For the Care of Children

"Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen." -The Common Book of Prayer Pin It

Concord Grapes, Part 2

Well, the lull is officially over. Neighbor D called this afternoon announcing it was time to come pick again. Jamey and Sam went this time and came home with a heaping basin full. Jamey said Sam was such a trooper, using his own scissors to snip clusters of grapes into his own basket and then dumping them into his Daddy's bigger container. Then, once he was home and in his pajamas, he helped me pull them off the stems and put them in jars. He helped for at least an hour. Until he got distracted by eating them. And scratching his itchy arms. Grapes seem to affect Sam and I in this way- itchy hands and arms.

I'm not sure why this happens. It seems to be worse when separating the pulp from the skin and not as bad or non existent when you are just taking the grapes off the stems. It goes away after a couple hours and seems to affect some people more than others.

Sam was put to bed and Jamey helped me finish canning 25 quarts of grape juice concentrate. I don't miss the lull at all. Yet.

Grape Juice Concentrate

In a clean, quart jar add 2 cups cleaned, stemmed whole grapes. Pour 1 cup sugar over the grapes. Fill jar, leaving one inch of head space, with boiling water. Cap with a hot lid and jar ring.

The recipe in the Simply in Season cookbook says you do not need to process/hot water bath them, but I have found that they do not all seal unless I do.

I put them in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Don't be dismayed if it looks like the sugar has all settled on the bottom. It will eventually dissolve.

Wait a month or so before opening- the longer you wait, the stronger the flavor. Since this in a concentrate recipe, you will want to add some water after you have strained out your grapes at drinking time.

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A Cure: Scones

Usually when I am bored and it's dreary out, I get the overwhelming urge to bake something sweet. Something warm and yummy always does the trick. So, yesterday afternoon, I called and invited a friend and her children to come over this morning for their good company and to ensure I would not eat all the scones myself.

It worked. After they left, my spirits were lifted and I had a smile on my face. The sun was even shining and I was officially out of my transition funk. The good company was much more effective than the baked good, although they were pretty tasty....

There are lots of good scone recipes out there, but these are my two favorites, Gingerbread and Chocolate. I usually don't post recipes here, but decided that these are worth it.

(Side note: If you would like a recipe for something I've posted about, I am more than happy to share. Just post your request in a comment or call me.)

Gingerbread Scones
(adapted from a recipe by Stephanie Jaworski at Joyofbaking.com)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries (I used our dried sour cherries)
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp. unsulphured molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1 tbsp. milk

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients well. Add butter pieces and blend with a pastry blender or fork. Stir in dried cranberries or cherries. In a separate small bowl, combine buttermilk, molasses and vanilla. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir until just blended.

You want the dough to be a tad sticky, but not so sticky you can't handle it. (If it's so sticky you lose your fingers in it, add more flour until it's easier to handle.) Flour your counter top and kneed the dough very gently, forming it into a large ball. Press it out with your hands, forming a big circle, about 3/4 of an inch thick.

Flour your knife before each cut. Cut into your circle as if it were a pie, making slices as small or large as you like. You should end up with at least 8 scones.

Transfer each slice on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and tbsp. of milk together and brush the egg wash on top of each scone. The secret here is not to over bake these. Set your timer for 10 minutes (and oven at 400 degrees) and check them often. Keep checking until your knife comes out clean. Eat them as soon as they are cool enough that they won't burn your mouth.

Chocolate Scones(I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I have changed it enough that I think I can call it my own.)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup white or milk chocolate pieces/chips
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Blend the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter pieces with a pastry blender or a fork. Stir in chocolate. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and egg. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until just blended. Turn out onto floured counter. Kneed gently and form into a ball. Flatten, forming a circle about 3/4 of an inch think. Using a floured knife, slice into at least 8 slices (like a pie) and transfer to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake. Eat warm with milk:-).
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Transition

No, I'm not talking about labor. I'm talking about this transition from running around like a mad woman to having very little to do. It's weird. It doesn't help that it's been a dreary last few days. If it were sunny outside, I could be busying myself with weeding, picking raspberries, and hanging out laundry that needs to be done. But, no. It's been rainy. So here I sit.

I know this down-time won't last for long. Soon, there will be more grapes to transform and our pears to pick and can. Nope, it won't be quiet for long. So, I should just enjoy it. Relax. Right? Right. Why is that so hard to do? Winter is coming. I have to get used to this. Oh, my goodness. I hope I can handle it.... Pin It

Back to School

It's back to school week at our house. Sam starts 1st grade at home with me today. We did kindergarten last year and loved it. Yes, he's a little young for1st grade (five and a half). This is because he started reading (with very little help from me) at age four and a half, so I couldn't quite imagine waiting any longer. He was ready.

Here is some of what he will be studying this year... We use My Father's World curriculum for Bible, writing and science. Saxon Math for math. The Ordinary Teacher's Guide to Teaching Reading for reading. First Language Lessons for grammar. Drawing with Children by Mona Brooks for art. Spelling Workout (Modern Curriculum Press) for spelling and Pathway Readers (used in Amish schools) for reading practice.

I am really looking forward to starting school. Thankfully, so is he. I find that I really miss the one on one time with him that we haven't had much of this summer. So far, Sadie is still taking an afternoon nap, so that's when we'll do school.



On to the other student in our family, Jamey. Jamey started back this Monday. He is a second year pharmacy student- full time. This means no outside jobs for us during the school year. I know some of you are wondering how this is possible since I stay at home.

Well, to start out with, we are savers (Jamey had a good job before going back to school). Then, there are student loans (Praise God!). So far, student loans have covered his school expenses and most of our living expenses, so we haven't had to tap into our savings yet. Then, there is the home equity loan we took out before he started school. It's there as a back up and we are hoping we won't have to touch it.

Ok. Now that there are no longer any financial questions...Jamey really likes what he's gotten into. He enjoyed his first year and spent this past summer working and interning at our local hospital. There are four years to his program with an additional year to specialize (which he is leaning towards doing). It's a good thing we like to grow our own food- it's helping us out financially, too- bonus!


Sadie and I are feeling a little left out here. So, here are the books she and I are reading and have read.


Once school starts, I'm really not sure how much reading I will get done.... I will have to just consider myself 'support staff' for awhile. Come to think of it, I'm support staff all the time. I guess this won't be much of a transition for me:-).

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Concord Grapes, Part 1

Last evening, I spoke to my good friend and neighbor, D, who told me it was time to pick grapes. They have a beautiful grape arbor at their house. Every year, they share the wealth with us (Thank you!!). I sneaked away with my tub and my scissors and clipped my heart out, hardly making a dent at one end of the arbor. Standing underneath it was heaven. The smell is incredible- you just have to stop and inhale deeply every once in awhile. And I did.

Once home, I washed and pulled the grapes from their stems, weighed them and
set them in the fridge to be dealt with today.

Jamey didn't have to go to class today, so he was home to help at the crucial stages- capping and screwing on lids and manning the canner as I filled jars. Also, in the midst of this, neighbor D's husband came over to power wash the dirt and grime that had attached itself to our house under the front and back porches. He owns his own painting business- he and his crew painted our house soon after we moved in, turning it from an old, dingy-looking house into a house that looks fresh, clean and loved (we do the loving part- he made it look fresh and clean). The kids enjoyed watching him and we are enjoying the clean-looking house. If you ever need a painter, let me know- he does amazing work (and may be as much of a perfectionist as I am:-)).


Why all the little jars?! Is that what you are thinking? WELL. My baby sister is getting married next September and for wedding favors, she wants little jars of jam! Isn't that cool?! Anyway, I volunteered to do them for her. She needs about 150 4oz. jars. I'll be canning grape jam (not jelly- I think it's a waste of the yummy pulp to strain all that good stuff out. Don't worry, sister- I didn't leave the seeds in), as well as strawberry and peach. Pretty fall colors (purple, red and yellow), no?

46 jars. I'm almost a third of the way done:-).

Then, we did 5 quarts and 1 pint of grape juice concentrate (2 cups grapes and
1 cup sugar per quart). And jam for us- 4 pints and 12 half-pint jars.

And that's just Concord Grapes, Part 1. If history repeats itself, there will be more to come.
Whooo hoooo!

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Full Days

I am known to complain about my days being full this time of year. Sometimes, it actually invokes some anxiety and causes knots in my neck and shoulders to develop. Like today. Today was a full day. But when I stop and think about each thing I did, I realize that I got to choose each thing. Each thing was a choice I made and I really wouldn't choose otherwise. So, while my days are very full, they are full of things that I value. When I think about it this way, my neck and shoulders relax and I feel calmer. I can appreciate my full days and enjoy them a bit more.

It was a full day of choices. I got up before the kids and went out into the garden and picked a basket full of basil for another batch of pesto.


I helped the kids get ready and we headed downstairs for breakfast. While making most of our food from scratch IS a lot of work, it makes us feel like we are eating like royalty (a friend and I were just talking about this today). The kids had baked oatmeal with homemade plain yogurt and raspberries. That was the last of the oatmeal, so I had two pieces of zucchini bread with yogurt and berries. Poor me.



While I was making pesto, the kids transformed the playroom into a mess (my camera doesn't have a wide angle lens- this is just part of it). This is the kind of thing that stresses me out. So, after lunch, getting Sadie's head unstuck from between the couch and the wall and feeling Sam's "loose" tooth, we all pitched in and cleaned up (some of us pitching more than others).


Then, we all piled into the van to take Sam to a friend's house for the afternoon (Thanks, Carmen!!). When Sadie and I got home, it was time for her nap. The house was MINE. What to do??? Take quiet time for myself to read? Or get back to work? I compromised and spent some time on the computer reading things I enjoy and then I headed back to the kitchen. I washed lots of jars in preparation for the concord grapes that are coming and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Jamey to take in his lunches these first few weeks back to school.


About the time I was done, Sadie woke up and she and I read books on the couch. I read so much more to Sam when he was this age. I regret not reading to her more and am trying to make up for it now. Around 4ish, a friend dropped by to get some basil and my other friend returned my boy. We enjoyed some visiting outside before they headed home and I went back into the kitchen. Jamey came home and we had weekend leftovers for dinner. When the table was cleared, I started my second batch of roasted tomatoes which are in the oven as I write this. My plan for the rest of the evening? Take a shower, relax and maybe watch some reruns of 'The Office' before falling into bed.

I am thankful for these full days. For my children, my husband (who supports all my choices), good food and good friends. What more could I ask for? Pin It

Marv, The Rooster

Just in case our chickens got a little bit jealous over me posting about other poultry (county fair), I thought I should blog a bit about them. I'm going to start with Marv. Sam named him and we actually call him 'the rooster' most of the time. But, out of respect, I will call him by name in this post. Isn't he pretty? I mean, handsome?


When we ordered our first flock of chickens, we didn't pay extra to get the number of hens we wanted, so they gave us a mix of hens and roosters. To make sure there were enough chicks for warmth in travel, they added MORE roosters. The chicks for warmth were a white laying breed that got mean as they hit puberty. We harvested them. That left us with four Golden Laced Wyandotte roosters. We only wanted one. So, for weeks, we watched these roosters, trying to determine which one was the least likely to attack our children and most likely to protect the flock. This was pretty hard to do because they all looked EXACTLY alike.

But, one night, the wind closed the chicken house door (and we forgot to check on them). This meant the roosters couldn't roost. In the morning, one of the roosters was found perched on the chicken tractor. He was watching over the hens inside (we hadn't combined them yet). The rest were hiding out together under the safety of some brush. As best we could, we chose that protective rooster and the others went in our freezer.

Let me tell you some stories about our Marv. One afternoon, I was mowing in the back area where the chickens free range. They were all hunkered down in the back corner under some brush. Soon a hen emerged from the brush and started heading for the hen house to lay. Just then, I made my loop around the yard and she got scared and ran back to the flock. This happened several times until Marv had had it. I could almost hear him thinking, "That's it, woman. Let's go!" And he WALKS her (yes, escorts her) to the hen house, drops her off and runs back out to the rest.


Another afternoon, Marv and 5 of the hens were out in the back yard. The other two were laying in the hen house. As you may know, hens can get pretty noisy when laying. They want the world to know what they are doing. I can relate. I get a little noisy myself at the end of labor. This particular day, these ladies were REALLY broadcasting their efforts. They were SOOO loud that Marv got concerned. He left the hens in the yard and ran (head down, you know) into the hen house and jumped up on the feed box to get a good view of his girls in their nesting boxes. Once he was in there, they quieted down. They got his attention all right.

Knowing they were fine, he jumped down and ran back into the yard. Soon the layers started cackling AGAIN. Back he runs. I'm not kidding, this happened several times. I felt the urge to get Marv a water bottle and a wet towel for his neck. He was a busy rooster. Busy AND doing his job.


We regularly take scraps out to the chickens and there are often bread crusts that my children refuse to eat. If there is only ONE, Marv grabs it first and PECKS IT APART into pieces for his girls. Talk about chivalry.

He's quite the guy. He always has his head cocked to the sky to watch for hawks and gives a certain call which sends all the hens diving for the safety of a tree. If anyone gets between him and the hens, he will go after them. Jamey and the kids have gotten scratched. I carry a stick. This doesn't make him mean. He's just acting as protector of his harem. Who knows what other acts of protection he does when we aren't around?

I think we picked a pretty good rooster. If any of you would like us to assist in helping to arrange a marriage for one of your daughters, just let us know. We'd be happy to help. Pin It

Pictures of Food

Have you noticed I enjoy taking pictures of food? I have for the past three to four years now. There are times I am at someone's house for dinner and I wish I had my camera. I'm not sure how well that would go over. Jamey gets embarrassed enough as is. When I was pregnant with Sadie, we went on a cruise with my sister and her husband. I took pictures of the food. Yep, I did. The presentation was beautiful and I wanted to remember how good the food was. Jamey thought I was being silly. Not me. I have those pictures to look back on. And drool over. And wish I had a personal chef. And that my meals looked like that. Ok, maybe I shouldn't take pictures of cruise ship food.

We had company this weekend. Here are some pictures of our, non-cruise ship, food...

Baked oatmeal with apples

Feta Chard Pie (an adaptation of a recipe from my friend, Amy)

2 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. flour
6 cups chopped swiss chard, including stems (or spinach)
6 eggs, beaten
4 oz. feta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes OR that many chopped roasted tomatoes (optional)
1 pie crust in a 9 or10-inch pie plate

In a large pan, over medium high heat, saute onions, pepper and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Stir in 2 tbsp. of flour and saute for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl. Add chopped chard or spinach to pan and cook down until good and wilted, but not brown and mushy. Using a lid to cover the pan will cook it down faster, just remember to stir it occasionally. While the chard is cooking, add the remainder of the ingredients to the big bowl (with the onions, etc). and stir well. Add the chard when it is finished and stir. Pour the filling into your pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the middle does not jiggle. Let stand 10-15 minutes and serve.

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Homegrown watermelon

Homegrown red raspberries

Pesto pizza with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella

Pesto pizza with fresh roma tomatoes and mozzarella

Traditional pizza with Barbara Kingsolver sauce and mozzarella

Homemade vanilla ice cream with raspberries

(For some reason, the times are off. I posted this Sunday evening, not Friday.)

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A Conversation with Sadie

Sadie was playing at the sink while I was working in the kitchen and needed to clean some swiss chard.

Sadie, I need to wash these, okay?

Why, Mommy?

To clean the bugs off.

Dat yucky?

No, it's not yucky.

Dat yummy?

Yes, it's yummy after it's cooked.

Bugs yummy?

No, Sadie, bugs aren't yummy.

Why, mommy?

They just aren't.

Dat hot?

No, it's not hot.

Brrrrrrrr.

Yep, it's cold.

Bye bye bugs.

Bye, bugs...
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Roasted Tomatoes

I am so excited about this that I am posting twice in 24 hours. About a year or so ago, a friend told me that she roasts her tomatoes. I thought it sounded really good. So, why didn't I do it?! Just a few days ago, I was perplexed as to what to do next with the never ending flow of tomatoes coming from our garden to my kitchen. I already made two kinds of tomato sauce, put up stewed tomatoes, salsa, Jamey made catsup and I made a new recipe, 'Bruschetta in a Jar' from my Ball Canning Book.

So, I called my friend to get directions on roasting. She just happened to have posted these exact instructions that morning. You can find them here. Below are my pictures.




If you like sun-dried tomatoes, you will love these. They are soooo good I actually had about 15 for breakfast this morning. How could I not? The house smelled amazing and these are VERY addictive. I actually can't wait for the next basket of tomatoes. When was the last time I said that this time of year? Pin It

Sunflower Seeds

Our chickens love sunflower seeds. Any seeds, for that matter. So, we decided to plant some sunflowers especially for them. We also enjoyed looking at them. Here they are along the back edge of the back garden.


And, here they are hanging in Somersault's end of the workshop. Jamey decided it was time to bring them in before other birds got to them. They are pretty safe in here, thanks to Somersault being a cat.




The plan is to throw a sunflower head in to the chickens now and again come winter, to supplement their feed when there isn't much outside for them to eat. And, we might just roast some for ourselves.

P.S. A couple people have said they wish they could leave comments, but couldn't because they don't have a google login of sorts. No longer! I changed things and now anyone can post a comment. Comment away! Pin It

This Post is PG-13ish

Ok. Let me preface this post by saying a couple things. Please bear with me.

1) I mowed tonight. It takes me two hours. That's a long time for me to alone with my thoughts. Not that these thoughts were born this evening, they've been swirling around for weeks now.

2) I know Jamey loves me and is attracted to me (sometimes I do wonder why) and that is enough. Where in the WORLD am I going with all this you are wondering.

Well, here's what happened. In the past month, I have had two individuals express interest in me. This NEVER happens. At least, it hasn't happened to me in a very, very, very long time. I mean, I am usually in old shorts and a tomato-stained t-shirt. I go nowhere, except our local grocery store which is frequented mostly by mothers and their children and retired people. The only men I come in contact with (other than my dear husband) are neighbors and fellow church-goers who are married and certainly know I am married. And, after two babies, I have a lots of...let's say...extra epidermis. I wish there was a program for this, like Locks of Love, where I could make a donation to the epidermis-ly challenged.

This first incident needs to be taken with a grain of salt, I know. I have been working, very part-time, for a caterer, about an evening a month. I serve, clear tables, etc. One evening, very late at night (I think it was around midnight), a man about my age, who was clearly intoxicated made some reference to my backside resembling a certain fruit that comes in the fall. That you make sauce with. It grows on a tree. This is as PG-13 as I get, don't worry. He was trying to hit on me. I say trying, because after making a comment about the only place he's going to find that type of fruit, I walked away and stayed away.

The second incident happened awhile before I was aware of it. I was at my sister's without my family and met a friend of my brother-in-law's who, evidently, asked later if I was single. ME. SINGLE?

Ok, so why in the world am I writing about this? Because I can't believe how much these two incidents have affected me. It's stupid. The first guy was drunk. The second, just asked a simple question. It made me feel good to know that not only do some people find me attractive (other than my dear husband), but they are noticing that I exist.

At least for me, being a stay-at-home mom can feel, at times, like I live in another world. A very small world. A very sheltered one. I like it here very much. It should be (and actually is) enough to know that I'm attractive to the one that matters most (dear husband). I know it is natural and normal to feel flattered when someone compliments you. We all like it. It makes us feel good even when we KNOW that it's what's on the inside that matters. That's what we tell our kids, right?

Maybe we need to hear it from other places too. So, here's what I propose: (Let me preface THIS by saying I am mostly talking to women right now, but you men could adapt this to work for you if you are confident enough in your male-hood.)

Let's compliment each other more. If you see your friend, or even a stranger, and they are looking especially lovely or CLEAN (in my case, for that matter), let's say so. Let's make them feel good so the drunken weirdos at weddings don't have to.

And, for those of you who tune in for pictures of food, I don't want to disappoint. Here is what we had for dinner: egg fried rice with peppers from Mama JJ and Jamey's homemade ice cream with peaches.



Thanks for sticking with me on this one. And, don't worry, I only mow about once a week. Pin It

Red Raspberries

I love berries. I think they have to be my favorite fruit. Raspberries (red and black) and blueberries are my absolute favorites. Our first spring here, we accepted the gracious gift of raspberry canes from a couple at church who were thinning their patch. That first summer, we were able to pick a few and since then, have been enjoying them immensely.

This variety is called 'Heritage' and bears twice a summer- early (June) and late (late August/September). Each spring, we chop them off to about knee height and have been occasionally digging up new shoots to plant additional rows.

Sadie is my berry girl. From the time she could walk, she could be found at (or in) the raspberry patch. To this day, she doesn't really care about their state of ripeness. If she can reach them, she'll eat them.

We eat them on our oatmeal, on homemade ice cream, in muffins and cobblers. The rest I freeze for a winter's day and for Sadie's birthday cakes. They are always adorned with her favorite fruit.

Our main patch, between bearing this summer.

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Back Home

Sunday morning, I drove my Grandma to my sister's where my parent's picked her up and took her home. I was really sad to see her go. It was really special having her here with us- I will never forget our time together.

I stayed on at my sister's for three days. This is the sister (and her husband) who gave me (oh, yeah, and my other brothers and sister) a beautiful, sweet niece. She's such a good baby and my sister and her husband are doing wonderfully as new parents. I held my baby niece a lot. And walked her and talked to her. We looked at books and went outside. I changed itty-bitty diapers and held itty-bitty hands. Her mommy and I took her on a couple outings where she learned and loved being worn in a sling. I underestimated the connection between an aunt and her sister's baby. Well, I'm connected to her, anyway:-). I miss them already....

Back home, Jamey did a great job with the kids. He even camped out with them in the back yard and made catsup. Thanks, dear. The house was in order when I came through the door (he may have had a warning on that one). It was really good to see the kids- they looked HUGE to me- like child giants compared to the little one I had been with the past few days. I had an incredible time at my sister's but it's still so good to be back home. Pin It

Storage Crates

We are still learning and figuring out where the best place is to store what. Do we try to store potatoes (or winter squash, or sweet potatoes, etc.) in the cellar or the pantry? The cellar gets pretty warm. The pantry has no heat, but doesn't freeze. It's tricky and trial and error at this point. To aid in our attempts, Jamey cranked out these crates the other day. He used old paneling boards he found in the barn.


Now, this below is very sweet, but not quite what we had in mind for the crates. Yes, my daughter is topless. Lately, she has been stripping down to play outside (and it's not even hot out). We require her to keep her underwear on, much to her dismay.

Here is one of the crates being put to work in the pantry.
Wish us luck! There's nothing worse than rotting produce.

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Salsa

The Lord and I had words this morning. The result? I have a much better attitude today. It's amazing how that works. So why don't I take advantage of it more often? Not only is my attitude better, I am more thankful. How can I not be when I'm surrounded by bounty?

With tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and 3 in 1 sauce out of the way, I moved on to salsa. The recipe I use is Lee Good's (a friend from church). It uses a lot of cumin, which we love. Grandma and I started chopping at 7:30am this morning and I didn't pull the last jar from the canner until 2pm. Jamey even chopped the onions for me last night. That helped me avoid chopping off a finger (since I can't see well through tears gushing down my face) and rings around my eyes (from wearing Sam's goggles- the only way I can chop onions myself. Yes, goggles. They're green.).

27 pints and 5 quarts.

My fingers are still burning from the hot peppers. Today, I am even thankful for that.

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