Slinging in the Kitchen

Here is a picture of my memorial Julia and Martha kitchen. This wasn't taken today, but you can visualize me toiling away when I tell my story. Today, I have been super productive. I took another afternoon for myself yesterday. I just needed it. This morning I woke feeling like a million dollars and started working in the kitchen with amazing efficiency. If I ever get started, I am a multi-tasking maniac. My sister says I start slinging, which doesn't necessarily sound positive, but in reality means I am getting much accomplished quickly, though not necessarily neatly.

I started with the bread, so it could be rising while I did other things. Then I began sterilizing jars. I took down the jelly bag and measured the plum juice and started simmering it. With the jelly bag down, I was able to start the water boiling so I could dip the tomatoes to easily remove the skin. I, then, kneaded the bread and put it in a pan for the second rising. By this time the jelly was ready to jar. After getting the jelly in the jars, I preheated the oven, then chopped five cups of onion, went to the garden to gather basil and oregano, changed a load of clothes, and checked email and blogs. Next, I put the bread in the oven and set the timer. I always set the timer when I am slinging in the kitchen. This way, I don't forget important things like taking the bread out of the oven before I smell smoke. I blanched, peeled and seeded the tomatoes while sauteing the onions for the sauce. Once the onions were ready I threw the 10 pounds of tomatoes into the pot along with the basil, oregano, garlic and other things. I took the bread from the oven. Then, I had a few hours of waiting time in which I folded clothes, answered more email, moved the water hose, picked some more tomatoes, cleaned the kitchen including scraping the tomato sauce and jelly off the floor, and made breakfast for the children.

Now, THE SAUCE is finished. My mother, my sisters and my family call this tomato sauce, THE SAUCE (with voice inflection) because I, usually with the help of my sisters, "put up" lots of it and then use it all winter long for emergency meals. It makes everything taste like you spent hours in the kitchen. I use it as a pizza sauce, pasta sauce, on stuffed peppers, on meatloaf, etc. I also give it to family who have emergencies so it has established quite the reputation - the ultimate 30 minute meal.

Since I am on a roll, I think I will clean that wax I have been storing in bowls all over my kitchen. I would love to have clean kitchen counters. In fact, I would love to see my counter tops and table - always difficult for me, but nearly impossible during harvest season.