all a wonderful day and bon voyage.

Thank you to all of my friends who have sent blessings, kind words and encouragement to me, my family and my Kelly. 

Love

Sallianne