Macaroni & Tomatoes

Hey Peeps

Glad to see your still around and awake after that really  long post yesterday.  But I promised to come back and share with you one of my mama's specialties that I love love love love!!!

I got her to make it while she was here for a visit and I got to photograph her working and figure out what I was doing wrong when I made them and why mine didn't taste as good as hers.

First things first, we have to can some tomatoes. Some 40 lbs. of tomatoes mind you!!  While I love having the fresh canned tomatoes in my pantry I was not really up for canning 40 lbs. of them right now but anyway Hubster won that argument and here we go!!

First you have to peel tomatoes

and then peel some more tomatoes

and get the jars in the hot water getting all sterilized and such

While you have your mama and your husband peeling you get those tomatoes cooking down in a big pot on the stove.

Once they get cooked down you get them in the jars and into the water bath

Then you become a slave driver and make them keep peeling.

Then after they come out of the water bath you get to line them up in the window

looking all crazy gorgeous good and listen for that pop of the lids sealing.

Now we need to get Mama to work making our Macaroni & Tomatoes

She did boil a whole box of elbow macaroni

Then she put in a stick of butter

Then she put in another stick

(no kidding, this is where I figured out why mine never tasted like hers, cause you know I only used like 3 Tablespoons instead of 2 STICKS!!)

She even cubes up that butter so it melts faster

Stir the butter and some salt and pepper into the macaroni, after you've drained it of course.

Then she put some sugar into the pot.  I believe her words were "to cut the acid" from the the tomatoes.

She used about 1/2 to a full scoop of sugar.

(That's the Abogg helping Gran stir)

She added a full quart jar of those tomatoes and then she added another can of crushed tomatoes and I called the cardiologist to set up an appointment to check my arteries.  I mean I ate a lot ate a ton of these  growing up so I'm a tad concerned now.  On the bright side I now know her secret to making them taste great!

Just put all that back on the stove and let it slowly get all good and warm.

You will have to taste it to check your salt, pepper and sugar levels.

Don't check your cholesterol levels though S C A R Y!!

When it's all good and warm you can serve it up or just let it hang out on the stove all covered up and cozy like until it's dinner time.

Look at that joyous sight!!!

We had us some amazing fish that we had in the freezer from this trip

and some corn and some nice sourdough bread 'cuz you know there is not enough carbs in this meal already!! 

I seriously love this stuff and as you may or may not remember from yesterday

I might or might not have eaten these straight from the refrigerator the next morning.

surely not...but maybe only I will ever know.

mmmmmmmmm, hey mama can you come back and make me more??

What does your mama make that is just crazy good?  Have you tried to get her to show you how to make it yet?  If not you better get to it!!  You might need to see a cardiologist too!

Peace, Love & Buttered up Yummies!!