Just like any birthday party, we have a few party favors for our guests, as a remembrance of the day!  If you would like a chance to win one of our tiny gifts, just email paula@asweetremembrance.com – today 9/25/16, & make sure the subject line of your email says “PARTY FAVOR”.  Tomorrow, after everyone has had a chance to enter, Ismay and I will place your email addresses into a hat and draw out the 18 winners! ❤

If your name and address are drawn you will receive either a magnet with Eliza Jane’s photograph, or a set of two canning jars so that you and your own dolls can preserve a bit of autumn’s harvest.  The canning jars also make charming vases for tiny wild flowers and herbs.  I have 9 sets of canning jars and 9 magnets to give away!

Super easy, and very fun!  Totally free 🙂  The only rules are:

1. You must have a United States mailing address. So, so sorry, but international postage rates are really high and much more work! I’ll ask for your  mailing address when I contact you to say you’ve won.
2. You must get your email in to me by midnight Eastern Time on 9/25/16 and you must email, replies to this post do not count.
3. If you are not already on my email mailing list and you enter the contest, I will add you to my mailing list.  I don’t send out many emails and I NEVER share my mailing list. Naturally later on if you decide you don’t want to be on my mailing list you may ask me to remove you with no questions asked and no hassles or hard feelings. 🙂
4. Only one entry per person.

Good Luck!!! Ismay and I hope you win!

“Isabeau I’ll get the canning jars for you.”

“Two different sizes!”

“I think we should put the tomatoes in this big jar.”

“and this little jar would be just the right size for jam.”

Cloe was very taken with Isabeau and Zanna’s canning jars. Enter the contest to have a chance at winning one of nine sets that I am giving away as  party favors!  Click on any photo to see it enlarged and read the caption.

Hannah and Zola have been out picking the last of the tomatoes from the garden.  They are planning to make Oven Dried Tomatoes and Canned Roasted Tomatoes. Zola is my doll’s newest friend, a c. 1880-1890 “Beecher-type” cloth doll with a stockinette covered facemask.  Hannah & Zola are happy to share their canning recipes with you:

Oven Dried Tomatoes

Wash and slice cherry or small paste tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Place tomatoes on parchment paper-covered cookie sheets, skin side down.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake in your oven on the lowest temperature setting available (150 – 200 degrees), until the tomatoes reach the consistency of raisins.  If you start them in the late afternoon or early evening, then they will usually be done first thing in the morning, however the amount of time will vary with the size of the tomatoes and your oven temperature.  I would suggest trying this the first time during the day, when you can check their progress every few hours.

After the tomatoes have dried, remove them from the cookie sheet and pack them in clean sterilized canning jars. Heat olive oil to just below boiling.  Pour the hot oil over the tomatoes, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top of the jar.  Place a clean sterilized canning lid and ring on the jar, tighten, then turn the jar upside down.  The heat from the oil should cause the jar to seal.  After you hear the lid make a popping noise – which means that it has sealed – you can turn the jars right side up. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.

–         These dried tomatoes make a wonderful addition to sandwiches, pastas, and pizza

–         Use the olive oil the dried tomatoes are canned in for cooking and salad dressings

–         Put dried tomatoes and a bit of the olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth, serve with baguette slices for a fantastic appetizer

–         Blend dried tomatoes with mayonnaise for a great treat on a BLT

Canned Roasted Tomatoes

After picking tomatoes of any size and variety, wash, cut off stem and blossom ends, as well as any blemishes and roughly chop.  Place tomatoes in the largest enamelware pot that will fit in your oven.  Fill the pot to the top with tomatoes.  Place the uncovered pot in your oven and bake at the lowest temperature setting (150 – 200 degrees) until the tomatoes are reduced by half.  Depending on the size of your pot, this can take up to 24 hours.  Stir the tomatoes once or twice as they roast.  You may add sea salt to taste if you so desire.  Once the tomatoes have cooked down, but are still hot, ladle them into clean sterilized canning jars, cap with lids and rings and process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.

Clearly I should have said the the additional posting times for today were approximate! The dolls are all just as excited as Cloe was to be running around in my studio and working in their doll house! So much exuberance is hard to contain and it is very difficult for little dolls to stay still for photographs. 🙂 So please come back and join us later today at approximately 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm, and 10:00 pm Eastern time. ❤