Karen Istead Glass Artist:fused and stained glass

06/20/2026

July 8 full
July 15 has three spots available

06/13/2026

06/10/2026

06/04/2026

🍅 Skip the Sauce-Making Marathon! 🍅

Before you spend hours cooking down tomatoes into sauce, try this simple freezer trick instead!
Every summer I reach that point where the cherry tomatoes are coming in faster than I can use them. Rather than standing over a hot stove all day, I make these Tomato Sauce Freezer Packets and call it good.
When winter rolls around, I can pull out a packet, toss everything into a skillet, and have a fresh-tasting homemade sauce with almost no effort. The tomatoes, garlic, onion, and basil freeze beautifully together and taste like summer in the middle of January.

🍅 Tomato Sauce Freezer Packets
For each packet:�• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 sprig fresh basil
• ¼ red or sweet onion

How I Make Them
1️⃣ Wash and drain the tomatoes.
2️⃣ Peel the garlic.
3️⃣ Cut the onion into quarters.
4️⃣ Add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and basil to a vacuum-seal bag.
5️⃣ Remove the air and seal.
No vacuum sealer? No problem! Place the partially sealed bag into a bowl of water with the zipper side up. The water pressure will push most of the air out. Seal completely before removing from the water.
6️⃣ Label and freeze flat.

When You're Ready to Use One
🫒 Add a little olive oil to a skillet.
🍅 Dump in the entire frozen packet.
🧂 Season with salt, pepper, and any herbs you like.
🍅 Simmer until the vegetables soften and the sauce thickens.
🥄 Blend until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender.
🥛 For a creamy pink sauce, stir in about ¼ cup of half-and-half or cream.
Serve over your favorite pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
That's it!

No peeling. No seeding. No hours of cooking. Just garden-fresh flavor waiting in your freezer for those busy winter nights.
Who else is swimming in cherry tomatoes right now? 🍅😂

05/25/2026

This is the profile of new participant, painter, Tuula Redditt, who will be showing her paintings in the Bancroft and Area Autumn Studio Tour on September 19-22 & 26-27.

Profile writing and photo by Allan O'Marra