salsa making, the PC way

that's Ponytail Challenge way, not politically correct (because I'm not) and not personal computer (because I don't have one)

Yes, the Ponytail Challenge way- full of pain, sweat and tears....but not necessarily in that order.

1- Gather your peppers and tomatoes. All that your garden or market has to offer. When you think that you have enough tomatoes for salsa making, go back and get twice as many. When referring to the web to find out an accurate way to measure 20 lbs. of tomatoes, you will receive answers that vary from 2 cups = 1 pound, all the way to 8 cups = 3 pounds, 16 cups = 20 pounds. Hmmm.....might be time to just buy a scale.


Notice the gloves.

2- Start chopping. Chop and chop. Then, chop some more.
2.5- Stop, change baby's dirty diaper, hand children box of dry cereal to eat for lunch. Wash hands.



3- The tears part...... it is always good to have a good cry. Lots and lots of tears.



4- Get really annoyed at chopping and pull out the food processor to do it for you. It might be wise to skip right past #2 to this step. I suggest leaving your gloves on. Chop up your peppers.



5- Decide that maybe you should check the "hotness" level of the unknown variety of peppers you picked from your garden. Touch the tip of your tongue to pepper- ever so quickly.


Notice the lack of gloves.

6- Run to sink- ever so quickly. Drink a lot of cold water.
6.5- Pretend that you don't hear your baby crying to be picked up.

7- Make the wise, educated decision that maybe you have enough peppers in your salsa.
7.5- Try to yell- I mean calmly tell- your children to stop jumping on your bed- while your tongue and lips are swollen, burning, tingling and slightly numb.

8- Place everything in to your biggest pot.



9- Your pot is not big enough. Now, place everything in to your 2 biggest pots.
9.5- Give your children the bag of jumbo marshmallows for the great nutritional content.

10- The sweat. Feel as if you haven't showered in weeks because you have are been standing in a hot steamy kitchen for 6 hours.

11- Forget to take anymore pictures and the rest of the day, because at this point you are so tired and sick of salsa that your brain has switched to auto mode.
11.5- Auto mode brain allows you to pretend that you didn't know that your children ate the whole bag of marshmallows and that you *gasp* can't believe they did that......when really, you are glad it held them off for an hour so that you could finish up your project.

12- Curse for not having any tortilla chips to eat the salsa that should have only taken a few hours to make, but took all day.

13- Realize that maybe your children could use their mother when your 4-year-old asks at the end of the day, "Mom, can you watch the baby for a minute while I go to the bathroom?" Roll reversal maybe?

14- Look at the sink of dirty dishes, turn around and walk away......... just walk away.



15- The pain...... Hold a bag of frozen vegetables all night long because you weren't smart enough to wear gloves while handling hot peppers.



Pain, sweat, and tears. I have had a few requests for the recipe- I'll see how it turns out and then decide if I should "share the wealth."
Must. Buy. Chips. Now.