Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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Published: 06 September 2013

There is nothing like a plump red tomato off the vine, combined with the smell and taste of fresh basil, oregano and thyme from the garden.

Last weekend, Kim, Paxton, and Kadesh were out of town and I took advantage of the plethora of fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden to make a big pot of homemade spaghetti sauce that I enjoyed that night and saved for later enjoyment in my deep freeze.

The picture below shows the initial part of the process.  Roast the following in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are soft:

chopped tomatoes (I recommend a variety of tomatoes in the same sauce)
fresh basil
fresh oregano
fresh thyme
chopped onion
chopped garlic (not included in my batch because of my own allergies)
salt & pepper (before roasting)

Blend ingredients in the food processor or blender to the chunkiness desired for your sauce.  Be sure to strain excess water from the cookie sheet so that the sauce is not too runny.  I add a small can of tomato paste to thicken and stretch the fresh tomatoes.

Feel free to add the ground meat or meatballs of your choice.  I sautéd ground bison with onions for mine.

Now that I've made you all hungry, enjoy a weekend of fun with Food and Family on Fridays.

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] Fresh tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme and onions ready for roasting[/caption]

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Published: 05 September 2013

Summer is over, Labor Day has passed and everyone is now back in school.  It's already starting to get dark earlier here in Brighton.  The days are getting shorter and the summer adventures are now just a memory.

Summer adventures for our family used to always include a visit to the farm.  Grandpa and Grandma would orchestrate opportunities to get the eggs from the chickens, feed the pigs, gather fresh veggies from the garden, ride the four-wheeler, and go fishing.  As young girls, we learned how to make holly hock dolls, blow bubbles with dish soap and celery sticks, and I even got a legit piggy-back ride one time.

I suppose it is the lingering heat after the final days of summer that has reminded me of such memories recently - that and scrolling through old pictures from when we were kids.  On this Throwback Thursday, if you too are filled with a flood of fun memories from summers and childhood, thank God for those blessings and the ways that it shaped you.  If, however, your childhood was a little tougher and the good memories are hard to come by, be blessed to know that each day is a new day and a new opportunity to make memories with your family now.

Take a moment to reflect on a fun memory from this past summer and, if you can, leave a comment sharing the story here.

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="900.0"] Pigs on the farm[/caption]