Making Salsa With My Little Chef - A Dream Come True?

[ChefBeckyD]

Tonight, I spent the evening in the kitchen, making Salsa with my 4 yr old son. What fun we had!
The camera batteries were dead of course, so I didn't get pictures - but I have a picture and memory in my mind that will last forever.
(We used the SauceMaster to make the salsa....it looks like this:http://www.mendingshed.com/200strainer.html - and it is wonderful for salsa, tomato sauce, applesauce, squash, and pumpkin...among other things!)So, there is my little guy - so thrilled to be helping mom make salsa - standing on a chair in his new Transformer underwear(he's changed them 3 times today - to try them all out!), grinding the tomatoes as I dump them into the hopper. His joy in doing this just about made my heart burst - and my heart almost didn't make it when he stopped what he was doing, and said in a tone of wonder and excitement - "Mom, I know what we can be when we grow up! We can be Master Chefs together, and have a salsa restaurant, and make homemade salsa and chips....and we can even have delivery....but we are going to have to make sure we have enough plastic containers and lids."I told him I would love to be chefs together, and that it sounded like a great idea to me....but my very favorite job of all is being his mommy.Could I love him any more than I do at this moment?:love::love::love: Making salsa will never be the same for me again - it is now filled with a joy and wonderment that only a child can bring to it.

 

[JAE]

Awww! How cute.

 

[Ginger428]

Awwwwwwwww that is soooo sweet!! I know you'll remember this day!

 

[pcchefjane]

That is just too precious! Be sure you buy lots of batteries for the next time!

 

[ShanaSmith]

That's too cute!

 

[Addie4TLC]

Awww that is too cute!! I miss when my kids were that age.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Becky that is priceless. Do you have the kids chef hat and apron for him? I bought one for my son and had his name embroidered on the hat - he loves to wear it when he helps me in the kitchen. I happen to have an extra if you want one.


Here's my little chef

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/072.jpg

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Linda - what a great idea! I do have a set - I still have the one I earned when they were new! I need to pull that out for him, now that he wants to be a chef when he grows up. And - to save his Transformer underwear from being stained!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Be sure you post a picture for us to see.

 

[chefmeg]

these are the moments that make parenting totally worth it! We are baking bread today, so I hope my kids can hold onto and cherish the times we share in the kitchen! What a great story Becky!

 

[janetupnorth]

Aww...how fun! My DS hung with Daddy last night while I took DD to piano. She then read while I studied for my HAM license test that is Saturday a.m. DS did sneak over to snuggle a bit. I think he's fighting a cold/allergies because he was very warm this a.m. and EXTRA snuggly...

 

[vwpamperedchef]

That is cute!!

 

[TinaOuellette]

When I'm about to cook, my DD always wants to help and she puts her hat and apron on too. Really cute!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Becky....you are killing me, girl! Here I am sitting here with tears in my eyes over the picture you painted for us with your words. What a treat to have such a little man to raise! Pictures would have been nice...but how you described the evening was even better!

<sniff, sniff>

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Becky....you are killing me, girl! Here I am sitting here with tears in my eyes over the picture you painted for us with your words. What a treat to have such a little man to raise! Pictures would have been nice...but how you described the evening was even better!

<sniff, sniff>

Awww, Kelly - you're just a hormonal pregnant woman!


(it brought tears to my eyes too.....and no, I'm not pregnant!)

 

[Bren706]

Becky....you are killing me, girl! Here I am sitting here with tears in my eyes over the picture you painted for us with your words. What a treat to have such a little man to raise! Pictures would have been nice...but how you described the evening was even better!

<sniff, sniff>

Yes, that brought tears of joy to my eyes as well! What a wonderful memory!

 

[Joanna]

Children are wonderful. You never want them to grow up. My middle one just turned 11 and I told him to stop growing but you all know that wont happen:cry:. My baby just turned 4 and is still a mommas boy for the time being. But I guess we all know also how long that lasts

 

[janetupnorth]

(We used the SauceMaster to make the salsa....it looks like this:http://www.mendingshed.com/200strainer.html - and it is wonderful for salsa, tomato sauce, applesauce, squash, and pumpkin...among other things!)

I'm so excited - I stopped at Fleet Farm on the way home from my cluster meeting and this was on sale for $20.00 OFF!!!!! I got it for $29.99.

Now off to make some salsa!!!!

 

[JAE]

I'm so excited - I stopped at Fleet Farm on the way home from my cluster meeting and this was on sale for $20.00 OFF!!!!! I got it for $29.99.

Now off to make some salsa!!!!

Is Fleet Farm the same as Farm & Fleet? Or have I been saying it wrong since I was a child?

Oh, and I thought Becky was back when I saw this thread again. Come back Becky!

 

[KellyTheChef]

I'm so excited - I stopped at Fleet Farm on the way home from my cluster meeting and this was on sale for $20.00 OFF!!!!! I got it for $29.99.

Now off to make some salsa!!!!

I guess I never clicked on that link...if you use that with the salsa, does it make a very thin consistancy salsa, since it removes all of the chunks?

Hmmmm...DH would like salsa like that! He doesn't care so much for the "chunks"...I think it reminds him he is actually eating veggies!! lol

 

[janetupnorth]

Is Fleet Farm the same as Farm & Fleet? Or have I been saying it wrong since I was a child?

Oh, and I thought Becky was back when I saw this thread again. Come back Becky!

Yes and no...it was Farm & Fleet in Racine where I grew up, Fleet Farm in Wausau. Two different companies but VERY similar!

Both Mills Fleet Farm and Blain’s Farm & Fleet are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year. In both stores, the layout is virtually the same, as is the merchandise. Are they owned by the same company? -- Peter

Though it’s often rumored in farm country that the Mills and Blain’s chains are the result of a family feud, they’re not, says Blain’s spokeswoman Renee Tarnutzer. “In fact, we chuckle every time we hear the rumor that there was some sort of family dispute between two brothers,” she says.

The Mills Cos. opened a farm merchandise store called Fleet Wholesale Supply in Marshfield, Wis., in 1955, and that piece of the Mills family empire morphed into Mills Fleet Farm in 1960. It has 30 stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Iowa.

Blain’s Farm & Fleet also dates from 1955 and was founded by brothers W.C. Blain and N.B. Blain. The chain has 33 stores in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa; the closest to Rochester is in LaCrosse, Wis.

Unlike Fleet Farm, Blain’s has a company song, recorded in Nashville by members of Eddie Rabbitt’s band, with lyrics such as, “We're making it easy to save you time...we're bringing you quality...the top of the line.”

 

[janetupnorth]

I guess I never clicked on that link...if you use that with the salsa, does it make a very thin consistancy salsa, since it removes all of the chunks?

Hmmmm...DH would like salsa like that! He doesn't care so much for the "chunks"...I think it reminds him he is actually eating veggies!! lol

It comes with the fine barrel and they were out of the salsa barrels at Fleet Farm so that is what I used today.

Yes, it is much finer but good...the tomato paste in Becky's recipe thickens it up a bit.

It was great, it removed all the skin and seeds effortlessly!

I have a batch cooking right now.

It'll also be great for fruits too and their were some pumpkin recipes with it.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I love salsa... but I also love knives so I wonder if I'd miss the chopping. I also love juice and have fallen in love with a brand of juice called Naked Juice- mayeb I should buy a juicer too, it might save me some money...

 

[JAE]

I love salsa... but I also love knives so I wonder if I'd miss the chopping. I also love juice and have fallen in love with a brand of juice called Naked Juice- mayeb I should buy a juicer too, it might save me some money...

I really like that stuff too, but it is expensive. I'd love to buy a juicer, but I don't want to store it or leave it on my counter. Plus, I don't want to spend the kind of money I'd want to spend to get the one I want. I saw one on Martha Stewart that I want.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I really like that stuff too, but it is expensive. I'd love to buy a juicer, but I don't want to store it or leave it on my counter. Plus, I don't want to spend the kind of money I'd want to spend to get the one I want. I saw one on Martha Stewart that I want.

I'm struggling with that decision as well. I would want a high quality one, and then there is the fact that the fruit in the twin cities is of poor quality. If I want to shop at the fancy gourmet grocery stores and pay $4.00 for a pound of grapes, the juicer would be a great idea. Naked juice is obnoxiously expensive but I feel so good when I drink it! Mmmmm yummy!

 

[JAE]

I'm struggling with that decision as well. I would want a high quality one, and then there is the fact that the fruit in the twin cities is of poor quality. If I want to shop at the fancy gourmet grocery stores and pay $4.00 for a pound of grapes, the juicer would be a great idea. Naked juice is obnoxiously expensive but I feel so good when I drink it! Mmmmm yummy!

I've bought Naked Juice at Sam's Club. It's been a while so I don't remember how much it cost.

 

[janetupnorth]

I love salsa... but I also love knives so I wonder if I'd miss the chopping. I also love juice and have fallen in love with a brand of juice called Naked Juice- mayeb I should buy a juicer too, it might save me some money...

Hey, you still dice onion, peppers, etc.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Hey, you still dice onion, peppers, etc.

I know- but I think I have an addiction to knives and chopping, slicing and dicing... I may need to seek outside help for my knife addiction! LOL

JAE- I'll have to check out Sam's Club for the Naked Juice... I really enjoy it, so if I can find it for a little less, I'd buy it!