Preserve that Produce

My garden was super prolific this summer. I credit T with hooking up irrigation. It's smart irrigation too: on a timer, so the garden gets just a few minutes each morning, and with a rain sensor, so it skips days that it rains. (The sensor is basically a $20 add-on to the system, and saves both wasted water and water costs.)

So I ended up with multiple pints of the best cherry tomatoes, and at the end of the summer several baseball-sized tomatoes. And after some slices on burgers, they just kept coming.

With more than we could eat before they would spoil, it was time to start roasting. I used this recipe for inspiration with a couple changes.

First slice your tomatoes into large pieces. I didn't bother removing skins or seeds, just the very top pith. Spread them across some baking sheets. Lining them with a reusable silicone liner will make for easy cleanup.

Next, drizzle some olive oil and season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, and herbs, and add a few whole garlic cloves.

Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. The recipe said 60-90 minutes, but gut was telling me this was way too long at this temperature. So check after 20-30 and give it more time as needed. You will notice the juices starting to release, the skins wilting, and possibly a couple charred edges when they're done. 

Once they're out of the oven and fully cooled, store for later use. I loved this collapsible silicone bowl that I received in my MightyFix subscription. 

This particular batch didn't even make it into the freezer. It smelled so good after roasting that I gave it a few pulses in the mini food processor and had instant pasta sauce. That's it - nothing but roasted herbed tomatoes, pureed to a silky smooth sauce.

After this round, I still have several pounds of tomatoes still ripening, so the subsequent batches will get this same roasting treatment, then portioned and frozen for sauce throughout the winter.

This preparation is mostly "passive" cooking time, and will preserve many pounds of produce that would otherwise be excess. 

So simple, and so delicious!

Making the Most of Mylar

My parents got me this epically large balloon for my milestone birthday last year. You know it's epically large because this is a normal sized coffee table it's laying on, with normal sized balloon weights seen in the bottom, and that it stayed floating for over 9 months.

What I see now is... that's a whole lotta festive mylar. And with several family birthdays throughout the year, it was inevitable it was going to become wrapping paper.

First step: separate the front and back of the balloon. I simply cut off the neck of the balloon, inserted the point of my scissors into the opening, and cut along the seam. 

Now I'm left with 2 large round sheets. Set your package in the middle and wrap as normal. If you prefer, you can trim to make square sheets, trim to size, or to center your package on the best part of the design.

This balloon was large enough to wrap 2 hard cover books individually, and a medium box. 

Finish your package with a bow. If you are a planner like me, you've collected all the ribbons and bows from previous gift exchanges, and have a small stash in assorted colors for re-use. 

Last, but not least, go to your celebration and have fun!

With gift bags costing $3+, and being the "throwaway" part of the gift, reusing materials is a great way to save and put your funds into the gift itself.

Tigers and Panthers, and Totally Second-Hand

Today was a good day for my wardrobe. I scored two pieces I was excited about this previous winter, but which were summery, and I finally got around to wearing them. First off, this black shrug from JM Collection (a Macy's house brand). It was new with tags at thredUP, but saved me 72%. It's lacy design means I can pair it with jeans and a tank like I did today, or even dress it up.

Next, a tiger patterned tank top. I maaaay have been slightly obsessed with and inspired by this Tigers and Toucans tracksuit from Brooklyn 99 (copyright of NBC). 

When I saw this episode, I was immediately drawn to the bold animal print, but alas, tracksuits are not my style. Instead, I went for this Old Navy tank.A bit more subdued, but I still get my tigers and palm fronds.

The tank was $15.99 (vs $27 new, 41% off). A cool feature is the convertible neckline. There is a simple hook and eye clasp, which when hooked, gives a more buttoned-up look with subtle keyhole. When unhooked, you get a great notched neckline, a little more flirty and casual.

I paired the sweater and tank with jeans, and of course, Rothy's flats for a casual, summer look. And the whole outfit was achieved as a #recycledootd. Both the shrug and tank were secondhand from thredUP, the Roebuck jeans were free from BuyNothing (a $25 value), and the Rothy's are my original pair that I've now been washing and re-wearing for years.

To keep with the big cat theme, I complete the look with some bejeweled panther earrings. These were $6 at Goodwill (compare at $40 new). Jewelry is one of the easiest items to clean and reuse, with either simple rubbing alcohol, or one of the several jewelry cleaners available.

In total, this outfit saved me $102.50 and... meow. I'm totally pleased with the tigers and panthers, even if they weren't tigers and toucans and gold tracksuits.