It's that time of year again! Tomatoes are in season and our garden is working overtime. I think I had 23 tomato plants this year! Unfortunately, a few were destroyed by a terrible windstorm about a month ago, but the survivers stood strong and are producing like crazy.I thought maybe you would like to see a pictorial of one of my maniac canning sessions. Last week I canned 16 jars of homemade pasta sauce to have on hand for the year. A 24 oz jar of marinara sauce costs about $3 here in Hungary. According to my calculations, I probably saved around $40 doing the work myself. Maybe I should convince Paul to add that $40 to my allowance!
Step 1: Remove the skin from the tomatoes. I did this by making an "x" with a paring knife on the bottom of each tomato. I boiled the tomatoes in hot water for about 3 minutes. The skin falls right off!
Step 2: Chop onions and garlic. I am proud to present my brand new food processer! Wow! I love this machine! It chopped up thoses onions and garlic in no time! I can't believe I've been living my whole life without this beauty. I am so Amish!
Step 3: In a dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Then I added the tomatoes (which I had pureed earlier in the food processor), basil, oregano, salt, and peppper. Allow to simmer until sauce is reduced and thick, about 1 hour.
Step 4: Get canning! I was so incredibly blessed to receive this beautiful pressure cooker/canner from a wonderful supporter earlier this year. Mary Moffitt is a dear friend who told knows my domestic desires and asked if I would like to have her pressure canner. I jumped on the opportunity, and now here it is, all the way in Hungary! Thank you so much, Mary! Maybe I should give you my saved $40!All in all, it took me about 5 hours to prepare and can 16 jars of sauce. It was a long morning, but it will be well worth the investment on a night when I don't feel like cooking, or an unexpected guest drops by. I hope to also can some tomato soup and salsa later next week.
There are still plenty of tomatoes in my garden. Come on by and get ya some!
Ministry Update
I suppose I should also talk a little bit about our ministry, since that's why we are here! Paul and I have spent the entire summer settling into our new home and learning Hungarian. It has been a very tiring but encouraging three months. The Lord has really blessed us by making it possible to buy a home in Tóalmás, and by opening up our brains to be able to learn Hungarian. We are understanding more and more everyday. And although we cannot speak anywhere near fluently, God has given us a peace. I used to stress and be hard on myself for not speaking better by now, but the Lord has shown me and Paul that we need to work hard, do our best, and seek to please the Him first. That's all we can do. Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages in the world, but God is showing us that through Him, all things are possible!
Please pray for us as another Bible school year is quickly approaching. Opening weekend is September 11th! Paul is very busy preparing for his first full year as Bible School Director. He has to organize guest teachers, prepare the classroom, keep in touch with students, get offices ready, and many many other tasks. Please pray that he does not get overwhelmed and is able to devote enough time to each responsibility.
Meanwhile, I have stepped into the Admissions department until an intern comes to take my place sometime in September. I have been busy processing applications, writing emails to students, and organizing Visa information. I had no idea this job is so involved. Next week I start my online courses with Liberty University. Please pray that I do not get overwhelmed either!
The 2009-2010 Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute school year is sure to be one of change, excitement, and anticipation. Our greatest desire is to train as many young people as possible to know God's Word and to serve Him faithfully. Please pray with us for these incoming students. God is going to do a great work in them this year!
