Azoresgal~Life on an Island

All of my wonderful family has flown in from Canada to celebrate my 40th birthday with me ! I cannot find words  to describe how wonderful this SURPRISE was. Yes you read that correctly, a very well planned surprise ! I was already excited about the BIG-4-0, but now I am over the moon and ready to party it up !!

Well the day finally arrived, after three wonderful months of vacation, the monkees went back to school. I had my doubts about how smoothly our morning would go, seeing as we  they have been sleeping in, the whole summer ! It went rather well, no one cried except for me  this morning. The house was oh so very quiet, it was very odd just for a little while.  Best part of the day, when they came home, all happy and feeling great about their days. Knowing that they all had an awesome day at school, makes the fact that I missed them dearly, worthwhile !

This salsa is so easy to make, trust me. It is made with some lovely fresh ingredients, and tastes 1000 times better than anything you buy in a jar. I like my tomatoes peeled, I promise it just takes a couple more minutes, but makes a huge difference. As for the seasonings, play around with it, to your liking, I sometimes add some cumin, or smoked paprika. I really hope you give it a try ! 4 large ripe tomatoes (peeled is best ) juice of one lime 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 jalapeño, seeded (optional) roughly chopped ( I like 3) 1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped 1/4 cup cilantro 1 teaspoon chili powder salt and freshly ground black pepper  Slice the tomatoes into large wedges. Squeeze the lime juice into a food processor. Add the garlic, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, spices, and tomatoes. Process until the vegetables are finely chopped and the mixture is chunky. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. If you prefer more heat, add another jalapeño o...

Our garden is still providing us with wonderful tomatoes, everyday a large basket ! You can only eat so many fresh tomatoes in one day, so I have been dehydrating them ( another post ) and also freezing them. I like to have them peeled before, putting them in the freezer. It's not really hard to do, just a little extra step, and a little extra time. Then I can use them for sauce, soup, in egg dishes, even in salsa. Fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil.  Fill a bowl with ice and water. Place next to the stove. With a small knife, slice an X into the bottom of each tomato, being careful not to cut all the way through. Drop each tomato into the boiling water and boil until the skin starts to peel off, about 45 seconds to a minute.  Remove immediately and place in the ice water bath. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and discard. Then proceed however you like, freezing or using in a recipe !

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sow; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. I seriously cannot believe, it is September once again. If I am honest, there have been many signs, it was just around the corner. The nights are much shorter now, and cooler. In the mornings, there is a crispness in the air, a hint of fall with every breath. I have only to look in the vegetabl...