November 3, 2009

What we were REALLY doing last week - Part 2

I had envisioned the sense of accomplishment and happiness that making homemade bottled salsa would bring. Surely this was a milestone on the journey up the corporate ladder to becoming a top homemaker!

But by the end of the fourth hour on the first afternoon, I was ready to to hand in my two-weeks notice.

Four hours of JUST working on tomatoes?? Granted, I did double the recipe but still. Hang it all! I was going nuts. But not willing to let 5 quarts of tomatoes and four hours of gruelingly boring work go to waste, by the next afternoon, it was time to finish the job.

I pulled out my four pounds of chile peppers and started the long and arduous task of coring, seeding and dicing. After about an hour and a half, my hands weren't feeling so good. They were getting itchy and red. Rather raw looking.

Then I suddenly remembered! How could I have been so completely dense?! Everyone knows you're suppose to wear gloves when working with hot peppers as the juices are quite irritating to the skin.

But it was too late, the damage had been done. Have you ever had a pretty bad burn? Well, imagine that feeling completely encompassing your hands. It was awful! They felt like they were on fire!! And if I my hands touched any warm water it felt like I had just stuck them into a flame. The only relief was by plunging them into cold water. I scrubbed and scrubbed until I was sure I could see my bones but it wasn't helping.

So I finished chopping the peppers, onions and everything else the recipe called for, intermittently submersing my hands into cold water for relief, and got the salsa into the jars and started boiling them.

I just couldn't take the burning any more so I did what any sane person would do and consulted the one genius who would know how to help me, Google.

Turns out, milk did the trick. Yes, I ever so gracefully sat on the couch, watching a John Wayne flick while dipping my hands in milk.

You know, its rather sticky when it dries.

So this picture of my nine jars of homemade salsa does not bring a sense of satisfaction. No, it brings on a desire swear of homemaking for the rest of my life!


Moving on to "sweeter" topics, Halloween! (I know, geez, enough with the dumb puns already. Who writes this stuff anyway?)

The kids were pretty excited to head over to the trunk-or-treat that evening. They all picked out their costumes while I enlisted Savannah to help me find a costume.


Although you can't really see, I'm wearing Savannah's fairy wings and have the girl's flower hair clips clipped all over my clothes.

Not exactly sure what I was but when the Bishop asked if I was an astronaut, I said of course I was. So whenever anyone asked, I just told them I was an astronaut... with a straight face.

The only bummer was that Luke wasn't there to go with us. He and his brother had taken my brother out on the sand dunes to do some four-wheeling and didn't make it back until the trunk-or-treat was already over.

When we got there, I couldn't hand out candy and take the already incredibly antsy kids around so I instructed Savannah to hold the boys hands and they could go ahead. She did such a good job being all responsible as I did my best to keep an eye on them as they walked hand-in-hand from trunk to trunk. I SO wish I had a picture. Luckily most of the people there were in our ward and a few others offered to keep an eye on them while they walked around so it worked out okay.

When the guys finally got back from four-wheeling they were hungry and since there was no ready food, (pish, like I was going to cook them anything after they bailed on trick-or-treating) my brother treated us out to dinner. He brought along his camera and snapped these cute shots.

Thanks for visiting Abe, it was so fun! You know, I've never really noticed before, but I think we kiind of look a like. Oh and uh, sorry about my funny eyes. I still had on a ton of glitter from my costume.

Well, now Halloween is over, my kids are cranky from sugar overload, and all their chocolate is gone. (cough) Not that I would know ANYTHING about that! I wouldn't steal candy from a baby! Now a toddler is a completely different story.

5 super cool people speak:

ldsjaneite said...

I knew milk helped with hot things when you ate them, but I'd never thought about externally on the skin. Good to know. Thanks--one less thing for me to look up now! And it's a good thing you were wiser than my brother who forgot while he was making salsa and rubbed his eyes. He was in a lot of pain.

I love the dragon and, uh, astronaut costumes

Debbie said...

I was going to ask for the salsa recipe, but I think all desire for making it has left me after that story. :) Actually, the truth is that I'm just not that good at homemake-y things like that. I also don't decorate for most holidays (except for Christmas). I think Caleb was disappointed about that after marrying an Interior Design major. Whoops. I can see the resemblance between you and your brother, but I think he looks even more like your dad (even though I haven't seen either in person for a long time). It's like he grew up or something! Lookin' good Abe.

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

WHAT? Me? Teach Heidi something? I'm writing that one down in my journal! =)

Debbie: There is the website where I got the salsa recipe. I loved it but Luke thought is was just okay.

http://www.pickyourown.org/salsa_withcilantro.php

Since I was using quart jars I just double the time in the water bath.

They have tons of other recipes so it is definitely worth checking out!

Mama Smith said...

Abe had such a good time visiting you and your family....You could write a column..."Helpful Hints by Serene"....It worked for that other columnist...(smile)

Abe n Annie said...

I have to admit that I am one heck of a good looking guy. Of course, so sister is quite the looker wouldn't you say? ;)

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