Canning Salsa

I have always wanted to learn how to can vegetables, fruits and fillings.  I eat salsa a ton, and started making it for myself so I could make it healthy and the way I want it.  (This seems to be a reoccurring theme lately).  Canning is always a little intimidating since you don't want to eat food that has gone bad, which is my biggest fear.  I decided to dive in head first.

Ingredients:
4 cups of tomatoes (I recommend roma tomatoes as they are not as liquid)
2 peppers (or more if you want it really spicy)
1 cup of chopped onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro
1/2 tablespoon of cumin
Lime Juice
A sprinkle of sugar

Directions:
1. Prepare  your canning jars by washing them in hot, soapy water.  I always keep the jars warm so they don't break.  Fill your stockpot with enough water to cover the jars with at least one inch of water and heat to a simmer.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixed.
3. In a large stainless steel saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.  I recommend about 10 minutes or so.
4. Ladle the salsa into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Remove the air bubbles by running a plastic knife along the sides, and remeasure headspace.  Wipe the rim, and center lid on jar.  Screw the band until it is fingertip-tight, but now really tight.
5. Process the filled jars in boiling water for 20 minutes.  Remove the stockpot lid.  Wait for 5 minutes, then remove jars.  Cool the jars and store for up to one year.

Update - There will be standing liquid towards the bottom, which is normal.  You should shake up the salsa prior to using.  Roma tomatoes eliminates the excessive liquid seem in these pictures, which I found out the second time around.

DIY Cornhole Game Boards

I wanted to make something awesome for my hubby, Matt, for his upcoming birthday.  He mentioned a cornhole set (or bean bag toss, as some of you in the Midwest call it) a couple of times, and again at our housewarming party.  I decided to give it a go, since I had already been doing a ton of painting and staining work around our house.  I figured it couldn't be too hard.  

Materials Needed for Cornhole Boards:

Two pieces of ½ inch thick plywood cut to 2-foot x 4-foot

Four, 8-foot 2×4’s

Four, 4½ – inch long, 3/8-inch long carriage bolts

Four, 3/8-inch flat washers

Four, 3/8-inch wing nuts

1 box of 2½-inch wood screws 

wood filler

Paint and Poly Sealant

I found the basic cornhole measurements on the Master Cornhole Association website so it would be competition ready.  And off I went.


Cut the 2×4’s. You will need 4 pieces at 21-inches each and 4 pieces at 4-feet each. 

Using the 4-foot and 21-inch pieces, construct the tables’ frames with wood screws.

Measure 9-inches from the top of the plywood pieces and 12-inches from the sides and mark a center point for the hole. Use a compass to draw a circle 6-inches in diameter. Cut 
the hole with a jigsaw.

Using the remaining 2x4 pieces, I cut four pieces for the legs of the boards.  They will need to be at least 12 inches long.  I rounded the opposite ends of the legs so I could fold them away for storage.  I drilled a hold in the frame and through the rounded end of the leg to attach.  I didn't get pictures of this since I was doing it alone and couldn't hold the camera and attach the legs.  The carriage bolts will fit through the holes, where you can then attach the washer and wing nut.  I then set them up, measured so they were exactly 12 inches off the ground to the top of the board, and sanded them down so they sat evenly.  I sanded the crap out of the top and sides, over and over again until they were really, really smooth.  Then you can paint them however you want.  You can add a poly coat to keep them smooth and protected. Here's the finished product.  The hubby loved them!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

My best friend Vikki's baby, the adorable Miss Lucy, was turning one and I wanted to get her something special that would last.  I knew she would be getting tons of clothes and toys, but I wanted to make something for her new room.  Vikki is in the process of building a mega addition onto their house, so something cute for Lucy's room is what I settled on.  I bought a plain white canvas at Michaels, as well as wood letters and acrylic paint.  I settled on purple since I knew Vikki would be going some sort of blue, and I didn't want to totally pick the wrong blue shade.  I figured purple would be prefect.  I painted the whole canvas a darker shade of pastel purple, and painted the letters a light purple, going for the ombre look slightly.  I glued the letters on with Gorilla Glue, which I would not suggest to anyone else out there that wants to try this.  Go for Mod Podge, since it stays clear.  Gorilla glue turns white, and slightly protruded out of some of the sides of the letters.  Besides that, they turned out so cute!!

Happy Birthday Miss Lucy!!!

Etching Glass At Home

I bought these amazing glass containers for my sugar, flour and sweets to put out on the counter in the kitchen.  I love, love, love my new kitchen.  It makes me smile everyday.  I read several tutorials about etching glass and figured that if they can do it, so can I.  Seems to be my theme lately.

I started out by taping off the outside with painters tape, and then using stickers to mark off the letters.  I was slightly leery about using stickers, but the lady at Michaels insisted they would block the etching cream.  I used Armour Etching Cream for the project, and saved since we had a ton of painters tape from our house remodel readily avaialble.  I put a decent layer of etching cream in the taped off area and waited the five minutes suggested on the container.

I actually waited closer to 10 before I washed off the first container.  The etching cream barely showed on the glass, and I noticed some of the cream got under the letters, making them not as crisp and clear as I wanted.  I added more cream to the two remaining containers and waited another 10 minutes before washing it off.  The second round turned out better, but the cream still leaked under the tape in several places.  I would suggest using a ton of etching cream and waiting at least 20 minutes before washing it off to make the area clear and solid.  This was my final result, which I might need to redo down the road.