A Mis-Spent Vacation

Here it is hump day of my week's vacation and I haven't crossed anything from my "to do" list.  I had such plans - to work in the garden, to do a few projects around the house, to do a bit of shopping - you know, all those things that busy women push aside for "later", but later never comes.

It has been nice to sleep a little later in the mornings, not to rush home from jazzercize, and I have managed to not check my business email or return business phone calls.  (The down side of working from home, is that you are always "on duty" and too easy to reach.) But, so far, no garden time, no shopping and until this afternoon no projects.

Today I made Tomato Jam!  I've been using the abundance of stone fruits and berries this summer for jams and decided to try something a little different today - a jam of Roma tomatoes with sugar, spices, line juice and red pepper flakes.  Easy to make (no peeling of the tomatoes) but my first real canning in a water bath in years.  I found the recipe at a fun blog called Food in Jars. 

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The cooking was a snap.  I just stirred it occasionally while it simmered down to about one third of the original volume.  It took about two hours, but I think I could have simmered hotter and faster.  Then into jars, twenty minutes in the water bath and voila!  

So, all's well now at our house.  Mitchell is home from his little overnight at the hospital and feeling a little punk.  About three weeks and he should be back to normal.  Guess he will be my project for the next couple of days and I'll worry about shopping next week.  

But we do have jam.