The Sand Dunes and the Birthday Boy

Happy birthday to my big brother, Wyatt. He's 23 on the 23rd! Yesterday my dad, brother and I went to the sand dunes for his birthday and for our official last ride before school starts.

When we were younger my family had a small dirt bike that I would ride around.  Ever since I out grew that bike, that didn't have a clutch, I had a hard time ever getting used to using one.  But finally a couple years ago I got up my nerve and decided to try my mother's bike.  I still remember my older brother pushing me faster while taking my first ride around in the ball field.  It was like I was a little kid on my first try after getting off the training wheels.  I am forever thankful to my brother for pushing me to learn a hobby I have grown to love. Riding motorcycles has brought Wyatt and I a lot closer. He has been such a good example of strength and hard work. He never gives up.

Tonight we are having steak and potatoes for his birthday (what else would a 23 year old boy want). And for dessert, his favorite, Three Layer Golden Chocolate Cake, a mouthful of words and a mouthful of something mmm mmm good (recipe in next post).

Canning Tomatoes

Canning is a huge ordeal in our family. We love to have home-canned produce in our storage room so that we can heat up quickly on the stove or add to our meals, especially in the winter. And guess what!  It's tomato season! Today mom and I went down to my Grandmother's house and canned tomatoes.  These canned tomatoes are perfect for making sauce for lasagna, pizza, spaghetti or to add to soups. When winter comes there is nothing like the taste of a summer ripe tomato to add flavor to your meals.  These tomatoes can be canned in any type of jar, but be sure to change the amount of lemon juice and salt that you add depending on the size of the jar. The lemon juice gives the tomatoes enough acid to keep from growing bacteria, so don't forget to add it. Remember to never use home canned goods if they don't seal properly. The only ingredients for this recipe are tomatoes, lemon juice, and salt.  Be sure you have two large pots and a metal grate that fits in one for when you are processing.   I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does. Here's how we do it:

Step One: Pick out your ripest tomatoes, (one sink full will make about 7 quarts of canned tomatoes).

Step Two: Boil a pot of water, and in a clogged sink pour the water covering the tomatoes to scald them. Push tomato tops into the water until the skins split (a couple of minutes). 

Step Three: Use a wooden spoon to lift up the drain and let the water run out of the sink.  Run cold water over the tomatoes and peel off sink.  Cut up skinless tomatoes and place into a pot big enough to hold all of your tomatoes. 

Step Four: Place your cut up tomatoes on the stove and cook them down for about an hour and a half or until foam is off the top (small rolling boil, stirring frequently).

Half way done

Done

Step Five: Using a funnel, pour tomatoes in clean mason jars (they will be hot so you will probably want to use gloves). Put one tablespoon of lemon juice and a 1/4 a teaspoon of salt in each jar per quart, (decrease amount if using smaller jars). We like to add the lemon juice and salt before so that we know we did it.   With a paper towel, wipe off rims until clean.  Fill a small saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring jar lids to a boil.  Top each jar with a boiled lid (careful they are hot, you might want to use tongs), then screw on the ring.

Step Six: Place each of your jars in a large pot with the grate on bottom (the jars should not be placed directly on the bottom of the pot). Cover the jars with water and place on stove.  Bring to a small rolling boil and maintain boil for 55 minutes.  

Step Seven: Take the jars out of the pot carefully and let cool. Store in a cool, dry place. After 24 hours, check to see if cans are sealed (lids should not flex up and down when lids pressed). Write date on lids. 

And there you go! I hope you find this recipe useful.  Remember to write the date on your lids.  Bottled tomatoes last a little over a year.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

The First Post

Hello! This is my first post, how exciting!  My name is Gretta Marie Warner. I live and grew up in a small community up Provo Canyon with my family of six.  I am the third of four children, one boy and three girls. I've decided to start Sourdough Sunday as a way to help people learn from my successes and failures, and hopefully teach a thing or two along the way.  I am a sophomore at BYU majoring in Family and Consumer Science Education (or FACS Ed.-less of a mouthful).  I love everything about home and family, and can't wait to have one of my own someday.  Here is a picture of my lovely family.  This was taken at my sister's wedding a year ago, I am the second from the right.

Sourdough Sunday was a tradition in my family that started way back when an old sheepherder gave a sourdough start to my great grandpa. We have used the same sourdough start to make everything from bread to waffles.  The tradition of eating sourdoughs on Sunday has been carried down from my grandmother, and has continued through my mother, aunt, and two uncles. Even my grandparents still have sourdoughs on Sunday. 

After some thought about starting a blog, my mother, sister and I decided to try and come up with a good name. We were up at the family cabin last weekend, near Fairveiw, when this idea came to us. As we were walking down the stream watching my dad, brother-in-law and grandpa fly fish, my older sister, Ellie, and my mom started shouting out blog names. After a few very interesting (and by interesting I mean horrifying) names from mother, she looked at me and said,  "how about Roll Your Eyes at Mom." A burst of loud laughter sent the fish in the stream running, okay swimming, away (that probably explains why they could only catch 4). But finally, although I am not sure who came up with the idea, Sourdough Sunday was dug up, and it stuck. So here we are!  I hope you can learn something from me and my crazy life.  Talk to you soon!