Canning ...

It's that time of the year......time to can some

yummy tomatoes.

I love having my pantry full of tomatoes for the upcoming

winter. Taste so yummy in soups and chili

And now with Johnny on a low sodium diet, it's so much

healthier than the canned tomatoes in the store

So we bought a bushel and mom came over to help me

I know it's a lot of work and it takes most of the day

but I just love canning.

I sterlize my jars in the dishwasher....so much easier

than dipping them in boiling water!!

Toss the tomatoes in hot water until the skin starts to split

then plunges in ice cold water....this makes it so easy to peel

then quarter them to cook

I use the hot jar method......after the tomatoes cook

I have my jars sitting in hot water on the burner

and I ladle the tomatoes into the jars

Next Mom would add the 1 tsp salt, wipe the rims

and put the lids on



Out of the bushel, we ended up with 22 1/2 quarts and

out of those, only 1 jar did not seal

So that was pretty good

Saturday we will can one more bushel so that should

be plenty of us and Mom and Dad for the winter!!

later......

Fiestaware ....

I've been looking at buying some Fiestaware for awhile now

I want all different colors

But it's pretty expensive

a 5 place setting is $50

you can catch it on sale for $40 and sometimes $35

On Sunday as I looked through the Kohls sale paper

I saw the Fiestaware on sale ...

4 for $99

WOO HOO!!!!

I had a 20% off coupon and $30 in Kohls cash

So I ended up getting 8 - 5 place settings for $142!!!

Best deal I've gotten in a long time

I just love the names of the colors.....

I got Shamrock, Scarlet, Sunflower, Peacock, Tangerine

Cobalt, Paparika and Marigold....love them!!!

I would like to add the purple and lime...not sure what

they are called



later....

Goals ...

I like to write my goals down.....always have

I've done this since I was in my early 20's...before I got married

I keep a little list with a few short term goals and then

a few long term goals

I keep it tucked in my wallet and I pull it out at least once per day

to read...you have to do this. It keeps it fresh, it keeps it in your face

and it keeps you focused.

and here's the great part, I hit those goals and then as I scratch

off the last one, I get to write a new list! That is such a great feeling. Some

goals have to carry over to the new list....the long term ones.

Believe me my new kitchen has been carried over for 10 years now!

I truly believe that the reason I reach these goals is because of

that little piece of paper that I read every day. And here's why, if you read

your goals every day then you will make decisions all day long

that are really based on those goals. You will make the right decisions to

lead you where you need to be. Of course sometimes for the fun of it I

like to put down something impossible....like win the HGTV dream home

haha......but hey, you can dream with those goals too!!

I've always tried to convince my kids to do this but none of them would. Then one day Jake tried it and it worked....he found himself making those things happen.

But then he quit doing it.....

I really wish they would all try it for one year and see....

So do you make goals....and if so, do you track them in some way?

later......

Games ...

As a kid I loved playing games

Monopoly was probably my most favorite because

it could go on and on and on.....

and in the summer time, we did have games that went on a day or so

until someone would get mad and quit!

and outdoors we played hide & seek, freeze tag, TV tag, tether ball

kickball, softball, croquet, badminton.....we just had so much fun outside.

Now I love to play corn hole

and I really love card games

Rummy, 99, LRC and POKER!!!

I love to play dealers choice poker.....

whats some of your favorite games?

later....