memories are made of this

My mother is haunting me this week. Not as a ghostly apparition – she'd never approve such hijinks. "What would people think?" No, Mom's hauntings are more likely to follow the path of gentle reminder. I might find an unexpected hug in one of her crocheted "love-in-every-stitch" blankets, catch the familiar strains of Que Sera, Sera while channel surfing, or lift the lid on happy memories in the kitchen.

 

I made harvest soup on Sunday afternoon and as I pulled the old Dutch oven from the depths of the cupboard, Mom was there. 

Sunday's Harvest Soup in Mom's Dutch Oven

Mom and that cast iron pot were ever-present in my childhood, serving up delicious, nourishing (and thrifty) meals, everything from her oddball "Irish" stew made with ground beef and curry, to chicken with melt-in-your-mouth dumplings. And let's not forget the world's finest chili sauce. Mmm, I can almost smell it now. Small wonder lifting that lid still conjures the very best memories of Mom.

Mom's Chili Sauce

·         11 quart basket ripe tomatoes (skinned and coarsely chopped)

·         4 red and 4 green sweet peppers (coarsely chopped)

·         1 or 2 red hot peppers (finely and very carefully chopped – don't get the juice on you!)

·         2 bunches of celery (coarsely chopped)

·         10-12 onions (chopped)

·         5 cups apple cider vinegar

·         5 tablespoons salt

·         3 cups brown sugar

·         2 quarts of apples (coarsely chopped – these help to thicken the sauce)

Seasonings: (tie in a cheesecloth bag and immerse in sauce while it cooks)

·         1 tablespoon cloves

·         1 tablespoon cinnamon

·         2 teaspoons ginger

·         2 teaspoons allspice

 

Simmer until it thickens. Makes about 12 pint sealers.

Enjoy!