Monday, September 1, 2014

cats whacked on catnip....and canning some tomatoes!

it was a beautiful sunset the other night....


in fact, all the sunsets are beautiful here. but this time of year they seem especially beautiful.

here's some more lemon balm that i am drying for tea for over the winter.



we use it fresh for teas and lemonades, but i also dry it to have delicious teas for the winter.

here's some delcious mung bean sprouts. we try to have fresh sprouts on hand at all times. we use them in salads, soups and stews - but mostly we just eat them as a fresh handful right out of the fridge - bahahahah!



we are still experiencing gorgeous weather.



i harvested some catnip seeds for the winter. some seeds i re-planted for plants to give leaves to the cats. some i planted for dehydrating to make catnip tea for us over the winter. catnip tea is very relaxing and along with sage and lavender tea, one cup right before bedtime can calm you and put you to sleep.



however, i made the mistake of harvesting the catnip seeds, and not thinking, with the smell of catnip all over my hands, when i pet little Frankie Blue Eyes - he went berserk. so i had to give him a couple of leaves on a stalk.




yes all of our cats are allowed on the table! here is Frankie-Mankly chewing on his catnip. fresh is best for cats, but we dry some for the winter months for them. cats love catnip!

here is Frankie after his fresh catnip contemplating life's unending mysteries.



he then went off to pass out under truckdura, vandura or in the grass or wherever he goes when he is whacked on the catnip.

here are the other 2 cats after their fresh nip - lying together on the table (i told you we let the cats on the table!)



aren't they cute? little brothers laying on the table together. (and believe me when i say that i wash that table with hot soapy water 265,347,155 times a day!)

next up - is our tomatoe harvest so far.


i plant a few varieties of tomatoes, but all are indeterminate, heirloom and organic. indeterminate means that they don't flower or set fruit all at the same time. which i find is easier for us to handle. the tomatoes above are the ones that we haven't been eating for the last 3 weeks.

when i can my tomatoes, i don't remove the skins unless i have a real glut of them. i also mix all of my tomatoes to make a very plain sauce with just some salt added.

here they all are ready to make some sauce - yummeh baby!



always boil your jars and lids according to proper instruction.



fill your jars and can 'em. that's 6 pints of tomatoe sauce right there.



some people get fancy with their canned tomatoes and add all kinds of stuff. we like ours to be canned plain and then when we use a jar, we can add whatever we want. i also make my sauce chunky so that we can have a chunky sauce for when we want chunky, or we can puree a jar if we want less chunky - know what i mean?

shoot! how could i end a post without a food pic? i just couldn't.


that's MY version of a sloppy joe sandwich. mine includes mushrooms, kidney beans, hamburger and home-made tomatoe sauce. with 3 million pounds of garlic, a nice-sized pinch of turmeric, cayenne and cumin. that's love on a plate right there, baby!

we are wishing you all of the best!

11 comments:

  1. That sloppy joe looks GOOD!
    I really need to get into this canning business as we've got loads at the moment although we're eating them as fast as they can grow, tonight roasted with garlic, rosmary and shallots then served with pasta and sweetcorn on the cob! Great meal.

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  2. That sandwich looks so very good. I saw this on FB the other day. Appropriate for your catnip lineup.

    https://www.facebook.com/TheCatnipTimes/photos/a.496830760345506.124636.495553590473223/544723725556209/?type=1&theater

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  3. Nice to see the kymber cherry size is getting progressively larger each year. In another five years or so you will have actual continental sized Tomatoes :)

    Seriously though they are looking good.

    Our cats go crazy on nip. I finally had to set an age limit on the stuff for the kitten. He couldn't handle his nip.

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  4. Two things now...I want a cat and a BLT sandwich. Aren't you proud? LOL!

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  5. We had to put a wire cage around the catnip cause the cats kept eating and killing the plant. Now they lay on top of the cage and reach down with their paws to get at it. I am sending them to Catnip Anon. Love your tomatoes. We can't grow them. (sigh)

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  6. Those are some happy cats! I've never had catnip tea, I will have to try that someday.

    OK, I just have to ask, have you posted about that tabletop before? If you did, I missed it. Do I see a heart? And K&J forever? LOVE IT!

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  7. I guess you haven't been over to the new blog. move on down to the bottom of the lawn mower posting.

    Looks like you guys are staying busy.

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  8. I thought as a rule you had to skin tomatoes prior to canning. I like doing sauce, but not so chunky. i could always puree mine down more uh?

    gurl you got some seriously fat cats...lol

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  9. I wonder if there is some natural herb that ferrets get high off of? I would get them some, if there were.

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  10. Sweet Kymber,

    We dry leaves from some of the herbs too for tea, and spices.

    LOL.......catnip!!!! You really need to stop teasing those babies.....just give them the nip......so they can enjoy their ecstasy. How do the cats act around catnip tea??

    SCI would be so proud of you girl.........canning tomato sauce wooohoooo........ Nice Job!!!!

    Sloppy Joe's YUM!!!! The next time I make them, I will try adding the beans, that does sound amazing.

    Love to you and Jam.
    Sandy

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  11. Good job on the canning ! Say hello to the happy cats.

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