Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Awhile back BunBun and I were given some really big tomatoes that were grown in Pepperwood.  Kelly had some from his garden that were spotty or slightly damaged and he couldn't sell them so he passed them onto us.  Then I came home from work one day to find a cardboard box with about 15 more tomatoes in it that the neighbor had brought over.  A plan was hatched.  We would make spaghetti sauce!  I had only done this once before many years back when my kids were little, but BunBun used to do it all the time when he had his own garden.

First we set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  We had to get those tomato skins off and this is the easiest way.  You put a few in the boiling water for about 1 minute and then plunge them into cold/ice water and then the skins slip right off.  This also works with peaches really well.While I was doing this, BunBun was chopping garlic, onion, and fresh basil.  The kitchen was beginning to smell really good. 

(If you're thinking that cutting board doesn't look quite right, that's because it's homemade.  BunBun took an old wooden barstool seat and cut it down, sanded it, and ...TADA...veggie cutting board!)

After all the tomato skins had been removed and all the basil, garlic, onions were chopped, we put it into a big pot to simmer.  I used a potato masher to smush the tomatoes because I wanted to have chunky spaghetti sauce.  We also added green bell pepper, salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano.This yummy concoction simmered all day until it was thickened.  There was enough for 3 quarts.  We had yummy spaghetti for dinner that night and put the other two quarts in the freezer for later.  We have since eaten those two quarts as well. I'm so thankful that we have friends and neighbors who pass on their extra to us.  I know GOD is taking care of us in even these small ways.