First batch of Ketchup

For the last couple of years I have been getting more and more canning done. I love canning, and with my other half working on a farm, we get lots of fresh fruits and vegi's each year. I have canned strawberry jam, cherry jam, cherries, and peaches so far this year. I just started getting the tomatoes in. I spent most of last evening making ketchup.

I got 6 half pint jars of ketchup with my first batch. That is about 15 pounds tomatoes for it.  But so worth it.

My family is very big on my home made ketchup. They love it. When it starts to get close to being ready to go into jars they are all in the kitchen with a spoon wanting samples.

It is like they could drink it. I do have to admit that it is very good. The recipe is from my mother. She makes only one batch a year now since it is just her and Dad. I have to make at least three batches to keep us in ketchup for the year. I also make one batch of spicy ketchup a year also. The spicy ketchup recipe I make came about as a "whoops" a couple of years ago. I was busy making ketchup and making dinner and helping my daughter with homework at the same time and accidentally put too much cayenne in the mixture and did not even realize it until it was made and we were at the taste test part. 

Thank goodness for me, the family loved it. It goes wonderfully when you are making things that you would like a little more bite in. We used it mostly with meat loaf to spice it up and my husband loves it on burgers.

I have started another batch today and should have that one canned by this evening.

Then it is a change of pace a little and I will be making some spaghetti sauce next and some dried tomatoes.

I will also be taking some of the dried tomatoes and making tomato powder for adding to soups and stews. I have not decided if I will be doing stewed tomatoes or whole tomatoes canned this year or not.

Hope everyone out there is doing well and getting ready for the wonderful season of Fall.

Happy quilting and canning all.

Fall Table Topper

Sorry I have not posted for a couple of weeks, but school started. My goodness it takes a lot of time to get a new High Schooler ready for School. Now that we are into school for the second week things have started to slow down to a manageable pace and I was finally able to get back on the sewing machine for a bit.

I was able to start piecing more of my fall table topper again. Here it is about half way together.

This is a fun topper. I love the fall fabrics for this. The magazine I saw it in had the topper as a Halloween topper with all fun Halloween fabrics, but I wanted something I could use for a couple of months instead so I chose fall and more Thanksgiving type fabrics. These fabrics have been in my stash for a few years so I am not sure who they were by.

Here it is almost completed. The top still has some edges that need to be put on yet. I am getting ready to put a backer on this portion soon. I love the colors. I am such a fall person. I love all the rich colors of fall myself.

Here is closer look at the side of the topper.

I love the smiling pumpkins. They are so cute.

I really like this print. It is so adorable. I love the birds and birdhouses on it.

Hopefully I will have time this weekend to sandwich and quilt this.

As soon as I get it completed I will post the pictures of it.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your week.