HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE

Making your homemade tomato sauce is remarkably easy, very satisfying and hard to go wrong with. Actually, in most cases, we don't stick to one particular recipe. The way we make it generally depends on how we feel like or what herbs we have in the garden at the time.

Here is the instructions for our basic homemade tomato sauce for you.

Firstly, wash your tomatoes. We don't always peel off the skin. However, if you prefer yours to be skinless, then boil whole tomatoes only for a minute or so and then put them in ice or iced water. This procedure will be quite helpful in skinning your tomatoes.

Some people may prefer to take the seeds and the excessive water off tomatoes but I definitely don't enjoy the idea of taking all that goodness out of it. I prefer mine to include it all. If you want your sauce to be seedless, then cut the tomatoes at this stage and scrape out the seeds and the water. Draining the water will help you in making a thick sauce (but even this doesn't convince me to do so). You may also try to use the drained off tomato juice for your other meals so that you do not waste it.

Now, all you need to do is to boil your tomatoes and simmer it as long as you like. If you want it to be thicker, then simmer it longer so that more water evaporates. If you prefer it runny, then you don't have to cook it as much. Also at this stage, add some herbs to this mixture. We often use 'Italian herbs' or a mixture of basil, rosemary, a small amount of sage and some thyme. We grow a few types of herbs in our garden and therefore we have the luxury of using them fresh. However, if you don't have fresh herbs, then just use dried herbs.

We mostly use our tomato sauce fresh. However, it is possible to make a big batch and store it for later use. The best way to store them is that after your sauce is cooked, put them in sterilised glass jars. To prepare the jars, you need to wash your jars and their lids thoroughly. Then boil them for some time (approximately 10 minutes is appropriate) (if you have a water bath canner, you can use it). After removing the jars from the hot water, they are ready to be filled in with your delicious homemade tomato sauce. Allow them to cool down at room temperature before placing them in your refrigerator.

Enjoy!

A LANGUAGE ACTIVITY: WORD JAR

Even though my title states that I am writing about a 'language activity' today, this activity is not only about language improvement. This is one easy and fun activity that helps with language, confidence, imagination skills and more. This game suits kids that are preschool aged and above the most.

What you need for this activity is;

• a jar
• words cut out of magazines, newspapers, flyers etc (or hand written)

You or your children (or together) decide which words go into the 'word jar' first. Then cut them out of magazines or write them by hand and put them in the jar. You can add more words or change them as you go. Your children/students take out one word at a time (possibly one word a day would work well) and then using that word they make sentences. It is a very open ended activity and you can adjust it to your needs or like. Your child can be asked to make up a story using that word, prepare a 'show&tell' presentation, use it in an arts&crafts activity, use it in writing and so forth. Another idea is that you start a little made-up story and ask your children/students to complete your story somehow using that particular word in it. Another possible use of this game is that your children take out two words at a time and somehow use those two words in the same logical sentence or story depending on how much challenge is welcome and can be handled. The options are endless and as long as it is made fun, it will be very beneficial and enjoyable.

This is an activity that a friend of mine used to play with her two daughters when they were much younger. I am looking forward to playing this game with Mr. Junior sometime soon but I may add some pictures associated with words as he is not able to read words yet even though he has recently started to recognise a few simple words.

Note: This activity can be used by adults learners of languages. All you need to do is that you put some written words in a language that you are trying to learn into the jar and take them out one by one whenever you get a chance and try to remember the meaning of the word. You can also go a bit further and make sentences or stories with them if you are at that stage. This activity will enhance your vocabulary as well as your comprehension and grammar skills orally and/or written.

Please take the time to share your variation, experience or tips of games and activities that can be used for language learning here with us. Alternatively, you can e-mail me (contactmrslucky@gmail.com). You may even be able to feature here with your activity/game idea.

Enjoy learning something new today!

COLOURFUL CATERPILLARS

If you are like me, who love colourful buttons and have a lot of them at home for various projects, and also like doing something simple yet fun and skill building with your children, you are sure to love this activity. You can of course adapt it to your taste or a particular theme or the materials you have at home.

What you need for this craft activity is a set of buttons (a single colour or a set of colours) and a dark green pipe cleaner which you can easily find at most art supplies section of big supermarkets, hardware stores or craft shops. You can either use some small goggly eyes or just skip them and use a piece of round shaped paper as face and just draw eyes etc on it instead. This can be completed with or by your children and then can be used as a decorative purposes unless gifted or used as a figure to accompany a story while reading a book on a  relevant topic.

Have a colourful day!

HOW TO TIE A PERFECT RIBBON

Copied pictures

The pictures above say it all.

Enjoy a picture perfect day today!

DID YOU KNOW ...? (14)

It is claimed that the word 'dictionary' was not included in the first dictionary. (Isn't that funny?)

MINT

Mint from our garden

There are different types of mint. The most commonly used ones especially in kitchens are spearmint and peppermint.

Mint is rich in Vitamins A and C. It also contains some Vitamin B2. The essential minerals mint contains are manganese, copper, iron, potassium and calcium.

Mint is well known to help with digestion (homemade peppermint tea is strongly recommended. To make this tea, you just need to boil some water and put some fresh mint leaves in it and wait for 5-10 minutes before drinking).

Mint's medicinal properties aren't limited to its aid in digestion. It

• has anti-cancer properties both in preventing and healing and are good antioxidants (antioxidants are good for protecting against cancer). 
• helps opening up respiratory passages and airways, 
• is good for relieving cold and flu symptoms. 
• has proven itself in some muscle relaxation and is calming.
• is used as a mild sedative (no wonder why mint is often used in aromatherapy such as massage oils). 
• is proven to help bad breath problems and 
• crushed mint leaves help whitening teeth (most toothpastes include mint in them). 
• is a very good cleanser for the blood.

Mint is sold both dried and fresh at almost every supermarket these days (if you want to know how to make ground mint at home, click here). Fresh mint can stay for upto a week when put in water and the water is changed regularly. However, I really like it when they are 'really fresh'.

We grow some mint in the garden and I can easily claim that they are one of the easiest herbs to grow in a pot or on a garden bed. If interested, let me know and I can write about how to grow mint in the future. Also, let us know how you consume mint. You can either e-mail me (contactmrslucky.gmail.com), or just click 'comments' below and write there.

A SMALL GARDEN PLEASER

By now, all my readers here would know how much I appreciate and enjoy recycling ideas and recycled products for various reasons. In the (copied) picture above, there is another recycling idea for us all. The recycled pots on the wall in the picture are very useful, practical, stylish and easy-to-do.

The list of what you need for this project is below:

• some containers (Eg. large tomato sauce tins) that you want to recycle 
• something to hold them up with (the safest would be the use of nails or you can even make little individual shelves with wood to place them on if you have the materials and the time for it). 
• A drill (or a nail and a hammer) to make a hole in each container for drainage. 

You can use the clean containers as they are or alternatively, you can paint or decorate the containers to your taste or to match the theme you have in your garden. Put some soil in each container and it is ready for plantation!

You can grow flowers or other pot plants in them but I really like growing things that can be eaten and I think they would be wonderful for some herbs such as parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, mint, basil, chives, coriander and so on. They won't take space in the garden, will look very nice and neat and will add a character to your garden without spending any money! You will also be pleased to know that you have achieved something meaningful and useful.