Cookbook Round-Up–What I Liked and What I Plan On Buying Soon

I’ve been MIA for a month of Sundays because the Spring and Summer semesters kicked my proverbial booty. My studies at BU’s Gastronomy program are rigorous, and I really felt drained for a good bit of the time. However, I took the back half of summer off to rest and recharge before classes resume in September. While I do have this respite, I wanted get back to my site and share some of my favorite cookbook purchases this year, as well as a few I’m looking forward to in the Fall.

First up is You Got This! by Diane Morrisey

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I was unfamiliar with this author and flipped through the text at the bookstore for about 5 minutes before I purchased a copy. This book has a ton of approachable, family-friendly recipes that are both weeknight and weekend friendly and I marked at least 20 that I wanted to try. So far, I have loved the Sausage Rigatoni, Chicken Divan, and Potato Galette. Don’t get me wrong, as a culinary student, I can project cook if needed, but this book is more realistic toward how I cook for my family on the regular. When you are responsible for the never-ending meal planning and cooking for a diverse household, not every meal can be a full-on chef-level production. I would quit this circus without realistic inspiration to get me through those Tuesday nights of existential despair. I plan on gifting a copy to my sister because I think she will love it as well.

Next is an older book I stumbled across, Recipe Revival by the editors of Southern Living.

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I really enjoyed this retrospective and the updated ways in which they have been refreshed for modern cooks. I also found a ton of recipes in this book that I want to make, and as with the previous text, they are very accessible for home cooks like me who are tasked with the never-ending cycle of meal planning and cooking. Plenty of weeknight and party fare, with menus for inspiration. I picked this up at the secondhand book shop on the cheap and am very glad I did.

The two social media cookbook darlings of the Spring publishing season were By Heart by Hailey Catalano, and The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook by Merideth Hayden.

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I purchased both and found several recipes I enjoyed, such as the meatballs in By Heart, and the Shake and Bake Chicken with Hot Honey Tomatoes, and the Balsamic Short Ribes in Wishbone. I think both texts have a mix of accessible and delicious recipes, but they also contain some more fussy options that have a series of elements that push them to weekend/date night cooking for me. However, as I admitted, my time and attention has been taxed with writing and cooking for classes, so I think my perspective is more about my current life season than the recipes themselves. I would flip through both because people in my social media feed are loving these books.

As for cookbooks I am looking forward to during the Fall publishing season, my first pic is My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom.

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Ivy is a Southern Living contributor, test kitchen participant, and is pretty much their main social media content creator. Based on recipes I’ve seen (and cooked) from her articles and videos, I feel like this one is going to be good. Her style of cooking definitely aligns with mine. As soon as I heard she was publishing, I pre-ordered.

Next is Let’s Party by Dan Pelosi.

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I enjoyed Dan’s first book, and as a now writer for NYT Food, he’s been putting out some great recipes consistently. I love collecting books about entertaining/gatherings, so even if I was not familiar with his content, I probably would have picked this one up anyway. We host a huge Sunday gathering monthly for friends (think 25-30), so I am always looking for fresh, festive ideas. I think this one has potential, and his energy is infectious.

Finally, I am looking forward to Good Things by Samin Nosrat.

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Both Samin’s first book and her Netflix series were required reading/viewing in a couple of my courses in the past year. Her experience, encompassing knowledge, and commitment to rigorous recipe testing have made me a huge fan. This text description has me wanting to try everything listed, and I believe this will be a bestseller within the first week of publishing. Again, preordered because I am that excited.

So that’s what I’ve been noodling over as I come up with new areas to stack cookbooks. But that’s a problem for another day, because my library is my pride and joy, and Fall is prime time for new texts. If you have an upcoming book that you are eyeballing, or a cautionary tale about an absolute dud in your library, let me know. I want to try as many new recipes as I can before I am back to the scholastic grind for my final year.

**As always, my blog is not monetized in any way and the links posted are NOT affiliates, they are simply for your convenience. If you see any ads on my site, they come from WordPress, not me. Any reviews/opinions you see are of products I purchased with my own money. I’m just a busy mom/student and not that cool.**

2025 Knitting/Fiber Art Goals, WIPs, and More.

Well, I survived the holiday season and I have a little bit of time before I’m back to the hectic pace of grad school 2.0. While my first year was incredibly fulfilling, it was also challenging because we just crammed so much into the year. Lots of travel, heathen milestones (college graduation!), back-to-back holidays, and we capped off the year with G-Man’s ear surgery (more on that another day).

While I do have a small respite, I want to focus not necessarily on resolutions, but rather on some creative goals for this year to keep a better life balance. I have a stash full of yarn and fiber that need attention and big knitting/spinning plans for the year ahead. So, let’s dive in and talk about them.

Main Goals

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  1. Finish my husband’s Storm Sweater, which I have worked on for the past few months. I have been knitting this in Red Stag Fibre’s Yorkshire DK in a lovely oatmeal-ish color, which I picked up at DFW Fiber Fest this year. I am in love with this yarn because it highlights the stitch definition of this pattern like crazy and it’s a pleasure to knit with (no itchy moments so far).Image
  2. Next, I also picked up additional Red Stag Yorkshire Dk in a blue-gray color to use as a main color in the Sea Glass Cardigan, so that is also at the top of my list. I have a TON of yarn from abandoned MKALs and I think this project will be just the stash-buster I need to clear out some languishing skeins.
  3. I VOW to start and finish the Field Sweater, so help me. I purchased yarn for this project from The Surburban Stitcher a couple of years ago, in my favorite Pewter colorway. I also, unfortunately, get distracted by the new and shiny patterns but I need to go back and power through this project. I know I will love it; I just need to reject the instinct to think “SQUIRREL!” when I see the next “new thing.”
  4.  I will definitely be knitting another Doodle Cowl from Pacific Knit Co. She vended at DFW Fiber Fest this year, and I ended up preordering the book (now out), bought several decks, and a yarn kit. Seeing her samples in public was ridiculously inspirational, and the endless customization made me excited throughout the process of my first cowl. It is also a good stash-busting model, so if you are looking for ideas, start there for sure.Jamie Lomax Pacific Knit Co Doodle Book – botanical yarn
  5.  My brother-from-another-mother gifted me a certificate to Wool & Co. for the holiday, and I promptly ordered yarn for both the Songbird Mittens and the Porcelain Sweater (yes, social media dug in its claws into me and I was influenced. I regret nothing).
  6.  Spin all the fiber in my stash and knit at least one accessory from it. This is a loose plan, as I am a baby spinner and am apt to avoid the wheel when I get frustrated or discouraged. But, I have some BEAUTIFUL fiber in my stash, including a bat that ___ custom blended for me at DFW. I need to create more accountability for myself on my spinning, because that wheel was an investment.Image
  7.  Knit some type of summer tee or vest. This fall/early winter has been unseasonably warm this year, and I’m fed up with not being able to show off my knits. I think it’s time to focus a little more on usability than “Oooohhhh I want to knit that!”

Bonus Goals

  1.  Some colorwork socks by Stone Knits. Her patterns are so flipping cute. I was originally thinking a cat design, but she also has cute garden-inspired projects, including a happy carrot waiting to be harvested that looks like pure joy to me.Amazon.com: Joyful Colorwork Socks: 25 New Knitting Patterns for Fun ...
  2. Sigh, I still have a DEEP STASH kit for the Comfort Fade Cardi. I really need to suck it up and knit this one. I still love the look of the pattern, but I think I am worried about the yardage in the kit not being enough and additional yarn probably no longer exists. I just need to dig it out and do the math on it to see if it’s going to work.
  3.  Exercise the same restraint I did last year when attending fiber fests or travelling. I now have a dedicated craft journal where I keep a running list of project ideas with their yarn requirements. I stuck mostly to that last year and kept impulse purchases to a minimum.
  4. Finally, finish Bean’s needlepoint stocking…hopefully.

So, that’s what’s on deck for now. What project has you feeling inspired lately?

More Thanksgiving Tips for Successful Hosting

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It’s the final countdown to Thanksgiving, and I thought I’d do a round-up of past posts that may be helpful in getting you through the week. As someone who regularly hosts 20-plus guests, I’ve refined the holiday prep and aftermath into a well-oiled machine. They cover my planner layout, what I wish I knew when I first started hosting, leftover ideas and more. I know hosting can seem a but overwhelming, but it’s all about breaking the week up into manageable chunks.

Thanksgiving Tips—What I Wish I Knew Way Back When | Bayou-Mama

My Thanksgiving Planner—Obsessive But Efficient | Bayou-Mama

Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas…Because It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint | Bayou-Mama

The Hateful Corona and More Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe Ideas | Bayou-Mama

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole (a.k.a My Thanksgiving Must-Have Side Dish) | Bayou-Mama

In addition to the previous posts here are some more game-changers I’ve found that take some of the lighten the load:

  • Grocery delivery! This saves me so much time, it’s 100 percent worth it. If you don’t want to pay the fee, you can do a free trial of Walmart Plus or other delivery services and then cancel if needed. But the hours I get back by not navigating crowded stores and lines, loading and unloading bags to the car, etc. gives me more time for other preparation.
  • Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. These were life-changing for me because trying to peel and boil potatoes on Thanksgiving morning filled me with irrational rage and stress. Now, the potato people get their potatoes and I no longer resent said potatoes.
  • Using digital assistants (Alexa for me) to set reminders and timers. When everyone is coming at me at once all week, I hit information overload pretty quickly. Being able to just tell Alexa to remind me about something later keeps me on track, and the reminders go straight to my phone and watch. Additionally, I can add things to the last-minute shopping trip the boys will take for ice and any forgotten or missing items.
  • Inevitably, one or more guests will ask what they can bring, and I often freeze in the moment and draw a blank. Now, I try to think ahead of small/easy items to request from the guests that refuse to come empty-handed, like wine, jelly for the biscuits/rolls, ice, or an extra kid-friendly dessert (cookies/brownies) since a lot of the little ones aren’t really enthusiastic about pie.
  • My Bluetooth thermometer ensures I never overcook the turkey by getting distracted. I take it out at 157-160 degrees F, because it will come up to full temp as it rests from carry-over cooking.

So, if you are hosting this year, I hope you’ve got your game-plan together, but remember, hosting is about hospitality and as long as you go into the week with that in mind, everything else just taking it one step at a time.

Holy Crapadoodle, It’s Been a Hot Minute

 

This year has flown by and I cannot believe it’s almost Thanksgiving. When I decided to go back to school, I did not realize how all-consuming this adventure was going to be. When I haven’t been studying or writing, I’ve been cooking constantly for my pastry class.

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When I haven’t been hard a work, I managed to squeeze in some knitting.

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Now that I’m feeling more confident, hopefully life can slow down a little bit.

Fiber Festivals, Finished Knits, and a New Adventure

It’s been a hot minute y’all and I feel like I am still catching my breath. So, let’s jump right into it.

This fall, Bean, the Husband, and I attended two fiber festivals, and had a blast both times. First, we went to DFW fiber fest where Bean and I took a dyeing class and a punch needle class:

 

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Then we spent the rest of the weekend shopping, hanging out with other fiber artists, and getting inspiration for future knits. DFW is my absolute favorite fiber fest. The people are great, the classes excellent, and the entire vibe is joyful. If you’ve been on the fence about going, I highly recommend it. One of the board members even gifted Bean market cash to spend for representing young fiber artists. Everyone we meet there is so supportive and encouraging.

In October, we went to Rhinebeck, AKA New York Sheep and Wool. Image

This was one of my bucket-list fiber adventures. Small-town New York in fall was picturesque, especially since we have no “real” fall here in north Louisiana. We got to see the livestock, met some new vendors, and took in the frenzy of arguably the most popular fiber fest in the US. While we had fun, honestly, I prefer DFW by far. This festival was SOOOOO crowded, the lines endless, and good luck getting into a popular vendor booth. It almost felt like being in a mosh pit at times as we were shuffled around through the crowds. We enjoyed exploring, good food and being together, but I think that trip is a one-and-done for us. So, if you have FOMO from seeing all the cool pictures on Instagram, I promise it’s not quite as “awesome” as you might think.

On to finished knits:

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Pattern: Aurora Cabin Shawl (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Qing Fiber High Twist in the Canyon colorway, Suburban Stitcher Single Sock in the River’s Edge, Nudie Patootie, and Predictability colorways, and Madeline Tosh Merino Light in the Moorland colorway.

Needles: US 4

Notes and Mods: No changes to this one. I love it, but I’m definitely off the shawls for a while. They start deceptively fast, then just get slower and slower. As always, however, Stephen West’s patterns are well-written and creative.

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Pattern: Sea Glass Hat (available for free)

Yarn: Jems Luxe Fibers Luxe Sock in the Texas Wildflowers Colorway and Three Irish Girls Adorn Luxe in the Kraken colorway.

Needles: US 3 & 5

Notes and Mods: I knit this as a two-color so it appears to be vertical stripes.

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Pattern: Swirled Peace (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Moreno Light in Betty Draper’s Blues

Needles: US 5 & 6

Notes and Mods: I went up a needle size compared to the pattern which I totally regret. This ended up way too big. The black yarn is something unlabeled I found in my stash. Overall, great pattern, I just executed it poorly.

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Pattern: Ranuculus

Yarn: Suburban Stitcher Merino DK in the Pewter colorway

Needles: US 8 & 10

Notes and Mods: I love this yarn and the color. This was the fastest sweater I have ever knit. I’m glad I looked at other projects because the pattern has the most hideous pictures of the sample. She loves it.

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Looking forward to this year, my plate feels pretty full. I have tons of fiber arts goals I want to accomplish, a couple of big trips planned, and will continue to recover after some illness and injuries (that damn Halloween Bouncy House). But the big news is that I’m going back to school!!! I was accepted to Boston University to work on a Masters in Gastronomy. I’m so freaking stoked, I can’t even tell you. So stay tuned for more foodie and fiber adventures to come.

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole (a.k.a My Thanksgiving Must-Have Side Dish)

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If you are looking for an easy side dish for your Thanksgiving gathering, I’ve got just the casserole for you.

I know that I may be in the minority, but I’ve never been a fan of the marshmallow-topped concoctions or those syrupy, too-sweet bakes. That’s why I never really ate sweet potatoes until well into adulthood. I tweaked my mom’s recipe until I not only had a great side dish, but also look forward to it every year.

This recipe has citrus zest to brighten up the potatoes, and a spiced pecan topping to bring texture and crunch. Best of all? You can make it ahead and just pop it in the oven while the turkey rests.

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The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Casserole
  • 3 29-ounce cans sweet potatoes, drained
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup sugar granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons orange zest
  • 1 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • additional butter for greasing casserole
Topping
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

Method
 

Casserole
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining casserole ingredients. Using an electric hand mixer, beat mixture until fluffy.
  2. Pour into a buttered 9x13casserole, spreading mixture evenly.
  3. Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven, top with pecan mixture, and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Topping
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, add brown sugar and all seasonings to melted butter, stirring to incorporate. Stir in pecans until they are well coated. Top casserole with pecan mixture in last 10 minutes of baking.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Off The Shelf–Cookbooks I Bought This Month

It’s no secret that I have a severe cookbook hoarding issue. I have zero impulse control when I am at the bookstore, and usually never walk out empty-handed. So, here’s what I bought this month:

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I purchased this book after hearing the author on a podcast, and I’m glad I did. This book is absolutely fantastic, and I highly recommend it. Great stories and photographs, and some of the recipes are just bananas, like the Jersey Breakfast Sandwich Pie and the Pulled Pork Pie topped with Hushpuppies. She also includes stories and facts about each state and dedicates the pies to friends from those locations. This would make a great gift for the baker in your life.

Paula Deen’s quote about Southern Plate! | Southern Plate

This book is exactly as described. A lot of the recipes are similar to old southern staples that you would find in Junior League and church cookbooks. They are simple, straightforward, classics from the author’s upbringing. If you are just starting out with cooking, or need easy southern recipes, this might fit the bill.

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This book is an absolute treasure, not just for the recipes but what it represents. After Hurricane Katrina devastated our state, families lost everything, including treasured family recipes. The Times-Picayune newspaper’s food column became a way to swap recipes and seek out those that were lost. This book is a compilation of incredible recipes that are part of our state culture.

Southern and Smoked: Cajun Cooking through the Seasons, LA - Picture 1 of 1

This book is from the owner of a south Louisiana smokehouse and highlights some genuine Cajun cuisine. I love the seasonal approach to the organization of recipes, and the photos are excellent. If you are looking for authentic south Louisiana recipes, this is worth the purchase.

So, checked out any good cookbooks lately?

 

My Ooni Karu Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven Review

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So, I mentioned that I got a new toy, the Ooni Karu multi-fuel pizza oven for my birthday, but with everything going on, I just finally got around to playing with it for the past two weeks. Now, before I get into my review, I want to be clear that ingredients and process matter for success, so there is a learning curve, especially concerning dough. I have a few pizza cookbooks, and settled on the 60% hydration Neapolitan dough from this book:

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I highly suggest this book if you want a pizza science deep dive, but even if you don’t, here’s why I love it. It gives dough recipes for various Italian styles (Naples, Rome, etc. which are different), and the regional recipes are also adapted for home ovens, grills, and pizza ovens. It explains why the dough needs to be different for each. To put it simply, the dough needs to be adjusted for how hot and fast your oven can cook. Most home ovens can only go to 500 F, while grills and pizza ovens can heat to 700-900 F. The cooking temperature affects how much water dough needs to cook properly. The author has it laid out in extensive detail, so on my first try, my 3-day fermented dough turned out perfectly and to rave reviews. It’s becoming part of my daily routine to keep dough on rotation so we have weekly pizza nights. I also recommend The Joy of Pizza as well.

Let’s talk about the oven itself.

This is a wood-fired oven with an optional propane insert, which we chose to purchase as an additional feature. I knew that I would make pizza more often with the convenience of instant-start gas versus building/managing a wood fire every single time. I know that’s not as authentic, but I want to use this pizza oven regularly, and not as a special occasion when I am willing to babysit a wood fire in 105-degree weather in summer. Because my outdoor counter space is limited, I ended up buying a rolling kitchen cart so I can move it around as needed for both cooking and storage.

Thoughts on Accessories/Support

  • The two main accessories we purchased that I can get behind are the oven cover, and the pizza peel. The cover fits perfectly and is low-effort to use. The peel is easy to work with and maneuver for the oven size and shape.
  • The freaking door….So, they advertise the oven with no door, and suggest consumers purchase one. Well, we bought a door only to find out our oven came with a fully-installed door. So, I now have a very expensive door in my closet. Rather than return it, I’m just going to hang on to it in case of emergency, but I HIGHLY suggest you talk to customer service before ordering a door to see of it is included.
  • I’d hold off on the laser thermometer suggestion until you play around with the built-in thermometer. They obviously want to upsell ad nauseam but it’s up to you on how “Alton Brown” you want to go with it. I don’t think it’s necessary for starting out.
  • I like the app and find it to be very helpful. Outside of the video tutorials, I found plenty of recipe inspirations, more so than I expected. The company seems to have good consumer support for their products. The app is worth downloading.

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After playing around for a bit, I can say that I really love this oven. Yes, it was pricey, and there is definitely a learning curve if you’ve never made pizza before. But it cooks beautifully (in two minutes or less) and is easy enough to use on a weeknight. The Heathens love getting creative with toppings outside of the norm. It’s also useful way to transform leftovers, for example, we used the leftover food from our weekend barbecue to make pizzas the next day, which reduced food waste. Overall, I think it’s a great product and I am learning a lot.

So, we bought the thing, we love the thing, two thumbs up.

**A note/disclaimer–This blog is not monetized in any way. The links I provide ARE NOT affiliate links, they are just for your convenience. All reviews are of products I pay for with my own money, and I have no problem telling you the truth about them. If you see an ad on my site, that comes from WordPress, my site host, as the toll of free blogging. I have no control over the targeted ads they display to you**

 

Roasted Tomato Paste for a Lazy Canning day

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The garden is in full swing, and while I’m doing the best I can, production is quickly out-pacing me.

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I typically offer up the extra bounty to our neighborhood, but I think we’ve reached the point where even they groan when they see my text messages pop up. I have been canning every week, but it’s difficult to get the energy to stand over a hot stove with record heat blanketing Louisiana. I ordered a dehydrator with the intention of broadening my horizons and saving the gigantic herb garden before this heat does it in. But that doesn’t solve the problems of today.

Yesterday, I still had a ton of tomatoes in need of processing, and I didn’t have the time or mental energy for lots of hands-on prep work, so that excluded Roasted Tomato Lime Salsa, though I did make some last week. I also did not have enough tomatoes to make marinara, so I turned to my cookbook library and found Roasted Tomato Paste in The All-New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. I initially balked, because 12 pounds of tomatoes for four, 4-oz jars? Psssssh. But with a Heathen home to help me, I could knock out prep in 20 minutes. However, because both the tomatoes and resulting paste slow roast, it’s still a seemingly longer project, but it was also 90 percent was hands-off. I reckoned that the tomatoes needed to go, so a paste experiment it was.

We started by coring/seeding and quartering the tomatoes, then roasting them in the oven:

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Then we pureed them in the food processor, spread the puree on sheet pans and roasted that, stirring every twenty minutes or so until we reached the right color and consistency (following photos are 1-freshly pureed, 2-halfway through, 3-final paste):

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Finally, we water-bath canned per the recipe.

It worked out well, but by all that is holy, learn from my mistakes. Line your sheet pan with heavy duty foil. Mine is currently on a fourth round of soaking and I’m about to take the oven cleaner to it. Le sigh.

So, overall, this recipe is long on time but short on hands-on effort. Sure, the yield was small, but those tomatoes were destined for the compost bin if I didn’t figure out a plan that worked with my timeframe. That’s the key for me for successful canning; pivoting when you need to and managing your time. I salvaged the tomatoes but didn’t wreck my other goals for the day.

As always, I will include my usual canning advice, which can be found in this post, and this one. Canning is the very essence of science of food safety, so unless you want to live on the edge via death-by-botulism-roulette, follow professionally developed and tested recipes from trusted sources.

And just when I finished this project, the Husband announced his intention to harvest another round of tomatoes tomorrow, in the 105 degree heat. That dehydrator can’t get here fast enough, I’ll tell y’all that.

Roasted Tomato Paste

Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings: 4 4-oz jarrs
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 pounds Roma tomatoes, stems removed and halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for taste
  • 1 teaspoon citric acid

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove seeds and pulp from tomato halves with a spoon, then cut halves vertically. Place tomato quarters on three rimmed baking sheets lined with foil. Sprinkle with salt.
  2. Bake tomato quarters for 1.5 hours, checking every 20 minutes after the 40-minute mark to prevent burning. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
  3. Process tomatoes in a food processor in batches until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in citric acid. Add more salt if needed for taste.
  4. Return the puree to one sheet pan and spread out evenly. Bake at 350 F until tomato mixture is deep red and very thick, stirring every 20 minutes (could be anywhere from 2-3 hours based on your oven and water content of your tomatoes).
  5. Spoon mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space, remove air bubbles as best you can, wipe rims, and apply lids and bands. Process for 40 minutes in boiling water, adjusting recipe for altitude. Remove jars from heat to cooling rack and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Inspect seals and refrigerate any jars that failed to seal for short-term use.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

**A note/disclaimer–This blog is not monetized in any way. The links I provide ARE NOT affiliate links, they are just for your convenience. All reviews are of products I pay for with my own money, and I have no problem telling you the truth about them. If you see an ad on my site, that comes from WordPress, my site host, as the toll of free blogging. I have no control over the targeted ads they display to you**

Finding Joy When It Feels Impossible

There are very few times when I’m at a loss for words. The past month has definitely been one of them. On Mother’s Day, which also happened to be G-Man’s 21st birthday, we woke up to the unimaginable. We lost our nephew in a tragic accident; he was also 21.

The days that followed were exhausting, with lots of travel, phone calls, logistics, and heartache, while still trying to keep up with school events for the last days of Bean’s elementary school career. Thanks goodness we have a village that kept the proverbial gears turning so we could be where we needed to be. While we got her across the fifth-grade finish line, the missed birthday celebrations for G-Man and the Husband will be on hold for a while.

It’s hard to think about celebrating and gratitude when the people you care about are going through the worst tragedy imaginable. Our nephew was incredibly kind, ridiculously humble, and was taken from his siblings and parents far too soon. I just don’t have any words for the kind of pain they are going through. How do you process a beautiful life cut short?

But, in spite of all of this, I can still find gratitude this summer. When I woke up G-Man that Sunday to tell him the news, and that Husband and I were leaving to head south within minutes, he understood. I’m sure losing your 21st birthday party is disappointing, especially knowing there’s no back-up plan anytime soon. Yet he simply said, “I’m good, y’all go.” Bean understood when I told her that we would be there for graduation but would have to miss most of the other school events that week. Bear let it slide when I blew up at him over the lost guest bathroom hand towels (because at the time, I convinced myself the lack thereof was the end of the damn world when we had family coming to stay). When the crap hits the fan, I’m grateful the Heathens have perspective beyond their years when it comes to crap like this.

Once the dust settled, we went down to my uncle’s camp and the fishing was both therapeutic and fantastic.

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Spending mornings on the water and nights on the porch brought both joy and peace. That was both welcome and difficult. Trying to resume “normal” life after loss always is, because when you are caught in the gravity of grief, you often feel like time should have stopped. There’s a certain sense of guilt that lingers until you remember that we honor those we lost by telling the stories, keeping the memories alive, and not by stagnating on principle.

It’s hard to imagine not seeing him, teasing him, or watching him get married or starting a family. Our nephew was an avid fisherman, hard worker, and a gentle soul. Senseless loss cuts deep.

So, for now, we will focus on finding joy, cherishing those we love, and putting one foot in front of the other.

But damn. This f-ing sucks.