Monday, December 01, 2008

Smells from the Kitchen

If you walk into the kitchen now your nose could easily get confused.

I am making tomato sauce from the last of the tomatoes grown in the garden. We picked them green (when the weather started dipping to frost temps) and spread them out on the work bench in the garage. We felt very fortunate as 90% ripened to such a beautiful red. The rest got pitched back into the garden soil. Will freeze this sauce to use later. Yes, you can probably buy tomato sauce cheaper that this will cost in the long run. But there is something about making your own...guess it is the pioneer spirit.

The other frangrance wafting in the kitchen is the smell of cinnamon. You really get a double dose of that spice. I have a simmering pot of cinnamon sticks on the back burner - it is in one of that heavy cast iron pots with a open cross hatch lid I got at Lowe's last year. It just sits there and slowly simmers allowing the wonderful scent to curl around in the kitchen.

The pot is one source - however, there is another dose of cinnamon. I just put a large casserole dish of bread pudding in the oven. Leon does not like it - so that means I will get it all to my self unless someone drops by that likes it. It was made from the left over rolls of Thanksgiving. Guess I thought we would just eat bread and nothing else when I fixed them as I fixed way too many.
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The decorating for Christmas is just about complete now. Just a few things left here in the house to do. Outside is another story - the wind is blowing 90 to nothing and it is cold as the dickens out there. We still want to do some more but it will have to wait until tomorrow as the temp is supposed to be warmer.

Today is first day of December - so I can say "Merry Christmas"!

11 comments:

Kristie said...

mmmm...everything sounds so cozy!! I love making tomato paste and juice. Love the idea of the cinnamon sticks too! I sure wish that you didn't live so far away, I would come to visit!!!! Can't wait to see all of the Christmas Decorations up!!
Kristie

Picket said...

Oh I bet it does smell good in there girl! Girl I'd been eating fried green tomatoes..those tomatoes wouldn't have had a chance to get ripe! lol Thanks so much for coming by girl and yes it is the 1st of Dec so Merry Christmas right back at ya!

Michelle said...

I can smell it (in my mind) and it smells wonderful!

Yes, Merry Christmas!
Michelle

KyQuiltlady said...

You can't buy tomato sauce that taste as good as home canned. The cinnamon sticks make the house smell so good. It is cold here also. I don't get out unless someone comes by to pick up quilts. Now that's a reason to step out the door. LOL Merry Christmas!

Bo said...

I wish I lived close enough to you to come by & gobble up some of that bread pudding...one of my favs too, but my DH doesn't like it either... what's wrong with those boys of ours? Hugs, ;-) Bo

BarbCarol said...

Careful! I DO live close enough to raid your kitchen.
Due to the sun's damaging effect on my health, my tomato-growing days are over, but I accept all tomato donations.

Scooterblu's Whimsy~Rhonda said...

Good Morning, Amelia, The aroma of cinnamon sounds wonderful and festive! :) I should have started with my main Christmas tree, too...I dread it the worse, also! That was a great idea to get it out of the way! Hope you will share pictures of your Christmas decorations! (Would love to see them! "smiles")

Try to stay warm, and I wish you a Merry Christmas, too! ~hugs, Rhonda

Tardevil said...

Well that sounds good. I should heat some cinnamon sticks too. It's cold here too...if it's going to be this cold, I wish it would snow!!!

Belvie said...

Mmmm! I love the smell of cinnamon. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving....and it sounds like you are already on top of the Christmas preparations. I am going to work on my Christmas decorating this week.

Hunter said...

Oh, it's a good thing you're a long, long plane flight away. I haven't had bread pudding for over 40 years and I'd love some.

(Maybe I'll just have to make some if I can find a good recipe. Hint. Hint.)

:)

Darilyn

julieQ said...

I love kitchen smells, but my big time favorite is nutmeg. Yum!